“I DO.”
Rev. Karen Pidcock-Lester
First Presbyterian Church, Pottstown, Pa.
Confirmation Sunday, May 22, 2016
Romans 8:28-39
Confirmands, let’s talk about love.
Any of you ever been in love? No, not yet?
Well, soon enough, you will be soon enough.
And when you fall in love, you’ll find that you can’t stop thinking about someone…
you’ll look for him around every corner,
you’ll listen for her voice through a crowd,
and when you catch sight of him, or hear her voice,
when he, or she looks you in the eye, your stomach will flip, or
your tongue will get all twisted up, or as I’ve observed,
some people will just feel like tackling the person standing closest to them.
When you are with someone you love, colors are brighter, days are fairer, nights are sweeter…
When you do things with someone you love,
the difficult things become easier –
boring things become enjoyable – homework, chores…I remember noticing when I was falling in love with Carter that even grocery shopping was more fun when I was with him – it still is.
It really is true that love changes everything.
Ok, so, nobody’s fallen in love yet.
Have any of you ever been engaged then? No? No one’s been engaged?
Maybe you’ve been ‘betrothed,” then…
that’s when you’ve been promised to someone,
and you’re legally committed and bound in a lifelong relationship? Think not?
Actually, you kind of are.
You got engaged when you were babies.
You were betrothed, you were bound in a lifelong relationship – talk to your parents – they made the arrangements. It happened for most of you right over here. (Font)
This is where you were betrothed, where you got engaged…
to God. (Oh, I know…that’s not the same things as someone you can touch and see)
But think about it: right here, God bound God’s Self to you. Here, God promised to love you, cherish you, live with you no matter what… And your parents promised to tell you and teach you about the One you are bound to until the day when you would promise back, say “I do” and bind yourself to God.
Kind of like a marriage.
Today you will say “I do” to God.
In a very real way, today you are marrying God.
That is why today is such a big deal.
In a few moments, you will promise to love, honor, and obey God (this isn’t a marriage of equals, after all)
“in joy and in sorrow,
in plenty and in want,
in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live…”
which, with God, is a phenomenally long time.
From this day into forever -- forever, your life and God’s life, will be intertwined.
This One (capital “O”) whom you are binding yourself to today will never fail you,
will never abandon you
hurt you
betray you
or let you down.
Oh, you may be disappointed in God, because sometimes it will seem as though God isn’t listening to you, times when God will not what do you think God should do.
God will be disappointed in you, too, for the same reasons.
And you will get angry with each other. This will happen, I guarantee it. It happens with all loves. Marrying God isn’t a ride to an easy life with no troubles. Troubles are part of human life, and none of us will get out of here without sorrow or suffering.
But now that you are marrying God, you never need face those troubles alone. Even if your friends, your relatives fall away, God will share your sorrows, and your burden will be lightened because God shares it.
God will also share your joys: it’s not all work with God. God will give you joy! God is dreaming wonderful dreams for your life together; God has been making plans for your life together for a long time. “I know the plans I have for you,” God said long, long ago, “plans for your good, plans for peace, and not for disaster.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Believe me, you want God’s dreams for you to come true. They may not be the dreams you have for yourself right now. When I was your age, I had a lot of dreams – marrying a British Lord, composing beautiful music, adopting a dozen children of all races and colors, being famous for doing something brilliant – none of those dreams have happened. But the deeper dreams of my heart, dreams I didn’t even know were there, the dreams that God planted there, I think many of those have come true…and God’s dreams for us are the dreams that make us most happy.
What’s more, the One you are *marrying* today has a whole slew of gifts to give you. When I tell you what marriage gifts God wants to give you, they may sound like the sort of presents a great aunt or uncle give you – like savings bonds or a dictionary or an inspirational plaque for your wall. Useful, but not much fun.
But trust me, you will want the gifts God has for you. You will want the peace God has tucked away to give you, you will want the hope that lights up the future, you will want the guidance and wisdom God will dole out to you along your way,
you will want the resurrection power God has to pour in you, so you can overcome whatever forces are out there to hurt or destroy, and the courage, the faith so you can live without being afraid or anxious. These gifts will change your life… (btw: what gifts are you going to give God in this relationship?)
Being married to God is way better than being married to any mortal, no matter how wonderful that person is. The One you bind yourself to today is not just a companion and friend…
Today you are *marrying* the Master of the Universe!
And, the Master of the Universe is *marrying* you.
Nothing will keep this One from sticking with you –
No hardship, no distress, or persecution or famine, as the apostle Paul puts it- –
no disease, no failure, no addiction, no shame, no backstabbing or bullying – no evil power, not even death will keep God away from you! Jesus showed you that…
There is only one thing that can keep God’s love away from you, only one thing that can cause you to separate or divorce, one thing that can drive God out of your life:
and that one thing is you.
You can turn your back on God.
You can stop listening, talking, following, walking with God;
you can stop exchanging gifts and sharing dreams with God.
You are free to do that, because being bound to God is not bondage.
You are a person, not a puppet.
Like any marriage among mortals, this relationship with God takes attention, commitment, time –sometimes it takes work to understand each other, repair damage, get past anger and close a distance that might grow between you.
People ‘blow it ‘all the time with God, as you have seen in the Big Picture. And God forgives time and time and time again.
But don’t let God’s mercy fool you.
God is no fool.
It is possible to ignore God and push God away so often, and so long, that God – still loving you -- will say “Ok, I’ll let you have what you want. Do it yourself. “
Like the prodigal’s father, God will always wait for you to come back, but God will let you travel through your life on your own if that’s what you choose.
Nothing on earth can separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ –
but you can separate yourself from God.
So, don’t.
You have experienced life that is lived in God’s presence, with God’s people, and you know it tastes and feels good. On the retreat you described life with God as “peaceful, satisfying, full of purpose, joyful.” Why would you turn away from that?
Stay close to the One you marry today.
As you do, I can’t guarantee that your homework will be more fun,
or that your pulse rate will go up every time you talk with God for 50 years to come…
but I can guarantee that life will be brightened ,
sorrows will be lightened ,
strength will be increased,
joy will be deepened…
and whatever happens in the years given to you – all things, all things, all things will work together for good for those who love God and walk according to God’s purpose.
In a few moments, when say “I do”,
give your heart and soul to a relationship that will endure
in joy and in sorrow
in plenty and in want,
in sickness and in health
as long as you live.
Amen.