May I speak in the Name of God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
“Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” They went our into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests… For many are called but few are chosen.” (Matt. 22:9-10, 14)
Here we go – another Gospel story involving eating, a banquet, and a party! Most Episcopalians (including me) love to get together and eat, for whatever reason – I was glad to learn that Messiah parish has so many potlucks, parties, lunches, and even active supper clubs!
Those who heard Jesus’ parable about the wedding banquet may or may not have understood his veiled reference to the people who rejected him, but through the benefit of hindsight we know to whom he was referring. He was the banquet, the Bread of Life, but not everyone wanted to attend. So Jesus flung the gates open to anyone who was spiritually hungry – anyone could now come to the banquet.
Unfortunately, throughout history there have always been those who reject the gifts they have been offered. There have also been those who ignore or make light of others with significant accomplishments. Whether from envy, the desire to deny power, or the sin of neglect the contributions of women, people of color and of other cultures, or LGBT persons have been devalued over the centuries. Sadly, even some in our nation’s government also make light of the Gospel, sometimes using Christian rhetoric even as it denies its very message by pandering to the rich and neglecting the poor.
The Judeo-Christian ethic emphasizes the responsibility of the powerful to use their power to help those with no power. When that mandate is made light of and power is enjoyed for its own sake, or is abused to reward only those with influence, then the channel of God’s will for alleviating the plight of the marginalized is circumvented.
We Christians, wanting to fit into the secular culture of this age, can be tempted to trivialize our commitment to God’s kingdom. Instead of being a light to the world, we sometimes make light of our responsibility toward the world in the name of God. When we are Christians in name only, or when we adopt a stance we call Christian but overlook justice and hospitality toward others, we are depriving the world of Christ’s influence through us. If that is the case then we can also deprive ourselves of the spiritual vitality that could change our lives.
Jesus never made light of people and their concerns, but poured out his life as he listened, healed, taught, and loved people, both friends and strangers. The people originally invited to the marriage feast declined the invitation. It was not a high priority for them, so others were invited to take their places. Christians are to take very seriously the invitation to divine intimacy and community with others. In doing so, we become light that shines in the darkness, highlighting what had previously been obscured by darkness with the light of God’s grace and justice. Of course, this can be a challenge in this age with all of its injustices and uncertainties.
But one thing is certain in life and that is change. Change is something that does not come easily to most folks, but it will happen whether you like it or not. Some people view change like death, when actually death is only a change. Personally, I have certainly struggled with this in my own life. But change is actually a sign of growth and an opportunity for growth in fulfilling one’s purpose. Embracing change and, yes, even death, is to embrace growth trusting in God’s merciful loving kindness that in the end it will all work out for the best, sometimes better than we could have ever imagined.
This is a time of change – for me as well as for you as a parish. All of you knew for a while that Fr. Brad would be retiring and last Sunday being his farewell, I’m sure was full of a spectrum of emotions for many of you. You probably have many questions about your future as a faith community after three decades of capable leadership with your former rector. But I would like to remind you that we as persons and corporately as a faith community are always in transition – things never stay the same. In parish life that means members move or die; babies are born; new persons come into the community – and each one of those things changes the dynamic of the whole; the same holds true in our personal lives, as well.
I am excited to be with you now at Church of the Messiah at such an important and challenging time in your life as a parish and for a new chapter in my own ministry. But I must confess I feel a bit nervous this morning, because I’m the “new kid on the block.” You are probably wondering, “Who is this Mark Stuart?” as much as I’m wondering, “Who are these people of Messiah parish?” And to be totally candid, I’m a bit nervous because I want you to like me. I want you to like me for who I am, the person you will get to know during this transition period. I cannot be your former rector and I am not going to try. I will, however, be sensitive to your needs and concerns because first and foremost I am here for you and I will give you my very best and I promise you that I will love and serve you as a pastor and priest, which I take very seriously.
As we enter into this phase in the long, rich history of Messiah parish let us remember that the Lord of life offers us the joy of a wedding feast, blessing it with his presence and with his gift of abundance. There are many challenges in churches today. Some faith communities like Church of the Messiah are entering a period of transition in which there is a degree of uncertainty regarding the future.
In our passage from Philippians today, Paul offers hopeful encouragement:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I see probably one of the greatest problems facing many churches today is that they are plagued by a mindset of scarcity – a false impression of scarcity that is not faithful to a God of abundance. They feel that they never have enough and may ask why another church has all the blessings and theirs has only the leftovers. That is a sorry position that excuses lack of vitality and denies the work of the Holy Spirit and insults God’s promise.
Every Christian’s task is to lay aside the things that daunt us, that make us afraid, and hold us captive to scarcity. As Paul reminds us we are to rejoice that God delights in us and celebrate the gifts God has given us to move forward in mission. We acknowledge in our Scripture lessons today that we have a generous God who wants us to have all good things and wants us to have abundance. When Jesus provides an answer to our prayers it can often be more glorious than what we could even expect. By giving us something other than exactly what we could have anticipated, he is able to give us so much more!
As we enter this challenging time of transition as a faith community in this place, Paul’s additional words offered to the Philippians can bring us further assurance: “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Amen.
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