One Plus One

Let us pray. Lord our God, your name and your word are exalted above everything. We are listening for your word; we are looking for your light. By the power of the Holy Spirit, renew our minds and hearts so we may discern your will and respond in faith. We pray in the name of your Son, our Savior. Amen.

For some of us in the room, we may or may not have noticed that there is a familiar buzz in the air. There is something about to begin very soon, and depending on who you are, it is either a very happy thing or a very sad thing.

I’m talking, of course, about the new school year.

For students, it means waking up early, remembering where you left your backpack, and discovering that somehow summer vacation was only about three days long. For parents, it means bus schedules, after-school activities, permission slips, and the daily question: “Did you pack your lunch?” And for grandparents, it can mean one of two things: “Praise God, school is starting!” or “What time do I need to pick them up?”

And then there is the homework.

Now, I don’t want to trigger anyone as we approach the beginning of another school year, but some of us have memories of sitting at the kitchen table trying to help a child with math. And somewhere along the way, you realize that the math they are teaching today is not the math you learned.

You look at the worksheet and think, “I know how to add. I have been adding for decades. Why does this problem require three diagrams, four arrows, and an emotional support animal?”

You try to explain it the way you learned, only to hear, “That’s not how my teacher does it.”

And suddenly, you are questioning not only the homework—but your entire education.

Thankfully, my nieces and nephew are not quite ready for that level of homework yet. We still have some time before they come home asking us to explain algebra.

But they do have their own unique way of counting.

Their counting system seems to go something like: “One… two… three… five… eight… eleven… banana.”

And honestly, at this point, I’m not sure whether they are learning mathematics or creating their own curriculum.

So as the school year begins, we pray for the students, the parents, the teachers, the grandparents, and especially anyone who will be sitting at the kitchen table trying to remember how to do math.

This morning we are exploring the book of Romans. In Romans, Paul is writing to the churches in Rome. The Christians in Rome have been through a lot of ups and downs, including a period of time when the Jewish Romans were expelled from Rome. With the help of Paul, who I like to call the adventurous apostle, he would help them discern ways to rebuild and guide them toward Christ. First, we have to understand that Greco-Roman culture was very different from the Jewish culture. There was a lot of conflict throughout their history that we won’t get into, but we should know that they were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. Second, we should know that the Roman Empire ruled over most countries and people around them, so they were a ruthless people when it came to any perceived threat to their power.   

Although Paul has not been to Rome, he is writing to them intentionally to help them through some theological issues and to encourage their growth as a community. There was a lot of tension among the people after the period of expulsion and then reuniting together. But Paul’s main goal was to fully explain the Gospel through this letter and to help unify the church.

To understand this letter from Paul, we have to understand these three key insights about his intentions. First, Paul introduces the concept of God’s impartiality, which is the claim that all human beings have the same value in God’s sight, and therefore, that humans are called to view one another in the same way. Second, Paul argues explicitly about how sin impacts and pervades human life. Third, is the radical nature of God’s grace, meaning no one has to work to obtain it because it has already been freely given.

At this point in his letter, Paul has talked about grace, sin, faithfulness, righteousness, this new life in Christ, the consequences of where they are now and he even brings Abraham into it.  Now at the end of his letter he returns to his main purpose, reminding them that they are on the same team and should be unified in their purpose. Whether they are Jew or Gentile, together they make up God’s community.

Paul begins the chapter with a sincere request for the people. He asked them, “the body,” to be a living sacrifice. I know the first instinct is to think that you as an individual must give up everything you know and live a modest life. But Paul is saying let your service to God be more than lip service, let those around you see how you have changed and given up your selfish ways as an act of worship. Living sacrifice means a continual act, not a one time catch all moment.

Then he calls for the transformation of our minds, because he recognizes the constant struggle between what we know in our hearts and what we actually do. He knows that transformation takes commitment and the mind is the best place to start. And the first step of that transformation is understanding how we see ourselves as a body, not just any body but a body of believers.

So, I’m going to introduce you to God math today. And you are probably thinking, what is God math? Well, it is very similar to the math that you know and yet somehow vastly different.

Lesson One. Three beings equal one person. We are Presbyterians, and as Presbyterians we believe in the triune God and understand the relationship between three beings, God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. And they equal one. One doesn’t not exist without the other, each plays a vital role in our faith, and they have been One since the beginning. So, one plus one plus one equals one. I know this math is not the same math you learned in school.

Lesson Two. Significant numbers. Three. Seven. Forty. Each of these numbers signify completion. This reminds me of the toddler counting systems. However, these numbers are more significant than we realize at times. Three beings. Seven Days of Creation. Forty years in the desert. Forty days of pilgrimage. We can all look at these numbers and see how they have impacted us over time. In the lives of Noah, Jonah, the Israelites and even Jesus Christ, we watched these numbers transform people.

Lesson Three. Jesus, twelve disciples, five thousand people, two loaves of bread and some fish equals a buffet. Jesus was trying to find a place to grieve, when he is followed by crowds. So many people show up just to get a glimpse of him that he has compassion for them. They have been waiting to see him, to hear him speak; and he knows they are hungry and tired. He does the unthinkable and offers their food to the crowd of people. No one left hungry and there were even leftovers for the disciples.  

Lesson Four. The church equals one body. This is not the first time we are seeing or hearing about being a body of believers. Additionally, being one body does not mean we are not individual with different gifts. Paul reminds us that we are uniquely and wonderfully made; and when we get together, we make up one body. No matter how many people join or what gifts they bring with them, we all are united and made better because of it.

This God math shows us that one plus one equals wholeness. The wholeness I am talking about is the state of being complete, unified, and unbroken, with nothing missing. This wholeness is what we are made for. This wholeness is what happens with the body works together to glorify God.

If you hear nothing else today hear this. We are the church. We are the body of Christ in the world. Each time we add another person to the body we are living into what God has called us to do. We all have a gift to offer to the world and together we use those gifts to transform the world.

Paul finishes the chapter with examples of how this renewed mind engages in the world and what this body is called to do. The end of chapter 12 says this:

9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; pursue hospitality to strangers.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 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.” 20 Instead, “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.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

God math shows us that all are welcome and invited into the community. God math shows us what wholeness looks like when the body is working. God math reminds us that as much as we have wanted to control the outcome, we don’t have the right formula. And God math shows us that anything is possible when we work together.

Amen.