Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen. Let us pray. O Lord send forth your Word into our ears that it may be a fruit in our lives, in Jesus’ name, Amen. So, what do you think of imitation? Is it something to be desired, or something to be avoided? Confucius said that imitation is one of the ways people learn wisdom. Salvador Dali said “Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.” Playwright George Bernard Shaw said “Imitation is not just the sincerest form of flattery – it’s the sincerest form of learning.” But on the other hand, author Herman Melville said, “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” Actress Polly Bergen said that imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery, “Imitation is the sincerest form of insecurity.” Frank Lloyd Wright said, “Imitation is always insult–not flattery.” and Oscar Wilde put his own twist on the well-known saying, changing it to “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” So, where do you fall on imitation? Is imitation something to be desired, or something to be avoided? Now it’s obviously unavoidable to a certain extent. Children learn to walk by imitating their parents, athletes learn a specific skill by imitating the body movements of their coach, but does there come a point where we outgrow imitation? Does there come a point where imitation can actually hold us back? It seems that for all the imitation we see in the world around us, it kind of has a bad reputation. When people are quick to dress like their favorite celebrities, talk like them, use whatever shampoo or skin care product they endorse, but then those same people, and those same celebrities will quickly turn around and say something like “Be unique. Be original. You’re the only one of you.” So, which is it? Should we imitate, or not? Thankfully scripture is actually pretty clear on this one. Let’s take today’s reading from Ephesians. Paul encourages imitation. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” But Ephesians isn’t the only time Paul uses this language. Twice he tells the Corinthians to be imitators of him. He tells the Philippians, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” He commends the Thessalonians for becoming imitators of the Lord, and of his church. And it’s not just Paul. The author of Hebrews encourages his readers to be imitators “so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” And in his first epistle, the evangelist John encourages the church “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good.” Seems that imitation is actually a fairly important part of our Christian life. What exactly are we supposed to be imitating? Paul says be imitators of God. OK. That seems a little farfetched to think that I could ever imitate God. Isn’t that stepping right up to the line of idolatry, if not jumping over it completely? There’s a few things to keep in mind here. First, the word translated “imitate” in this text and in other texts. It’s the Greek word memétés. Same root as our word for mimic. It’s commonly used to describe the part of a relationship between teachers and their students. You see in Paul’s day, learning wasn’t just about accumulating facts, not just learning names and dates for your history test, countries and their capitals for geography, different formulas you might need in math or science. You know being a student, being a disciple, was understood as something that affected all the areas of your life. Students were to be molded into the pattern of their teacher. Thus to be an imitator of God doesn’t imply that I have the ability to actually behave like God does, to reproduce his works or his essence. That’s not what Paul’s saying at all. What Paul is saying becomes clear. We remember that and remember something else about this text. This exhortation to imitation comes at the end of the reading. It’s the conclusion of a larger section where Paul describes the Christian life. Paul is well known for his words to the Jews, telling them that their former way of life is not compatible with the new life that is theirs as a Christian. We all know that Paul reminds them that one is not saved by following the laws of Moses, not by observing Jewish holidays, or rituals, or sacrifices in the temple. That Jesus is the only way to salvation. That’s not just his message to the Jews. That’s his message in today’s text too, except today he’s talking to Gentile converts. Like he told the Jewish converts they weren’t Jews anymore, but they are fellow members of the household of God. So also, the Gentiles. They’re not actually Gentiles anymore. They’re Christians. “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.  They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”  No, Paul says you’re not Gentiles, you’re Christians. “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.  Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” And so, Paul’s words to the Ephesians are his words to us. We’re not Gentiles anymore, neither are we Jews. We’re Christians. We are the body of Christ. We in this place. “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.”  ^“And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.” “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Let us mimic God. Let us be shaped into his image. As he has broken down the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles, let us breakdown any walls that would divide his church today. Let us take a sledgehammer to the walls of pettiness, or bitterness, or grudge holding. Let us demolished the walls of individualism isolation and loneliness. Instead, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” If we are to be imitators of God, we are imitators of God in forgiveness, but we love each other as Christ has loved us. “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” It’s a beautiful rhythm to the way that Paul writes Ephesians, because it’s the rhythm of the Christian life. We see it clearly in Ephesians 2 verses we all know, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Paul so wonderfully and clearly gives us the comfort of the gospel and the constant reminder that this comes to us. This new life is a gift, but we also know that verse 10 follows “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Today’s reading is no different. Our new life in Christ is given freely from the hands of our merciful Lord, without any merit or worthiness in us. But it’s a life and life is meant to be lived. And so in today’s reading Paul exhorts us, live, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” by walking in love. Don’t wander aimlessly through this life, tossed to and fro by the winds of change, be imitators of God. Walk as Jesus did. Mimic him. Be molded into his form and his image and his likeness. Such walking is not what makes us children of God, no the Holy Spirit already did that when he claimed us as his own to the waters of baptism. Such walking isn’t what makes us children of God, but it does give shape and purpose to our lives, as we live in faith toward him, and love toward others. Imitation Paul says, we’re certainly not to blindly mirror the priorities, the words, the behaviors of the world around us. Don’t be shaped into that image. But we are called to be imitators of God, to be imitators of Christ, to be molded into his image, not simply asking ourselves “What would Jesus do?” as if behavior alone can fully encapsulate or capture the extent of what Paul is saying. Rather ask ourselves “Who is this Jesus?  What did he value? What did he prioritize, and how does his character show up in my life, in my relationships, and my vocations?” And when we look at Jesus, we see trust in the Father’s word, and so through the gift of the spirit we imitate. We trust the Father’s word when he forgives our sins and makes us his children. And when we look at Jesus, we see him give himself for the life of the world. And so, we imitate. We rejoice to receive that life from him, and then we, in turn, support and protect the lives and the reputations of the people around us. And when we look at Jesus, we see our forgiveness. And so, we rejoice in that forgiveness, and we mimic it. We gladly forgive those around us, “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” It’s actually quite simple. Through his great love for us, our Lord has made us his children, and now his love flows through us, making us imitators of him, shaping us into his image, that we might mimic him, empowering us to walk in his love. May such love be present in our lives every day, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. Let us pray. O Lord send forth your word into our ears that it may bear fruit in our lives, in Jesus’ name, Amen. So what excites you? What gets your blood pumping? What gives you that Christmas morning feeling? What gets the blood going through your veins? Now currently I’m looking forward to the start of college football season in a few weeks. I love college football Saturdays, moving from game to game throughout the course of the day, watching some on the TV, and then when my kids want the TV, switching to my phone or my computer. I love the drama. I love the excitement. I love the pageantry and the traditions, and it’s only a few weeks away. Last week at this time, I was excited for the seminary course to begin here at Grace. I was looking forward to the class sessions. I was looking forward to conversations with visiting pastors, looking forward to the elders BBQ. What are you excited for? What excites you in your life? What are you eager for? Today’s reading from Ephesians, Paul encourages us “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Does that excite you? We’re all excited for something, maybe the start of the school year, maybe a new movie or a book you’ve been waiting for, maybe you’re already eagerly awaiting the arrival of Christmas. We’re all eager for something. Are we eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace? Maybe the better question is, what does that even mean, the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. Well, this is the unity that we received as a gift from our Lord. It’s the unity given to us through Jesus himself. Think of it like this. There is only one Jesus, and so then anyone who is united to him is therefore also united to each other. It’s not a unity that we create for ourselves. It’s a unity that’s already ours by virtue of our baptism, by virtue of kneeling at this altar to receive the body and blood of the one Jesus, for the forgiveness of our sins. It’s the unity that Paul wrote about in the first three chapters of Ephesians. Jesus has broken down the dividing wall of hostility. Those who are “far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Paul wants the Ephesians to recognize that despite their cultural and language differences, they are one body in Christ. The unity is theirs, and it’s ours. The same is true for us. Whatever differences we have in political leanings, or brand loyalty, we are united in Christ, and while this unity is not ours to create, Paul does encourage us to maintain it. Maintenance. It’s a simple concept. It’s one we all understand and apply, probably on a daily basis We maintain our cars, change the oil and the brake pads, we keep an eye on the fluid levels, We maintain our bodies, we go to the doctor, we eat healthy, maybe even sprinkle in a little bit of exercise. We maintain our homes. You fix the leaky roof, you replace the hot water heater when it breaks, you straighten up the mess from time to time. We all know what maintenance is. We do it every day. Do we make it a priority to maintain the unity we have as the body of Christ? The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, through unity that belongs to any and all who are united to the same Jesus. The bond of peace. It’s the glue that holds that unity together, the gift from Jesus himself. It’s a bond that unites us, not only to Jesus, but unites us to one another. Are we eager to maintain that bond? Do we treat the relationships we have with our brothers and sisters in Christ with as much care and concern as we show to our cars, or to our houses? Do we make that maintenance a priority? How would we even do that? Paul points us first to humility. A Christian pastor in the 4th century wrote these words: “Meekness is the foundation of all virtue. If you are humble and aware of your limits and remember how you were saved you will take this recollection as the motive for excellent moral behavior, you will not be excessively impressed, either with chains or with privileges.  You will remember that it is all of grace and so you will walk humbly.” The point that he’s making is that a humble and honest estimation of our own abilities fills us with eagerness to forgive each other, to bear with one another, to bear with the sins of each other, frees us from becoming too proud of our successes, or too depressed at our failures, that allows us simply to live each moment in love. Far too often we’re quick to set aside humility, and fall victim to pride. We’re quick to speak an accusation, spread of juicy bit of gossip, but we’re slow to speak in defense of a brother or sister in Christ. There’s a reason that the reviews and comments sections on the Internet are so negative. We love to share our bad experiences. Maybe because it makes us feel vindicated, makes us feel righteous. We’re quick to spread stories that make us feel like we’re better than someone else, quick to point out why so and so is wrong and I’m right. We love to broadcast the failures of others, to become mired in criticism, but not only do such actions not maintain the unity of the spirit, they actually work to destroy it. It’s like skipping the oil change, and instead pouring sugar in your gas tank. It’s the opposite of maintenance. It’s sabotage. We’re called to repent of such an attitude, to repent of speaking hurtful words, repent of spreading rumors and gossip, even if what we’re saying is true. Rather than letting the sin of another become the topic of conversation that leads us feeling self-righteous, our Lord calls us to see in their sin a reminder of our own. Our Lord desires that we all be led to repentance of our own. In the Large Catechism, Luther calls us to have graveyard ears, ears where the unflattering stories go to die and be buried, never to surface again. Now Paul’s not telling us to keep a secret if someone’s being harmed. We don’t need to ignore dangerous behavior and call it unity, but neither do we let the reputation of a brother or sister in Christ be dragged through the mud. Usually when we find ourselves relaying an unflattering story, we aren’t simply reporting concerns through the proper channels, usually we’re just gossiping about who did what, who said what, why so and so was a failure. And in those cases, when the juicy tidbit is passed to us, we repent of the eagerness to pass it on, and instead, ask our Lord to fill us with eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We refuse to speak words that would divide, refuse to speak words that would create camps among us. We refuse to speak words that end up driving a wedge into the body of Christ. Instead, we’re eager to maintain the unity that we have as the body of Christ. We let the rumors and device of speech die in our ears. We let words of life and hope and encouragement flow from our tongues, for those are the words Jesus has spoken about you. Jesus did not drive a wedge between the creator and his creation. Jesus did just the opposite. Jesus united us, coming into his creation as one of its own. He took on human flesh in order that we might be reconciled and reunited to our Father in heaven, he took all of our impurity, he took our imperfection, he took all of our sins of thought, word, and deed, and he buried them not, in his ears but in his tomb, where his own lifeless body was laid. He suffered and died to pay the price for our careless words, for our hurtful actions, for the many and various ways that we undermine the unity of the Spirit, and in his resurrection, he restored that unity. Unity with the father in heaven and here on earth, unity among us his body, unity among our brothers and sisters in Christ. And so, now we’re called not only to maintain that unity, but to be eager to do so, to be excited to do so, to make it a priority to take pride not in finding ourselves better than others, but to take pride in the unity that we possess together as forgiven sinners. Maybe we invite new members into our circle of friends. We have graveyard ears. We walk in humility and patience, but above all else, this unity is maintained by being and remaining united to Jesus himself. That is how it is the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. We maintain this unity by regularly confessing our own sins, not merely in private, but here in this room in the company of those with whom we are united, the very people that we sit next to every Sunday, fellow sinners, people whose lives are marked by the same failures and disappointments as their own, the same hurts and anxieties that keep us up at night. We confess our sins together eager to hear together that good news of forgiveness  When we hear of someone else’s sin, we don’t eagerly await the chance to spread that news to others, rather we see in their sin a reminder of our own, and in humble repentance we confess our sin in the presence of God, and one another, eager to confess, eager to be forgiven, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And that unity is maintained by kneeling regularly at this altar to be united to the body and blood of Jesus himself, and the simple gift of bread and wine. We call it communion for a reason and hear the word union in its name. Through this gift we are united both to each other as well as to our Lord himself. Anything that would divide is removed. The unity of the Spirit is what remains. We don’t create such unity, it’s already ours in Christ. But we are called to maintain it, through confession, through our Lord’s supper, through forgiving each other, through graveyard ears. Such is the gift of Christian unity, given to us by our Lord through his Word and sacrament, sustained by our Lord through the same, and as his Word works in our hearts, it converts our desires so that they begin to resemble him, and for no matter what else we might be eager for, the arrival of a holiday, or the release of a new movie, we are also eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Let us walk in humility, in gentleness, and patience, remaining united to the one Lord, one faith, one baptism, to the God and Father of all, who is over all and through all, and in all. To him be glory and honor forever and ever, Amen.