The "third day of class"

This is Pastor Katie's homily from Romans 12:1-8 on the first Lutheran Campus Ministry Worship of the Fall Semester

Well, happy TDOC everybody! I don’t know if that’s a thing, but happy third

day of classes.

Have any of y’all been to a class you’re planning on dropping?

Anyone still on the waitlist for a class?

This time of the semester can feel so chaotic.

Everyone is meeting new people, and trying to figure out their schedules, and wondering where they fit in on this big campus. And no matter what semester you are in school, or how you’re classified in the system based on credit hours...

The fall is a new beginning.

We’ve all had summers apart.

We’ve all had different experiences in different places.

And so we’re gathered here as a brand new community this August.

We are gathered here, each of us, with unique gifts, struggles, and stories.

We are gathered here, united in learning as Tar Heels, united in worship this

evening as Lutheran Campus Ministry, and united in Christ as beloved

children of God.

For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the

same function, so we, who are many, are united as one body in Christ.

Romans chapter 12 is concerned with various aspects of Christian life. The

Apostle Paul (the guy who wrote this letter) gives big, sweeping instructions

about presenting ourselves as living sacrifices and being transformed by the

renewing of our minds and discerning the will of God. And then he gets

specific about what that could actually look like.

It’s almost like trying to sign up for classes at UNC. You can read a broad

summary of a course on ConnectCarolina. But it isn’t until you register and

get the syllabus that you find out how it all breaks down.

So maybe we could think of Paul’s letter to the Romans as a kind of syllabus

for Christian living. It starts broad, and then it gets specific. But there are at least two major ways that Christian community differs from a class at Carolina.

The first is that Christian community celebrates and uplifts each of our

individual gifts. Unlike a Spanish or Chemistry class where everyone is

trying to become proficient in the same thing, God has given each of us

unique gifts to use in service to the world. God’s grace has gifted us with our

own proficiencies, and we get to hone those gifts in loving community.

So that is one way that Christian community differs from a class at UNC and the second is that Christian life is not based on anyone’s individual success or achievements.

We do all have unique gifts, but community in Christ is not a merit-based system. Notice in verse one what Paul says Christian community is based on.

Anyone wanna read it out loud?

Romans 12:1: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of

God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice...”

Christian community is based on God’s mercy. Yes.

And here at LCM, we happen to agree with Paul on that.

This campus ministry does not have a syllabus.

We don’t have assignments that “earn” you a place here. We won’t grade you on your “Christian proficiency” or impose deadlines on your faith journey.

Because we are gathered this school year on the basis of God’s mercy.

Now, we do have a few things we value here at LCM. Things like safety and

inclusivity and authenticity. And we will have plenty of opportunities for

faith formation and fellowship and service throughout the school year.

But all of these things are responses to the gift of grace God has already

given to us. They are not things we have to do to get God to love us. They are

not things we have to do to “secure our spot” in this community.

We GET to gather in community, and share our gifts, and uplift one another

by the power of God’s grace which have already been given to us.

There is a place for you at God’s table.

There is a place for you here at Carolina.

There is a place for you here, at Lutheran Campus Ministry.

Not on the basis of anything you have achieved or will achieve.

But on the basis of God’s mercy.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

Each Wednesday at Lutheran Campus Ministry we present Discussion Questions for people to discuss with the people they are sitting around after the homily. Here are the ones we presented after Pastor Katie's homily...

Which of the gifts in Paul’s list resonate with you?

Share about a time when you felt your gifts were appreciated in a community.