Sermons

St Paul’s To-Do List

Eternal God, remind us what to do and what not to do. Amen.

I love a good to-do list. I often write one first thing when I get in the door at work, either in my work journal or digitally. I often go so far as to make lists of things to talk about with our staff members. Michele loves to see me coming with my list after she’s back from vacation. Well, perhaps ‘loves’ is the wrong word there.

My to-do list for the day often includes meeting with newcomers, checking in on bulletins, answering emails, the normal things. But also there’s an unusual section of my list. A book I read recently talked about “swallowing the frog.” The idea is that each day you should do the thing on your list that you really don’t want to do. So I have a section of my to-do list each day that just says “frogs to swallow.”

But when I’m making the list, I love to write down something I’ve already done just so I can check it off. I love a freebie, like the free space on a BINGO card. The Apostle Paul doesn’t give us any freebies on the to-do list that we get in Romans today; these are all frogs! Not because they’re bad, but because they are so hard to do.

Last week in our Romans reading, Paul encouraged us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. “Living sacrifice” is quite the oxymoron, especially to the Roman church who would have been reading this letter. Isn’t a sacrifice something that is burnt up in ritual? That’s what the Greek word used here, thusia, means: a ritual burning up of an offering to God.

So how can we present ourselves as a living sacrifice, as we were instructed last week? In today’s passage from Romans, Paul tells us what to do. Here’s what he says. I’m going to read the passage again, but this time I’ve formatted it as a bulleted to-do list. As I read it, I want to ask you to listen for what is speaking to your heart today. Of the bullets on the to-do list, what is one that you are hearing that you can take with you today?

1. Let love be genuine.

2. Hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good.

3. Love one another with mutual affection.

4. Outdo one another in showing honor.

5. Do not lag in zeal.

6. Be ardent in spirit.

7. Serve the Lord.

8. Rejoice in hope.

9. Be patient in suffering.

10. Persevere in prayer.

11. Contribute to the needs of the saints.

12. Extend hospitality to strangers.

13. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

14. Rejoice with those who rejoice.

15. Weep with those who weep.

16. Live in harmony with one another.

17. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.

18. Do not claim to be wiser than you are.

19. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.

20. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

21. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.”

22. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Hold on to what spoke to you, and perhaps we can share those at sermon seminar or after the service.

At our 5 pm service, we will baptize a baby, George Bloomfield, into this life in Christ. How nice that on this day there’s a step-by-step list of how to live. At that service, I will encourage each member of George’s support system to focus on one of these ways that George can live out that baptismal promise. In the itemized list I just read, I’m sure you all heard the echoes of the Sermon on the Mount, about living in harmony with your neighbor, loving your enemy, and giving to those in need. That is another place where we receive a to-do list of sorts.

For me, the task on the list that most resonated with my current life is “Extend hospitality to strangers.” A couple of weeks ago, when I saw the service and social justice email about ways to get involved in various ministries, I decided to volunteer to proctor a class at the DC Jail on Thursday afternoons.

In the grand scheme of things, I did very little. I cleared my schedule enough to get to the jail (at roughly 19th and Massachusetts Avenue SE). I dressed in the required loose-fitting modest clothes, figured out how to navigate the sign-in process, and was escorted to the cellblock where the class takes place. When I got there, I helped to charge laptops and pass them out, then stood around for a few hours while the class was taught remotely. This class is taught via Zoom in conjunction with MIT, so they really just need volunteers to come in person and lend a hand if questions come up. As I said, I really didn’t do much.

But for all my not doing much, I know I will never pray for those in prison and not picture those men. I will never look up at the jail’s windows without thinking about how the windows inside have been blacked out to prevent any natural light from entering the cells where the residents spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In taking the smallest step toward extending hospitality to strangers, I was utterly transformed.

So I invite you to take the task on the to-do list that spoke to you home, to make it part of your week, to pray about how you can accomplish it. Even a small step toward living into the Dream of God is worth taking. So go ahead, eat the frog. Find your way to live into this Christian to-do list.