Becoming One

How often do we read a news headline and hear that the Earth is once again crying out? This Eastertide, we have seen that the suffering of the Earth is not just an issue that involves one demographic or another—it truly is about all of us. What is beautiful in Revelation 22 is that the city gates are open to everyone. As we consider what to do about summers getting hotter, storms becoming more violent, crops failing more often, and the people and creatures who are suffering the worst of these consequences, we must realize that the centerpiece of this city is the Tree of Life. At this tree, we find our sustenance and are made a part of God's New Creation.

William Stringfellow writes that our efforts to build the New Creation will, at times, be short-lived.[1] Still, we are called to build it anyway, because there will come a time when we are fully co-creative with God in the process of building the everlasting New Creation. When Jesus says in Revelation 22:12, “See, I am coming soon!” we as Christians must take that seriously! How do we respond? I believe we are called to always be building a starting place for the New Creation. We are called to act in unison as people who expect the kingdom of God to make an appearance here and now. The Resurrection teaches us to believe that when we collaborate with God, that might just be the thing that, in its own small way, kicks off the New Creation.

If you look before and after this passage, the author of Revelation states that the gates to the city are wide open. Our lectionary text skips over verse 15, which references the “immoral” and the “dogs.” In a close reading, we see that the author never states that those named in verse 15 are not allowed inside. They choose not to come in. While the treatment of those on the outside could be debated, what piqued my interest is that the text specifically names “those who practice falsehoods” as ones who are immoral.

In a world where people deny climate change and the need for robust climate justice theology and policy, Revelation 22 begs the question: “What is it going to take to get us there?” Right after the excluded verse 15, Jesus declares that he will be the one to bring us—all of us—into the city. It is at the invitation of the Spirit and the bride that we are called into the city (verse 17); once we are there, we turn around and invite yet more people in! The invitation is not limited to a certain group of believers; those who thirst can come and “anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” Perhaps verse 17 can be our leverage text. As we consider what it means to be invited and then invite others in reciprocation, the text brings out the need for a broad invitation and a wide welcome: it will take every body to build the city of God.

This reminds me that there are those who are not listening to the truth that the climate is changing, but those folks are thirsty too. As a pastor in a rural community, I frequently find myself at odds with some folks who—while they farm and are directly impacted by the challenges of climate change—struggle to admit that something is wrong with our creation. While we work toward climate justice and creation care, we have to find a way to make space for those who aren't on board yet. At the end of the day, there will be those who may not be on our side now who will directly benefit from those of us doing the work to heal creation. As we try to balance the work of climate change and the work of accepting our neighbor, we cannot deny the value of the tree God has placed at the center of the city. This is one of the indicators that what we are working toward is not that which is going to pass, but that which is everlasting.

In scripture, often, we hear of the kingdom of God. In this text, it's not the kingdom of God but the city of God. That differentiation is important because John's apocalypse is not looking at re-engineering the empire in the image of God but imagining re-engineering the world back to the city. In the sprawl of the empire, it is easy to ignore our neighbors, but in the intimate town square, it is hard not to learn their names. Our scripture texts today call us to complete our journey of believing into Christ by becoming one (John 17:22) with one another and with all creation!

SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS/CALL TO ACTION

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1. Share a Story about a Dove, Butterfly, or Ladybug Ceremonial Release. (This illustration would also be good for the Ascension texts.)

Share a story from your own experiences or the experience of a friend or family member where birds or butterflies were released as part of a prayerful or covenant ceremony. The release of doves, for example, is a way of making a “rising promise of peace,’’ bringing heaven and earth together in a prayer we can actually see as the butterflies and doves take flight. Our hopes and our new covenant (if it is a wedding or new promise) rise, too.

• For a dove as an illustration: (rising promise of peace) Note, this can be problematic. In addition to the heartwarming moments of seeing a dove released, the release can go wrong. So, this illustration works best with a personal story of when things went well.
• For the butterflies as an illustration: (rising promise of everlasting life and transformation) Butterflies are pollinators, so a great choice here is a prayerful release story. Currently, people release butterflies commemorating someone they lost, including children. This could be a problematic association for your congregation if people have lost loved ones, especially children. If you use butterflies as an illustration, focus on the Easter story, of Jesus rising from loss, transformed by the power of love, as the fulfillment of the kin-dom as the new Creation begins.
• For ladybug release as an illustration: (Heaven on earth reminder. As Jesus ascends, he directs us to our neighbors and our communities.) More and more people and school groups are using this joyful release moment to celebrate the earth and control garden pests naturally: See ”School in Boise Releases Thousands of Ladybugs During Earth Day” and “Castle Rock Preschool Releases Ladybugs to Celebrate Earth Day.”

Contrast life-giving releases with destructive ones. Good things to release include doves, butterflies, seeds, or ladybugs for the garden. Or consider using the image of a rising mist from the ocean as the tide comes in! These are life-giving. But there are destructive things that people release that hurt the earth —balloons or glitter. These contribute to plastic pollution in soils and waterways and harm wildlife. These may provide visual enjoyment, but they are harmful to the planet. What would be rising in the City of God?

Image Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122165011022177575&set=a.122113881620177575

2. Share information about lead pipes and equity in urban and rural settings.

The congregation will likely be familiar with the story of lead pipes in Flint, Michigan, and the way race and inequality worsened health and access to water in Flint and other communities. You can broaden this to explain how the voices of those in Flint catalyzed a national conversation, allowing others to come forward with their stories (inviting them to take part also in efforts to build the New City and New Creation).

• “The Environmental Justice Movement.” Brush up on the history of environmental racism.
• “10 Years Later, Flint Residents Are Still Waiting for Lead Pipes to Be Replaced.” An update about the progress of pipe replacement in Flint, Michigan.
• “Why the U.S. struggles to replace millions of lead pipes. ‘We’re just stuck.’” A recent rundown with stories from the Washington Post about lead pipe replacement efforts in Memphis, Tennessee.
• “Lead Pipes Are Widespread and Used in Every State.” Find your state and learn how prevalent lead pipe contamination is.
  

Where two or three are gathered. We know the scripture “when two or three are gathered” (Matthew 18:20). We could change the quote to “where you and I are gathered” or “where the community is gathered.” Together, we become the body of Christ when we speak and act with our neighbor. When we believe, we make the church huge, bringing the whole city with us for the work of justice, equity, and the coming sparkling river, green forests, and shining City of God.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/bucket-water-drop-flow-faucet-3588739/

3. Share stories of water access and clean-up that challenge circumstances through community initiative.

Share national and international stories of people in their communities co-creating with an eye on the New Creation that includes their neighbors, inviting them to participate. Examples focused on water:

• “The world’s best-dressed nurse is in Sierra Leone: #SheLeadsTheWorld” (2024) - A nurse in Sierra Leone is the catalyst to ensure there is fresh and clean water at the maternity hospital.
• “Since we have clean water at school, I don’t get sick often anymore” (2023)—In Vietnam, UNICEF is helping local communities develop ways to ensure clean water is available to schools and neighbors. Almost eight million children attend schools without running water in Vietnam. School children who transport this water are part of the story.
• “After Months of Struggle, a Denton Neighborhood Finally Gets Clean Water” (2020). A mostly Spanish-speaking, working-class community leads a fight for clean water in the city of Denton, Texas. The water was discolored and contaminated with copper, chlorine, and other pollutants. Three local mothers led the effort. They have a GoFundMe page.
• “Teenagers in Guatemala Take the Lead on Environmental Conservation” (2021). Another UNICEF-supported, clean water effort, this is a story of a boy in Guatemala using what he can find in his community to build water filters and improve water quality and community health.

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/nature-conservation-pier-nature-4352793/ (no license needed)

Rev. Chad Hornsby grew up in Brinkley, Arkansas, the native home of the Quapaw and Osage people, working with his family on the rice and soybean farms. In high school, Chad was active in his home Methodist Church. At that time he felt a call to ordained ministry as an Elder to serve churches like the one that raised him. He graduated from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois in May of 2023, and Chad finished a Master of Theological Studies researching Christianization in the Viking Age in May of 2024. Now Chad serves as the Pastor at Vilonia UMC. Chad loves to spend time with his wife, Rev. Miranda Hornsby, and dog, (not Rev.) Sven. In his free time you can find him in nature, learning new skills, playing games, and reading fantasy and history.

Rev. Richenda Fairhurst works at the intersection of climate, community, and connection. She serves alongside others with the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, including as part of the Movement Cafe team. She is a member of the Pacific Northwest Conference and lives in Southern Oregon, where she serves on the board of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, chairing the Creation Justice Committee and Oregon Interfaith Power and Light. Find her on substack at justcreation.org.

[1] William Stringfellow, An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land, (Wipf & Stock: Eugene, 1973), 138.