Living Stones

Based on 1 Peter 2:2-10
First delivered May 10, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            The last book of the Bible is often called the Book of Revelation. But sometimes you will see it titled as “The Apocalypse according to John.” Most of us have heard the word “apocalypse.” Apocalypse is a word that comes from the Greek language that means “to reveal.” An apocalyptic event is something that happens which reveals something that was hidden. When we think of the apocalypse or something being apocalyptic, we often think of some event that was very disruptive, something that shakes society to its core. It shouldn’t be hard for us, then, to think about the pandemic we are living through right now as apocalyptic. It has disrupted our way of life significantly. And it is also an event that is revealing things about our society.

            One of the things the pandemic has revealed is who gets classified as essential workers, those who are not able to stay at home but must risk their health to keep things going. I am thinking of truck drivers, warehouse workers, bus drivers, delivery drivers, health care workers, food suppliers, those who work in meat processing plants. We are seeing how they are not as well compensated as those non-essential workers who have the privilege to stay at home and work from there. So, the pandemic is revealing some things about the divisions in our workforce.

            Something else the pandemic has revealed is how important public health is and how our preparations for a pandemic have not been as robust as they should have been. We are seeing how when public health is not taken more seriously that the impact on our society can be quite serious. We also see what happens when we have effective governance and when we do not.

            The pandemic has also been revealing that church is more than meeting in a building on Sunday morning for worship. Let’s face it, for most of us church is about gathering for worship on Sunday morning. Speaking for myself, I spend a great deal of my work week, then and now, preparing for worship on Sunday. Our music leadership focus their energy on preparing for Sunday worship. A lot of the time used by the secretaries of our churches is devoted to preparing for Sunday worship. Of course, this is not the only thing we do at our buildings. Before the pandemic we had all kinds of things happening in our buildings. But things have changed. And we are having to look at what it means to be a church when the primary thing we used to do, gather for worship on Sunday morning, is not happening. The pandemic is creating an opportunity to reveal to us what church is truly all about.

            When Peter wrote this letter to this small community of Christians, they did not have a building to gather in themselves, at least not in the large sanctuaries we occupy. When they gathered together, it would have been in homes. Or, perhaps, they would gather outside somewhere. But the point is they would not have gathered in a church building with pews and an altar and a choir loft. No stained glass or organ or piano. Their gatherings were different from how we used to gather. Actually, now that we are gathering for worship in our homes, it may be more like how Christians gathered back then when Peter wrote this letter.

            Since they did not gather for public worship on Sunday morning, what did church look like for them? In the passage we heard today, Peter speaks about how we as Christians are living stones that are being built up into a spiritual house. In this building, Jesus is the cornerstone. The cornerstone is the most important stone in the building. It is the point upon which the building is built. It is the first stone that is laid, in which the rest of the blocks are built around.

            I wonder what this image meant for these Christians as they struggled to live out their faith in a society that mostly ignored them but otherwise harassed or exploited them. Clearly Peter is not talking about an actual building. He is speaking of a structure of some kind that is strong and stable…a stone structure. In this structure, we, as followers of Jesus, are the stones that are being built up, forming this structure. We are living stones, not dead stones. We are animated. We move around. We are in motion. Yet, we are part of something that is stable, what Peter calls a spiritual house. And this house is anchored by Jesus who is the cornerstone, the one that each living stone is built from. Without Jesus, there would be no structure, no spiritual house.

            What happens in this spiritual house built up with living stones? Whatever the Spirit makes happen. The Spirit dwells within this spiritual house, this community of believers. And Peter says that the community of believers, who are living stones, are also a holy priesthood. Every person is a priest in this vision. Every person, through the empowerment of the Spirit, is able to offer spiritual sacrifices. What’s that?

            Obviously, it is not animal sacrifices like what used to be done at the Temple in Jerusalem. I say “used to” because it is probable that when this letter was written the Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Romans. Ritual sacrifices of animals were no longer happening. There was no temple in which to gather. The center of worship for the people of Israel was flattened and removed. You think we are going through crazy times when it comes to worship. This was a whole new world for these early Jesus followers that we can only get a glimpse of, even as we are going through our own transformation.

            So, what are these spiritual sacrifices Peter is talking about? We may get a clue if we look at chapter 2, verse 1, which reads: rid yourselves of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy and all slander. What I understand these spiritual sacrifices to be has to do with day to day living. It has to do with ethics. It has to do with doing the right thing in the face of hardship and anxiety. Malice, guile, insincerity, envy, slander, these are all ways of being in community that destroy community, that push people apart. Peter is calling us to not be like that but to make different choices about how we relate to each other. Instead of malice, kindness. Instead of guile, honesty. Instead of insincerity, genuineness. Instead of envy, gratitude. Instead of slander, praise. What do you have to sacrifice to live like this? What would it cost you to live a way of life marked by kindness, honesty, genuineness, gratitude, and praise? Especially in times of stress that we are all going through, to live like this requires something of us. It isn’t always easy. When you are stressed out, tired, and anxious, it becomes more challenging to be kind and grateful. It may also be a challenge to be honest with yourself when you are stressed out. Maybe you suck it up and stuff down what you are feeling. Or you avoid what you are feeling by numbing it. Stress and anxiety do all kinds of things to us emotionally and physically. To keep being our best selves, to offer up these spiritual sacrifices that Peter calls us to, does take effort. It takes a community of support. It takes the power of the Spirit.

            All I have said so far is to make this point. The pandemic has revealed to us what is church. It is not limited to gathering in a building on Sunday morning for worship. No, the church is a spiritual house, built up by living stones, built around the cornerstone, which is Jesus. The church is a community of priests who offer spiritual sacrifices. We do church, empowered by the Spirit, as we live out our lives as a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices in the way we live with each other and make our way in the world. This pandemic is helping us reflect on what being the church is really about.

            The pandemic is also revealing to us what is available to us to sustain our faith, and even to grow in our faith, when we can’t meet together for worship on Sunday. When we don’t have that Sunday morning worship experience, what other resources do we have to stay connected with God? How do we sustain our faith when we can’t be together? I guess what I am getting at is that now we can’t gather for worship, for us to continue to nourish our faith we have to get back to basics. We have to make use of the resources provided for us so that we can gain nourishment. Peter may even be thinking of this when he writes about longing for the pure, spiritual milk. What is that pure, spiritual milk available for us so that we can grow in our salvation?

            I believe the answer lies in devotional practices. What devotional or spiritual practices are you using these days to keep you connected with God? There are so many to choose from.

            The first that comes to my mind is prayer, having a conversation with God. Remember, a conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. Prayer involves talking to God and listening to what God may have to say. It is a rhythm of speaking and silence. You can pray written prayers or just say what’s on your mind. Then you listen to your heart. Pay attention to what comes to your mind. Simply be still and know the presence of God. All of that goes into the spiritual milk of prayer.

            Scripture reading is another resource we have to keep us connected with God. What should you read? The Psalms are always a great place to go. Every day just take a few minutes to read a psalm or two. You may be surprised that the psalm you read puts into words what you are feeling. Or read through the gospels, maybe a chapter a day. If you want to be even more disciplined, look for a reading schedule that helps you read through the whole Bible in one year. Reading the Bible daily is spiritual milk for us.

            I have heard a number of people say that they have been listening to music a lot more than usual. Music can be a powerful way to connect us with God. Martin Luther famously said that music is like praying twice. Sometimes we don’t know how to put our feelings into words. But music can help us get in touch with what we are feeling. Music can lift our spirits. Music can open us up to the presence of God. Can you give yourself some time to listen to some gospel music and even sing along? If you have the skill to play an instrument, how might playing help you sense a connection with God? Music can be a source of spiritual milk for us.

            What are other sources of spiritual milk? There is the practice of journaling. You can write down what you are thinking or about what is happening. Imagine the gift that would be for future generations who can read the thoughts of an ancestor who lived through the great pandemic of 2020. You could have a prayer journal, writing down your prayer requests or the answers to prayer you haver received. There is the practice of walking. You could multi-task and pray while you walk. I have especially found that helpful when I needed to clear my head or work off some stress. And, while you are at it, pay attention to your surroundings while you walk. What does the air smell like? How does the breeze feel against your skin? Look around at the flowers and the budding trees, the puffy white clouds against a dark blue sky. Listen to the birdsong. Take your time as you walk and pray so you can pay attention. Journaling, walking, paying attention to your surroundings, these are sources of spiritual milk that can nourish our connection with God.

            What about a breath prayer? As you inhale, say in your mind “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God” and as you exhale say “have mercy on me.” Or make up your own phrase that you repeat as you breathe in and breathe out. A breath prayer can be a simple way to draw our attention back to God and nourish the connection, to grow in faith. Spiritual milk.

            Prayer, scripture reading, music, journaling, walking, breath prayer, these are just some of the resources, the spiritual milk, that is available to us so that we can continue to nourish our faith in these times when we can’t gather for worship on Sunday morning. They help anchor us in our faith when life has gotten all topsy-turvy. This apocalyptic pandemic has revealed to us that the church is about much more than meeting in a building on Sunday morning. And it has revealed to us that we have a lot more resources to grow in our faith than Sunday morning worship.

            How are you doing with the offering of your spiritual sacrifices? Consider what you need to do in the midst of this time of anxiety and stress to live your life marked by kindness, honesty, genuineness, gratitude, and praise. How are you doing accessing the spiritual milk that is available to us, like prayer, scripture reading, music, journaling, walking, paying attention? If you are nourishing your spirit with these resources, keep doing it. If you haven’t, consider taking up one or two of these spiritual practices. By partaking in this spiritual milk that nourishes our faith, we will have the strength required to offer the spiritual sacrifices asked of us as we make our way in the world.

            I encourage you to allow this pandemic to be revelatory. Let this experience reveal to you what church is really all about and what resources you have to keep yourself spiritually nourished, connected with God and one another. The corona virus cannot stop the church from being the church. We all just have to be church differently in the days ahead. The Spirit, who dwells with us, will show us the way.