Elizabeth Mullins—Year C Christmas 1

Gospel Reverb | Grace Communion International Resources

Elizabeth Mullins—Year C Christmas 1

Welcome to the Gospel Reverb podcast. Gospel Reverb is an audio gathering for preachers, teachers, and Bible thrill seekers. Each month, our host, Anthony Mullins, will interview a new guest to gain insights and preaching nuggets mined from select passages of Scripture in that month’s Revised Common Lectionary.

The podcast’s passion is to proclaim and boast in Jesus Christ, the one who reveals the heart of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And now onto the episode.

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Anthony: Hello, friends. This is your host, Anthony, and we have a special weekly episode of Gospel Reverb. And I’m delighted to welcome our guest, Elizabeth Mullins. Elizabeth was a Grace Communion International pastoral resident before beginning work with the GCI media department. And for three years, she has worked with a team who creates resources to inspire, connect, and equip GCI members and leaders. In particular, she is the editor of the Revised Common Lectionary sermon resources that GCI publishes. They create helpful, high-quality material to help you prepare for preaching and teaching, and we’ll provide more information in the show notes.

Elizabeth is an ordained elder in GCI. She’s also teamed up with her husband — and in case you’re wondering, that’s me. We’re planting a church in Durham, North Carolina. We have two grown daughters, Sarah and LeeAnna, two sons by marriage, Trevor and Alex, and a precious granddaughter, Riley.

All right, friends. We’re here to talk about the fifth Sunday in December. We have a gospel text from Colossians 3:12-17. It is the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, and it’s a Revised Common Lectionary passage for the First Sunday after Christmas on December 29. And it reads:

Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³ Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Elizabeth, in what particular way would you approach preparing to preach this pericope?

And I am delighted. I’m so glad you’re here.

Elizabeth: Every time I’m preparing to preach, I’m rehearsing: what is the sermon? I have to remind myself every time: what is the purpose? And it’s the declaration of good news. My hope always is that I can nudge people’s imaginations. I want to help them believe that there’s this amazing, overarching narrative and that you are caught up in it.

How powerful is storytelling? We need stories for meaning-making. And I’m sure you would agree that there’s a lot of competing stories out there right now that are trying to make meaning of our world. So, with the sermon, I always approach it as we need to tell God’s story. And we tell it again and we tell it again and we tell it again.

Because there are so many different ways that we can learn about God, especially in this digital age, we can stream a video lecture or podcast anytime. But I really believe that none of these are the sermon. I think the sermon is unique and not because the preacher is more important or the preacher is elevated, I just really believe that there’s this divine, mysterious dynamic that’s happening when we worship together.

We’re the body collectively and somehow mysteriously we’re one. So, there’s something happening when we’re hearing the word together.

With all that in mind, when I’m preparing a sermon, I’m thinking a lot about hope, considering — the concept I really like to hold in my mind is the buoyancy of hope. That if we’ve come together in this room, in the sacred space and we’re one, then the buoyancy of hope is going to — we’re all going to rise together metaphorically. Hope is this team sport. So, I’m thinking, when I’m crafting the sermon, of who might be left out. I don’t want to leave anybody still on the ground, so to speak.

And wow — you said we’re planting a church and our prayer — my prayer, your prayer — has been that the Spirit would draw people to our congregation that are different from us.

Anthony: For sure. Different perspectives, different life experiences. And like you said earlier, different stories, but that tell the truth about the one story of God’s goodness made manifest in people’s lives.

Elizabeth: Yeah. And I just think, my gosh, how lucky are you if everyone in your congregation is not just alike, and that includes intellectual, neurological, educational differences. It includes folks who may have little or no knowledge of the Bible. So, when I approach preparing a sermon, I do give it a lot of consideration. I’m passionate about whether everyone in the room is experiencing this buoyancy of hope.

One of our goals on the media team is to make accessible, inclusive material, and we’re trying to always increase our readability. So, one thing I’ve learned in this job is that all major news outlets write for the eighth-grade reading level. But it’s not because only middle schoolers are reading the news, right? It’s because research shows, and all of the accepted wisdom now is that’s the level that’s comfortable. That’s a comfortable level to learn for all people. It’s comfortable for all people to understand regardless of educational level.

So, I really believe that if I’m being bombarded with information, my comprehension will be lower, or I’ll just check out completely. And that’s true for everyone. So, if the sermon is too long or too dense, there isn’t always space for my listeners to process. And if listeners aren’t processing the story, they’re not retaining it. And if there’s not retention, then I don’t think people will incorporate it. They won’t incorporate the message or act on it.

So yeah, I’m just always thinking about comprehension in the sermon, and I think you can tell I’m a little passionate about it.

Anthony: Yeah. So, you mentioned people read at an eighth-grade level; you talked about the density of a sermon. If it’s too much, people get overloaded.

So do you have any particular advice for someone who’s going I don’t know what that looks like to write a sermon for an eighth grader. What would you say? What pieces of advice would you give?

Elizabeth: I would not use like theological terms that are not widely understood. I wouldn’t use really any terms that are not widely understood. I’m not saying you can’t use them, but then give an explanation for what it is. Don’t assume that … or what …. [Editing error partially removed guest’s sentence.]

Anthony: Sure. Yeah. One of the lessons I had to learn when we were replanting a church in another city was just because a passage of scripture is really familiar to me and may be to many in the audience who have been walking with Jesus for a lot of years, you can’t assume that everybody knows.

And so, when I would say something like here’s a story in Scripture, everybody knows, that’s making a big assumption because we had folks in our audience who were brand new to Christianity, and that was unfair to them because they feel left out: I don’t know what that story is.

So even the language that we use sometimes can be exclusive because we’re just pointing to people who have walked with Jesus for a long time. And that helps include everybody, which you said in particular you’re passionate about, right?

Elizabeth: Yeah. Yeah. That’s a good example. If we’re referring back to something else, “Oh, you all remember the story of Noah and the flood?” Maybe.

Anthony: What else is there anything else in particular in terms of preparing to preach this text that you want to highlight?

Elizabeth: I think that when it comes to preparing and process, I also choose a focus, I want to narrow it down.

I believe that you can preach an expository sermon without exegeting every verse. I don’t feel like I have to include every single detail that every scholar has ever said about this passage. I try to remind myself that this isn’t my one and only shot. Hopefully, my community is growing week by week together over the long haul. So, this won’t be the only time that we’re discussing Colossians, right?

And often, or sometimes at least, the RCL pericope is too long to go verse by verse thoroughly. It’s a wonderful thing to do in your small group, in your Bible study, or with the people that you like to meet up for coffee.

There are other venues to go deeper, to go longer, to go denser, like we were just saying, other venues besides the sermon.

Anthony: So, let’s talk about this particular passage Colossians 3. There’s so much good news shoehorned in so if you were preaching this passage to your congregation, what would be the focus of your gospel declaration?

Elizabeth: If I was preaching to a particular expression of the body in a particular time and place, I know that context would help me narrow my focus. And, very much so, the Spirit would be helping me to discern what to emphasize. But since this is just for the sake of a podcast, I think I would focus on what might Paul mean by clothe yourself.

How do I clothe myself in compassion, in kindness, in humility, meekness, and patience? How do I do that, especially when I’m not sure I can do that? Are there steps for me to become more compassionate?

When you’re dealing with a passage like this, if taken out of context could seem like it’s work based if you weren’t presenting it in the right way. But since we know that salvation is not a transaction, how would we talk about this passage in a way that doesn’t make the main actors in the story us, that we’re doing everything rather than God being the main actor in the story?

And the only way I know to do that is once again, we tell the grand narrative. We tell the good news of hope. And to put this in context, I would begin with Jesus.

Jesus began his ministry, demonstrated who this radically kind God is. He made disciples, established his church, and sent his Spirit. And the Christian movement was born. And enter Paul, he’s writing to all these brand-new little Christ-followers in a particular place, and time addressing a particular issue or conflict. He’s writing because you have all these baby Christians trying to figure out what exactly does it mean to be Jesus’ church?

What does it mean to be set apart — and not set apart as in elevated above anyone else. But the church is that place in the world that the world can look to see what God is like. Verse 12, “Therefore as God’s chosen ones, holy…” or set apart. He’s addressing the church, reminding them who they are as set apart.

You know speaking again of the context, I don’t know if you’ve ever felt this way, but sometimes it can feel like the Gospels tell this gorgeous story of Jesus’ birth, his ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. But then I come to the rest of the New Testament, and it can feel like, okay, let’s get on with the practical business of what I need to do to make this life work.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s the order of the books in the Bible that contribute to this. But it was very helpful to me. It was a helpful reframe to learn that the Gospels were written after the letters of Paul. I didn’t know that for a long time, and perhaps they were written as a response to how people were reacting to the letters.

Were people turning them into systematic moral codes, as we’re tempted to do? I like to imagine that the reasoning was almost like, Oh no, we’re not going to get this right if we don’t start with Jesus! Like they’re thinking, okay, we yeah, we need a hermeneutic or a lens for Paul and we’re going to have to write down a record of Jesus. (That’s my prophetic imagination.)

And what’s the one thing that Jesus talked about more than anything else in the Gospel record? It was the kingdom! He announced at the beginning of his ministry, “Repent, the kingdom has arrived.” And “the kingdom is like this.”

The gospels tell us of this cosmic event that shifted reality: the kingdom has arrived! And it’s only now because of that reality that this way of life that Paul’s describing, these right relationships, are possible.

They’re only possible because of this reality. And I think that’s the reality that we constantly have to start with.

Anthony: Yeah, and I think that’s even why Paul, even within the text, we see the indicatives of grace before we ever get to the imperative of what we do with it. Just the way he starts the text is pointing to the kingdom reality that we’re God’s chosen ones. And the pericope starts with the word “therefore,” ergo, because of everything I’ve just said in chapters 1 & 2, which declare this amazing Christ event that everything was created by him and for him, that he’s holding all things together because all of this is reality.

As the gospels point to this beautiful kingdom that is emerging. Therefore, clothe yourselves, right? Like even embedded in this is the kingdom reality that God is good.

Elizabeth: Yes. Yeah. Like you said, therefore, or because of this, you have died. You have been raised with Christ. Your life is hidden in Christ who is your life.

Therefore … church, clothe yourself. Because the only way it’s even possible to clothe ourselves is because Christ has already given us the garment of righteousness.

And I think it’s so interesting that included in the original meaning of this Greek word “clothe” is to put on in the sense of sinking into a garment. He’s clothed you in righteousness now sink into it.

Anthony: That’s so interesting. So, it’s not as if, oh, I don’t have this garment in my closet; I’ve got to go to the thrift store and find it. But in reality, he has already provided it. So, sink into that. That’s what you’re saying.

Elizabeth: Yeah. That’s what Strong says. Strong’s Concordance says.

Anthony: That’s good news.

Elizabeth: Yes. And I think this points to how, as preachers, we have this tension, right? We never want to lead the body to feel thrown back on themselves. But how do we also communicate that your participation really matters?

So, for me, that’s one of the reasons that storytelling and meaning-making through the sermon, through this sermon declaration, is so important because we’re declaring what’s already true.

So, then a statement like clothe yourself in compassion, I think it becomes hopeful. We’re declaring what’s already true. It’s, oh my goodness, look at what you are already a part of! And then rather than shaming or feeling like we can’t measure up to these characteristics, we’re holding up a mirror, and we’re saying, “You are compassionate. You are kind. You are humble, meek, patient. You’re forgiving and loving because you’re hidden in Christ, in union with a God who is all of these things.”

Anthony: That’s right. So, as you go through the rest of the text, bearing with one another, Christ bared with us. Forgive each other because Christ forgave us; clothe yourselves with love because he first loved us, right?

That’s what you’re pointing to. The reality of what God has already done on our behalf and continues to do in us by His Spirit.

Elizabeth: Yes. It’s that double movement you’ve talked about on your podcast before. It’s not just that Jesus took on our humanity, but he gave us his reality. So, sink into it, rest in it.

You are children of the resurrection. You are citizens of the kingdom. And this is what it looks like. It looks like love and peace and forgiveness.

Anthony: Yeah, I was just going to reiterate this, because I think it’s so important what you said. That if I feel like I’m lacking in compassion — and there are times where I don’t feel very compassionate — it’s not as if God has withheld or he gave me a meager portion.

It’s just remembering who I am in Him and sinking into that reality and allowing His compassion to feed the compassion that I share with others. I think this, the way you have framed it, which is gospel reality is so important that preachers proclaim.

Elizabeth: I think you’re speaking to identity. And I think that is so hopeful when the gospel shows us who we are. This is your identity, and then we start sinking into that.

Speaking of identity, you’ve been given your life back, but it isn’t passive. So, I think of one of the ways that I like to talk about participating without people feeling thrown back on themselves is I would say, I am hidden in Christ, united to Christ, but I don’t disappear. When Christ died, I died. I’m still distinct. I still have agency and choice. In that sense, I do put on humility and patience.

Now, can I do it without Christ? No, but I am doing it, and it’s a mystery. Can I fully explain in a sermon that I completely understand how this union with distinction works? No.

I love this quote from Wendell Berry. He said, “You’ve been given questions to which you cannot be given answers. You will have to live them out — perhaps a little at a time,” end quote. I think as preachers, we have to admit that sometimes words are inadequate for the mysteries that we’re trying to proclaim. But we live it out, and we live it out together.

And I would never want my sermon to communicate that all of it is so perfectly clear and easy to understand. What does that say to somebody, in my gathering, [for whom] it’s not easy to understand? Because I would never want to disempower people or lead them to believe that, oh, we should just leave the Bible to the pastor or to the experts. No, the members of the body are not just passive receivers, which again, that’s why I think the sermon is so unique.

They’re the priesthood of all believers. They are disciples who disciple other people. Don’t we want everyone to engage with the Bible and to know that they’re not alone in wrestling with these mysteries? The good news is we get to live it out together — a little at a time.

Anthony: And Wendell Berry is from Kentucky being that I’m from Kentucky I just want to hold that quote up as distinct and wisdom. Just so you know.

Elizabeth: He’s very intelligent, like all people from Kentucky.

Anthony: Now you’ve gone too far.

Elizabeth: Oh, too much?

Anthony: Too much. What else? Anything else you want to share from this passage?

Elizabeth: Yeah. I love to include a call to action when I preach. And I think with this passage I would talk about sinking into community.

So, I’ve got a really interesting translation I wanted to share with everybody. I’m going to read verses 14 and 15 from the First Nations version. And if you don’t know what that is, we’ll put more information in the show notes. It’s an indigenous translation. Verse 14,

When all this new regalia is in place, let the love of the Great Spirit gather all the loose threads and braid them together in unity with one another. Let the Chosen One guide you on the path of peace and harmony, and then as his one body, this peace will be the guiding light in your hearts as you give thanks to the Great Spirit.

Isn’t that beautiful?

Anthony: And it speaks to what you said. It’s community. It’s unity. It’s together, woven together intentionally with purpose. It’s beautiful.

Elizabeth: Yeah. And the peace of Christ does guard my heart. There is this personal individual aspect to it, but the context that Paul’s talking about here is a collective peace that characterizes a group of people. And where do these attributes get worked out? Do I sink into meekness in isolation?

When I’m alone with me, myself, and I, I think I’m very meek. No, all of these things get worked out in community. And so, is there one thing — this is a call to action I would give probably. Is there one thing you can do this week to sink further into community, putting on peace and love, together?

Anthony: Oh, I thought you were going to tell us.

Elizabeth: No, that’s my call to action.

Anthony: That’s the question you’re going to ask the congregation. Okay. Is there one thing, and when you say sink, just so I understand, are you saying like rest in that. Can you help us understand what you mean when you say sink into?

Elizabeth: I’m trying to use that repetitively because of what we talked about, where that Greek word has the sense of sinking into the garment. Like you’re already wearing it. Now, can you settle in, get cozy, rest in it?

Anthony: Okay, that’s really helpful. Thank you. So, what can I do — if I’m listening to your sermon, what you’re asking, the call to action is: What can I do actively this week as an active participant in God’s love to rest in that, to settle into what this text offers to me? And allow each person to, by the Spirit, determine what that is

Elizabeth: And I think I just I’d like to add one final point, if I may.

Anthony: In conclusion? Like in a sermon: in conclusion, one more point.

Elizabeth: Yes, because I think we’ve covered everything and I appreciate you giving me space to talk about this, but I just, I believe it cannot be overstated.

My motivation for wanting to narrow the focus down, like laser focused and make it easily understandable is this: I want people to go out from our gathering, from the sermon and to have one clear idea that they can remember and that will feed their hope throughout the week and beyond.

And my hope would be for this sermon that people would just sink in, get cozy with: Church, in Christ, you are compassionate, kind, humble, meek, patient, forgiving, and loving. Amen.

Anthony: Amen. As you were saying that, giving a final exhortation to point to that reality I kept thinking of the fact that Eugene Peterson’s son, Leif, at his funeral, said that “My dad really only had one sermon.” and that was his brilliance and his secret. And his one sermon was this, “God loves you. He’s on your side. He’s coming after you. He’s relentless.”

And I think that points to the buoyancy of hope that you were referring to at the beginning that it should lift all of us up into this hopeful posture because that’s the reality we have. And so, I want to say to you, Elizabeth, that you are compassionate, you’re kind, you’re humble, you’re meek, and you’re patient.

And you’re a very good teacher, as I hope people have richly heard throughout the words that you’ve said. I’ve heard you preach and teach, and you are passionate about this, and it comes out in the way that you tenderly express the love of God. And I’m so grateful for you. I like you. I really love you and I’m just so thankful for you.

And I hope as our listening audience you are blessed by this. It’s a longer weekly episode than normal, but I have a feeling you’re okay with that, and I’m glad you, you came along for the journey. Thank you, Elizabeth, to the team. And friends, as always, God’s peace be with you.

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