For the Love of Dog

May 25^th, 2014      “For the Love of Dog”      Rev. Heather Jepsen

John 14:15-24

          Our Scripture reading this morning continues where we left off last Sunday.  You might recall that in the gospel of John, Jesus gives a long speech after the last supper but before he is arrested.  Our reading is part of that speech, the farewell discourse.  Jesus is giving his followers some farewell words of comfort, along with some lessons to keep in mind during his absence. 

          Jesus makes several promises to his disciples, including the promise that though he is leaving he will come again in the future.  Jesus also promises that in his absence they will still feel the presence of God, through an Advocate.  Here he is referring to the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promises his followers that the Holy Spirit will come among them, and that through the Spirit they will remain in the presence of God.  This Spirit will “abide with you and he will be in you.”  Another way to translate the word Advocate here is Comforter or Companion which I think can be easier to relate to.  Though Jesus is about to leave the disciples in a physical way, God will never leave them truly alone.  They will never be orphans.

          Jesus also gives the disciples this lesson.  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  And later he says, “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”  Here Jesus is telling his followers that they are to love him by following his teachings.

          Now when the word “love” is used here in the Scriptures, we are not talking about the way that we feel.  We are not talking about emotions.  We are not talking about fluttery eyes, swooning hearts, and all such things that we may associate with the feelings of love.  That kind of love can not be commanded.  As you may know, that kind of love is a fickle friend who comes and goes in our lives and our relationships.

          Instead, what we are talking about here is love as a way of life.  This is the type of love that can be a command.  Earlier in the farewell discourse Jesus says to his disciples, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Here Jesus is referring to love as a way of life.  Love is a decision that we make about how we are going to live in relationship to each other, and in relationship to God.  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

          Now, during last week’s sermon things got a little heavy in here.  Emotional topics are great, but I don’t want you leaving here in a solemn mood every week.  So today I want to lighten things up a bit.  As I was thinking about love, commandments, and companions, I got to thinking about dogs.  The truth is that right now in the Jepsen house we have a case of dogs on the brain.  As you may know, our dog Milo is on his last legs and we are often talking about how long he will be with us, and when the right time is to make that hard decision all pet owners have to make at some point.  Thinking about the behavior of dogs and thinking about the nature of love started to form into a sermon for me this week.

          It doesn’t take much time trolling the internet to find some great “dog wisdom”.  One could argue that no other creature on earth gives us such a faithful picture of obedience to the commandments of God like the dog does.  So today, I offer you a list of ten lessons that we can learn from dogs . . .
          1. Greet loved ones with a wagging tail.  Nothing is more important than feeling loved, and there's no creature on the planet that does it better than a dog.  The wagging tail affirms that this is where we belong: This is our home, where we live, where we are safe and where we are loved.  Be kind and greet one another with joy.
          2. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.  You know how dogs eat: slobber flying everywhere, and licking the dish clean until every last scent of gravy is gone.  Dogs know that eating is a celebration of life.  Breaking bread together is holy.  To nourish the body is not a chore, but a sacrament.  Animosities are dissipated at meals, barriers broken down, friendships renewed and strengthened.  So, eat with gusto.  Enjoy all the flavors and spices of creation, and thus enjoy the gifts of God.
          3. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.  Relax, slow down and enjoy life.  Give yourself a time out.  Opt out, unplug, and get lazy.  Even before he was sick, our dog Milo slept 23 hours a day.  Dogs provide great examples of celebrating the Sabbath.
          4. Run, romp and play daily.  Physical exercise is as important for the soul as it is for the body.  No disciple of Christ can be as faithful and effective when the body is run down.  When we learn how to play and stretch and get in some exercise we'll feel better from the inside out.   We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of others.
          5. And this is a big one; be loyal.  Loyalty is a good thing, and if your dog is nothing else, he is loyal to fault.  Loyalty is a critical element of discipleship, for it speaks to our relationship with others: our spouse, our vocation, our community, our friends, even our relationship with God.  Obedience and loyalty are part of following the commandments of God.
          6. When you're happy, dance around and wag your tail.  Thankfulness and celebration are powerful dynamics for successful and healthy living.  Gratitude is a gift we give ourselves that enables us to affirm the essential goodness of life.  One of the ways we show our thankfulness to God is by gathering together to celebrate God in worship with singing, maybe some clapping, and at least some general merriment.  Worship and life do not need to be only a solemn and serious time.
          7. If someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle gently.  We all have bad days.  That's why we need encouragement and affirmation.  When we are depressed, we know that sometimes it takes only a quiet word, or a gentle touch to bring us around.  Our dogs seem to have an instinct that tells them when to be dancing and jumping around and when to just be there beside you.  Words are not always needed, or even helpful, to convey empathy.  A gentle nuzzle will often do the trick.

Now, I know the Holy Spirit is not a dog; but one could argue that God sent dogs to live among us as a way to provide that comfort and companionship that Jesus was talking about with the Holy Spirit.
          8. No matter how harshly you're scolded, don't pout - run back and make friends.  Carrying grudges makes life drudgery.  Make friends and keep them.  Overlook faults and assume the best.  Don't keep a scorecard of rights and wrongs and don’t take offense.
          9. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.  We do not need to injure others by what we say or do.  We can be strong with love; firm with kindness.
          10. Bark with your buddies.  Barking is an act of commonality.  Barking says we belong in this together.  We are one.  Jepsens like to make noise with their dog, and if you drive by at the right time you just might catch us in a group howling session.  Similarly we should make noise with our friends.  It is good to come together with one another and share about your lives and your experience of God.

          In our experience of the world around us, it is the dog which consistently shows us how to live a life of love.  I am not saying that we should think of ourselves as dogs and God as a master; I am saying that we should look to dogs as examples of how to be more humble, more grateful, more joyful, and more in love with life. 

          I read on Pinterest this week that “The Dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”  Jesus teaches, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”  Today I would suggest that if you love Jesus, than look to the dog, and live love as a way of life.  Amen.