March 10, 2024
Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus
" Unconditional"
Homily by Rev. Trip Porch
March 10, 2024 Based on John 3:14-21
So our song today Is a bit off the beaten track, it’s by the indie band Arcade Fire, but it is one of my favorites, so hopefully you’ll humor this departure from songs that are well known. It’s a love song written from the perspective of a parent to a child, and it’s called “Unconditional.” The verses are the parent giving important and honest life lessons to their child like.
When this song came out it was in 2022. I listened to it and started crying, I thought it was so beautiful. I went back to listen to it again, and then again, eyes full of tears. I was six years deep into my journey as a parent with a six-year-old and a two-year-old thought it perfectly captured what I would sing to my kids if I had the chance. Here are the lyrics:
Lookout kid, trust your heart
You don't have to play the part
they wrote for you
Just be true
There are things that you could do
That no one else on earth could ever do
But I can teach you, I can teach it to you
Lookout kid, trust your body
You can dance, and you can shake
Things will break, you make mistakes
You’ll lose your friends, again and again
'Cause nothing is ever perfect
No one's perfect
Lеt me say it again: no one's perfеct
The Chorus goes like
And if you feel it, it's fine
I give you everything that's mine
I give you my heart and my precious time
And the outro sums it all up with a repeated refrain almost like a chant:
Unconditional
Its Unconditional
No matter what you do
It’s unconditional….
Unconditional love is the love we most closely associate with parents because it’s the love parents most often aspire to give. A love with no strings attached. A love that isn’t deserved or earned, in fact its given before we even have a say in the matter even when it can’t be reciprocated. A love that won’t be taken away, as the song says: No matter what you do… its unconditional.
Unconditional Love is the love we most often associate with God. It’s why I think the Bible uses parental language for God, Mother, Father, because we believe that God’s love for us existed before we were even aware of it. As though God looks at the world the same way a parent looks at a newborn child.
And unconditional love is how we understand Grace. The love we know of because of Jesus. The redemptive divine love that saves us, offered universally to the world freely without the world deserving it or earning it. Given to saints and sinners alike before they even have a say in the matter.
Unconditional love is what God is about.
And it’s here in this text too.
John 3:16…
A verse we know so well because it’s the verse most shouted by Christians in American society. Not to tell the world of an unconditional love, but in attempt to point out God’s judgement and conditions.
“For God so loved the world, that he sent his only son, that whosever believes in him, should not perish but have ever lasting life.”
The emphasis in their telling of this verse on the phrase “Whosoever believes in him”
As though that is the only important part of the scripture that is important, as though God’s love is
actually conditional… as though it is only given if you believe, act, live, or behave in a certain way. This telling of the scripture puts the emphasis not on God’s love for the world, but on our response.
So which is it? Is God’s love unconditional and universal, or is it limited by how we respond?
I saw this meme recently. This image that was clearly made by a graphic designer, to show the power of good graphic design to direct your attention and draw your focus to where they want you to put it.
"You will read this first," it says in giant bold letters on a white background.
“And then you will read this” it says in smaller bold letters below on a darker background.
“Then this one” below that line in smaller unbolded text.
And then all the way up at the top in smallest font yet, “And you will read this one last”
The designer is able to direct your attention where they want it, and because good graphic design is as much science as it is art, we follow, and can immediately tell what parts of this image are prioritize and the order we should consider them.
Oh how I wish this chapter of the gospel of John were written with good graphic design. Because I think it would look a little more like this.
Because if you keep reading what the rest of this scripture tells us, and really what the rest of the Bible tells us is that it is more about God’s action than ours. And if we were to place the emphasize the right way, it would be on God’s unconditional, undeserved, freely given love before we even begin to have a conversation about how we respond.
In a minute, I’ve asked the choir to sing a snippet of a special song that was a late addition to our service. It’s an old acapella piece by the British composer John Stainer, with lyrics drawn from this scripture.
Listen to what he emphasizes.
And may our lives be lived as an earnest response to that unconditional love that God has shown since the beginning of time.
Amen.
WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE
PRELUDE
WELCOME Rev. Trip Porch
One: This is the day that the Lord has made
All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it
*CALL TO WORSHIP
One: We enter into worship together, witnessing reflections of God’s glory.
All: Inspired by God’s presence, we gather to join in praise.
One: In joy, we lift our voices.
All: With adoration, we express our gratitude. Let us worship God.
*HYMN 842 “The Lord is My Light” THE LORD IS MY LIGHT
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION adapted from Steve Garnaas-Holmes Peter Maurath
Infinite Love, heart of all life, you loved this world into being with such love as to birth yourself among us, love begotten as the Beloved. Opening ourselves to your love we live beyond our mortal selves and join your eternal Oneness. And yet we turn away from the light of your love and sometimes even prefer the familiarity of our shadow paths…individual confessions in the silence
God, forgive us. And help us to see that your love does not push away, but embraces; That you do not condemn, but save. In your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE 551 “Lord, Have Mercy” LAND OF REST
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
One: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
All: And also with you.
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
ANTHEM “O Love” Elaine Hagenberg
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE Mark 3: 14-21
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son.”
“This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil. All who do wicked things hate the light and don’t come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light. Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God.”
Holy Wisdom, Holy Word
Thanks be to God
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Jeremy Carroll
SERMON Rev. Trip Porch
SERMON RESPONSE “God So Loved the World” John Stainer
WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD
*HYMN insert “As Moses Raised the Serpent Up” O WALY WALY
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE followed by The Lord’s Prayer
TIME OF OFFERING online giving is available at www. indianolapres.org/give
OFFERTORY “My Savior’s Love” Charles H. Gabriel
*OFFERTORY RESPONSE 710 “We Lift Our Voices” OFFERING
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God, you so love this world. We recognize that the greatest gift we have is this gift of love. May the offerings of our life distribute this love to the world: the small world we inhabit with the suffering people we know; the larger world where the power of love is sorely needed. Amen.
*HYMN insert “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” EBENEZER
TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE “The Gift of Love” ("The Water is Wide") TRADITIONAL
Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452