Making Self-Control a new "Cool" Fruit of the Spirit

 5-19-21, Galatians 4 & 5

Grace to you and peace from God our creator and from our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, amen. 

Almost 4 years ago was the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and you may remember that Lutherans around the world pulled out all the stops to celebrate. Including the Lutheran World Federation, a worldwide communion of Lutheran denominations like the ELCA. Part of the festivities included a preaching contest where a young adult pastor – in this case, yours truly - would be preach the sermon at the closing worship. That’s how I got an all- expense paid trip to Namibia to hang out with Lutherans from all over the world.

The theme for the whole week of the assembly was “Liberated by God’s Grace.” And text chosen for the closing worship included these verses from Galatians 5.

I shared in my sermon at the end of that amazing week, that this reading and “Fruit of the Spirit” was the theme for VBS when I was in 5^th grade. My class preformed a skit, each T-shirts with each fruit listed. What I ALSO remember clearly is that NO ONE in my class wanted to wear the shirt that said “SELF-CONTROL.”

Self-control is not as “cool” as love, joy, and peace. To describe someone as being “self-controlled” is not common complement we give. And honestly, I never pray for God to make me more self-controlled.

But maybe I SHOULD, because the truth is, though, when I let my SELF guide my day-to-day life, I am NOT very loving, joy-filled, peaceful, patient, kind, generous, or particularly faithful. When my SELF is at the lead, I march in the wrong kind of parade, to the tunes of buying more stuff, acting unkindly, being afraid of my neighbor, and generally being too concerned about myself to see the very real needs of others.  

These devious tunes lead us into captivity while disguised as “freedom.” We are in bondage and cannot free ourselves. We are captive, like the European legend of the Pied Piper - captive in a parade that marches us toward death in body, mind, and spirit. 

There IS another tune calling us, another parade that we are invited to, another parade where we belong. Jesus frees us from the parade of death, to be part of his parade of life. Not so that my SELF can steer me – instead, Jesus frees me FROM my SELF. I no longer bound to my Self, limited by my flaws, imperfections, blind spots, and fears. In addition, I no longer bound to the WORLD, who would have me believe that I am not enough, and that certain types of people are not enough. Instead, I belong to Christ, and YOU belong to Christ, and together, we are called to march in the parade led by the Holy Spirit. 

And THIS is a parade that is going some amazing place – the destination and fruit will lead us to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, AND self-control. But not for our own benefit alone. THIS parade leads us OUT into the world, out to our neighbors, where the fruits of our freedom in Christ are given away to others. Just like we can’t grow this fruit by ourselves without being connected to the “Jesus Parade,” we don’t get to keep the fruit that we grow in the Spirit. 

A great devotional or prayer life, will-power of steel, and excellent self-control aren’t going to get this parade where it needs to go. The tunes of the world are very loud, and sometimes they don’t even wait to the end of the postlude turn up their deceptive soundtrack. We are going to need some help.

I once heard a fellow Lutheran pastor joke that the response “I will and I asked God to help me,” we say when we install pastors and lay leaders should be instead “I won’t, and I ask God to help me.” Thank God WE are not steering the parade on our own. Guided by the Spirit, we are marching exactly where we are needed – out into the community of Vienna, out to Fairfax County, the Metro DC area, Virginia, and beyond.

That is the thing about parades – they aren’t limited to buildings, and they don’t sit still. As I have been caught up in the Jesus Parade since my time in Namibia, I have become more aware of what’s going on around the world, and personally been brought deeper into the work of justice and advocacy for our LGBTQIA+ siblings, our siblings of color such as African American and Asian American neighbors, and advocacy for justice using our voices to call our elected officials to account. I have been part of quite a few conversations that tell me many of you are hearing and following this tune as well.

Maybe bearing the fruit of self-control in this moment is loving our neighbor by putting something off to contribute to our new endowment initiative to fund future ministries. Maybe it’s wearing a mask just a little bit longer when you in a crowd of people, especially when children under 12 are present. Maybe it’s willing to be uncomfortable just a little while longer, to in order to better examine what about the old tunes we followed want to keep, and which need to be ignored or discarded for new tunes and new directions.

Whatever this fruit may look like, the Holy Spirit gives us the growth. And I look forward to marching along with you, into this future God is calling us to, in the Jesus parade, to bear good fruits – with the help of the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God. Amen.