Who and What We Are

A sermon preached at Old South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Hallowell, Maine, June 8, 2008.
Text:  Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
The Rev. Susan M. Reisert, Minister

I have really struggled, over the past couple of weeks, with how to deal with today-should I just treat worship as a regular Sunday or should I focus in some way on what we are doing when worship is over, as we meet together in congregational meeting?

In the end, I felt that I should say something about our congregational meeting today and what we are taking up in considering the Open and Affirming statement drafted by the Open and Affirming Committee-not only because of the statement itself, but the process that was engaged that led up to this statement that is being offered today.

I wish to begin by talking a little bit about that process, the work of the Committee itself.  This Committee met faithfully once, sometimes even twice, each month, for well over a year.  For some of our meetings, we were treated to a meal prepared by one of the Committee members.  Janis put us all to shame, for example, by treating us to a wonderful dinner at her home in December.  Our Committee work was not all about work.  Thank goodness!

The work of the Committee was long, sometimes complicated, sometimes difficult, sometimes fraught with the challenges that come with traveling unfamiliar territory.  The Committee was faced, at times, with the reality that we sometimes failed in our own attempt to work in an open and affirming manner ourselves, but then, we found a way to work through that, as a group, and to listen openly to each other and to work together in the group to make sure that various styles of interacting were respected and included.

I wish that more people from Old South could have participated in the work of the Committee.  The members of the Committee showed a tremendous ability to reach out to each other, to listen to each other, to solicit thoughts and feelings from those outside of the Committee, and, at the same time, demonstrate an inspiring openness to the movement of the Spirit in the midst of the Committee and in this church.

Perhaps the most amazing moment for the Committee was when it was actually time to begin drafting a statement.  I think I can speak for the entire Committee in saying that we entered that phase with some amount of trepidation.  How would that go?  How long would that take?  How would differences in style and perspective find their way onto the table and be hammered out, with everyone still feeling included and positive about the process?

But, once the Committee settled itself, and admitted that it was indeed time to throw ourselves into this writing,  the writing of the Statement was amazingly easy.  Not only had all of that work-work in learning about the issue and in getting to know each other-paid off, but also there was a real sense of the invisible guest working with us.  We were clearly being led, led in a way that was almost tangible, but yet hard to describe.

In the discussions that have ensued since the first drafting, we have continued to feel that movement of the Spirit as revisions have been made, as people from outside of the Committee have been welcomed into the process.

So, we gather today not simply to consider this statement, but to reflect on the wonder and power of what it means to gather as the church.  It can be both difficult and joyful to gather as a group of human beings in common purpose.  But, to gather as a church, as a community of faith, trying not only to be a group gathered in common purpose, but also a group of human beings that takes seriously the membership, if you will, of that mysterious guest, the Holy Spirit-which nurtures, inspires and leads us in this way of truth and love-now that is what is truly both difficult and joyful.

We consider a profoundly important statement today, a statement of who we are and what we do.  We consider a statement that speaks to our sense of who we are and what God calls us to be.  We consider a statement that not simply defines our sense of who and what God has called us to be, but a hope of who and what we believe God is still calling us to become.  But, in seriously taking up this statement today, we are also considering a statement that separates us from many other Christians.

In our discussions and debates-inside the committee and outside-- I have heard many comments-ranging from "it's about time," to "we are already  open" to "I'm concerned about what this will mean for our church, will our church become a different place?" to "I'm all for being open, but what does affirming mean?"  And lots more comments and concerns and anxiety and hopefulness.

I cannot answer or respond to all of those concerns, I cannot illuminate every hopeful response, in the space of this sermon.  But, I do want to focus, at least to some degree, on what it means to affirm.  According to the dictionary, to affirm means:  to validate, to confirm; to state positively; to assert as valid; to express dedication to.

So, in our statement, we affirm, we validate, we assert as valid that we welcome people of every:  race, age, gender and national origin; religious and socio-economic background; marital status and family structure; sexual orientation and gender identity; physical and mental ability.  We invite all to share in the:  life and leadership; ministry, fellowship, sacraments, and worship; responsibilities and blessings of participation in our congregation.  We affirm (we validate, confirm, state positively, assert as valid, express dedication to the following:  that the love of Christ for each person knows no boundaries.

This statement is itself supported and affirmed by the scripture passage for today.  In that passage, we find Jesus roaming the countryside, gathering disciples and followers, healing and hanging out with people from the margins of their society.  This morning's passage from the lectionary reminds us that the love of Jesus knows no boundaries. 

He ate with tax collectors and sinners, he heals a woman with hemorrhages that had lasted for twelve long years.  We find today that even death was a boundary that Jesus failed to honor, when he visits with the daughter of a leader of the local synagogue.  Jesus has been told that she had died, but he goes inside, takes her by the hand, and the girl gets up.  Even death is a boundary that Jesus will not honor.

Of course, today's passage is not all there is.

There are those-and there are quite a lot of them-who assert that the Bible does contain important boundaries, that there are people whose identity or behaviors are outside of the love of God.  In particular, there are many, many within the Christian community, who would argue that the Bible is decidedly unwelcoming in regard to homosexuals, transgendered persons, etc.  Or, at least unwelcoming in so far as these folks desire to express themselves freely as homosexuals and transgendered folk.  But, such a stance is not easily supported.  Despite the numbers of people who hold this view,  the Bible is just plain unclear on this issue.

For those who are convinced that the few passages that do exist that seem to assert a negative outlook on homosexuality, that those are so significant as to be followed strictly, well then, we have another problem.  For, when we get right down to it, the Bible likely says something negative about each and every one of us.  Do you wear  clothing of mixed fibers?  Do you have a tattoo?  Do you eat shellfish or pork?  These are all no-nos according to the Bible.  Do you refuse to give away everything you own?  Do you allow the bank to give you interest on your accounts?  Do you fail to demand the death penalty for those caught in adultery?  Again, these as well are clearly laid out in the Bible.

And, then there are those "family values" of the Bible.  In Luke 14, Jesus claims, "Whoever comes to me and does not hat father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple."  In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul appears to argue against marriage itself:  "I want you to be free from anxieties.  The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.  But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided." (1 Corinthians 7:32-34a, English Standard Version)

In the end, we will all find that there is something in our life that just doesn't measure up if we were to try to live in accordance with a close reading of the Bible.  So, we should all be grateful that Jesus leads to a new path, a new way of following God, a new way of being faithful.  We can all be grateful that Jesus seeks to lay down a path that is not so much about figuring out who is righteous and who is not, but to recognize that we all fall short in our own way when it comes to the rules for righteous living, yet we are yet called to follow, called to live in the presence of God, called to be faithful people.  Jesus says, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."  "Go and learn what that means," he says to those who will listen. 

The love of Christ knows no boundaries.

In following, we set out in faith, not always knowing where we will be led, not always knowing who will join us, but knowing that as we gather as God's people, we are not alone.  The Holy Spirit is in our midst; the Holy Spirit is leading us, the Holy Spirit helping us to appreciate the touch of Jesus in our lives.

To be touched by Jesus is to live as people who resist the temptation to live by the boundaries of this world.  To be touched by Jesus is to live as people who resist the temptation to see some as sinful, while finding comfort in our own supposed righteousness.  To be touched by Jesus is to live in the way of mercy, of inclusion, of love, of justice, of hope.

Have you been touched by Jesus? Have you been touched by Jesus?

To be touched by Jesus is to know that the rules by which we live are transformed and that we can never be the same.  Time and time again.

The invitation is open to all. It is not open just to the righteous, or those who pretend for the moment to be righteous. It is open to all of us. And in today's text it is clear that it is especially open to the sinners (or those considered such). Our challenge today is to ask ourselves the very hard question. Who is God including in this feast that we regularly exclude? How can we see their inclusion as a good thing, rather than a bad thing? Who would Jesus be eating with that we avoid? How can we invite them to the table? Who are the people who are lost, neglected, thrown away in our midst? How can we see them as people, and invite them to the one who alone can restore their dignity, just has he has restored ours?  How can we see those people, not simply as invited into the presence of God, but also as people who will help us to see the glory of God?  How can we not only invite that those invited may be set free, but so that we may be set free as well?     

Certainly is it easier to feel good about ourselves by pointing out the faults and failings of others. Certainly it is easier to point our fingers in blame at others for all the problems of this world. There is no shortage of religious rhetoric in that regard today. But the road of the cross, the road in which we recognize that we ourselves are sick and in need of healing is much more difficult. The road that says that God's solution is already victorious in Jesus Christ does not fear to face the self with honesty, nor face others with open welcoming and affirming arms. The proclamation of the very Gospel itself depends on it.     

For in God's eye each one of us matters. None of us are inconsequential. How we live, what we do, changes dramatically when we are grasped by this loving God. And what we do thereafter matters a great deal as well.

[For the previous three paragraphs, thank you to the Rev. Dr. Luke Bouman, Pastor, Tree of Life Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX]

The welcoming arms of God, the boundless acceptance of Christ and the nurturing hope of the Holy Spirit, welcome and affirm us all.  So, let us then live as people who are welcomed and affirmed, by being welcoming and affirming others-validating, confirming, stating positively, expressing dedication to-just as God, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, expresses dedication to us, let us welcome and affirm others, in the joy and fullness of the Spirit who travels with us, has led us to this place and is eager to lead us evermore. 

Praise be to God.  Amen.