Wake Up to the Opportunity of Love - The Rev. Joyce Keeshin

Sermons from the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

Maybe some of you have relationships that are troubling if we're ever going to encounter them. It can be over the holidays. Maybe Some of us have situations in that we're just stuck. We just don't know where to go. And I think in those situations we can become something akin to sleepwalking. We just go through it. We just show up, but we're not awake. Sometimes we need to recognize our own sleepfulness to wake up to the opportunity to love... I found myself reflecting on how the term woke is frequently heard in political and cultural discourse. Today I found myself looking it up, in the dictionary. Webster had a full page of definitions online because it is used in different ways. Sometimes it's a positive descriptor of someone aware of and seeking to respond to injustice in our culture. Sometimes it's used as a challenging descriptor of someone who expresses woke views but does not follow through with them with action. Sometimes woke is used with harsh judgment against individuals and systems who challenge old systems and values. Yet being awake is inherent in our baptismal vows, it is inherent. Shortly, we will be asked, will you see and serve Christ in all persons loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being and we will respond, I will with God's help. We couldn't do it otherwise, but we can with God's help