We have the first fruits of the Spirit
The days are getting longer, the sun rises early with birds chirping, singing a sweet melody into a new day
The powerful energy of the sun warms the earth, opening the leaves of the trees and the petals of the flowers, bringing forth abundant new life and growth
When we step outside we feel the strength of the ultraviolet rays on our cheeks and bare arms as warmth spreads across our skin
Warmth that cannot be manufactured by heating systems, sweaters or down blankets
Warmth that is only available from the sun
The sunlight remains in the sky for hours and hours, until well past 9 PM, offering us many opportunities to see, feel and enjoy its beauty.
These long days and warm sun are bringing forth the first fruits of the year.
I look forward to my first fresh strawberry
I imagine going to the strawberry farm with my baskets early in the morning
Bending and crouching my body to kneel in the neat rows,
Smelling the straw laid on the ground
Feeling the early sun warm my back, neck and shoulders
As I peel back the large green leaves of the plant, and pluck my first fresh, bright red strawberry of the season.
The first fruit of the year, the first fresh strawberry lands in my mouth
warmed from the late spring sun and plucked straight from the new growth of the plant
It feels a bit gritty and rough on my tongue at first
My mouth begins to water as I anticipate this sweet, juicy first fruit of the year.
And I take a bite
We have the first fruits of the Spirit
The first, warm, sweet strawberry is resting in our mouth
Waiting for us to bite down and release its juicy goodness
But it sometimes seems like we don't recognize it
Do we know it's there?
We have the first fruits of the Spirit
And yet we're groaning in labor pains
Groaning inwardly and outwardly
Our attention and energy consumed by what we see around us
Waiting
Waiting for adoption, waiting for redemption
Waiting for something
Something to distract us and shift our attention elsewhere
Perhaps waiting for hope
We're told that the Spirit, the Advocate, will help and guide us
The Spirit helps us in our weakness
The Spirit intercedes and advocates for us
The Spirit connects us to God
Like the warmth of the sun, the Spirit cannot be manufactured
The Spirit is the answer we're given today
We have the first fruit of the Spirit
And yet we're groaning in labor pains
We have so much to groan about
Lost work
Racism
Exhaustion
Injustice
Grief
Isolation
Competition
Uncertainty
We have so much to groan about
And yet we have the first fruits of the Spirit
We're holding this warm, fresh, first strawberry on our tongues
Waiting to take a bite
We have generations and generations of ancestors who have bitten into the strawberry and released the juice of the first fruit.
Moses, a man who begged God to send someone else, bit the strawberry when he led the slaves from Egypt
Sarah, who laughed at God's promise, bit the strawberry when she gave birth to Issac
Jacob, who wrestled with God and limped for the rest of his life, bit the strawberry when he was renamed Israel
Mary, young and unwed, bit the strawberry when she said "Here am I, the servant of the LORD"
Martin Luther bit the strawberry when he uncovered God's promise of grace throughout scripture and nailed his 95 theses to the door
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a self-proclaimed pacifist, bit the strawberry when he plotted against Hitler
Rosa parks bit the strawberry when she refused to give up her seat
Faith Lutheran Church bit the strawberry when they expanded their ministry to include essential workers during this pandemic
We have the first fruits of the Spirit!
We hope for what is not seen
We wait
We continue to groan
meanwhile the Spirit knows us to our core
Meanwhile the Spirit calls our unique gifts out into this world
Meanwhile the Spirit advocates on our behalf
Meanwhile the Spirit gives us courage we didn't realize we had / /
It's hard to recognize the first fruit of the Spirit
The first fruit of the Spirit doesn't mean life will be easy
It doesn't mean things will go our way
Sometimes the first fruit feels gritty and rough
Recognizing the first fruit of the Spirit takes intentionality, and practice
Recognizing the first fruit of the Spirit requires us to pause
To pause and look into the eyes of the person on the street corner, and see their humanity before skipping to the filthy clothes, body odor and dirty hands
The Spirit is in our humanity
To pause and listen intently to a friend who asks for advice, before skipping to your ideas and solutions
The Spirit is in our presence with one another
To pause and wonder when a family member says something you disagree with, before skipping to prove your position
The Spirit is in our curiosity
To pause, and breathe when our anger rises up, before skipping to self justification
The Spirit is in our breath
To pause, and rest in the discomfort of uncertainty, before skipping to controlling and solutions
The Spirit is in the unknown
The Spirit is within each individual person
And the Spirit is collective within communities
Both individual and communal
Unable to be manufactured
Or Contained
We have the first fruits of the Spirit
We are adopted and redeemed by God
We are baptized into the Spirit
We are called by God into this world
To co-create with God
Here, in our time, in our place
Bite the strawberry
Amen
