As I’ve mentioned in a previous Blog, on Sundays we’ve been
publishing, on our web site, Frank’s sermons given in past years. The
sermon we published yesterday was one that Frank gave on Memorial Day,
Sunday May 30, 1993. The title of this sermon is “We Should Remember
We Are Not Islands Unto Ourselves,” and was originally delivered in a
local church, The Federated Church of Athens.
If you haven’t read it, see:
http://all-creatures.org/sermons97/s30may93.html
In this sermon, Frank refers to scriptures in the Hebrew Bible (Old
Testament) as well as in the New Testament. It’s amazing how human
nature remains the same throughout the history of this world.
The Apostle Paul, in speaking to the Corinthian Church about
cooperation among the church members, has this to say:
Corinthians 12:14-20
14. For the body [of Christ] is not one member, but many.
15. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a
part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of
the body.
16. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a
part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of
the body.
17. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If
the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
18. But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the
body, just as He desired.
19. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20. But now there are many members, but one body.
Here are some of Frank’s comments taken from his sermon, in reference
also to Numbers 16 of the Hebrew Bible, the passage describing the
rebellion against Moses and Aaron, when the Israelites were in the
wilderness:
“…just because a leader, or several leaders, or even many leaders and
people of renown, decide to do something, doesn't necessarily make it
the proper thing to do.”
“We must remember that disunity is not from God.”
“The masses of the people don’t really want to think for themselves;
they want to be led around by someone else.”
“But when the tide seems to be changing, they flow with the new
tide.”
“This is not the way God wants us to be. He has given each of us the
ability to think for ourselves, and He has given us the Holy Spirit to
be our guide.”
“And we are to extend this love to the members of our community, and
our political subdivisions, and to our whole nation, and even to the
whole world, until it all becomes the body of Christ, not by force, but
because of our love and compassion.”
“It takes only one person to stir up trouble and problems; but we
must remember that it will never spread, unless others go along with
it.”
“With our love and compassion, we can comfort and redirect those who
have gone astray, and protect the innocent.”
“With our love and compassion, we can truly mold and form a viable,
living body that is useful to God and to ourselves.”
