Proper 17A’26
30 Aug 2026
Romans 12.9-21
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>
O God of unconditional love, you enabled your apostles to found communities of sacrificial love everywhere they went: Grant us grace, that we too may be enabled to form a community of Love, built upon the foundation of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. – Collect for Proper 17A, The Rev. Carey Stone
From the royal halls of Buckingham palace to the top of the Empire State Building, tributes have gone out to mark the passing of Dolly Parton. Simply the mention of her name brings a smile and an image of that classic blonde wig and her rhinestone outfits! Both the royal guard and the Empire State tribute featured the theme from the movie “9 to 5.”
She was born and raised in Locust Ridge, Tenn. and was the 4th of 12 children. Started from those humble beginnings learning to sing in church and self-taught guitar player by age 10, and first appeared on the Grand Ole’ Opry at the ripe old age of 13. She would make 44 top 10 country albums, and holds the record for the most no.1 hits (by a female artist) on Billboard’s Country Charts with 26 No.1 hits. Dolly won 11 Grammys and was inducted into both the Country and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She starred as a Hollywood actor, and founded Dollywood theme park. Dolly was a major donor giving away large sums of money for the poor and needy and started a literacy program called The Imagination Library that has given away over 300 million books to children across the world. Although she was never ‘in your face’ about being a Christian, she would not hesitate to give the credit for her accomplishment to God and her faith. She managed to be herself all throughout her life and I’d like to share some of her ‘Dollyisms’ – words of wisdom she has spoken throughout the years:
“I always count my blessings more than I count my money. I don’t work for money, never did.”
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.”
“If you see someone without a smile, give ‘em yours.”
“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
“I’m not offended by dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb, I also know I’m not a blonde.”
“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” And finally…
“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader.”
She lived with a cool head, led with a warm heart, and sang with the voice of an angel.
She stayed true to herself and her values and no amount of money or fame ever changed her. She reminds us that because we are a child of God child we already are somebody and we have a chance to do as much good as we can with what we have been given. Her spirit, her values, and her actions all lined up and people took notice.
Jesus, through his words and deeds came and showed us the way to live. Everywhere the first apostles went they established churches filled with people who embodied the life of Christ. St. Paul, one who’s life had literally been turned upside down by his encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road wrote a powerful letter to the church at Rome and the truths he shared are just a relevant today as they were in the first century. Our reading today lists many words and phrases designed to lodge in our hearts and spur us on to serve the world in Christ’s name.
He knew that is really was all about love and he started out by saying: “Let love be genuine” now the Greek word that is used here for “love” is Agape’ and means the sacrificial and unconditional kind of love. “Genuine” means to be unhypocritical,
“Hate what is evil – hold fast to what is good”
“Love one another with mutual affection.” The Greek for love combines words meaning sibling brotherly love philia and Sturge meaning parental type love – so in short, the love found in church is to be like that of a family.
“Outdo one another in showing honor.” This would be the opposite of put-downs and slander.
“Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.” It’s helpful to read this phrase in the MSG Bible: “Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame!”
“Rejoice in hope – be patient in suffering – persevere in prayer.” Keep hope alive – be resilient in tough times – keep praying like everything depended on it!
“Contribute to the needs of the saints.” We are community, we are family, each of us are in need of something all the time. We are blessed to have ministries that offer prayer, support, counseling, hot soup, transportation, and much more!
“Extend hospitality to strangers.” Providing radical welcome to all, during worship, during coffee hour, through ministries like the food pantry and clothes closet, and other assistance as needed.
All of the above may be the easy part for these next admonitions are much harder:
“Bless those that persecute you, bless and do not curse them.” Sometimes we do our best, and try hard only to be shot down or picked on by someone who is unhappy. Keep on blessing. This, dear ones is countercultural.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” This is another area where the church can really shine – by caring for each other as we celebrate the victories and milestones, and we walk with each other through sadness and pain of illness, loss, or grief.
“Live in harmony with one another.” We try to remember that everyone we come in contact with, and especially in the church are people who are fighting battles we may know nothing about – have compassion for them as we would hope they will have compassion for us.
“Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.” The church is not to be a showcase for rich and saintly but a refuge for the needy and a hospital for sinners. Humility is a key fruit of the Spirit.
“Do not claim to be wiser than you are.” Whenever we can admit that we may not to know what to do, to be at a loss for words, ideas, or plans, to not understand all mysteries. The ego will eventually fail us all.
“Do not repay evil for evil. Take thought in what is noble in the sight of all.” This one is about as opposite to the world as it gets. We must remember that an “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth are Old Testament concepts and all it accomplishes is making us blind and toothless. Take the high road by not stooping to their level.
“If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
Grudges drive wedges between us; the things we can’t let go of expand and entangle others. Our job as individuals is not to be drawn into the subterfuge stirred up by a person sowing discord.
“Don’t avenge yourselves – vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” “Vendetta’ is a word from the Latin meaning vengeance, that comes from a little country called Sicily and the as the Sicilian proverb goes – “Let they who go to seek revenge first dig two graves.”
Now for some of the hardest advice to follow:
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them, if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.” Then a mysterious promise is made: “For by doing this, you will heap burning coals on their heads.” I was reading a commentary by someone who saw this as a mysterious and opaque phrase, I had to chuckle for the explanation seemed simple to me – ‘it burns them up.’ The world doesn’t know what to do with this kind of counterintuitive and compassionate response, it gets under their skin and into their hearts.
On this Rally Day it is a good day to ponder our ministry and service to God to, each other, and the strangers and visitors that come our way.
I close with a fitting prayer by John Wesley and it was his “rule of life”:
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can,
In all the ways you can, in all the places you can,
At all the times you can, to all the people you can,
As long as ever you can. Amen.