What, me worry? (Sermon)

Readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter, Yr. A – Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 (5); 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14.

As your newest pastor, I think it is really wonderful that we have an assigned scripture reading that helps us think and talk about change. For, that’s what we are in the midst of, right? I know that Pastor William was dearly loved and appreciated, and I thank him for his stewardship and care for you. Yet, some of you might be wondering, “What about this new guy?” Well, that will all come out in time as we get to know one another, but the the Gospel which has been provided to us for today’s worship is really special considering our situation.

Among the most difficult commands of Jesus (and you might disagree), I would list three:

1)    love one another (And, that’s no easy thing even within families at times. Relationships are often hard even when healthy.)

2)    love our enemies (That’s an incredibly hard thing to just imagine sometimes, never mind do.)

3)    and using varied words, Jesus and others have repeated over and over again, “Do not worry.”

Today, we hear part of what’s called Jesus’ Farewell Discourse where he tells his beloved disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Or in other words, “Do not worry.” Here, Jesus was trying to comfort his disciples (and by extension us) as he prepared to die. As he anticipated his suffering and death on the cross, Jesus fully comprehends that the world can be a frightening and unfair place where we need one another, but most of all, we need God’s love and gracious support. Yes, we will be asked to carry our own crosses at times, and death can loom large before us (perhaps even a martyr’s death like Stephen’s), but Jesus points us toward a deeper faith…when couched within a radical trust. He urges…he invites…Jesus never compels…“Believe in God; believe also in me.”

Unfortunately for humans, that is easier said than done. As created beings in a Fallen World, we are designed to have the capacity for fear as one of our many emotions. Fear can help us survive in the wilderness which is Earth. God gifted us with this emotion, and it is good in and of itself. Yet, if we are not careful, as with anything, fear might begin to dominate us. It can lead us toward a mistake in judgement…perhaps even death. We can follow the heard instead of following Jesus. We might focus so much on our problems that we forget that Jesus promised to always be with us…always…that even if facing death, he has prepared a place for us.

Fear is a powerful and common emotion, but if not on our guard, we can slip into rumination (where we can’t stop thinking about our perceived threats, perhaps impacting our sleep and relationships). We can worry becoming hyper alert for threats or get stuck in our anxiety. This is our conundrum as human beings. It is good to recognize our fears and not ignore them. Yet, we don’t have to slip into a worry where our hearts grow weak, or perhaps worse, cold and selfish. That’s not what God wants for us, but our biology and the realities of the world can overcome us. (we need God’s help.) We might focus so much on our problems…even if we don’t want to…that we struggle to see God in the mess around us…struggle to see God in the “small stuff.” (And signs of God’s love are often found in the small stuff.)

I often think of Alfred E. Neuman at such times. Some of you might remember him. In the late 1950s and beyond, this imaginary cartoon boy provided a motto for young adolescents with an immature sense of humor as part of Mad Magazine. You might have seen Alfred E. Neuman in your own travels – a young boy with red hair, a gap-tooth smile, freckles, protruding nose and ears, and a scrawny body all too small for his bulbous head. And in my travels as a youth, I came to know him through Mad Magazine. And often with his picture, as he faced a precarious situation usually of his own making, one saw this rallying cry… “What, me worry?” Why, yes…absolutely yes, Alfred…when facing difficult predicaments, it might seem like a very good time to worry. Indeed, it might seem foolhardy if not foolish not to worry. And so, we laugh at poor Alfred in his predicament not realizing that we ourselves just might be worrying too much.

Again, recognizing a threat can be incredibly helpful. It allows us to respond and remain safe, nurturing or sustaining life. Yet giving that threat power over our lives is not helpful. Our fears can become another false god leading us toward death. And all the while, we can deeply wound ourselves and others unintentionally because we are afraid. Yet, we can make another. There’s a better choice with God’s help and our holy surrender to God’s will. Yes, when angels urge, “Do not be afraid!” or Jesus teaches, “Let not your heart be troubled,” the Word of God is not suggesting we deny our humanity or the evils of the world…but it does beg us to trust in our true God all the more – the loving God who created us, Jesus who promised to be with us always, and the Holy Spirit that seeks to guide us and intercedes for us “with groanings to deep for words” (Romans 8: 26).

These are not new teachings, but they are as old as the scriptures themselves, as when Isaiah proclaims, “And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21). This truth is why Paul reminds us in his letter to the struggling congregation in Corinth, “it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry” (2 Corinthians 4:1). God is the one who has already gifted us with salvation, opportunities and blessings… gifted us with life, and all that we have including the ministry that’s before us. (Our ministry is God’s gift.) It is why Peter reminds us, “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:10). Therefore, because of this mercy… because of God’s presence…because of God’s promise…because of what God has done, is doing, and will do…we need not grow weak, weary, or fail in heart.

Some suggest that Martin Luther argued, “You cannot have worry and have God as your King.” This may or not be his quote (I couldn’t yet find the citation as I prepared today’s sermon, at least not yet), but it certainly fits his theology. When we let worry control us, we often act as if we do not trust that God will get things right…With our actions, we say that Jesus is a liar. We are God’s beloved people, and Jesus does not lie. We are God’s beloved people. This is Christ’s ministry. It is bigger than our vision. Do not doubt it. Remember all the promises of God. Remember God’s faithful, saving actions captured in scripture or in your own life’s story. For just as God was faithful in the past, God will remain faithful in the present…remain faithful in the future. For our God is only love, and God cannot love you any more than God does right now – completely…God wants the best for us. God loves us completely and will never abandon us.  

Yes, the world is a mess, and perhaps our lives are too. Yet God’s work isn’t done, nor is God done with us. As your newest pastor, I understand that Grace & Glory faces challenges…that no life nor congregation lives forever…that you and I face personal challenges as well…but I trust that God is not done with us yet. As long as we have a breath, God is not done with us yet. We are just a small part of God’s spoken story proclaiming the Gospel to the world. Whatever obstacles lie before us, we must seek to remember the God that stands behind us, with us, and before us is bigger than any obstacle that we face! It is God who has brought us here, and it will not be for naught. As someone said to me recently, “If you can stand the pull, God can get you through anything.”

Our choice is the same each day as we arise each day. Will we trust Jesus or not? Will we seek to listen and follow him even as the powers of this world tell us that we are too old, or too young, or too small, or too imperfect, or do not have enough to share? I would like to share with you a much better quote than anything else Alfred E. Newman could offer. It is a beloved poem by Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582):

So, what, should we worry? Holy people of God, we have enough – God’s love – and the Lord waits to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18). Do not let our hearts be troubled but believe in Jesus. It is Jesus, the Risen One, who calls us. This is his ministry, not our own, and not even Death itself can defeat us, for it has already lost. Not one ounce of our faith, hope, and love will be wasted by God. All is well and will be well because God is with us. Now, it is our time to follow Jesus wherever he might lead us. Amen.

Below, please find a video of our worship service. The sermon starts at about the 21:27 mark.

© 2026 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author unless under terms of fair use and properly attributed. Scripture passages when used are from the NRSVue translation unless otherwise indicated.