Sermon for July 6, 2025: One Another’s Burdens based upon Galatians 6:1-16

Galatians 6:1-16 New International Version
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.

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     I am sure that I’ve shared this story before. But, it’s been a week when I’ve watch too many people delight in abandoning people in need. It is good to be reminded that our faith calls us to bear one another’s burdens and to hear about some Christians who did so out of great love. In the year before he married, Rev. Dr. Fred Craddock served a small church in East Tennessee in a town on Watts Barr Lake. Dr. Craddock was ordained in the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, a sister denomination of our own United Church of Christ. The UCC and DOC share many ministries together, including some summer camps and international missions. We have some interesting differences, too.

     For one, in DOC churches, the lay people pray over and serve communion. In our tradition, someone must be ordained to bless the elements. They also usually have communion every week, which is less common in the UCC. Another difference is with baptism. While people of all ages are baptized in the UCC, many people are baptized as infants or very young children by request of their parents. In Disciples churches, most people are baptized when they are old enough to make their own statement of faith. They are usually fully immersed in water, too, either in large baptismal fonts their congregations or in the lakes and rivers near their congregations. The story I read of Dr. Craddock’s took place on an Easter Sunday, when a bunch of people were going to be baptized.

     Following one of the oldest practices in Christianity, this church welcomed new members through baptism on Easter Sunday. The whole church gathered together on the lakeshore at Sundown. Remember, this is Tennessee. While the lake water wouldn’t have been super warm, it would have been safe enough for baptisms at Easter. Dr. Craddock and the baptismal candidates waded out together and, one by one, he would baptize each of them into the Body of Christ. As they finished, they would wade back to shore where the rest of the church had gathered and built a small fire. The longer-time members would be singing and cooking some supper to share as the newest members gathered round. Then, the newly baptized and the pastor would go and change into dry clothes in little booths that the congregation had constructed with great care for just this purpose. Finally dry, everyone would gather around the fire.

     Over the years, this church had developed a practice in response to baptisms. They did it every year, and Dr. Craddock described it as always starting the same way. Glen Hickey, a long- time member, would introduce the new members. He would say their name, where they lived, and what they did for a living. The new folks would shift closest to the fire and the rest of the church would create a circle around them. Once all the new folks in the inner ring had been introduced, the long-time members in the outer circle would begin to go around and introduce themselves in a unique way. They wouldn’t say where they lived and what they did for a living. Instead, they would offer a service.

     For example, if I were a member of that church, I might say, "My name is Chrissy and if you ever need somebody to come and feed your cats, please call me." Then, the next person might say, “My name is Tasha and I can tell you if that weird rock you found is a meteorite.” This would continue all around the circle, with everyone in the church taking a turn. "My name is Earl. If you ever need anybody to chop wood, please ask." "My name is Bernice... if you ever need a ride into town, I'm happy to help." "My name is Beverly and if you ever need somebody to sit with someone who is sick, call me." "My name is Jonathan and if you ever need somebody to watch the kids, they can come to our place." One by one by one, they all shared their name and a burden they might be able to help bear.

     Then, they would eat. Food they cooked fresh and brought from home and purchased at the corner store on the way to the lake. Then, they'd have a square dance right there by the side of Watts Bar Lake. They'd dance long into Easter Sunday night. At some point, as Dr. Craddock told it, when it was the right time, a man named Percy Miller would stand up and say, "Time to go." They would clean up the food and pack up the dishes. They'd take down the changing booths and carry coolers and camp chairs and guitars to the car, and they’d all head home. Percy would be the last person to leave, making sure everything got cleaned up and the fire got put out. In the collection of stories of his that I read, Dr. Craddock shared that he was pretty overwhelmed the first time he experienced all this. He didn’t start these practices during his pastorate. They predated him, and he learned them right alongside the new baptized people. The first year that he was a part of the celebrations, he shared that all he could really do was stand next to Percy, who was busily kicking sand on the fire to put it out, and try to take it all in. That first Easter at the church, Percy looked at him and said, "Craddock, folks don't ever get any closer than this." Dr. Craddock believed him.

     “Bear one of another’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” When Paul closes out a letter to a church or group of churches, he often has a kind of a wrap up at the end. Today’s reading is the wrap up. First, he has a few of what Sheila Briggs calls “maxims by which to judge their behavior.” If you are living by the fruits of the Spirit that we talked about last week (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control), it will be reflected in your behavior. If someone messes up, you’ll treat them gently. You will avoid the things that tempt you to rupture relationships. You’ll help one another when things are hard. Sarah Henrichs says that Paul’s description of Christian behavior is characterized by radical mutuality where you “assist one another and evaluate only yourself.” This isn’t an easy life, but it is a life in Christ.

     In her commentary on this text, Brigitte Kahl wonders if the challenges of living in the Roman empire is wearing on the churches in Galatia. Paul is telling them that to follow Christ, they must construct a community that would consistently “go against the grain of the dominant order.” The culture they lived in had some really rigid social hierarchies that Paul believed the church was called to push against. Kahl wonders if some of the Galatians are finding this kind of resistance to the requirements of the empire to be tiring. Many of us certainly know that is hard to constantly be pushing to stay alive. For those who are finding themselves fatigued, Paul returns to the farming metaphors. “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” He says whenever we have the opportunity to do so, “let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.” Notice that “for the good of all” part.

     While we might start with bearing the burdens of the Body of Christ. We don’t end there. The new creation that we are a part of, the covenant that we get adopted into, makes us free to serve all. Our faith does not call us to be stingy with grace, for the Spirit has never been stingy with us. Filled with the Spirit, let us prepare warm fires, good food, clean shelter, and spaces for dancing. We might be tired. But, we aren’t doing this alone. My name is Chrissy. And, I’ll watch your cats for you. What burden will you bear for the one who needs it?

Resources consulted while writing this sermon:
Brigitte Kahl: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-14-3/commentary-on-galatians-61-6-7-16-2
Fred Craddock, Craddock Stories, eds. Mike Graves and Richard F. Ward, Chalice Press, 2001
​Sheila Briggs' notes on Galatians in The New Oxford Annotated Bible: The New Revised Standard Version with Apocryphya, ed. Michael Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001)
Sarah Henrichs: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-14-3/commentary-on-galatians-61-67-16-3
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