The Kin_dom of God on Earth

I remember the first Sunday that I came to lead worship here at Holy Trinity. Though I have lived in Massachusetts for most of my life, I’m not too familiar with this southeastern part of the state. So, when I set out to come here on that last Sunday in April, I was not quite sure where I was going. Thank God for GPS. I entered the address in my phone and set out on this new adventure. Leaving Holliston, I headed south on route 115, through Millis and Norfolk into Foxboro. I was familiar with this part of the journey; we had lived in Millis years ago and had often traveled this route for work. Once I went around the rotary in Foxboro, though, I was in unfamiliar territory and I had to listen closely to the voice from my phone to know where to go – in 3.4 miles, turn left; in 1.2 miles, turn left; turn left; turn right; finally turn left again onto Lincoln St. (or something like that!). I was glad when I finally turned onto Lincoln St., because it meant I was getting close to Holy Trinity. It looked like a residential street, though, so I was wondering how I would know when I came to the church building. Soon I saw a pride flag – a rainbow flag – flying on the left side of the road and, since I knew that Holy Trinity is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, I knew I had arrived at the right place.

The pride flag is a sign of welcome and inclusivity. When it is displayed in a congregation, it indicates that the people gathered in this place have done the work of exploring their own core values and beliefs in accepting the diversity of people that God has created in God’s own image.

The pride flag is a sign that the people in this place openly and intentionally welcome and embrace every person who comes through the door to join them in worship and ministry.

The pride flag indicates that the people in this place love each person as a beloved child of God who has unique gifts to offer in the building up of the body of Christ (the church).

In this place, people value the eternal truth that God’s grace and love through Jesus Christ is meant for all people. This truth is poured out upon each one of us by the power of the Holy Spirit, who “calls, gathers, enlightens and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth” (Luther’s Small Catechism, Apostles Creed, the Third Article). We affirm this truth in our confession of faith and live it out in our life together.

It is the power of the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, that breathes new life into us and unites us into new relationships; into a new kin_dom; as God intends us to live, now on earth, as in heaven.

I’m wondering if you are familiar with this concept of “the kin_dom” of God. Let me be clear – I am not saying kingdom of God (which is how we usually hear this phrase); rather, kin_dom of God.

This is the idea that in God’s world – under God’s reign – God’s people (that includes us!) are related to each other through the power of the Holy Spirit – we are connected to and in relationship with each other – we are kin to each other – kin folk – family – joined together and claimed by God; reborn and made new through the waters of baptism and fed and nourished through the body and blood of Jesus Christ and sent out to do God’s work – God’s will – for the sake of the world.

In God’s kin_dom – under God’s reign – it is through our relationship as beloved people of God  – people who have been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone – that the Holy Spirit binds us together and unites us into the kin_dom of God.

In our gospel reading today, Jesus speaks to the unity of God’s people created by the Holy Spirit – in a rather round about way – when he reminds us that a house divided cannot stand.

Certainly, there is much in the world today that seeks to divide people. Almost any personal attribute can be – and has been – used to create division and separate people from each other – it could be race or ethnicity or heritage or culture or age or gender identity or gender expression or sexuality or physical ability or mental ability or socioeconomic status.

Jesus never lets the divisions imposed by the world separate him from the people he came to serve, the people God so dearly loves. Jesus says it this way: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

When we are open to the power of the Holy Spirit working in and among us to gather us together in the name of Jesus, to unite us and reveal to us the truth of God’s kin_dom as it comes into the world now, we too can recognize our kin  – our sisters and brothers and siblings; our mothers and fathers and parents; our family – in the faces of people who look different than we do. We too can respond with grace and mercy and love and truth to everyone around us because we are all equally loved by God.

What does the “kin_dom of God” look like on earth now? It looks like this –

The people of the New England Synod of the ELCA (of which Holy Trinity is a part) met in our annual Synod Assembly this past Thursday-Saturday. Synod Assembly is a time of joy and celebration as kin folk from all across New England gather together for connecting, and prayer and song and worship and learning and conversation and doing the business of the Synod – passing the budget, hearing reports, electing leaders to various positions. It’s a great time to meet new people.

On the first day of the Assembly, I had a conversation with a young adult voting member from Emanuel in Hartford, CT. As we were getting to know each other a bit, I told him that I’ve just started as transition minister at Holy Trinity in North Easton, MA. His face lit up with a big smile! Turns out that he was here at Holy Trinity this past January, when you hosted an event with Jamie Bruesehoff, author of Raising Kids Beyond the Binary. He came with a friend who is from the Philippines. He told me his friend could not believe that any church would offer such an inclusive and welcoming and open conversation. His joy in describing their experience at that event sent chills though my body. I felt the Holy Spirit uniting us and connecting us through the good work you had done here at Holy Trinity.

That’s an example of what the “kin_dom of God” looks like on earth – it’s the Holy Spirit uniting people through their love of Jesus and connecting them and sending them out to do God’s work – God’s will – together.

The good news for today is that the kin_dom of God is alive and doing well here at this place known as Holy Trinity. In this place, where every person who comes through the door is intentionally welcomed and embraced, God’s grace and mercy surround us; Jesus Christ’s redeeming love is made known in word and and sacrament and deed; and the power of the Holy Spirit unites us all into one body, ready to do God’s will and share God’s love with all the world.

To God be the glory. Amen.