Rooted and Grounded in Love

Sermon

How do you feel about power? Does the idea of it make you feel encouraged, wary, or nauseous? In our scripture for today, the word “power” is repeated three times and is the central theme in this passage. This week, I heard from a few people that they are very uncomfortable with power. It is understandable, truly, why they have negative feelings, as in our culture and world, there are tragic abuses of power. Yet, in today’s reading, power is associated with being rooted and grounded in love.

It was a year ago last night that Georgia Representative John Lewis died from pancreatic cancer. Last June, he told a columnist for The Washington Post that he was “inspired” by last summer’s peaceful protests in America and around the world against police violence. “It was so moving and so gratifying to see people from all over America and all over the world saying through their action, ‘I can do something. I can say something.’” Rep. Lewis was naming the power.

Yes, it was just a year ago that Portland was in the daily news. We were watching persistent, courageous advocacy for justice. And we were also experiencing or watching images of power: rubber- bullet guns, flash bangs, fires, lasers, fireworks, and fists. Those power struggles sprang from oppression, suppression, human hierarchy, and force. How does our wariness of power or embrace of power intersect with the letter to the first century church?

The writer of Ephesians (probably not Paul, but someone close to Paul) was concerned about the abandonment of restraint and concern for other. That was a central problem addressed by the letter. That is a pretty accurate diagnosis for our time, too, especially as it is becoming clear that there are deliberate promoters of disinformation, even though that is causing mistrust in vaccinations and putting lives of the unvaccinated at risk and prolonging the spread of the disease.

The word in Greek that we translate “power” (energes) means “to be able.” The message of Ephesians is this: Though things seem bleak, we can change, because of God’s love in and with us. We have the power to bring about good beyond our imagination through the Holy Spirit. Ephesians is saying: “YES, we can.” This is not an outdated political slogan. It is an expression of the power we have, together, the body of Christ alive in the world.

Do we believe that? How do we live it out?

“I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” That is mighty power indeed! What does it mean to be filled with all the fullness of God? I wonder, if this morning we accepted that fullness, how might we walk away from this service?

There is hierarchical power. It is a power that sometimes forces people to bend to another’s will. When we sing and pray to “Almighty God” it may conjure up images of a god like Thundering Thor, hammering out justice with a bang. But there is another kind of power: an eternal, enlivening source. That power is grounded in relationship. The medieval mystic, musician, and healer Hildegard of Bingen called it “greening” (in Latin, veriditas). Dr. Victoria Sweet, a modern-day doctor, has been inspired by Hildegard and said this:

“. . .Hildegard’s implicit idea, which for me was revolutionary, was that as a doctor I should be not only a mechanic of the body, looking for what is broken and trying to fix it, but also a gardener of the body, nourishing veriditas, and removing what is in its way.”

Many of you are gardeners and have gorgeous, vibrant gardens of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. You know far better than I that when you nurture a garden, it is an ongoing activity. You keep removing weeds to make room for the healthy growth. And, it is almost magical when you see the plant take root and flourish into something grand and beautiful. That’s power. That power has life. Ephesians reminds us that we are partners with God. The nurturing power is in us and among us to bring new life.

There are different types of power. It is essential, and it is the very heart of who we are as people of God, to recognize and to own the power that we have within: relational power.

There are so many people right now in real grief. Not just cranky, but grieving. We’ve been through a lot, and it’s not over. If you are feeling that way, you may be inclined to withdraw from other people. Those feelings are real and understandable. But the fullness of God in you means that there is still a need and drive to belong and be rooted with others. Maybe, right now, in your grief, is the time to quietly ask yourself, Who in my life provides authentic and positive connection? And though it may be very difficult, reach out. If you do not know whom to turn to, talk to one of the pastors here, or Melissa, our director of children’s ministry.

Or maybe you are feeling great. Things are reopening. You’re okay financially, and you’re happy. If that is the case, thanks be to God! AND, it’s a prime time to think of others who may be struggling. You can be present and offer friendship. The greening power takes hold when our roots talk with each other.

Gardening takes constant diligence. When Rep. John Lewis was asked about people who feel as though they have already been giving it their all and nothing seems to change, he said: “You must be able and prepared to give until you cannot give any more. We must use our time and our space on this little planet that we call Earth to make a lasting contribution, to leave it a little better than we found it, and now that need is greater than ever before.” We are rooted and grounded in love, and we strive to meet those needs, together.

Back in the medieval days, Hildegard of Bingen wrote:

“Humanity, take a good look at yourself. Inside, you’ve got heaven and earth, and all of creation. You’re a world—everything is hidden in you.” The fullness of God!

In closing, I share this poem, written by Nancy Fierro, based on the thoughts of Hildegard of Bingen:

Life breath
Health, wholeness and holiness
Emerald vitality,
Sparkling water, Damp stone
Ventilating wind
Fiery glow
Igniting the world into being
Illuminating all creatures,
Giving them color and vigor.
Root of growth
Proliferation of spring
Making grasses laugh
Plants sprout
And flowers blossom.
Joy of youthfulness, Zest of the aging
Energy of the heart loving
And the imagination creating
Fragrance of a life lived with compassion and justice
Green sap of the tree of life, drenched in the sun
Exuberant fountain flowing from the Living Light
Bright power of the Luminous Word born from the greenest branch
Grace and healing tonic of the Holy Spirit
Divine Wisdom’s sweet exhalation.