Sermon preached at The Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia

Sunday August 10 201, The Re!erend Alan "eale

#The Carousel of $race%
For reasons that I hope will become obvious, my mind has been occupied with
images of playground equipment as I have refected on todays sermon. But
frst a question defnitively rhetorical, you should feel no compulsion at all to
answer publically!.
"hen you consider your life at present is it#
$ playground slide % after much wor& you reach the top and then for a
brief moment you en'oy the thrill of the ride and then# its bac& to the stairs(
$ playground swing % rising high as it soars before you and after you but
its all dependent on you) no*one to push you, no*one to push you on(
+r is it a playground carousel % flled with fun, color, movement,
companionship and requiring little wor& from you simply ,turning up-( $nd
when you become di..y for a while, overwhelmed by the .est of the ride you
choose to retreat for a while and then board again(
"hich is it, you thin&# right now(
+ur frst reading today I /ings 01! presents 2li'ah a little while after he has
challenged and routed 345 priests of Baal. In that ferocious e6change the
prophet profoundly learns that lesson of grace % 7od calls him to a tas& and
then gives him the gifts, the power to accomplish it. In other words, 2li'ah is
riding the carousel of grace. But then he disembar&s the carousel % he
becomes a recluse, solitary) riddled with paranoia and resentment) he
becomes a solipsist % only hi, only his world really matters. 8his is what
happens when we remove ourselves from the carousel of grace. 8he good
news( 7od comes see&ing for us % ,"hat are you doing here, 2li'ah(- I /ings
0190:!
In the second reading ;omans 05! <aul presents two types of person. 8he frst
lives by the law) by her own strength, her own will she struggles to obey the
=0: laws, commandments, mit.voth. 8he second lives by grace % here there is
no futile search, no frustrating hunt for the ,right thing to do-, it is so close to
us already it is ,on our lips and in our heart- ;omans 059>!. ?essage
8ranslation ,8he word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your
mouth, as close as the heart in your chest-. <aul is describing the state of
gracious a@airs where each and every one has opportunity to board the
carousel of grace.
$nd the third reading % well, here we see <eter on# o@# and bac& on the
carousel of grace. $pparently separated from Aesus, far from land, the disciples
are battling with one of the classic storms of Ba&e 7alilee % it appears suddenly
and is ferce. $s Aesus wal&s on the water aqua*strolls! to the disciples, <eter
bless himC! wants to be with Aesus.
+verwhelmed, energi.ed by divine grace <eter too begins an aqua*stroll he is
living the life of grace!) but then remember 2li'ah(! <eter loses focus and
begins to sin& removed from grace! but# but he has wit and wisdom to cry
out, ,Bord, save me- ?ar& 039:5! and Aesus e6tends his hand and places <eter
frmly, securely bac& in the carousel of grace. ?essage ?atthew 039:09 ,Aesus
didnt hesitate. De reached down and grabbed his hand-. Eote please that
whether in the storm or in refuge we are invited to live by graceC
It seems to me that anyone on a spiritual 'ourney is, at best, wanting to live in
grace, with grace and by grace. +ur Fhristian tradition and faith is the one that
has wor&ed well for me, even in nearly four decades of parish ministryC
8oday, and over the past few wee&s, our Follects the proper prayer for each
Gunday! has been sharing with us the tremendous news % that we are invited
to live lives of grace.
Auly = % ,grant us the grace of the Doly Gpirit that we may be devoted to you
and united with one another-
Auly 0: % ,grant your people that they may &now what they ought to do and#
have grace and power to accomplish them-
Auly H5 % ,have compassion on our wea&ness# give us those things for we dare
not# for which we cannot as&-
Auly HI % ,increase and multiply upon us your mercy# that we may so pass
through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal-
$ugust : % ,protect your Fhurch for it cannot continue without your help, so
protect and govern it by your goodness-
$nd $ugust 05 % ,we who cannot live without you, may by you by enabled to
live according to your will-
"hatever you carry into church this morning % challenges at wor&, at school, at
home) frailty, fragility in body, mind, spirit or relationships remember these
two prayers of <eter % ,?aster, call me to come to you on the water- on the
water no less! and ,?aster, save meC-.
8he sermon began as I as&ed you which piece of playground equipment best
describes your life right now % slide, swing or carousel.
I &now with confdence what 7od desires for us will all divine energy and
compassion % board the carousel of grace.
A&'"