Meditation – Sunday, May 8, 2022

Where Two or Three Are Gathered

We are now into our second week of our Spiritual Cross-fit series and today we expand our thinking in regards to both making our body healthy, and making our spirit stronger. Last week we spoke of the idea of Spiritual Cross-fit as a way that we might strengthen our spirit so that we are able to move out into the world, with that strength of spirit, and help to bring the gifts that we have received from God to the wider world. We do this by the spiritual exercise of recognizing, and living into, the gifts of grace, mercy, compassion, justice, love, and forgiveness that God has given us each and every day. We practice these gifts to make ourselves stronger in order to face the world around us which is in need of these such gifts. But in many ways this is easier said than done.

So here we find ourselves in this second week of Spiritual Cross-fit with a very interesting scripture reading from Matthew. This particular reading is very reminiscent for many of us of Matthew 18: 22 which immediately follows our reading from this morning, but I don’t want to focus on the particular issue of forgiveness because that will come later on during this series, but rather I think that it is important for us to examine the theme behind these scriptures because that is where our Spiritual Cross-fit, or strengthening of our spirit, is found today.

Have any of you started out on an exercise routine in your lifetime? I know that I have personally have started a few and there were some that were more successful than others. But the one thing that made a difference was whether I was doing this alone. Quite often when one goes to the gym, one will see a number of people there with at least one other person. These two are there to help each other, they are there to encourage each other, and they are also there to keep each other accountable in regards to their fitness program. Quite often when one looks at videos of CrossFit you will see individuals who are doing these programs together and they are working together towards their fitness goals. They are working together to attain what they hope to attain for themselves and for each other. I remember hearing the stories of some of the long-time members of this community who would all go over to Curves together. It was as much about the exercise, which was good, as it was about the community. This is what Jesus was speaking of in our reading from Matthew today.

Jesus, although speaking of sin in our reading this morning is not speaking about the condemnation of one because of sin, but rather is speaking about how a family, a community is supposed to handle the sins of those among it, but it goes beyond that in many ways. Karl Jacobson, senior pastor at Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd in Minneapolis speaks of this passage in the following way, “This is not just about safety in numbers, but the safety of the numbers.” It is within these numbers of believers that we come to see that what we do here is bigger than just the individual. Jacobson goes on to say, “Jesus says, essentially, that being a member of the church means you have a responsibility. If your sheep gets lost you don’t look for an hour and call it quits. You get out there and find that sheep. If your brother sins against you seventy-seven times (another hypothetical certainty), that’s how many times you forgive him. And of course, we know from the Gospel of Matthew how Jesus treated the Gentiles and tax collectors.” But what does that have to do with us today and with our theme of Spiritual Cross-fit?

Just as someone who begins an exercise routine with a partner is encouraged, taught, and held accountable for their fitness journey, we too find the same gifts in a community of faith. As a community we come together to nurture, to teach and learn from each other, and in many ways we hold each other accountable in love. It is in these places that we learn to live our faith in the world. As much as the world seems to think that many times churches are institutions that are not really relevant in today’s world, there is a gift that is found in a being a member of a community of believers. There is a strength that is found in a community that learns together, grows together, worships together, and struggles together. When we, as Christians, find our strength lacking, when we ourselves are struggling, we know that this community will be here, encouraging, supporting, and nurturing us. Have you ever seen someone lift large amounts of weight in a gym, they always have what is called a spotter with them. This spotter is someone who will help the individual should they struggle with weight so that they don’t injure themselves, we are each other’s spiritual spotters. In community we are here to help lift the load should it become too heavy for any one of us to carry. That is how a community, such as this, can be a part of our Spiritual Cross-fit practice. In this place, with this community we become stronger in spirit both individually and as a community. When we become stronger than the entire Body of Christ in the world becomes stronger. But there is more and it is the most exciting part.

In this community we know that Christ is with us. Where two or three are gathered in my name. No matter the struggles, the joys, the laments, the celebrations in this community know that the presence of God, in Jesus, is with us. This knowledge gives us comfort but it also gives us courage and strength to continue to be a community of faith in a world that doesn’t really see the need for who we are and what we do. Yet in this community we know is found the strength of God, challenging us to go out into the world. We know in this community is the nurture of those who care for us, encourage us, love us, in the midst of all that the world has brought to each one of us. We know in this community we are strengthened by the presence of those who are with us this day and every day, as well as all those who came before who set out the firm foundation on which this community is built. It is in this place, that we continue to build our spiritual strength to continue to be God’s people in the world. So this day I ask you to be my spiritual spotter, helping out when the load gets too heavy, and I vow to be your spiritual spotter to help carry the load when you struggle, to encourage you when you are down, to offer my strength of spirit when yours might be lacking.

But there is a challenge to all of this, just as there is a challenge to any program that makes the body stronger. This challenge is that in order to succeed there must be consistency in what we do. As I mentioned last week that one crunch, the one pull-up, that one push-up will not last forever. If we want any exercise program to work we much be consistent in it and we must make it a priority, or some sort, in our lives. The same is true for our faith. We are called into a community of support but we are also challenged to be consistent in our faith, to make our faith a priority in our lives so that we can become spiritually stronger, so the community can become spiritually stronger. It is not something that just happens and when we don’t have that consistency when we don’t have faith as a priority in our lives, our strength wanes and it affects this community and entire Body of Christ in the world.

So, let us be continue this journey of faith within community understanding what a blessing this is, knowing that Christ is with us, as the CrossFit participant is lifted up by those around him encouraging him forward, finding new strength in the encouragement of others, let us in our Spiritual Cross-fit find that same strength in this community, in the encouragement of love of this place and these people. Amen.

To view the full service, go to:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBTp6gIK9-E