Working on our Welcome

 

For in Christ Jesus ... the only thing that counts is faith working through love. –Galatians 5:6  sermon for World Communion SundayToday, I choose to begin the sermon with a “might-have-been-true” story because, sometimes, a story has power to communicate a concept better than a definition or explanation. I wrote the story several years ago, and have de-identified the people involved out of respect for their privacy and freedom of conscience. It may not be historically true in every detail, but it does help convey spiritual truth, from my limited perspective.“Simon” thought of himself a warrior for God, a protector of the “true faith.” When a new pastor arrived at his church, Simon approached the pastor like a trial attorney conducting a deposition. The minister was examined about obscure points of theology, and cross-examined about controversial social issues.The new minister did not respond as Simon wished. The pastor wanted to less about controversial issues that divided the congregation, and more about the things that united them in mission and ministry. The minister preferred to be defined by the many things he was “for,” rather than by a few things he was “against.”Simon was displeased, to say the least. On Sundays, he sat in the back row of the sanctuary, with arms folded, and a scowl upon his face. Occasionally, he would lean forward, and excitedly whip out a pen to write a quick note, as if to document some heresy that had just been spoken from the pulpit.The pastor tried to be friendly. Once, he walked across the room to greet Simon with “Hi, Simon, how are you?” With an icy stare, never extending a hand, Simon replied “Just fine,” spun on his heel, and walked away. Another time, the pastor invited Simon to sit down at a table for coffee. Simon said, “I think I’d rather not.”At the end of the year, Simon finished his term as church officer. Even though he imagined everyone else was shirking responsibility, he had taken up his cross and completed his service. On the final Sunday, after the new officers were ordained, the pastor watched him walk out the door, back straight and head held high. He thought he saw Simon kick the dust off his feet, and rub his hands together, as if cleansing himself of all association with the church. Simon drove away, never looking back, and was never seen in the church again.Simon is the person who comes to mind when I read the latter chapters of Paul’s Letter to the Romans. There, Paul spends much energy mediating a conflict between two parties.One group is called the “strong” in conscience: Christians who feel God’s blessing to eat whatever they please. Another group is called the “weak” in conscience: Christians who, for seemingly important and valid reasons, feel that Christians are morally obligated to avoid certain foods.Paul’s consistent advice to both groups is to respect one another’s convictions. Each Christian is a servant of God, and, Paul says, it is not proper to judge someone else’s servant. If God is willing to accept such a person, then no one else is in a position to condemn.Notice Paul’s bias. The ones who are labeled “strong” are more respectful and more welcoming of others who are different than themselves. The ones who are called “weak” display a desire to impose upon others their narrow understanding of the only appropriate Christian lifestyle.Our text from Romans has been the basis for many sermons advising Christians to curtail behavior that will endanger the fledgling faith of a so-called “weaker brother” or “weaker sister.” But, in my experience, I’ve heard few sermons addressing a more common problem: of the “Professional Weaker Brother.”A Professional Weaker Brother has been a Christian long enough to learn to accept the freedom that God allows in non-essential matters. But instead of accepting that diversity, he feigns weakness as a tool of manipulation. “You can’t do, or say, or believe that,” he will say. “If you do, you’ll cause me, my family, or my friends to stumble in their faith.” When that sort of thing happens, the tyranny of legalism threatens the freedom of Christ. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul described a struggle during which he took a stand against the influence of professional weaker brothers in the early Church. The struggle was about the importance of circumcision. Jewish Christians were for it; Gentile Christians were against it. Paul was pressured to require his colleague Titus to submit to circumcision to appease supposedly “weak” Jewish Christians. Paul said that he couldn’t do that, because the truth of the gospel was at stake. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision or uncircumcision means anything,” Paul said. “The only thing that counts is faith working through love.”The temptation to appease the Professional Weaker Brother faces the Church in every age. It often starts out with a serious conversation about faithful living in a morally complex world, then devolves into a shouting match between factions with a hard line – sometimes a silly line – dividing them. At one time or another, churches have issued rules against alcoholic beverages (even though for hundreds of years it has been used in the sacrament of communion), against dancing (even though movement is the oldest art form, and David danced before the Lord), against hats, long hair, short hair, jewelry, instrumental music of any kind. Long ago, there was a serious church split between the pro-organ-music Christians and anti-organ-music Presbyterians. In the 19^th-century, there was even a long, protracted battle fought between “anti-necktie” and “pro-necktie” Christian groups. That seems nearly unbelievable …until I mention the phrases “I kneel” and “I stand,” and we realize that almost every week, a new controversy springs up in our society, with some people on each side accusing the other side of disrespect. When we remember that, then all the old divisions among Christians don’t seem so unbelievable anymore. Where the Church spends it limited energy appeasing the professional weaker brother, there it is also weakened in its ability to fulfill its God-given mission, and behind schedule on accomplishing its ministry goals.Ed Stivender is a Christian comic, who was popular when I first entered ministry. In one of his standup routines, he had a bit about Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus’ message was, “Come join the Kingdom of God, and let’s party, party, party.” Then, along came the Pharisees …who were a bunch of party poopers. They said, “You can’t come to the party. Why, you would ruin it. First, you have to dress like us, you have to eat our foods and follow our rules.” Party Pooper is another name for Professional Weaker Brother.When faced with forces that call us nasty names and seem determined to divide us according to this label or that label, God says, “I know your name, you are mine ….” Scripture says that you are a child of God, forgiven, loved, and free. Though you may not always agree with your brothers and sisters, you are part of one family, you are called to journey together in faithful and abundant living.Come to the table of grace; welcome to the party!