Sermon: “Learning OUT Loud Means Not Being Ashamed!” 
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-14   

by Pastor of Congregational Life Rev. Wanda Floyd  

Pastor Wanda gives a present-day retelling of the first part of Paul’s letter to Timothy – which becomes a letter directly to the Saints of St. John’s MCC. The text of that letter is provided below.

Sunday, October 3, 2010  
St. John’s MCC • 805 Glenwood Avenue • Raleigh, NC 

Pastor Wanda pulled a stool to the center of the church, sat on it, unwrapped and unfurled a lengthy scroll of parchment, and began reading this letter:

Dear St. John’s MCC,

I am grateful to God and I constantly thank God in my prayers for you. When I think of you, I am overwhelmed with joy and I am reminded of your faithfulness that has been evident to God throughout the years.

I am sending you this letter to remind you of your faith. I know that in life we are overwhelmed with debt, loss of jobs, loss of relationships, crying babies, foreclosures, depression and all the things that day to day living can challenge us with.

Recently, you have experienced seeing our youth committing suicides because of bullying; Accusations of inappropriate behavior from church leaders with congregant; Football players choosing to die, rather than deal with physical injury that inhibit their ability to stay in the sport. All of these things, and more, I am aware of and, like you, I am grieved to hear about them.

In the midst of the tragedies that surround us, I wanted to remind you of a gift. This gift was given to me, as well as you, when we began our walk with and for God.

Lately, it appears that things of life has challenged you to the point that life is taking over and you have become weak and perhaps, disillusioned, in your faith.

I don’t see or hear about you embracing people like you once did. I don’t see you praying and worshipping as you once did. I don’t see you reaching out to the loss among you and outside of your dwelling place like you once did and I am concerned.

I am concerned because we have youth among us that are looking to us as role models. It is obvious that many are looking for a sense of belonging or just a community in which they can just be who God created them to be.

They are felling lost and dejected. They are alone and think and feel as though all they can do hang themselves.

My brothers and sisters, it is not to be like that. Our God did not give us a spirit of Cowardice, fear, timidity or shyness when it comes to embracing others. God gave us, instead, a spirit of Power, as first written to you earlier this year. God also gave you a spirit of Love that was in the last letter I sent you a few months ago and God also gave you a spirit of self-discipline, a sound mind, and sensibility in order to be open to LEARNING OUT LOUD what God wants of you.

To learn out loud means we have to be open to learning new things. Embracing new ideas and making room in our hearts, homes and churches for new people.

I understand that you have begun a journey of working with the NC Harm Reduction Coalition with an emphasis on the Trans community. I think that is a wonderful thing and I know that God is pleased with what you are about to embark on. It is a new day and a new thing is happening. Can you not see it?

So, as I write this letter from prison, I ask you to not be ashamed of where I am and what has happened to me. Instead, join with me and we can both suffer together for the gospel of Jesus Christ  –  Our Lord and Savior. It is because of the love of Christ that I now embrace that I am in prison. I have been here before and I may be back again.

One thing I do know is that Jesus saved us with a Holy Calling. This Calling that sits us apart from the rest of the world. And along with this calling comes GRACE.  –  Freely given to all of God’s children.

So you see, for this reason I was appointed as a teacher and apostle by the Lord Jesus Christ and that is why I suffer as I do.

BUT HEAR ME ON THIS … I AIN’T sad and I want to share with you three things I have discovered in connection to LEARNING OUT LOUD and suffering for Christ Jesus!

1. First, to LEARN OUT LOUD you can’t be ashamed. It is not easy to live as God has created you to live.

There are many people who will tell you that you are not worthy of God’s love.

There are folks who will tell you that you are going to hell because of who you love.

But let me remind you of where I came from.

You see God, was there when I was killing the early Christians  … yet God saved even me!

God was there when I watched them stone Stephen … yet God saved even me!

God was there on that road as I was, once again, on my way to kill some folks and God finally stopped me and saved EVEN me.

I am sure, you too, saints of St. John’s, have stories to share of when God saved even you!

How about that time that you were about to be evicted and homeless and someone offered you a bed to sleep in.

Or that time you gave your last dollar to the church and somebody turned around and pressed money in your hand or offered to buy you dinner.

Or what about the time you had decided to leave the church and somebody called you and said that they missed you!

Or when you thought you couldn’t take it anymore and at the moment of taking the pills or pulling the trigger or running the car into the tree, you heard Jesus say “No, my child, I love you too much for you to do that to yourself”

You see St. John’s, there is nothing that any of us can go through that Jesus hasn’t felt first! That is why I serve him and why I am NOT ashamed!

There will be times that we will suffer for Christ because many do not understand the love of Christ like many of us do, but that is why we have to be Jesus with Skin on to people we come in contact with.

2. Another thing I have learned in connection to LEARNING OUT LOUD is that I know who I can and cannot trust!

I know that God will take care of me and I am on solid ground.

I know that I can believe in God and God will never let me down.

You see, there are many people in the world today that say they are your friends but they are really your friend-a-mees!

They smile in your face and talk junk to others about you.

You know the kind.

Too many times, in my own life, I wondered if anyone had my back. I soon learned many didn’t.

I had done some ugly things in my life before Jesus saved me and even after that, it was still sketchy.

You see, the disciples weren’t sure I was genuine. I had a reputation around these parts as a murderer … which, of course, was true.

So when I wanted to meet them, they were afraid and another man of God, my friend Barnabas, served as a go-between for the disciples and myself. Of course, I don’t blame them. I would have been afraid of me as well if I were them. But eventually, they came around once they heard of my encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

I learned a lesson that day. If folks have Jesus in common and the love of Christ truly in their hearts, then you can conquer anything.

Look at gay pride last week. Each year the protestors become less and less. Why? I believe it is because many of us are truly embracing the fact that JESUS LOVES US AS WE ARE and the protestors can’t mess with God’s chosen people!!!!

I have learned, as a friend of mine named Mark wrote in one of his letters; that with God all things are possible.

My dear friends, you have been entrusted with a wonderful gift from God that you are to share with those that don’t understand the love that Jesus has for them because somebody shared it with you once upon a time.

I encourage you to hold on to the love that Jesus first showed to you, so you can show to others.

3. And finally, the last lesson I have learned in connection to LEARNING OUT LOUD is that I have to trust that God loves me and has my back and that no matter what happens, I have to keep working for God.

I know that may be hard to believe, especially since I am in prison. But even in here, there were times I was able to convert a family to Christ.

I am thankful for the things I have learned from Christ that I share with you and churches all over the countryside.

Our faith and our love are rooted in Jesus and with Jesus, all things are possible.

We have the Holy Spirit within us to give us direction and discernment when we need it.

It is the Spirit that intercedes for us when words aren’t enough to talk to God

I am so happy for you that God trusted each one of you to be given the Holy Spirit to dwell within you.

What a wonderful gift!

As long as the Spirit is there, there is no room for fear, timidity, shyness or cowardice.

Because FEAR didn’t send Jesus Christ to the cross … love did.

Fear didn’t cause him to endure the mocking, the flogging and the cutting of the body … Love did.

Fear didn’t cause him to be allowed to be buried and stuck in a cave for three days … LOVE did.

And fear didn’t get him up that third day early in the morning … LOVE DID.

You see, St. John’s MCC, when you are willing to LEARN OUT LOUD and not be ashamed, only then can we truly say that we are LIVING AS GOD INTENDED FOR US TO LIVE. Only then are we transformed and open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I must close now. I just wanted to remind you of whom you serve and who you belong to.

Your friend and brother,
Paul