Rejoice Always!

Third Sunday in Advent – Year B

December 14, 2014

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

This time of year, one of the things that many people struggle with is depression. It seems contradictory that in the midst of the season of happiness and joy, so many people have to struggle with depression; but its a fact that many people have personal experience with.

For some people the onset of depression is the result of fewer hours of daylight during the day. The shorter days and longer nights bring about Seasonal Affective Disorder. For people who deal with it, this depression comes back every year. And they annually must deal with those feelings of hopelessness, increased sleep and appetite and less energy. They must work against a loss of interest in work and other activities. I struggle with feelings of depression every year over the winter months. Yet, once the sun breaks through the cold of winter and summer comes, I am once again my happy self.

For many people, depression in winter isn't about the lack of daylight hours, it's about the reality of life itself. The holiday season is a time when we will spend much more time than normal with friends and family. For many of us it is a time of joy. Yet, for many people, those holiday events are a reminder of the loss of loved ones. As others gather together in festive joy, we recall those who are not with us. The parents and spouses who have died. The siblings and children who we will not see. The focus of the holidays on family and friends, can turn into a reminder of the family and friends we will not see. When you add in the increased stress of the season, all the extra expectations that we have on our plates, it can all become overwhelming.

Experts in the field of psychology have some suggestions for dealing with those occasional dark periods during the holiday season. They recommend keeping our expectations for the holiday season manageable by not trying to make the holiday “the best ever.” Try to set realistic goals for yourself. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Do not spend too much time preparing for just one day. They tell us to let go of the past! Don’t be disappointed if your holidays are not like they used to be. Life brings changes. Each holiday season is different and can be enjoyed in its own way. You set yourself up for sadness if everything has to be just like the “good old days.” Look toward the future. Do something for someone else. Try volunteering some time to help others. Enjoy holiday activities that are free such as driving around to look at Christmas decorations. Go window shopping without buying anything. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Celebrate the holidays in a way you have not done before. Spend time with people who are supportive and care about you. Make new friends if you are alone during special times. Contact someone you have lost touch with. But, you also need to find time for yourself! Don’t spend all your time providing activities for your family and friends.¹

It can be hard to remain positive when there are negative things happening around us, when our expectations either do not come to pass or are slow in coming. The child that has been talking for weeks before Christmas about that special toy, the one they want more than anything else. Her parents have searched literally in every store in the area, and its sold out. You can't get it anywhere. So, on Christmas morning, even though there were many other wonderful items found, the fact that that gift was not under the tree makes the holiday a failure in the eyes of a child. Disappointment can be a terribly draining thing, it's hard to rejoice when your hopes have been dashed.

When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, they were in a time of growing disappointment. The early church fervently believed that Jesus would be coming very soon. They looked for his return before most of them died. Yet, they looked around. Many of the first generation of believers were dying. The disciples were dying. The signs around them seemed to point to the imminent return of Jesus, yet he still has not come. They were disappointed, they are losing heart and hope. And we now nearly 2000 years later, are still watching and waiting. And, the apostle Paul writes, “Rejoice always.” Sure thing, no problem.

The dryer just stopped working, the toilet is over-flowing, the kids are fighting, and you just got a call from your aunt telling you the cancer is back. Rejoice! Not realistic is it. Let's face it, there are times in life when rejoicing is the furthest thing from our minds. Bad things happen, unfortunate things happen, we get news that we really don't want to get. Sometimes, let's be honest, life sucks. It would be pretty cold and unfeeling of the apostle Paul to tell us to rejoice when your son breaks his arm, rejoice when your spouse loses their job, rejoice when the car is totaled. So when Paul tells us to rejoice always, and give thanks in all circumstances, he isn't telling us to ignore the bad, or try to put a good spin on what has happened.

No, we know from his other letters that Paul freely admits that his life is full of hardship. But, he doesn't dwell on it, or allow it to drag him down (though, I'm sure there were times when he was sitting alone, chained to the wall of a dank and dark dungeon that he was far from happy). When Paul writes, “Rejoice always!” what he really means isn't to react to the bad things that happen with joy, but to be joyful, to be in the mode of rejoicing at all times. Why? Because of what God has done for us Christ Jesus.

2000 years ago, far from any hospitals or comfortable surroundings, a child was born whose birth was welcomed by shepherds and angels. He lived a quiet, holy life until he was around 30. Then, after he was baptized by John in the Jordan River he began to teach and do amazing acts of healing. After three years of teaching and bringing hope to people throughout Israel, he was killed as a common criminal on a hill outside of Jerusalem. But, death could not hold him and he rose from the dead. In his death our sins were forgiven, and in his resurrection we received the confirmation of our own futures. In our baptisms we were joined with Jesus and his death, and if we have been joined with him in his death then we shall surely be joined with him in his resurrection. And we know this because God is faithful.

Rejoicing can be hard when we see no reason to rejoice. We tell our children that Christmas is coming, but if they do not see the signs around them will the believe us? If they do not see the decorations, if they do not see trees being found and decorated, if they do not see Santa in the stores, if they do not hear the Christmas carols on the radio, they will have a hard time believing that Christmas is coming. We wait, but we see around us signs that God is faithful. Even in the midst of the world's brokenness, we see signs of its redemption, signs of its righteousness around us and within us that signal the presence of God's Spirit in and among us. The people of God continue to reveal godly and holy lives: the Word is proclaimed, the sacraments are celebrated, the homeless are housed, the hungry are fed, acts of mercy take place as Christ is among us anonymously. In this we can also rejoice.

Traditionally, this third Sunday in Advent is referred to as Gaudete Sunday. The word meaning “Rejoice Always”, taken not from this text, but from the Latin first word of the introit of this day's Mass in the Catholic Church. We rejoice, and Paul's call for us is to rejoice. Yet, this call is not a command it is a promise. A promise just as sure as the promise that we are not alone, and will never be alone. That we are loved by our God, who loved us so much that Jesus came and died for each and every one of us.

It is only by Jesus Christ that what seems like a demand in fact becomes a promise. Whatever is going on "out there," or in our own lives, when we see the struggles for racial justice in our country, the fighting between elected officials, the ever present face of poverty and hunger, the cries of children without parents, the cries of parents whose children die in their arms, the presence of disease and illness, the burden of loneliness, the pain of sorrow and loss, "in here"---in our liturgy, in our public work before God and the world---it is Gaudete -Rejoice-Sunday. And we believe we have reason to rejoice, to pray, and to give thanks. Amen.

1http://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=40187

Just the Beginning

Second Sunday in Advent – Year B

December 7, 2014

Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

"See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
   'Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight,'"

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

And, so it begins. This is a true story. Once upon a time. It happened a long time ago. It was a dark and stormy night. He couldn't believe his eyes when he opened the letter. It was the red shoes that caught her eyes first. There are ways that writers tell you to begin a story, and there are ways they tell you to avoid. Obviously, the phrases you just heard are examples of what you are not supposed to do (unless your goal is to turn the reader away.)

Beginnings are important. Sister Maria in The Sound of Music, tells her charges that the beginning is 'a very good place to start.' Plato writing long ago advised us, “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” Coaches of athletic teams tell you that the beginning often sets the stage for how the rest of the game will go. When I ran track, I spent a great amount of time working on the beginning moments of the race – making sure I could get off to a good start. Experts in education tell us that the first few years of learning (whether at home or at a preschool) can have long-lasting effects on the lifelong learning potential of the child. Beginnings are important.

So, after that terrible beginning, let's look at the beginning we have today – the beginning of Mark's gospel. The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark begins his gospel with a quote from the Old Testament. Well, to be more accurate, he begins his gospel by bringing together several different passages from the Old Testament: quotes from Isaiah (40:3), Malachi (3:1) and then just for good measure, adds in a touch of Exodus (23:20). The point is clear: what happens in Jesus is not a new thing unrelated to what God has done in the past. Jesus is the next chapter in a long story that has been going on forever. Jesus is the long-awaited one, whom prophets and angels foretold. And, John the Baptist is the one sent to prepare the way for his coming.

And what a guy. If he were to show up today, would we listen to him, to his words calling for repentance and baptism? He likely hasn't showered for a while. I'm guessing he had that sickly sweet smell that you can detect across the room. His clothing definitely wouldn't have helped his image. A camel hair outfit was not the most stylish of outfits. And a diet of honey and locusts would have likely left him thin and gaunt, perhaps even looking a little sickly. I've always pictured John as looking like the homeless guy down under the bridge. You know, the guy whose words and advice you listen to. You know, the really popular guy.

Okay, so when it comes to beginnings, perhaps John may not have been the guy chosen by the marketing firm to be the one to go into town and spread the word that the next big thing is coming. But, as we all know, God rarely does things the way we would, rarely chooses the person we would. John follows in a long line of surprising choices that God has made. And besides, the man is not as important as the message: the one is coming is greater than John. John (who had a good measure of popularity) wasn't even important enough to be the slave that tied his shoes. John's baptism of water was to be replaced, over-powered by the baptism of the Holy Spirit that was to come.

John is the great introducer. He is the one sent out to warm up the audience. The opening act before the headliner. He was the trailer before the movie. He was the beginning of what was to come next. But, what if there was more than that?

I want to put forward what may be a new way of thinking about the beginning of Mark's gospel. What if that first sentence in Mark isn't the lead for what is to come, but the title of the Gospel. What if the beginning isn't the entry of John the Baptist, but the entire Gospel itself?

Mark is a funny little gospel. It's the shortest of the four we have in the Bible. It doesn't tell us anything about Jesus' birth, and ends with the tomb being found empty. That's the way the Gospel ends in its shorter, and likely older version. Within the Gospel itself, the disciples are often portrayed as being a little clueless. Time after time, Jesus points things out to them, says things about his mission, about who he was, and they seem to be completely oblivious to what was right in front of them. Mark tells us the story, but leaves us as readers hungry for more. We seem to know there is more to the story, more to know about Jesus, more to discover about the good news. The story goes on.

In recent years, the United Church of Christ has been proclaiming it's motto that 'God is Still Speaking.' It's right in line with what the Comedian Gracie Allen is credited with saying: “Never place a period where God has placed a comma.” And, I think right in line with Mark's gospel message, that this is just the beginning. And I think it also goes right along with the fact that the message of Mark, the message of Jesus is Good News.

In our society there are all sorts of ways we get our news. Some of us read the newspaper on a daily basis. Some of us watch the t.v. news shows, some of us listen to the radio. We may get our news from the internet. We may get our news from conversation with others, sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee in town. We all find out what's happening in the world, and in our communities one way or another. What I'm pretty sure about is that if we wanted to get the news, we wouldn't read the same newspaper everyday, we would want to get the latest one. If we didn't we wouldn't be reading the news, we would be reading the history. Mark doesn't share with us the beginning of the good history of Jesus, he shares with us the beginning of the good news. I think it's pretty clear that the story is meant to go on, that the good news of Jesus, his teaching, his gift of the Holy Spirit, isn't just history, wasn't just good news 2000 years ago, it's good news today. It's good news for you, and good news for me.

Today, we will be celebrating Holy Communion. In my rather short life, I have experienced lots of different ways of doing communion. From little cups and wafers, to huge common goblets and loaves of bread, from wine so full of alcohol you almost choked on it to grape juice that was shockingly sweet. I have experienced long-winded words leading up to the act of communion itself, and the simplest of prayers said as we gathered for the feast. There are many different ways in which we practice communion, but there is one part of the service which remains remarkably unchanged whether happening in a grand cathedral or a hospital room. The words that accompany the bread and fruit of the vine: “for you.”

When we hear those words, when we truly hear those words, we discover that Jesus' words and action, his gift of the Holy Spirit isn't just some story put out there on the internet to be discovered. No, it was done with a purpose, it was done for some one, it was something for you and for me, personally. And, if it's truly good news, it's something that should cause us to jump up and do something.

One of the longest running television game shows is The Price is Right. Most of us have seen it, and it hasn't changed much in the last few decades. People guess the prices of items, and if they guess correctly or get close enough to the price, they win what they are guessing on. But, before they can guess. They have to be chosen. A studio full of people wait on the edge of their seats, waiting for their names to be called. “Stephanie, come on down, you're the next contestant on The Price is Right.” And, people all tend to act the same when their name is called out. They jump from their seats screaming. They jump up and down, the run forward. Their friends seated around them, jump up and down, they cheer, they shout. When they finally get up front to the contestant area, they are often so exited they can barely speak. This is a life-changing moment for them. They have been chosen.

That is the same level of excitement we should have when we encounter the good news. “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ the Son of God, for Bob!” “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ the Son of God, for Jane!” “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ the Son of God, for Fred!” And as we hear those words, as fellow participants in the event we cheer and we encourage and we share that excitement. With the excitement of hearing the good news and our name being called there is a new beginning, a new journey. The calling of our name, our response, is not the arrival, but the beginning.

It's a beginning because what follows is the living out of our calling, the living out of the good news we have heard in our daily lives. Jesus' teachings weren't the end. Jesus' miracles weren't the end. When he brought sight to the blind, it was the end of their blindness, but the beginning of their lives anew. When he healed the sick, it was the end of their illness, the beginning of their health. When Jesus rose from the dead, it wasn't the end of the story, it was the beginning. When we rise from the waters of baptism, it's not the end – it's the beginning.

Beginning something can be a scary thing, Change can be scary. We tend to like the security of things we know, things we have gotten used to, it is safe and comfortable. And new beginnings, newness can be viewed as blessing and gift but also can viewed as change, and we don’t always like change.

Over the past few years here at Saint Paul's we have been blessed to have many children born. The blessing of having so many children present in church is a challenge many churches do not have. Children are without a doubt a blessing, but the birth f a child will forever change your life. The birth of a child, the newness and excitement that goes along with it is fantastic, but it is also not easy. Caring for a new child takes work, adjustment, and learning new things.

Over the coming months and in the years ahead, there will be many changes for all of us. There will be changes in our families as children grow. There will be changes in our lives, as we move from one home to another, from one community to another. Our friendships will change as we meet new people. We will move from one job to another. Our church will grow and shrink. There will be many new things to see and do, to encounter. There will be many questions and times to think about the new things God will be calling us to. There will be times full of joy and excitement, and there will be times that fill us with fear and dread.

And each and every day, each and every change, brings with it a new beginning. A new day for the good news to live today,a new day for each of us to live out the good news in our lives and in the lives of others. A new day to declare, this is just the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Amen.

Times Running Out

First Sunday in Advent – Year B

Baptism of Aidan Frushour

November 30, 2014

Mark 13:24-37

[Jesus said:]
"But in those days, after that suffering,
   the sun will be darkened,
   and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
   and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

The weeks are winding down, there isn't much time left. Every day the pressure seems greater and greater. The commercials and ads seem to never end. Two days only! Hurry, sale ends on Friday! Just a few days ago, millions of people gathered outside of stores in the dark of the night waiting for the stores to open so they could race one another through the aisles, in the hopes of being able to buy the television for that super-low price (that we won't see again until sometime in the Spring!) Time is running out, The signs are everywhere. Christmas is a month away.

It's hard to miss that fact isn't it. We walk into just about any store, and we see it decked out in green and red, garlands and blinking lights. We see the mannequins dressed up as Santa Claus, or the elves. We see the reindeer prancing in the store fronts, behind the signs seeking to draw us in after the newest seasonal items, and unique items that we simply “must have.” There are countdowns on the news channels, telling us how many shopping days there are until Christmas. People that work in the retail world find their hours being extended, or find they suddenly have a number of new coworkers brought in just for the holiday season.

We end up spending most of the next month in a time of frantic rushing. Rushing from one gathering to another, from one family event to another, from one holiday work party to another, from one sale to another, from one store to another. Rushing here and there. And, the whole time we are aware, the clock is ticking, time is getting away from us. The stores close in just a few hours, the sale ends today, Christmas is how many days away?

Welcome to the beginning of the season of joy and happiness! We enter into Advent, into our preparation for Christmas with joy and hope – except our readings are far from joyful; they are downright terrifying. The sun will be darkened, the moon will go black, stars will fall from the sky, and all the powers of the world will be shaken. Merry Christmas! The clock is ticking!

Advent is the season in the church year when we prepare, we prepare for the coming of Jesus. But, our passage this morning from Mark isn't about preparing for the birth of a child, it's about preparing for the return of Jesus. This passage is about Jesus' 'second coming.' The promised return trip when he will bring final judgment on humanity and all those things we read about in the Bible about God's final kingdom and reign will come to pass. This passage is about the so-called, “end times.” In recent years, there has been a lot of press about the end times.

There have been many books, both theological and novels, that have explored the time that is yet to come. There have been movies. There have been television shows and specials. I can pretty much guarantee that I can find at least one show on television interpreting the events happening around us as signs of the imminent return of Jesus. We all can remember individuals and groups through the years that have declared that Jesus is coming back on a specific date; and the fact we are around to talk about them is all the proof we need to know they were wrong in their predictions.

But, even after many wrong predictions, people keep looking for the return. When things are going badly, or it feels to us like the world is falling apart at a faster and faster pace, we want to have it all come to an end. We want the slide to stop. And, so we look for a Savior, and what better Savior to appear than the one who said he would return and make the world perfect once again?

If we look around, it's easy to see how people can look for salvation. Wars are tearing apart countries in the Middle East and in Africa. Children throughout the world are being sold into slave labor or the sex trade. We see churches shrinking and closing throughout our country. We look at our country and we see disagreement and fighting between the politicians, the news pundits, our neighbors, and within our own families. We see the quality of life not improving the way we may want it to. We wonder about the lives our children have to look forward to. It's easy to throw up our hands, and look to the horizon, watching for our salvation to appear in the rising sun.

But, the message of scripture is clear, "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." But, we still make our predictions. We still try to interpret the proverbial tea leaves. And then, we have Jesus' words, "Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake!”

So we watch. And many people watch with a mixture of fear and eagerness. Looking forward to being united with God, and seeing the destruction of all those 'other' sinful people who have been such thorns in their flesh throughout their lives. Finally, God is going to do something about it, and they will have the best seat in the house to watch the tables turned; the final victory of God.

Jesus' words of keeping awake though, aren't ones that should prompt us to watch and wait. They are words that should prompt us to watch and work. Jesus tells his disciples they will not know the time. The master could return at anytime, and the slaves have been given their responsibilities.

Being ready at a moments notice is something I am trying to get used to. With our house finally being on the market, there have been a few days when our Realtor has sent me a text message telling me that there is a viewing that afternoon at 4. I suddenly have 3 hours to make sure the house is picked up and ready to be presented. It's stressful. I run around in panic mode, stuffing stuff into drawers and cupboards. Scrubbing and sweeping, dusting and cleaning. Thank goodness that our Realtor let us know, it would be a disaster if the potential buyer simply showed up on our front steps for a tour.

Yet, that's very much like the situation Jesus is presenting to the disciples. They have been given a task, they have their responsibilities, and he could come back at anytime and he is telling them to be aware of the jobs they have been given. How are they doing? Are they ready for their showing? Jesus is seeking to show the disciples, and us, that it is the duty of the servant, our duty, to care for the house, the gifts, we have been given in such a way that if the Master were to show up on our front steps today or in a thousand years, we would be ready for our showing, the Master would be pleased with the stewardship we have provided, with our care for what has been entrusted to us.

“If this world, our lives, are gifts from God, entrusted to us, then simply, it matters deeply to God that we believe in Him and obey Him; that we proclaim Him in word and deed. It matters that we take seriously the call to follow Jesus - because that was at the core of His teaching. It matters how we treat this world of ours, because God calls us to care for His creation. And it matters - matters deeply, how we treat one another - how we live with our families, spouses, children, friends; how we care for our colleagues and work mates; and how we treat strangers, the hungry, the homeless - the lonely.”¹

I strongly believe that Jesus' words are less about his coming back, than about the work we are to be about as we watch and wait for his coming back. We know the time is coming when Jesus will return, it will happen. The question is, are we focusing on his return – watching and waiting for the first sign on the horizon, or on being ready for when he returns?

When we focus more on being ready, on our tasks as servants of the Most High, rather than on the return itself, we live in an awareness, that each minute is an opportunity, a gift, to receive, to give, to live in a way that says I believe in more than what is going on around us, in the things that seem to be collapsing around us - I believe there is something bigger, someone better, more powerful than any darkness we humans can devise. It says, I believe that someone is Jesus and He has come, He is here, and He is coming again!

Now, the bad news is that we don't seem to be doing a great job – whether we are talking about the church or the world. A quick glance through the newspaper can be a rather depressing reminder of how much work there is still to be done. We are far from perfect, and there is a huge amount of work to be done if we are to be ready for the return of our Master.

Yet, we cannot allow the amount of work to cause us to throw our hands up in despair. This last weekend, there has been a lot of football on television. There were games that were decided by close scores, some in overtime, and others where the eventual victor was never in question. Yet, each and every game had something in common. They all had a final two minutes. Whether your team is in the lead, or trailing, the Two Minute Warning, alerts you to the fact that the game isn't over yet, there is still time. History has shown us that the final two minutes of a football game can often be the deciding factor in the game itself. Last minute heroics bring about victory where defeat seemed a sure thing.

So, when we look around and see the situation of the world, the pain and hardship, the oppression, the poverty, the hunger, the strife, the inequality, the fighting. We should without question see them as signs to remind us of Jesus' imminent return, and the work we have yet to do. We should see them as are our Two Minute Warning. Time is running out, Jesus is coming, get your head back in the game.

This season of Advent, as we prepare for Christmas, as we prepare to welcome the Christ-child. May we also be aware of our duty to prepare for the coming of Christ the King. May we be reminded of our calling, our gifts, our tasks to declare to the world the love of God, to be the hands and feet to our neighbors and the stranger, to do all we can to make the Reign of God, the presence of God, felt here and now. So, that when Jesus does return, when he shows up unexpectedly on our front steps (which he likely will), we will be ready, we will be awake, and he will welcome us into his kingdom as his faithful servants. Amen.

1http://day1.org/3358-twominute_warning

Party Invitations

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 23 – Year A

October 12, 2014

Matthew 22:1-13

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

As the parent of two girls, one of the things I have become quite familiar with over the last few years are fairy tales and princesses. Anything pink and 'princessy' is almost guaranteed to be popular in our home. The girls will spend hours watching princess cartoons and t.v. shows. If we are walking through a store that has toys in it, it's almost a sure thing that we will have to make a detour down the toy aisle to look at the collection of dolls and accessories. I have watched several Disney princess movies so many times I know the songs and can sing along with them. Of course, that is nothing compared to the conversations I have heard coming from the backseat in the van regarding different princesses and their likes and dislikes, who has the best dresses, the fanciest crowns, who likes animals and who doesn't. Little girls like princesses.

But, I think people in general like fairy tales of different kinds. Look at the popularity throughout time of fairy tales and stories. We love to escape to Nevernever Land and fly through the air with Peter Pan. We listen with rapt attention each year to the story of the Nutcracker at Christmas. In the last few weeks at school, the first graders talked about Johnny Appleseed. Even more adult fairy tales are popular; just look at the lasting impact the importance of a book like Moby Dick, or the classic storys of Homer. Some of the most popular television shows directed at adults are based on fairy tales; Once Upon a Time has millions of people watching each week to see the interaction of characters from fairy tales in the “real world.”

In the United States, we don't have kings and queens that rule over us; and for many people the ideas we have about royalty and castles comes from the fairy tales we read and watch. I think for many of us, when we think of a princess – we think of someone like Cinderella or the Disney princess Sophia before we think of Princess Kate. The reality for pretty much every single one of us is that we will never meet a king or a queen, never dance with a prince or princess, and the only castle we will ever be in is on a tour of one if we are lucky enough to someday travel to Europe.

Fairy tales have the effect of often making us believe things that are far beyond the normal. The reality for royalty in the real world (though I'm sure beyond the experiences of our life) are likely nothing like the lives we imagine they have, or the ones we see created for us in fairy tales. Today, our text is a parable, which is pretty much the Bible's version of a fairy tale. And to make it seem even more like a fairy tale, our story is about a King and an incredible party he is throwing for his son. And, not just any party – a wedding party. The whole kingdom will rejoice and celebrate – their getting a princess!

I don't know about you, but if I was ever to invited to a party at a kings home, by the king himself, I would probably do whatever I needed to to be there. It would be like being invited to meet with your favorite celebrity or inspiration. We would carefully pick out what we would wear – and probably go shopping to find just the right outfit. We would worry and fret about what we would say, what we would do, how we would act. For days and weeks before, all we could think about would be the event. If you thought the planning and obsession with prom in high school was intense, this would be that to the nth degree. This could be the most incredible event you will ever experience. So, how do the people in our story respond to the invitation from the King?

The make excuses not to show up! It's the party of the year, perhaps the century – they were invited to it, and they make excuses for not showing up. When I was in high school we sang a song about this. We sang, “I cannot come to the banquet don't bother me now, I have married a wife, I have bought me a cow. I have fields and commitments that cost a pretty sum. Pray hold me excused I cannot come!”

This parable, unlike some, seems relatively simple to understand. Jesus is speaking to the Jewish religious folk. He is pointing a figure directly at them, and is making is clear that they play a role in the parable. They are the ones who were initially invited by the King, (who is God) and turned down the invitation. The Jewish community were the first to be invited; yet, they have not responded to the invitation. They have made excuses, they have gone off in other directions, seeking after their own wants and desires. So, God has extended the invitation to be part of the heavenly feast to those outside of the Jewish faith – the Gentiles community. This is the gospel of Matthew's explanation for the inclusion of those outside of the Jewish faith. We too, though not having received the initial invitation extended to Abraham and his descendants are invited to the party in the second wave of invitations. Up to here, it all makes sense. It's not that difficult to figure out.

But, those last few verses are difficult. A person is invited to the party, they show up, they are there, they are having a good time mingling with the other guests, eating and drinking at the feast. Then, they are seen to not be wearing the appropriate attire and are kicked out. How are we supposed to interpret this? Someone invited by God to the heavenly banquet, is a part of the party and then kicked out. There is no agreement among theologians about what this means, who the person is and what the robes represent. Some say the robe refers to righteous living, others to the resurrected body, or to post-baptismal garments. Still others say that it refers to being “clothed in Christ,” as described in Colossians 3. That was always the way I thought about this passage.

Yet, I think I've come to a different understanding over the last week. The problem I've always had with thinking about this passage and the expulsion of the poorly dressed guest is two-fold. First, he was a guest. He had been invited. The kings servants had gone out and invited everyone to the party. It wasn't like he was crashing the party as an uninvited guest. And second, at the core of my faith is the understanding that we are saved by grace through faith. We are invited, we believe the invitation and show up. To declare that the only way we can remain at the party, or attend the party is to change is to declare that we have a part to play that is of consequence. Salvation suddenly isn't an act of grace on God's part, it's something that we have power over, and I have a problem with that.

So, what to do. Obviously this parable is in the Bible, complete with the kicking out of the guest for a reason, and I firmly believe that the reason must be in agreement with the theological understanding of being saved by grace through faith. I returned to the passage, and took a close look. Then it hit me, the guest never said a word. The king comes up to him, addresses him as friend and asks, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?” And the man responds by being speechless. He doesn't say a word. And I think in there is the answer.

“How did you get in here dressed like that?” He could have said anything, “I was invited by a friend.” “I had nothing else to wear.” “I'm headed out to work in the yard right after.” “I was on my way to work when I got the invitation.” But, he doesn't say a thing. And in not saying a thing, he also doesn't give the answer that is correct. “How did you get in here dressed like that?” “I was invited.” He was invited, by the King. Being, staying at the party, at the heavenly feast, is about recognizing how it is you got there in the first place. I can't imagine that the other guests were all dressed appropriately, so this guest was singled out for a reason. Because, when he was asked how he got in, he had no answer to give. He didn't seem to know or be able to say that he was there at the invitation of the King. The validity of the invitation had nothing to do with the way the guest dressed, how he responded, how he acted at the feast, it's about recognizing where the invitation comes from.

If we all had to dress appropriately for the heavenly feast, put on our best outfits – whether external clothing or the cleanliness of our lives – we would all be dressed inappropriately. None of us can dress ourselves well enough to be in God's presence. What seems to matter to the King in the parable, to God, is that we recognize how it is that we are able to be present at the heavenly feast even though we are all truly unworthy to be there.

How is it that we are there? It's because of God, all because of God. God has reached out in love to us. God has extended the invitation to us to join in a heavenly feast in paradise with God. And we show up, we come in response to the invitation. When we hear the voice of God calling our name, inviting us to come, we come. We come in our best and in our worst. We are invited and come good and bad as the parable tells us. And how is that we are assured of our being able to be a part of the celebration for eternity? By declaring that we are there because of God, because of God's invitation. By not making excuses for our appearance, by not making excuses as to why we can't be there. But, by declaring that we are present, just as we are, because of the grace-filled invitation from God.

We have all been invited. We are all expected to be present at the party at the end of time to beat all other parties and celebrations. What God desires is that we know how it is that we are there. It's still all about what God has done. It's still about the host rather than the guest. It's still about being saved by grace through faith. May we all come to recognize and declare, “We are here completely and totally because of God and God's graceful invitation. And may we all look forward to the day when we will gather around the table of God, and take part in the heavenly feast for all eternity. Amen.

The Grace to Accept

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 19 – Year A

September 14, 2014

Romans 14:1-12

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

   "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
       and every tongue shall give praise to God."

So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Last week was voting week. Not everywhere but in many communities; Cedar Falls voted on a bond referendum for building new and refurbishing existing schools. When it comes to elections or votes of any kind, there are often deeply held beliefs and emotions that come into play. All of us have perspectives on just about every issue, and when we are given the chance to give voice to those positions we tend to, sometimes really vocally. The old saying advises us that it's best to avoid discussing religion or politics at family gatherings. Those positions are just so strongly held, that differences of opinion can easily turn into nasty fights that can last for years.

In Cedar Falls this last week there were lots of yard signs, some saying 'vote yes' and some saying 'vote no'. As I drove around town, I saw signs holding those positions across the street from one another, neighboring one another. People who regularly talked to each other over their fences, whose kids played with one another, proclaiming loudly a difference of opinion. I even saw a single yard, a single home, with both a 'vote yes' and a 'vote no' sign being displayed. I have no idea how that would work, I can't imagine there was a lot of peace and tranquility in that house leading up to the vote on Tuesday.

Differences of opinion on just about everything is part of life. We don't all like the same things, or believe the same things. Some of us like crunchy peanut butter, some like creamy, and some don't like peanut butter at all. Some people like pop, and some people don't. And those that do like pop all have their favorite. We all have our favorite food, our favorite beverage, our favorite sports teams, our favorite actors and actresses, our favorite manufacturers of vehicles and machinery. We all have our favorite colors, our preferred styles. We are all unique people who live our lives according to the things we like and don't like, the things that we find joy and meaning in, and the things we find largely meaningless.

Differences fill our world, and they also fill our churches. It would be great if we could all agree, if we could all recognize that there is only one way of doing things, one way of believing, one way of living, one way of thinking – and of course, that one way is our way! There are many issues that we wrestle with in our daily lives, issues that we wrestle with in society that are impacted by our faith, by the things we believe and the way we believe. In just the last few decades the church, and many of us in the church have been wrestling with abortion, evolution, homosexuality, creationism, ordination of women, universalism, the authority of scripture, understandings of communion and baptism (to name just a few).

Throughout the history of religion, including Christianity, there have been movements and individuals that sought to declare an answer to every issue under the sun. Do this, don't do this. This is the correct thinking or belief, and this one is a false teaching. For a while all of these movements and individuals had some success, it's freeing to be told what to think, what to believe. It takes the pressure off of us from having to reflect and come to a decision ourselves. “Just tell me what to believe,” is something that more than one pastor or teacher has heard. And it works great until someone starts to ask questions, until someone doesn't see things the same, and then things become difficult. What to do?

The Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Rome in our passage today, addressing an issue that seems to be causing some division among believers within the church. And the issue seems to be about food. Now, Paul has previously talked about food issues in his letter to the church in Galatia, but in that instance there seemed to be a division between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. Here, in Rome, there likely isn't that division. These are all likely Gentile Christians, who are arguing with one another over what they can eat. I can't imagine too many fights erupting at a church potluck about having some vegetarian dishes. But, then again, there has been some negativity in some churches when changes had to be made at communion to ensure that those people with gluten sensitivities can fully participate; and then there are the arguments that have erupted over wafers or loaves, wine or grape juice....

Paul is addressing an issue in a church where everyone agrees on the essentials: Jesus is Lord and Savior, it is in him that we find our righteousness. What to do when there is agreement in the core beliefs, but disagreement in how those beliefs are lived out? “And the answer Paul gives is to welcome one another (14:1) and to put up with each others failings (15:1). Actually, he tells the strong to behave this way toward the weak, but his words still resonate with both sides, for who on either side of any debate does not imagine themselves to be the strong and their opponents to be the people who just don't "get it" yet?”¹

We've all been there. We know that we are right, and that other people are wrong. If we can only find the right words, the right arguments, we will be able to convince them of their being wrong and our being right. So, we do everything we can to prove they are wrong. We take every opportunity to parade our position in front of them. We find every instance we can swing the conversation in some way that opens up the possibility of showing them how wrong they are. We've all done it. We are strong, they are weak, and we just need to show them how weak they are.

One of the things I find most fascinating in this passage is the way Paul speaks about strength and weakness. Now, in areas of physical power, strength is all about being able to move more, lift more, do more. But, in areas of faith, we tend to think about things a little differently. How often have we looked at a person and commented on their great faith because of the things they do or don't do? They pray before every meal, even in a crowded restaurant. They keep strict rules about what they can do and can't do. They know what is right and wrong, and live their lives to the letter accordingly. They are a person of great faith, because they trust that the laws and statutes God has provided are the key to life.

Paul, though, has a different perspective. Paul looks to the two groups: those who are essentially vegetarians and those who eat everything. And then, he declares that those who live by more rules, those who avoid meat for religious reasons, are the weaker! Talk about a surprise, the ones who follow the rules are weaker in faith than those that don't. How can this be?

Paul is clear in Romans that salvation comes through faith, not through works. The works we do are a living out of our faith – whether for good or for bad. Strength for Paul is about trusting in God's grace, rather than in our own imperfect ability to do everything correctly (we cannot trust in our own selves, or put any weight on our abilities). Paul is concerned that one group of people is placing their following of the law as an equal to the salvific grace that has been extended through Jesus the Christ. It comes down to where we put our trust, where we put our energy and faith – in God, or in how well we follow what we think is right or wrong. And from there, how we treat those whose faith lives are expressed differently than ours.

Even though Paul describes one group as strong and the other as weak, he avoids passing judgment – declaring one as more correct than the other, he doesn't urge the vegetarians to become meat eaters. The point of Paul isn't in the correctness of the position, but in the way we respond to people hold a different position. Two phrases are worth noting: “Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another?” (14:4) and “Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister?” (14:10). You all declare Jesus as Lord, you all come together to give praise and worship to the same God, why are you passing judgment on the things you eat, how it is you live out your lives of faith?

Paul cares a great deal about how those who follow Jesus the Christ conduct themselves, particularly within the fellowship of believers, within the church. But here, as elsewhere, he insists that God should be our focus, that God is the one who is the active player; judgment belongs to God, not to us (cf. 9:10). “God has welcomed them (14:3) … the Lord is able to make them stand (14:4) … Whether we live or whether we die we are the Lord’s (14:8) … So then, each of us will be accountable to God (14:12) … Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another” (14:13).

In the last few years, there has been a trend for three little words to appear on lots of church signs and in lots of church bulletins. Those three words? All are Welcome. It's a great phrase, a wonderful sentiment; but how is it being lived out most of the time? Are all truly welcome, or just those that are willing to go along with the way we in the church see things? Do we welcome them, and then ask them to change their beliefs and perspectives? Do we welcome them just to show them how wrong they are? The church should be a place of welcome, where unity is found not in particular practices of piety, but in the fact that we belong to the Lord (14:7-8). God has welcomed us, Paul says; we, too, should welcome those whose piety differs from our own (14:3).

God desires us to live joyful lives of faith. We are to live our lives according to the faith that we have. How each of us find joy is different, why should we expect to tell another person what brings them joy, what their faith tells them is acceptable? Can we not celebrate the faith that is strong enough that they claim it as the reason why they act the way they do? If God has welcomed them, given them faith to declare Jesus as Lord, should we not also welcome them even if we do not see things the same on other issues? In the end all of us are going to have to face God and make a defense for our lives. Would we rather be accused of being too loving and accepting of difference, or too judgmental and exclusive?

We are the Lord's, let us live accordingly. Amen.

1http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1072

Scraps of Faith

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 15 – Year A

August 17, 2014

Matthew 15:10-28
Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit." But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."
Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.

Over the last month and a bit, our house has been quite chaotic. Sure, some of it has been outside of our control. But, some of it was our choice. We have a new animal in our house. Thalie, a now nearly 4 month old boxer mix. She's a delight to have around most of the time; but, she has definitely not made our lives any easier. We've forgotten how much work it is to have a puppy, especially a hyperactive, crazy, shoe and food obsessed one. I've given up trying to count the number of shoes she's either destroyed, tried to destroy or been stopped just at the moment when she was stealing the shoe. I've lost several pair, so has Missy. Our girls have had a few destroyed as well. Puppies can be expensive!

And it's not just shoes she wants to eat. It's pretty much everything. I have never before seen a dog that is so single-mindedly focused on food. When she thinks there is food or anything that is remotely edible coming in her direction she's unstoppable. Try to drag her away from a food dish. On the moments when she has dashed out our door, or through the open gate of our fence, we have been able to bring her back simply by shaking her food bowl.

Growing up, our family didn't have a dog as a pet until I was in high school, and by then I was in boarding school, so I didn't see that dog often. It wasn't until Missy and I got married that I finally had a dog. It's been a new experience for me. I've learned a great deal over the last 10 years that Luther has been a part of our family. Much of my prior experience with dogs came from visiting friends who had dogs.

When I was in New Guinea, dogs were all around. You couldn't really avoid seeing them just about everywhere; but they weren't pets the way we think of pets. Dogs were pretty much scavengers that hung around humans so they could get the stuff the humans let them have, the stuff that fell on the floor, the waste that we as humans are so good at creating. I vividly remember dogs following groups of people around, waiting for them to drop something. I remember seeing dogs gathering just outside the circle of people eating their communal meals. I remember the brave dog here and there that would would make a wild dash into the circle to grab a hunk of meat that wasn't being watched closely enough. Dogs being chased away with sticks and stones, shouts and raised hands. That's the image I have in my mind as I come to this text where Jesus is talking about dogs and scraps and faith. Not the image of the family pet, but the roaming scavenger, more of a nuisance than anything else.

This is one of those texts that can make us squirm; not so much because of the message that the text brings, but the way in which it seems to portray Jesus. What are we supposed to do with that? How are we to treat the words and behavior of Jesus? So often when we look at this passage we have sought ways to interpret it so that Jesus doesn't really say what he says. He was testing the woman. He was testing the disciples. Why? Why not just accept the fact that in this moment, in this text, Jesus was a bit of a jerk and actually meant what he said?

One of the claims, one of the beliefs of traditional Christianity is that Jesus as the Son of God and son of Mary, was fully God and fully human. We tend to emphasize the part that says he was fully God, though. The fully human part is sort of scary, and we don't know what to do about it. The part that makes sure the party keeps going with new wine, the part that cries when his friend dies, the part that gets angry and throws tables around, cracks whips at people. That part makes us uneasy. In this moment, in this text, I think we see Jesus get caught with his god-pants down, and his human side on full display.

As a human, Jesus was well aware of who this Canaanite woman was. The Canaanites were the people who had lived in the Promised Land before the Israelites had crossed the river. They had lived among the Jewish people ever since, part of the population, but not really. A lot like the Native Americans here in the United States, they were here first, then we came and claimed the land as ours. We know they are there, but for many of us, we can live most of our lives choosing to ignore them. The Jewish folk knew what the scriptures said, they knew they were the chosen people, they knew God had promised them this land. So, they lived accordingly. The promise was theirs, no one elses – that meant this Canaanite woman was essentially worthless. To top it off, she was a woman, that made her worthlessness even more worthless in the eyes of the 1^st Century.

Jesus responded as any good Jewish man in the 1st Century would have responded: first, he ignored her. Then, when he could no longer ignore her, he reminded her of her place in society. And she responds by reminding Jesus of who he is. Back and forth they go, and Jesus comes to see that this woman, this Canaanite woman, this worthless person had worth, and was worth paying attention to, was worth blessing, was worth bestowing grace upon. Jewish culture and practice would have taught and said to avoid the Canaanite woman, to not waste your time with them (they are “dogs” after all). Yet, it is in the place where tradition said not to go that faith is found.

As human beings we tend to like things we know and recognize. If we are at a potluck, we tend to pick out the items we've had in the past, the things we can recognize. We tend to stay away from the things that look strange and different. Now, put a list of ingredients next to the pot, and as long as the ingredients aren't foreign, we will probably give it a try. But, what if you were at a potluck where nothing was labeled, and everything looked different? How many of us would go home hungry, unwilling to take a spoonful of that green stuff? Sticking our tongues out at the stuff covered in that sticky, thick white cream?

We tend to steer away from things that seem foreign, unclean, strange, different. We tend to react negatively to those that are not from our area. We hear an accent and we know that they are different. We look to the color of their skin, the types of clothes they are wearing and almost immediately know they are not from around here. There have been numerous times when I was in Europe that without my having once opened my mouth to say a thing, someone would ask me where I was from in the United States. They just knew I was different.

Differentness isn't bad. Each and every one of us is different from everyone one else. Different is good. But, differentness can cause us to act badly. This last week we watched the drama that unfolded in Ferguson, MO following the tragic shooting of a young man by the police. It brought to light the tremendous differences that still exist in many parts of our country. And those differences caused the crowds and police, the public and the news pundits to react in often different ways. A seemingly peaceful protest was responded to by 70 heavily armed officers in full riot gear; rubber bullets and tear gas responded to chants and signs. The crowds were predominantly African-American, the police- all white. Differences took sides, and stared each other down. Who was at fault? When we encounter differences, what do we usually do? We chose sides, and often the sides we end up choosing look a lot like us. Jesus did too, at first. It seemed like the right thing to do. It was the popular thing to do. It was the thing the disciples and those around him wanted him to do. Yet, when Jesus listened to the woman, when he stopped allowing the differences to be chasms, he found a deep and profound faith that recognized and declared him as Lord, Son of God, and Master. She wasn't a Jew, yet she received blessing. She was worthless, yet she was found to be of worth. She was supposed to have no faith, yet her faith was found to be great.

Most of us as Christians come from non-Jewish, Gentile stock. According to Scripture, the blessings we receive from God are the scraps that fall off the table. So, this text is good news for us. God is more concerned about our faith, than our family tree. But, this text is so much more than good news for us Gentiles, it's a lesson, a warning to all of us in the church about how we understand hospitality and faithfulness. How often have we been caught with our 'Christian pants' down? How often have we said or heard – or, sadly, implied – that someone like 'that' would not be comfortable worshiping here? “What church has not paid far more attention to 'washing hands' than to cleansing hearts? What Christian has not claimed religious tradition as an excuse to act in a way far from the heart of Christ?”¹

What would it mean for us as the church, for us as individual people of faith, to allow the words of the Canaanite woman to challenge us to go into the places where we assume there will be no faith, to reach out to the people that the world has cast aside as worthless? What would it mean for us to let go of traditions, about the things we've always done, and instead listen to the voices and cries of those that tradition and culture have labeled as “unclean” or “unwanted”? What would it mean if instead of seeing the “worthless dogs” scurrying around at the edges of our lives as scavengers who take from our pot, we were to see them as future members of our family, as fellow children of God seeking to be blessed?

This text is not easy. I'm not even totally sure that Jesus wasn't giving his disciples or the woman a test. But, Matthew includes this story in his Gospel for a reason. And no matter the basis for Jesus' sharp and harsh words, Matthew cites them to remind the church, to remind each and every one of us, that we should always rejoice that “God's love and promise for Israel is fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Those of Gentile stock, adopted into this covenant tradition, need never forget this, and never tire in giving thanks that, in Jesus, God's covenant promises stretches out”² further than we can see and wider than we think: as far and wide as Jesus' arms reached out on the cross to embrace the whole of creation. How's your reach, how far have you stretched out your arms lately? Amen.

1p. 358, Feasting on the Word, Year A Volume 3 edited by Bartlett and Brown Taylor, WJK Press 2011

2p. 360, Feasting on the Word, Year A Volume 3 edited by Bartlett and Brown Taylor, WJK Press 2011