2025 Sun May 18
Easter 5
Lectionary Easter 5, Year C
I.Theme – Christian communities provide love and encouragement
“The Last Supper” – Leonardo da Vinci (1495-1498))
The lectionary readings are here or individually:
Old Testament – Acts 11:1-18
Psalm – Psalm 148
Epistle – Revelation 21:1-6
Gospel – John 13:31-35
Today’s readings picture the love and encouragement to be found in Christian community. In Acts, Gentiles receive God’s word and the Holy Spirit just as the Jews do. John, in his Revelation, celebrates God’s final descent into our world to bring salvation and a restored world order. In the gospel, Jesus gives us a new command—love one another; by obeying Jesus, we show our discipleship.
God’s intention is to break down the dividing walls, the separations, between us and God, between us and each other, between us and creation. Jesus came to erase the boundaries, and gave us a new commandment to love one another. This commandment reframes the old: no longer are they to be about exclusion, but inclusion. No longer are people to separate themselves for God, but to come together and love one another for God. Even death will no longer divide and separate us. God’s intentions are for us to dwell together with God, as it was in the beginning. God’s desire is not destruction, but restoration. God is making all things new, and desires for us to participate in the breaking down of walls and the building up of the kingdom, or community, of God.
On earth “you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (John 16:20). Already the Spirit grants you peace and joy through the forgiveness of your sins. For by the cross of Christ, “God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). His Gospel is “a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household” (Acts 11:14). He gives freely “from the spring of the water of life” (Rev. 21:6), “and death shall be no more” (Rev. 21:4). He dwells with His people, adorning His Church as a bride for her husband, “making all things new” (Rev. 21:5). Therefore, as the Son of Man is glorified by His cross, “and God is glorified in Him” (John 13:31), so He is glorified in us by our “love for one another” (John 13:35), which His Spirit works in us by His grace.
Visual Lectionary Vanderbilt, Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year C
Click here to view in a new window.
Love as a Commitment
Bishop Michael Curry – Love as a commitment
This is from an interview of Michael Curry in the Harvard Business Review, May-June 2019
Easter 5 featured the following Gospel scripture from John.”I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
“How do you encourage people to bring love into their workplaces?”
“In the past couple years I’ve started thinking of love less as a sentiment and more as a commitment to a way of being with others. As a sentiment, love is more about what I’m getting out of it than what you’re getting out of it. But as a commitment, love means I’m seeking your self-interest as well as my own—and maybe above and beyond mine. That kind of unselfishness is actually how Jesus talked about love most of the time in the New Testament—the Greek word that’s used is agape. That’s the kind of love you see in a person who has done something selfless for you and affected your life for the good: a parent, teacher, Scout leader, or coach. Take that further and you realize that there has been no social good that’s been intentionally done apart from this kind of love. We don’t give people Nobel Peace prizes for selfishness. We recognize those people because they’ve given of themselves without counting the cost to themselves. So, I’ve been playing with the mantra: Is the action I’m contemplating selfish or selfless? I invite folks to just ask that question throughout the day: Selfish or selfless?”
St. Peter’s Anniversary, May 15
In 2011, St. Peter’s celebrated its 175th anniversary. May 15, 2025 is the 189th anniversary of the consecration of the church in 1836. The photo shows various scenes of that day in 2011.
The sermon on the 175th anniversary was based on John 10 the good shepherd passage. Jesus says “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. “
From the sermon- “The gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd, and the sheep hear his voice. The point is –not who is in, and who is out, but whose voice the sheep listen to and follow. The voice of Jesus, the good shepherd. But there were warnings in John’s passage. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The sermon continued – “Those thieves and bandits call out to us with voices that divide us—into those who are in and those who are out based on how much money we have, or what color our skin is, or what our political viewpoints are, or even what religion we are—whether Christians, or Muslims, or Jews, or Buddhists or Hindus—remember, all of humanity is in this sheepfold “
“In 1814, Channing Moore became the Bishop of Virginia and he was, we are told, “an earnest and powerful preacher, able leader, loving and beloved, who was followed as a man sent from God. He awoke this diocese out of its lethargy and started it upon a career of growth and influence that has continued to the present day.
“Meanwhile, the people of Port Royal had resolved to build a church, and so St Peter’s was raised up on this city lot, and was dedicated 175 years ago to the day. Bishop Moore came here, on May 15, 1836, and consecrated this space, set it aside as a sheepfold in which the people of Port Royal could “come in and go out and find pasture,” following the voice and the teachings of Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. “
Secrets Over 185 years – Some personal thoughts.
1. Do the job that needs to be done in good times and bad. Carefully plan what you do. St. Peter’s came together over decades, not overnight.
2. Know your mission to do God’s will, united in love for God, one another and our neighbor. Never forget the mission! We have learned how to extend the pasture and our congregation is diverse.
3. Maintain the important links – close connection with parishioners and through them the community. We need the support of both.
4. Accept the generosity of parishioners. They live through what they give you and find meaning to their lives and enhance your life as well.
5. Tell your stories and retell. Relish in who you are and where we have been and never forget the blessings that have been received along the way.
6. Remember the past but don’t live in it. We can look back but can only move forward.
St. Peter’s 150th Anniversary in 1986
These pictures are from Linda Upshaw’s pictures of 1986, the 150th anniversary celebration. Captions were placed on the back.
This picture shows our retired priest of 20 years at that time Rev. Fall (smoking a cigarette) talking to Byrd Holloway(?). Jim Patton is talking to Edna Gouldman (pink dress) on the right. We had at least 3 priests that day. Sadly many people in this picture have passed on. Note the Parish house in the back so the tent was set up on the right side of the church
You can see the pictures here 150th Anniversary