Sermon for Lauren

I thank David Lose at Working Preacher, as is so often the case, for the inspiration for this sermon.

Text: Luke 8:26-39

Dear Lauren,

Today is God’s good day.

A good day to baptize you.

Unconditional love, declared for you

God crossed all boundaries to make this day happen

To call you Lauren, my child, beloved

You are Mine

God made you, Lauren Lyn

And says, “She is good”

Gave you a sweet smile

Calm demeanor

A big sister who likes to teach

Though some days you won’t want to learn

You’ll challenge, stretch and bless your family

Your parents will ask, “Why us?”

Some days this will be a pleading question

When you pace them to exhaustion with questions

Sticky furniture, whiney dissatisfaction and nap-neglect

Sister-shenanigans

At the same time they ask, “Why us?”

With awe and reverence for the girl you are

All of you—your quirks and blessings

Created and claimed by a loving and faithful God.

God in Jesus did the same, long ago

Crossing the sea to Gentile land

For one act

To meet and free a man

Called Legion

Named after the demons who possessed him

At least 6,000

No one knew his real name anymore

They spoke for him

Ran from him

He was trapped in the tombs

Wandering in a graveyard

No clothes to protect him from scorching sun or sandy wind

Breaking the shackles with great, heaving seizures

Running frantically into the wilderness to spare others his sight

Empty, devastated, no one

Dangerous, separate

Heartbreaking.

Bound.  Chained.

Legion.

 

Bound. Chained.

The world tells us:

We’re never good enough

Skinny enough

Smart enough

Organized enough

Joyful enough

Rich enough

Talented enough

Friendly enough

Strong enough

Nice enough
Happy enough.

Worth enough.

Worth anything.

We tell ourselves

I lack.

I’m deficient.

I fail.

I’ve failed a lot.

I disappoint.

I can’t.

I’m not.

Legions of issues.

Depressed.

Anxious.

On medication.

Screwed up.

Addicted.

Fired.

Let go.

Broken up.

Denied.

Aren’t I worth keeping?

Lauren,

The world may tell you

Convince you

Worse yet--

You’ll convince yourself

You’re nothing but a patchwork

Of what you lack

Mistakes you’ve made

Talents you don’t possess

A body that doesn’t fit the right type

You’ll say, I’m Legion

Identified by my 6,000 problems and wrongs

You’ll ask

Aren’t I someone?

Aren’t I worth keeping?

Oh yes.

Jesus crossed the waters for you.

JUST for you.

He takes your sin and perceived lack and throws it into a herd of swine, 
hurling themselves off a cliff, 
shattering your chains, 
removing bounds

We don’t lack. 

We ABOUND

Abound in God’s love

Child of God

Washed clean and cherished

So much more than our failures and disappointments

So much more than our addictions and health issues

So much more than our insecurities and egos
Not more, but through
Not lacking, but whole
God taking our weakness, our sin, and making something good out of it
For God knows how to work with weakness and make it powerful.
You are good.
All of you.

Clothed in a warm robe of righteousness

Grafted onto the tree of life so we grow from God like branches from a Redwood

Sturdy, ancient

Part of a long, long story

Rooted in our identity as children of God

When you’re lost

Forgotten who you are

Think of this warm, rainy, sticky summer morning
When the waters of baptism flowed over your head

When God drew you into God’s community
Sealed you with the Holy Spirit
Marked you with the cross of Christ
Forever.

Ground yourself in the ancient tree of God

Deep roots

Nothing can shake you

Nothing else has the last word

The bonds are shattered

Deficiencies,

Silenced.

Demons,

Silenced.

Evil, 

Silenced.

Only God's voice left to tell you through the sheer silence:

You are beloved

Child of God

Blessed and claimed for all you are

Abundant and full

Let your light so shine!

Lauren.