Sermon: Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
By the Rev. Dr. Sheila Harvey,
Senior Pastor of Union Congregational United Church of Christ in West Palm Beach, Florida
(The following is a transcript of the service audio, Oct. 12, 2025)
Good morning, Church. Let us pray. God of all, we are grateful that your unconditional love offers us mercy. Help us to continue living according to your ways, so that when Christ returns, we may be received by grace into your presence. Amen. Planting a life of hope. In our scripture readings for this week, we are invited to offer gratitude for the blessings of God in every season of life. As such, we are reminded that God is planting a life of hope in unexpected ways and in unexpected places. So, let us ask, how might we cultivate hope in ways that glorify God? The scriptures teach that we first trust in God's plan for every season of life. And secondly, plant seeds of hope on behalf of everyone, everywhere. In today's readings, we see themes of leadership coupled with gratitude, as Jesus demonstrates His compassion and authority to cleanse both physically and spiritually by healing 10 men with leprosy.
After being healed, we learn that they were restored to fellowship with God in the temple and amongst their community. But we also hear about the one leper who returned to thank Jesus for his healing, reminding us about the importance of showing gratitude for our blessings. The prophet, Jeremiah, also speaks about the importance of gratitude, as Jeremiah highlights a time when he encourages and exiled people to show gratitude for God by putting down roots right where they are. Jeremiah tells them to build houses, plant gardens, and have children in the land where they are being held as captives. This kind of hopeful resistance through gratitude is a radical statement of faith, as Jeremiah asks that people who were being held as captives in Babylon now give thanks to God and pray for those who captured them.
This is a tough request, but it is one of faith, as Jeremiah asks them not to be in despair, but to trust instead that God's plan eventually brings them back to Jerusalem. As Jeremiah does not have rose-colored glasses, he acknowledges their captivity. Jeremiah is encouraging them to nurture their faith by building, and planting, and growing so that it will lead to their wholeness and healing. Now let us return to the question. How might we cultivate hope in ways that glorify God? Like the stories of the Bible, planting a life of hope involves actions, like performing good deeds, offering support to those in need, and spreading words of encouragement, because hope, like a seed, must be sown to grow and flourish in our lives.
And Harvard is a seed rooted in faith, and it continues to cultivate hope through the exceptional work of its students, faculty, and staff, as our faith tells us that God is calling for the church to plant a life of hope for all humanity. This calling can be seen by a general overview of the church's historical timeline, from those early apostles of Jesus Christ, risking their lives to spread the good news of God's healing and saving love. To the ecumenical council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., affirming Jesus's divinity and establishing Him as being of the same substance as God the Father. To the founding of Harvard University in 1636, with its goal of training clergy and educating the youth of this country.
To the creation of the World Council of Churches in 1948, which followed the World War II, to establish a fellowship of churches seeking peace and justice for us all. To the multi-faith civil rights movement that occurred roughly from 1954 to 1968, to end racial discrimination against African-Americans in the United States. To where we find ourselves today, living in a 24 hour, seven days a week, information age, whereby a cacophony of voices can drown out the calling from God for us to love every neighbor equally. As a result, we are living in a time when we are beginning to see the progress churches have made to bring forth human rights slipping away.
We see this with the removal of human beings from the US, without due process of law. We also see the cost of living being so high that housing, food, healthcare, and medicine are no longer affordable for far too many. And we see that efforts of diversity and inclusion are being weaponized by the threat of defunding institutions across the nation, which impact us all. And Harvard is at the center of this change, as the world is watching to see how Harvard will continue living out its motto, Veritas, which has a powerful meaning of truth. Because at the top educational institution in our troubled world, Harvard is poised to model how best to glorify God in truth.
There is a familiar parable that speaks about the church as a place where anyone can enter for healing from the troubles of the world around them. It is about the good Samaritan who tells the story of the priest and the Levite, who walked past a person in a ditch, and the good Samaritan who stopped to help. But we often overlook another character in the story, the innkeeper. It is the innkeeper that the good Samaritan brought the wounded person to. It is at the inn where the innkeeper nursed them to health until the good Samaritan returned. Reflecting on this parable reminds us that we are being called to place our attention on the unique role of the innkeeper, who provided a place where healing could happen.
But when other forces seek to get in the way of our trust in God's healing love, we can turn to another story that teaches us to put on the full armor of God to fight peacefully against these spiritual attacks. This story teaches us to put on the following spiritual armor: The belt of truth, to stand against the author of lies. The breastplate of righteousness, to protect our hearts from condemnation and discouragement. The shoes of the gospel of peace, to stand and move forward with readiness. The shield of faith, to build confidence in God. The helmet of salvation, to remind us that we have been saved and to stand on that assurance. And the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. That can cut through the lies of the evil one, so that we can defend ourselves against his attacks.
When putting on the full armor of God, we as the church are being equipped to stand firm against the spiritual schemes from the forces of evil. These spiritual virtues of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God provide spiritual protection, enable perseverance, and empower us to meet the moral moment of our time. Being equipped by the Spirit makes us ready for today's blessed infant baptism, because we will offer our praise and thanksgiving to God, trusting that good indeed overcomes evil, as exemplified by the death and resurrection of Christ. And so, let us embrace planting a life of hope found in the hymns of our spiritual ancestors that teach us we shall overcome someday by trusting in God's amazing grace.
And let us also remember the hymn leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus, so that when tough times come, it is well with our souls. And let us remember to shine this little light of ours with the blessed assurance of Jesus Christ, whose true peace, equal justice, and abiding love spring forth hope now and for eternity. May it be so, Church. Amen.