Jesus’ Church
A sermon by Ted Virts
March 2, 2014
Sonoma CA
Theme:
The Land of Beginning Againby Louisa Fletcher
I wish that there were some wonderful place
In the Land of Beginning Again.
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our poor selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
and never put on again.
I wish we could come on it all unaware,
Like the hunter who finds a lost trail;
And I wish that the one whom our blindness had done
The greatest injustice of all
Could be there at the gates like an old friend that waits
For the comrade he's gladdest to hail.
We would find all the things we intended to do
But forgot, and remembered too late,
Little praises unspoken, little promises broken,
And all the thousand and one
Little duties neglected that might have perfected
The day for one less fortunate.
It wouldn't be possible not to be kind
In the Land of Beginning Again,
And the ones we misjudged and the ones whom we grudged their moments of victory here,
Would find in the grasp of our loving hand-clasp
More than penitent lips could explain...
So I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again,
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches,
And all of our poor selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never put on again.
Scripture: Acts 2:41-47
“Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home, and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the good will of the people.” Acts 2
I want to steal from Bishop Robert Schnase. He wrote 5 Practices of Fruitful Congregationsand was a presenter at our Annual Conference session a few years ago.
Schnase described his parents who had spent their life in the church. In thinking of their lives he thought of the potlucks they had attended, the births, the weddings, the funerals, the meetings, the hymns, the prayers, the tears and the delight of their time in the congregation. He concludes with wondering if you took that out of their lives, what would be left?
This is a familiar story for most who have had an on-going connection with the church. When you ask folks what it is about the church that is important to them, the response usually includes comments like Schnase’s remembrance of his folks:
Church is where I feel at home.
Church is like family.
Church is where I was married.
Church is where my kids got baptized, grew up, sang their first solo.
Church is where I pray.
Church is where I feel like I’m doing some good.
Church makes me think.
Church is where my friends are.
I hope that sounds familiar, at least some of the time.
We are at the end of the Epiphany season – that time where we focus on who Jesus is, and what he is up to.
We have focused on the contrast between our too common image of God as one who is displeased with us, but gives us a break, and our fear that if it is all up to us, we can’t make it – in contrast to the God that Jesus followed who seeks us out. And we have looked at Jesus’ followers whose spiritual practice was about getting closer to God, and Jesus’ reminder that if faithfulness is self-aggrandizing is hypocritical.
As we end this season, with Lent beginning Wednesday, I want to spend some time on Jesus’ church.
It may surprise you to know that Jesus didn’t see his mission as starting a church. It was after his death and resurrection that the church began. Matthew uses the phrase “church” in his gospel, but this is after the disciples formed these “gatherings” – the literal meaning of “ekklesia” from which church comes.
I think that Jesus saw his role as returning folks to God, taking the veil away as it were, so that we might understand the nature of God in spite of the tradition.
We have that same need. You and I have inherited 2,000 years of church tradition. Sometimes it is a little tough to know what we are here for, given all the decorations attached to Jesus basic message.
Our denomination, and much of Christendom has been returning to the core questions. What are we doing here? What is the church about? What have we become, and is that really such a good idea?
It is no secret that those outside the church see us as quaintly out of time at best and hypocritical or harmful or even evil at worst.
I have seen the church get into trouble when it gets confused about who and what it is.
We are not the spiritual incarnation of the Democratic Party. We are not the spiritual incarnation of the Republican Party. Though I hope our politics are serious about God.
The church is not the representative for God in national or international politics – in spite of how sure we are that God is on our side. We can reflect on what we believe God’s will might be, but we do not have a hotline to infallible truth.
The church is not the kingdom of God on earth. The reign of God is bigger than our congregations, denominations, and theologies.
If you are theologically inclined, the church is not the only way to salvation. Grace abounds – even beyond our categories, and wishes for that matter
The church is not the cover agent for revolution, neither is it the monastery of holiness to save the world from spiritual evil. Jesus of course saw how we humans treat each other and saw the reign of God as the place where Justice and mercy abound. He was serious about prayer. But he saw humankind as different from folks engaged in ego and power trips.
The church is not the sole agent for good in the world. It is not the only place where justice and mercy are held as high values. It is not the place that has all the answers.
The church is not a collection of programs to help “them.” It is not budgets or buildings or committees(though they are a tool for our work).
It is not the place where everyone is nice all the time. (Do I need to tell you that?)
So what is the church – especially since Jesus didn’t try to start one?
Our teens are in the middle of a confirmation class – where they may decide to confirm the promises made for them at their baptism. Our approach to both the bible and the church is that neither is the place for right answers. The church, and the Bible, are the place for right conversation about the right things.
The church is, at its best, the Land of Beginning Again – where you can leave the old coat of your past without guilt. Another writer expresses it as the Church of the Second Chance.
The church is a vehicle, a vessel that helps us move toward God and each other. It is a means to help us see the truth that Jesus would show us. It is the mechanism that helps us move our right conversation into reality in the world.
The place of conversation about the right things.
The Land of beginning again.
The vessel, the vehicle to help us see God and each other.
The church is a place of belonging, and a place of mercy. It is a place of passion and compassion.
Let me show you what I mean.
Our congregation is not the perfect church – because there isn’t one.
But we do a number of things well.
Our self awareness is an accurate reading of the areas of focus for the Church:
Connection (these can be in any order, but I think connection is what starts the ball rolling)
Spiritual Growth
Helping Others
Advocating for change
And you can see that in the March Meal Madness that is coming – Goodbye for Shirley Coops, hearing from Laurie Tuller’s experience in Gaza, Listening to Imam Ali describe his understanding of God through Islam, Gathering to remember what we as a community of faith do, and to see what it is that we might do. Connection, Spiritual Growth, Helping, Advocacy.
I hope that you see the miracle here. We are a group of folks who might not all be in the same place without the Church. And yet we help each other, we pray together, we have conversations about the right things and we act in mercy often. And we are helpless from time to time, and we trust that our helplessness and failures are not the only story. If we are open we have found a place of belonging and a place of hope.
This is the first time that I have not based my sermon on the Transfiguration, which is the traditional ending of epiphany. You remember the transfiguration story - Jesus goes up the mountain to pray with Peter, James and John. While he is praying, he is seen by the boys as being different. His clothes and face are aglow. They see Moses – the great Lawgiver, and Elijah – the prophet standing by him. A voice comes and says “This is my beloved son, listen to him.”
And though the evangelist pulls out all the stops, what impresses me is that for a moment, the disciples saw Jesus as he really is.
I think that is what Jesus’ church is at its best - it is the place/time/experience when we see, when we know as Jesus knows – and we see God, and each other – both in the church and beyond the church – as we really are.
Jesus’ church is really you and it is really me. And the reminder is in the common meal that we share here and away from here.
I pray that we might eat each meal with glad and generous hearts, praising God. That in the sharing we might see through the veil the wondrous people we are when we gather knowing God is in our midst.
begin the communion ritual
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