Welcome to AnchorCast, a weekly podcast of homilies and sermons from Christ our anchor Anglican Mission in Nashville Tennessee.

Let us pray.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.

Amen.

So this was another one of those weeks where I wasn’t exactly sure what to preach on.

It’s actually been super busy at work and mostly I’m just tired.

And there’s so much to talk about in today’s readings.

Like we could talk about the Holy Trinity as revealed by Jesus to Philip, which is why we have a feast day today.

We could talk about Jesus promising to give us anything we asked for in his name and how that sometimes doesn’t really seem to be so.

We could talk about God’s promise given to us through the prophet Isaiah about the day that is coming where we will weep no more.

And all of these things would actually be pretty great to talk about and I’d love to talk about them, but not today.

I just don’t have the time.

I’m too tired and weary to write such a big in-depth sermon.

But that actually got me thinking in the realization that, you know, obviously I’m not the only one who gets tired, right?

Our world is so focused at extracting every second of labor out of our bones that it’s easy to get this way.

I think especially, you know, today’s May Day, traditionally elsewhere in the world is also Labor Day.

Not here for reasons I won’t get into.

But, you know, work days are long and the demands that are placed on us at work are really high.

And in many jobs, maybe even most jobs, a weekend isn’t always a guarantee.

And I think even more these days, hard work isn’t even necessarily celebrated.

It’s often not very rewarded.

It’s often not recognized.

I think so many of us work and work and work to support, to provide, and keep things running, and yet you’re completely invisible.

It reminds me of during the pandemic when suddenly grocery store workers were suddenly really important.

When people realized that, oh, if there’s no truck drivers and stock boys, like, we’re all going to starve, right?

And it seems that no one is able to see the janitor walking down the hall until the toilet is overflowing.

And I don’t say all this to make us depressed, but I say it to speak the reality that we all know is true.

Because it doesn’t do us a lick of good if I just get up here and tell happy lies every week.

But the good news that I have today is that our God is a God of truth.

He sees the reality we live in, and He knows the truth of what we experience.

He knows we’re tired.

He knows we’re frustrated.

He knows how we’re used and overlooked by those looking to make a quick buck.

And that is what keeps me going.

When I’m down, when I’m tired, when I’m frustrated, when I feel like I don’t want to keep going on, I look to Jesus.

His face keeps me going.

His love moves me forward.

His knowing of my entire life and soul grounds me and gives me what I need to take the next step.

Jesus is the way.

He only knows the truth.

He only brings life to dark places.

He knows us at the deepest level and loves us through it all.

If we serve Him and not man, if we look for His smiling appreciation and not to those we serve, we can keep going.

Jesus is with us every step of the way.

He lights the path before us, walks by our side, and delights in being with us.

So never forget that you are a beloved child of God.

Never grow too tired for His face and never look away from His love.

Work for Jesus.

Serve Jesus and not man.

You’ll definitely still get tired, but Jesus will refresh you.

Every act, every task, every job done in service to Christ is a job honored in heaven.

Jesus sees you.

Jesus knows you.

Jesus loves and appreciates you.

It’s all worth it because He died and rose again.

In the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Amen.

Christ Our Anchor is an Anglican mission in East Nashville that meets on Wednesday evenings for prayer and fellowship.

Follow us at ChristOurAnchor.org to learn more about the work God has called us to in East Nashville.

And join us on Wednesday evenings at 530 as we live into what Jesus has called His church to be.

Everyone is welcome.