The Need for Welcome

Based on Matthew 10:40-42
First delivered June 28, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            One of our American traditions is the welcome wagon. Some neighborhoods still have these organized methods of welcoming new families into the neighborhood. Whoever the designated person is welcomes the new neighbors and gives them some cookies or something else sweet, along with a bag with helpful information about the neighborhood and the community. The bag may even have some coupons. It is a great way to make a positive impression of the neighborhood.

            Being a pastor in the United Methodist Church, I have done my share of moves. I can’t say we have ever been the recipients of a welcome wagon. But there have been times where a few of our new neighbors would come over to the house to introduce themselves, and to give us cookies or cupcakes. It felt good to be welcomed in the neighborhood and to know some people that we could reach out to. Of course, there was the added benefit of having a new church family that welcomed me in. For those of you who have had to move into a new community in which you really didn’t know anyone or where anything is, it is comforting to be welcomed and included in the life of your new community.

            For those who do the welcoming, it can be a rewarding experience. It feels good to make a new connection, to help someone feel included. You give of yourself to meet the needs of a stranger. It can be exciting to lay the foundation of a new relationship as you learn about each other, your backgrounds, your shared interests. It is rewarding to see how your simple act of welcoming someone into the neighborhood puts a smile on their face and they respond with a word of appreciation.

            Here’s a question for you: which would you rather be, the one who is welcoming a new neighbor or the new neighbor being welcomed? If you are the one doing the welcoming, that puts you in the position of giving of yourself. You are meeting a need. You are helping someone feel welcome. You are doing something helpful. That can be very gratifying, to know you made someone feel welcome. Then again, it does put you in a bit of a vulnerable position. What if for some reason the person you came to welcome doesn’t want to be bothered? What if they tell you to go away? It also takes some courage to go up and meet a stranger. What about the one being welcomed? What’s nice about this is that you get some goodies! You also get to meet some new people and start to feel connected in the neighborhood. But you may also feel like you are being checked out and maybe even judged whether you fit or belong in the neighborhood. You also may be in the middle of something and didn’t want to be interrupted. There’s pros and cons being the one who welcomes and the one being welcomed. There are some enjoyable aspects but also potential vulnerability, of being rejected or inconvenienced.

            This passage in Matthew we heard this morning concludes Jesus’ instructions to his disciples about their mission. He has told them what to bring, what to do when they enter a town, what to say. He has told them about potential rejection and even persecution. He told them not to be afraid and reminded them that they matter to God. And now he gives these final instructions before moving on to the next section of the gospel. It isn’t instruction so much as letting them know that as they go from place to place, those who welcome them will be rewarded by God for their hospitality. Those who welcome them as prophets and righteous people will receive a reward, even if it is as simple as offering a cup of cold water.

            Now, although these instructions are presented as those Jesus gave his disciples, Matthew intends these instructions to be applied to his church community. Especially these verses we hear today are meant to be heard by those in the church who are doing the welcoming instead of those apostles going about sharing the gospel.

            See, one way you could describe Matthew’s church is to divide it into two groups: itinerants and those who stay home. The itinerants, like the apostles, went from place to place to share the gospel, to offer healing to the sick, and to cast out demons. They were continuing the ministry of Jesus. But most of the Christians were not itinerant apostles. Their task was to provide hospitality and support for the itinerants as they passed through. These are the ones who welcomed the itinerants as the prophets and righteous people they were. These are the ones who offered the cold water when the itinerant apostle came into town.

            There must have been some prestige about being one of the itinerants, one of those who had been called and sent out to go from place to place, continuing the ministry of Jesus. As we heard earlier in chapter ten, those who lived this itinerant life had to bear a good deal of risk. They may not be welcomed. They may be mocked. They may be beaten. They may be run out of town. Itinerating like this may put a strain on their families and they would have to make a difficult choice between being faithful to their mission and tending to domestic life. It was not an easy life. So, for those who lived the itinerant life, they deserved a degree of respect and honor by those who understood the sacrifices these itinerants made in order to do this apostolic work. They should expect to be acknowledged by their Father in heaven and to have a share in Jesus’ inheritance.

            But in this word we hear this morning, those who stay put are told they will not lose their reward if they welcome the itinerant. Those who stay but welcome the prophet and righteous person will receive the same reward. Even if all you do is offer a cup of cold water. Even if it isn’t as risky and demanding. These are very generous words. For those who did not have the prestige or responsibility of being itinerant apostles, it was good to know that they still had a share in the coming reward. They were not left out. They would also benefit from participating in the great work of God as they were able. There was more than one way to participate. That’s good news.

            I want to push us a little and ask, how willing are we to be itinerant? Are we willing to be the ones who need to be received? Let me be more direct. Are you willing to go around and introduce yourself to your neighbors? The benefit of having people come to visit you is that if you don’t want to be bothered, don’t answer the door. Don’t answer the phone. To be the one who knocks on the door, you don’t know how or even if you will be received. Especially the introverts among us given the challenge to be the one initiating the visit is enough to break out into hives. It does take effort to be out and about meeting people, initiating conversations, building new relationships, for the sake of bearing witness to Jesus.

            I understand. Putting yourself out there is not for everyone. Some of us have been called into itinerant ministry. That’s part of my calling, to be sent from place to place. Some of us are wired to be outgoing, to work a crowd. Some of us are extroverts who are energized by visiting with people. There are people who go to Costco as an excuse to talk to people, I’m sure of it. Other people are more private, more reserved. The thought of being in a group of people they don’t know makes their stomach get all tied up in knots. That’s ok. Like we heard this morning, those who receive itinerants will also be rewarded. Receiving guests, welcoming those who are just passing through, answering the knock at the door, allowing for the interruption to engage with someone who wants to introduce themselves, these are all acts of grace and create an opportunity to represent Jesus.

            I want to encourage all of us to at least consider putting ourselves in the position of being welcomed, of initiating conversations, of reaching out to people and building relationships. I know, in this time of physical distancing it is even more challenging to go around and meet new people. Maybe I’m just planting a seed today. I know there are people in our community who feel isolated and alone. They need to be in relationship with someone who represents Jesus. They need to be in relationship with you. Remember verse 40: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” When we go out to meet our neighbors, to introduce ourselves to people we don’t yet know, we are going about as representatives of Jesus. Or, as Paul said it, we are ambassadors of Christ. Exerting the effort and taking the risk to meet new people is one way we serve as ambassadors of Jesus. Yes, it’s easier for some than others. Yes, this is challenging during a pandemic. Just let this encouragement stay with you. Keep it in the back of your mind. When the time is right, perhaps the Spirit will stir within you to take up that challenge and to reach out to those you don’t know, giving them the opportunity to receive you.

            For a long time people have been saying that our society is becoming balkanized. What I mean is, we surround ourselves with people who agree with us and shut out those who we disagree with. We put ourselves in echo chambers that reinforce our politics and opinions. Thus, you have people who only watch MSNBC and others who only watch FOX, just as an example. People who are not in our group, our tribe, are written off, labeled, stereotyped, dehumanized. It sometimes feels like there is this big gap in our society. We don’t feel very unified as a nation. It’s been that way for years. In fact, the last time I sensed our nation as unified was those few months after the 9/11 attack. But after a few months, we all fell back into our camps.

            As followers of Jesus, we should not find this state of affairs as acceptable. Jesus shed his blood for everyone. Jesus loves everyone. Jesus longs to be in relationship with everyone. And we are the body of Christ. We represent Jesus in the world. How might we be the means for Jesus to be welcomed? How might we, as ambassadors of Jesus, bring people together? I believe that initiating the exchange of welcome, either putting ourselves out there to be received by others or receiving anyone who crosses our path, we are doing our small part to make our community more welcoming. We are doing our small part to bring people together, to make our community more healthy. We are contributing to the work of reconciliation, all for the sake of Jesus who came to reconcile the world to God. It is a step in the right direction to be welcoming.

            Whether you are the one who is welcoming or the one being welcomed, be open to other people, especially people who have different perspectives, different lifestyles, different backgrounds. Especially people who feel isolated and alone. Don’t close the door or turn away from others. Now is the time for all of us to make it a priority in our lives to draw closer to people, physical distancing notwithstanding, rather than push people away. And it’s not just for the reward promised in Matthew 10:40-42. It is for the sake of the world and for the cause of Christ.

Proclaim from the Housetops

Based on Matthew 10:24-39
First delivered June 21, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            Here is a review of some of what has been happening over the past few weeks:

* rebranding of Aunt Jemima pancake syrup and now Uncle Ben’s Rice is looking at rebranding

* removal of statues honoring southern rebels who fought to preserve slavery and European explorers driven by greed and the exploitation of land and peoples, including Christopher Columbus

* the banning of the rebel flag at NASCAR events

* police officers being fired and charged with murder for putting their knee on the neck of a man for almost nine minutes while the man was begging for his life or for shooting in the back and killing someone who was running away

* law enforcement no longer allowed to use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds of peaceful protesters exercising their First Amendment rights

* businesses closing so that employees can celebrate Juneteenth

* the Supreme Court ruling that it is unconstitutional to fire somebody solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity

* demonstrations across the country for weeks lifting up the value of human life and demands for a society that is more just, more equal, more loving, that says “no” to racism, oppression, white supremacy, and brutality

            In Matthew 10:27, we hear Jesus say to his disciples, “What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.” What we are seeing in our nation right now are a lot of people shouting from the housetops what has been whispered in their conscience and what has been spoken within the dark recesses of confusion and ignorance. All those quiet thoughts when seeing on our TV screens or have even experienced in our own lives, acts of injustice we have witnessed, and that voice in our head saying “this isn’t right” have piled up so much that now people are out there with their signs shouting “enough is enough!” Those questions of “why are they angry?” “Why are they protesting?” “why are they always screaming about racism, after all, we elected a black president, haven’t we solved racism?” “why are they so scared of the police?” “Why are they saying, ‘black lives matter’? Don’t all lives matter?” These questions are being answered. People are beginning to listen to the stories and experiences that explain why people are afraid of the police, why they are moved to protest. People are hearing the stories of those who have to deal with racism every single day. The blinders of white supremacy, of whiteness as normal and people of color as “ethnic”, the ignorance of what is the daily reality of injustice for so many people, it’s all becoming clear. People are beginning to see how insidious systemic racism affects all of us. It dehumanizes and distorts all of us. In different ways, we all suffer under the yoke of white supremacy. More people are starting to understand this. And they are making a stand. They are stepping out and publicly proclaiming their commitment to be anti-racist. A real movement is afoot in our nation right now. Is this the start of a moral revival in our land? Are we experiencing another Great Awakening?

            It should not be surprising that not everyone is on board with this massive call for a society that is more just and equitable, where everyone can thrive regardless of the color of their skin or what zip code they live in. There are those who mock, dismiss, or find threatening these calls for a moral reform of our society. We see gangs of white people armed with assault weapons showing up at Black Lives Matter demonstrations for the purpose of intimidation. We see counter demonstrations and petitions demanding that statues of slave owners and leaders of genocide and exploitation remain displayed in the public square as the heroes they are and for the heritage they represent. We see people out there painting on buildings “white lives matter” and mocking the murder of George Floyd.

            Are we in a moment where every person needs to make a decision about whose side you are on? Are you on the side of conserving the status quo or are you on the side of transforming our society to become more just and equitable, a society that finally dismantles racism and gross inequity in health care, the legal system, housing, education, the economy? This isn’t even a question about Republican or Democrat, conservative or progressive. It is a question of right or wrong. This moment is raising a moral question. Are you on the side of dehumanization, oppression and death or are you on the side of humanity, liberation and life?  I believe this is a time of decision.

            Maybe for us the better question is, are you committed to living out the way of Jesus that leads to healing, new life and true freedom or will you deny the way of Jesus, and instead give your allegiance and support to a society that systematically dehumanizes and exploits people? Will you acknowledge yourself as a follower of Jesus or will you deny Jesus?

            The Gospel of Matthew was given to a church that was experiencing persecution. As followers of the way of Jesus, which is spelled out in the sermon on the mount, the followers of Jesus were mocked by people in the community, disowned by their families, and sometimes suffered violent abuse and even death. They needed a word of encouragement. The passage we hear this morning is that word of encouragement for a persecuted church. If Jesus was persecuted and even put to death, the followers of Jesus should expect nothing less. If they experience family strife and are even cut off from their families, they should expect it because Jesus came not to bring peace but a sword that cuts the family ties that bind. If they feel beaten down, isolated, and discarded by society, they are to remember that if God is aware of the death of one sparrow, how much more will God be aware of what is happening to them, those who are of much greater value than many sparrows. To God, their lives matter. If they stick with it and acknowledge Jesus before others, then Jesus will say their names before God. This whole passage is a word of encouragement to a persecuted church committed to the way of Jesus as described in Matthew 5-7.

            What is that way described in Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount? I invite you to go back and read those chapters again, to be reminded of the radical way of life that followers of Jesus are called to live. In general, the way of Jesus is a way that deeply values every human being as one made in the image of God. It is a way marked by humility, mercy, healing, forgiveness, giving life, blessing, restoration, reconciliation, where the arrogant are humbled and the humiliated are lifted up, the first are last and the last are first, a way of liberation and freedom from demonic powers that imprison and bind. It is a way that sets the captives free: those who are captive to addiction, to their past, to prejudice and racial hatred, to white supremacy, to shame and self-loathing, to anything that dehumanizes, that crushes the spirit, that sucks the life out, everything that undermines life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

            To say it even more succinctly, the way of Jesus is the way of life, of love, of redemption, of justice, of freedom. It is a way of life that we are being challenged to affirm and live out in this moment in our nation’s history, right now. The clarion call cannot be missed.

            This past Wednesday, I attended the monthly gathering of pastors here on the Westside. We were joined by a group of other Westside pastors who have come together for a conversation about how to foster racial reconciliation and how the church can lead in that effort. They knew that a place to begin is to join together in prayer, acknowledging how the church has been complicit in racism and with a firm belief that heart change and reconciliation is possible in Jesus. These pastors have organized an event they call Westside Unity Prayer Walk. This prayer walk will take place next Sunday, 3 p.m., starting at the Veritas church on West Broad and Terrace. From there we will pray and walk up Broad Street. Where the walk will end is still being determined. Wherever the walk ends there will be a time of prayer and simply being together as Christians. The guiding value of this prayer walk is that in Christ Jesus there is unity, that faith in Jesus can bring people together and can heal all divisions. It is past time for the church of Jesus Christ to demonstrate to the world what unity looks like. This prayer walk is a public witness of the unity we have as followers of Jesus, regardless of any labels or identities we hold. If you are able, I encourage you to join me in this prayer walk next Sunday.

            Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” This is not meant to say that we need to be afraid of God. This is meant to be a word of encouragement to stay committed to the way of Jesus in the face of resistance and even persecution, even when your life is put at risk. I hear this verse and think of the mountaintop speech Martin Luther King gave the evening before he was gunned down. He said, “I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!”

            So, do not be afraid of those who are filled with racial hatred, who reject equal justice under the law, who believe this nation should be “whites only” and people of color should just go back to wherever they came from. Instead fear God, the God of justice, the God who hears the cry of the poor and needy, the God who breaks the rod of the oppressor, the God of love, life, and creation, the God who knows your name and who recognizes your value as much greater than many sparrows, in fact, values you so much that God sent his Son to die on the cross for your salvation, so you can be set free from the power of sin and death and live a life of love and freedom. Do not fear anyone. Keep your eyes focused on the glory of the Lord who is coming.

            In Christ we are set free to live a life of love. With the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to live our lives after the example of Jesus. As we hear in vs. 25, it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher. By God’s grace and through the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to live our lives like Jesus, to love like Jesus loves. Now is the time to put our love into action. Now is the time to proclaim from the housetops the way of Jesus. Now is the time, for the sake of Jesus and for the sake of the world, to lose the lives we once lived so that we can find our life as we have always been meant to live it, a life freed from white supremacy, freed from racial prejudice, freed from sin and death.

Showing Up When Unsure

Based on Matthew 28:16-20
First delivered June 7, 2020
Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr 

            It had been heady times, a great adventure, for Jesus and his disciples. They went from place to place, watching Jesus work miracles and teach about God in ways that touched people deeply. The disciples were the inner circle. They got to have private gatherings with Jesus. Maybe they even had Jesus pray for them. The inner, inner circle, Peter, James, and John, got to see Jesus transfigured before them on that mountain top as Jesus chatted with Moses and Elijah. Surely, they knew the privilege they had to be the companions of Jesus. They must have thought about what their lives would be like in the years to come, the power and influence they will hold as the ones closest to the messiah.

            Then things started to get derailed. After that glorious experience of Jesus’ transfiguration, Jesus started talking about his death. He cursed a fig tree. He lamented over Jerusalem. He turned over the tables of the money changers. He talked about signs of the end times. Surely the energy among Jesus and the disciples started to shift. The tension was rising. And then, Judas makes his move, getting paid off to betray Jesus. The arrest, the trial, the beating, the crucifixion, those dark and troubling days of Jesus’ passion. The disciples abandoned Jesus in their fear. Everything had turned upside down. They suddenly found themselves with a potential target on their own backs. It happened so fast. It had to be so disorienting. And then, to shake things up even more, some women reported that Jesus was alive, that an angel had told them to tell the disciples to go to Galilee, where Jesus would see them. What does this mean? Where do we go from here, they wondered.

            The disciples are gathered together on the mountain top Jesus had directed them to. There were only eleven. Judas, the one who was paid off as he betrayed Jesus, had committed suicide. The community of disciples was broken. There were supposed to be twelve, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Judas was gone. And each of them had also betrayed Jesus in their own way. They still had targets on their backs as the rumor was spread that during the night, they had stolen Jesus’ body as part of a conspiracy to fool everyone. They were emotionally bruised and tender. They were ashamed of how they had acted, how they had failed to stand by Jesus. They were confused. They were filled with joy that Jesus was alive again. They had all kinds of feelings. Just a few months prior, they thought they knew how things would go as Jesus took his place as messiah and king. Now? Everything was jumbled up. Nothing had gone like they thought it would. So, as they gather on that mountain top, in obedience to what Jesus had told them to do, they wondered, what now?

            They all showed up, the eleven. And when they saw Jesus for the first time in his resurrected body, they bowed down and they worshiped him. But some doubted. This doubt was not skepticism. They did not doubt that was Jesus before them. Their doubt was about themselves, about their own faith, their own worthiness to be in the presence of the risen Lord. Their faith was weak. They felt shame. They felt chastened. They were shook. They didn’t know what their role was now or what would happen next. They were uncertain about their own future. They all worshiped, but some doubted, or maybe the better translation is, they all had some doubt.

            I wouldn’t say that we entered 2020 as if life was a great adventure. I think many of us had some trepidation over this year because of the divisiveness of our politics and that we would have to slog through a presidential election. As United Methodists, we saw 2020 as the year that we would likely formalize the reorganization of the church, maybe even a split. We knew this was going to be a hard year when January 1 came and went. None of us knew that in the past few months we would experience a virus that swept the world, killing hundreds of thousands of people, fundamentally changing how we live our daily lives, shutting down our economy which will shudder through our society in the months ahead as joblessness persists and evictions rise, and then the explosive unrest over the ongoing reality of unarmed black people being killed by those who are committed to serve and protect. This has been a few months that has turned all our lives upside down. We are all shaken. Our emotions are tender. We have a lot of questions about where we are and where we are headed as a nation.

            We gather virtually for worship, watching this worship video on YouTube, something we did not know would happen back in March. But as we gather for worship as followers of Jesus, some of us are unsure. We are unsure about what lays ahead. We are unsure about how the economic fallout will impact us. We are unsure about how we are to live, what we are to do, in the face of these overwhelming challenges, crises upon crises. It’s so much. Everything has been stirred up. Tensions are high. We are gathered for worship. But some of us doubt.

            As these doubting, uncertain disciples gathered for worship on that mountaintop, Jesus came to them. He did not make them come to him. He came to where they were. What an act of grace and love. He closed the gap between himself and them. He told them that he has been given all authority on heaven and earth. He is the one they are to look to, to trust, to follow. There is no one else worthy of their following than Jesus. As the one with authority, Jesus told the disciples what they needed to do. As they went on their way, they were to make disciples among all the nations of the earth. They make disciples by baptizing people, initiating them into the community of disciples. And they are to teach the way of Jesus, by precept and example. As a community of disciples, Jesus calls them to demonstrate to the world what it means to be a follower of Jesus, what that looks like. And, to make sure they had the strength and support they needed to engage in this mission, Jesus said he would be with them always, even to the end of the age. Jesus would always be by their side. Jesus would always have their back. That’s what Jesus said to these uncertain disciples.

            No matter where we are, how we are doing, how we are feeling, Jesus comes to us. He does not make us come to him. Jesus comes to us wherever we are. Jesus reminds us of his authority as the Son of God, the word made flesh, our savior, our Lord, our redeemer. We may sometimes wonder if there are any leaders among us. A recent opinion piece in the New York Times asked that question. As we look out at our nation, and how we are tearing apart, the opinion writer asks, where is the leader that can pull our nation together? Who is that leader that will stand up and speak into this crisis, to give us words of comfort and hope, to let us know we can get through this, that better days are ahead? We used to look to the president to be that comforter-in-chief. But that voice is silent. I say that the leader we are looking for is Jesus Christ. He is the one with all the authority. He is the one who is always there for us. He is the one who gives us comfort. He is the one who comes to us, wherever we are. Jesus is the one we look to, the one whose authority we recognize.

            Jesus gives us our call to action. Our call is to make disciples. But let’s be honest, we are all works in progress when it comes to our discipleship. None of us are finished. Not that we are off the hook. Even as we are working on our own discipleship, our Lord has called us to show others the way of Jesus, to teach others how to live a life of love as Jesus has taught us. We have to learn and teach how to live the way of Jesus in these times: these times of pandemic, of economic strain, and of social unrest. We have to learn and teach how to live the way of Jesus in these times when our institutions, government, commerce, the church, education, the legal system, all the institutions, are under such stress. We have to learn and teach how to live the way of Jesus in these times when we are polarized, when we don’t share the same set of facts, where people talk past each other, where it seems common decency is hard to come by. These are the times where Jesus is calling us to make disciples even as we are being made in our own discipleship. In the face of all of this, as we look to our leader, Jesus, and hear his call to action, we are unsure and uncertain. We have some doubts.

            But the one who comes to us where we are never leaves us. Jesus said he will be with us always, even to the very end of the age. Even when we experience our times of doubt, of uncertainty, times where we don’t believe we have it in us to do what Jesus is calling us to do, when we feel like we are always falling short, times when we feel overwhelmed by it all and just want the craziness to stop, and we become weary and falter even in our faith, in all of that mess Jesus is still with us. He will never let us go. We are not left to fend for ourselves. We have Jesus. We have each other. We are a part of the community of Jesus followers. And we are all working through these times together as best we can.

            If you have some doubts, about yourself, about others, about the future, about God, I understand. There are times where I have doubts too. I have never doubted God. But I sometimes doubt myself. And sometimes I doubt if things will ever get to where they need to be, when there will finally be peace with justice. But you still showed up. I still showed up. I made this video and you watched it. In spite of our doubts, we showed up. And Jesus has come to us. He has met us where we are. And he has called us, as we go, to bring others into the fold and teach them the way of Jesus. This is the calling we have received. In spite of our doubt, uncertainty and hesitation, we must do this work. And we must do this work together. With faith, not in ourselves but in Jesus, and hope for a better day, held in the loving embrace of God, let’s keep going forward. Let’s keep doing the work.