Not Orphaned

A sermon for the Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 10, 2026, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Hot Springs, AR

Readings: Acts 17:22-31; 1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21; Psalm 66:7-18

Today we find ourselves in that upper room at the Last Supper. We find ourselves with the disciples, those whom Jesus loves. We hear his teaching: “if you love me, keep my commandments.” We have seen him break the bread and bless the cup: “this is my body, my blood, given for you.” He has bent down and washed our feet: “I give you a new commandment, love one another, just as I have loved you so you also ought to love one another.” And today we all hear his promise: “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” We know the story; we have heard the promise countless times before. I wonder if we always believe him? Do we believe that he is with us? 

While this scene occurs at the Last Supper, before the events of Good Friday and Easter morning, the Church returns to them as we approach the end of the 50-day season of Easter. We return to them as we approach the Ascension, this Thursday. Alongside the disciples, we will see Jesus ascend into heaven. And like them, perhaps, we will remember this promise. Jesus said he would not leave us, but that he is coming to us. He said we would not see him, but that he would be with us. And not only him, but another Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit sent from God, to empower us in the world. I wonder if they–I wonder if we–believe him? Do we believe that he is with us? 

Do we believe that we are not abandoned, though everything seems to spin out of control? Do we believe that we are not forsaken, even though at times we feel alone? Do we believe that we are not forgotten, even though we try to keep hold of the reins? My friends: the One who has promised is faithful. We are not orphaned. Christ is coming to us, even now, even in this present moment, to sustain, to hold, to heal, to reconcile, to love. Christ comes to us moment by moment; he is with us; on that we can depend. 

“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” My friend Wanda knew those words, like many of us. A single mother of three with a challenging job, she did the impossible. Up before dawn; kids dressed for school and out the door; grab the coffee and off to the office; work non-stop; pick the kids up in the school line; home to make dinner; put everyone to bed; fall asleep; do it all again the next day. And Wanda knew Jesus’s words. But one Sunday morning, a Sunday much like today, they hit her like a ton of bricks. As they were proclaimed from the middle of the nave, the world seemed to stop spinning. Time seemed suspended. And it was as if Jesus himself spoke the words directly to her: “Wanda, I will not leave you orphaned; Wanda, I am coming to you.” And Wanda wept. 

Wanda felt orphaned–Wanda was orphaned. Her parents had died a few months apart the year before. And suddenly she felt alone. She wasn’t actually–she had a good church, a good job, a good school for her kids. She was always surrounded by people. But she felt alone because she didn’t feel connected anymore. 

Wanda is not unusual in that. Study after study tells us loneliness is on the rise. The National Institutes of Health have confirmed that loneliness and lack of connection are at an all-time high. The digital and online world are not helping. In fact, the more we are online, the lonelier we are. And there are real health effects, with greater risk for heart disease, stroke, and dementia. Wanda wept, and multitudes weep with her. And in the midst of that sorrow, Jesus speaks: “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” 

This is the promise of Jesus’s abiding presence. The promise is not just about Jesus’s return on the Last Day; it is about his holy comfort right now. It is about his visitation today. It is about him walking beside us as we wake the kids and rush out the door and pretend everything is okay at work. It is about his presence in our lives as we rush back home and throw the dinner in the oven and scramble to bed and toss sleepless because we don’t know how we will make it. This promise is about Jesus coming to us right now–but we might miss him if we’re not looking. 

Wanda wept silently as the words of the Gospel were proclaimed. She sat for the sermon and continued on, and she thought no one had noticed her crying. But someone had. On the other side of the church sat Barbara. Barbara was quiet. She lived alone. She had never had children. She loved watching Wanda and her kids–how good Wanda was with them, even when they were more than a little wild. Barbara saw Wanda weeping, and she wept, too. 

Barbara started small. She prayed for Wanda. She prayed, and then she sent a card with a note of encouragement. And then another. She prayed for Wanda. She went out of her way to say hi to Wanda on Sunday morning, and she would always offer a hug. She got to know the children. She prayed for Wanda. There was a playground in her neighborhood, so she had Wanda bring the kids over. Barbara prepared a picnic. They talked and the kids played. She prayed for Wanda. When the kids needed an emergency contact, Wanda asked Barbara if it was okay to list her. Of course it was. Barbara prayed for Wanda. And eventually Barbara moved to the other side of the church and sat beside Wanda and the kids. They all worshipped together, and the kids called her Nana Barb. And every night before bed, Barbara prayed for Wanda. 

Jesus promises to come to us–that we are not abandoned or orphaned. And he is with us. But this is not just about feeling the presence of Jesus in our hearts–although we do. This is also about the ministry of the Church. The Church is Christ’s Body in the world, and as his Body, we are called to follow him wherever he goes. We are called, like Barbara, to follow our Lord to the suffering and lonely ones, to offer our prayers and presence. We are called to those who feel orphaned and alone, to those who need a comforter. We are called to them, and Christ is with us, and the Holy Spirit empowers us, and we become the embodied fulfillment of Christ’s promise. 

“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” That’s what Jesus says today. We have heard Christ’s words, the promise of his presence, and I wonder if we believe them? But I know Wanda does. Wanda believes them because Barbara showed her they were true. And maybe–just maybe someone else will believe them, too, because of you.