October 18, 2026 homily on Exodus 33:12-17 and Ephesians 3:14-19 by Pastor Galen for Laity Sunday
“…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love” – Ephesians 3:17
Roots Grow Deep
I love this time of the year when the leaves are changing colors. Yesterday, my family and I were driving through the countryside on the way to a family reunion in Lancaster, PA, and I was struck by the beauty and diversity of the landscape as the leaves of the trees were starting to change to all sorts of different colors. I’ve been taking walks during lunchtime at work and noticing all sorts of different acorns and buckeyes, along with all sorts of interesting leaves.
But recently, I was reminded that in addition to the beautiful trees and leaves that we see, there’s a lot happening beneath the ground as well. For every tree that we see in the forest, there’s a whole system of roots growing below the surface. Take our Maryland state tree, the white oak, as an example. A white oak’s root system occupies approximately three to five times the ground area covered by the branches of the tree. That’s a massive amount of roots! And even a little white oak seedling can have surprisingly large roots. After its first growing season, when a white oak seedling is only three or four inches tall, its taproot can be more than twelve inches long.
Rooted in God’s Love
All of this brings us to our Scripture reading in Ephesians 3, where Paul prays that Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith and that we would be “rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17). In the previous chapter, Paul talks about how we were “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). To go back to our tree analogy, we can think of good works as the fruit of the Christian life. The good works that we do—the ways we live out our faith in practical, tangible ways—are what is seen “above the surface.” In John 13:35, for example, Jesus says that everyone will know we are his disciples if we love one another. This is what is seen outwardly. The way we love and serve other people gives evidence that we are followers of Christ.
But here in Ephesians 3, Paul reminds us that it starts beneath the surface, with a deep knowledge and understanding that we are known and loved by God. This is what feeds and nourishes us so that we can do good works and love others—a deep knowledge and understanding that we are known and loved by God.
When we have deep roots and understand that we are known and loved by God, then we can stand firm even in the midst of the crazy and rapid changes that are going on in the world around us. Even when it feels like we are being pulled in a lot of different directions, or when life demands so much of us, we can tap down deep into that knowledge and awareness that we are fully known and loved by God. That feeds us and nourishes us so that we can live for God and love others in this world.
Laity Sunday
Today is Laity Sunday, the day on which we celebrate the ministry of all believers. The word “laity” refers to members of a church who are not clergy, so it’s a day to remember that each and every one of us is called to minister in whatever context we find ourselves.
Now, I realize that it may seem ironic for me, as the pastor, to give the sermon on Laity Sunday. My clergy status as a licensed local pastor is tied to my appointment, which makes my situation different from that of an ordained pastor. When I’m no longer the pastor of Hampden United Methodist Church, I’ll go back to being a member of a church, unless I’m appointed to a different church. Unlike a licensed local pastor, an ordained pastor ordinarily remains clergy after retirement. Think about Rev. Mary, for example. Even after she had retired from pastoring, she was still an ordained clergy member, because in her ordination vows she had made a lifelong commitment, and in her ordination she had been set aside for service in the church. My calling is much more situational, in the sense that I felt God calling me to accept the invitation to serve as your pastor for this time and for this season.
But I also feel called to be in the workplace, where I work and interact with a variety of people outside the church on a daily basis. Even in my work as pastor, one of the things that drew me to this role was seeing the spiritual needs in the surrounding community. This is part of why my family decided to move into the parsonage—so that we could not only be more available to church members, but also be salt and light in this community and get to know neighbors and people in the community who may never come to church, but who are longing to know God’s love.
And as laity, this is your calling and ministry as well. Many of you serve and volunteer here within the four walls of this building, but even as you do so, you’re serving and reaching many folks who don’t attend our worship services. And on a daily basis, you’re interacting with other people at work, at school, or in your neighborhood or community who may not attend any church. In fact, you might be one of the few churchgoing people they know!
But as you interact with them, love them, and model what it looks like to follow Christ, you are ministering to them. In this way, all Christians are called to minister wherever they are—at work, at school, at the store, in the community. This doesn’t always mean that we use words. Often, it’s our actions, expressed in love, that speak more than our words ever could. But sometimes it does involve using words as well, and in those cases, we should “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have,” as we’re told in 1 Peter 3:15. Of course, Peter reminds us that we should do this “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15–16), which is extremely important if we want to spread God’s love!
Growing Deep Roots
But again, a lot of what I’m talking about involves the things that we see above the surface—the actions we take, the ways we interact with and love others. But just as the leaves of a tree tell only part of the story, the Apostle Paul reminds us here in Ephesians 3 that it all starts with the roots. If we don’t have deep roots, if we’re not rooted and grounded in God’s love for us, then we will be swept away by the changing tides. If we don’t have deep roots, then the neighbors and classmates and coworkers we interact with on a daily basis will have more influence over us than we will over them. If we’re constantly seeking to keep up with the Joneses or always trying to stay up on the latest trends or fads, then it’s very easy for us to become unmoored and carried along by the current.
This is why it’s important for us to plant our roots deeply in God’s love, to have a deep awareness of God’s love for us. And this is especially important for those who are young or new to the faith. Just like a white oak seedling that is only three or four inches high can have a taproot more than twelve inches long, children and youth and those who have recently made a commitment to Christ need to be given an opportunity to grow deep roots. They are particularly vulnerable. There are so many pressures on our young people, so many things competing for their attention, that it is all the more critical that they be steeped in the knowledge and awareness of God’s love for them.
But really, any of us, at any age, can feel the temptation to seek the praise and attention of others, to try to find our sense of self-worth in the praise and accolades of others—whether from a teacher, peers, a boss, or coworkers. Yes, we should seek to do our best with the time and resources we have, and there’s nothing wrong with trying to get good grades or high ratings on our work performance. These can certainly be helpful benchmarks for us when it comes to knowing how we are performing at work or school.
But in the end, these do not and should not determine our sense of self-worth. Because whether or not we do well at work or school, whether or not we are “successful” in the eyes of the world, we are deeply known and deeply loved by God. And in the end, that is the foundation of our worth.
Interconnectedness
But there’s something else that I recently learned about roots that relates to Paul’s encouragement to be rooted in love: when trees grow close together, it is possible for their root systems to become interconnected.
And the same is true for us as Christians. We are not isolated trees standing in the middle of a field. As Christians, we are members together of the Body of Christ, so we’re more like trees in a forest, growing closely together. And just as the roots of trees growing closely together can become interconnected, so too, as we seek to grow our roots deeply in Christ, we become connected with one another.
Of course, there can be downsides to this. Diseases can be carried between trees through their root systems, for example, and in the same way, toxic attitudes and behaviors can sometimes spread through churches as well.
But there is also the potential for good things to spread. In the case of tree roots, researchers have found that interconnected root systems can help increase some trees’ resistance to wind. A connected tree can sometimes sustain the roots and stump of a neighboring tree even after its trunk has been cut.
And I think that gives us a powerful picture of what it means to be in community with one another in the Body of Christ. There are seasons when we may be strong in our faith and can help sustain others who are going through a difficult time, and other times when we may be feeling worn down and need someone else to remind us of God’s love.
There are seasons when we have strength to share, and seasons when we need someone else to help sustain us. Someone prays when we can hardly find the words. Someone keeps showing up when we feel worn down. Someone reminds us of God’s love when we are struggling to trust it ourselves. This is perhaps why the “you” here in Ephesians 3:17 is a plural “you”—really more of a “y’all,” since Paul is speaking to a community of believers.
Growing Together in Love
And so, on this Laity Sunday, we celebrate the ways each of us is called to share God’s love. We give thanks for our young people who are leading us in worship today, and for the gifts that people of every age bring to this congregation. But we also remember that all of this ministry grows out of the love we have first received from God.
In our reading from Exodus, Moses knows that he cannot lead God’s people into an uncertain future on his own. He needs to know that God will go with them. And God tells him, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14).
We need that assurance, too. We don’t know all the changes that lie ahead for us, for our families, for our church, or for the world. But we can keep growing our roots deeply in the knowledge that we are known and loved by God. And we can keep growing together, allowing that love to flow through the connections we share with one another.
So perhaps, as we notice the changing leaves this week, we can let them remind us of what is happening beneath the surface. And perhaps we can ask ourselves: Am I taking time to receive God’s love? Is there someone who needs me to remind them that they are loved? And am I willing to let someone else help sustain me when I need it?
My prayer for us is the prayer Paul offers here: that Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith, and that we would be rooted and grounded in love. May that love nourish us, sustain us through every changing season, and bear fruit in the ways we love and serve the people around us. Amen!
Questions for Personal Reflection in Response to Today’s Message
- Where are you tempted to measure your worth by success, achievement, or others’ approval? How might God’s love offer a more secure foundation?
- What practice could you make time for this week to nourish your roots in God’s love?
- Who do you encounter at work, school, or in your community who might experience God’s love through your words or actions?
- Growing together: How could you help a child, young person, or someone new to faith feel loved, included, and valued in our church?
- Where do you face uncertainty right now? What would it mean to carry God’s promise, “My presence will go with you,” into that situation?
