Welcome

Charlotte Collins Reed

Christ Church Episcopal

January 14, 2018

2 Epiphany B

          Late one afternoon, about 10 years ago, I was working in my office in Springfield, Ohio, when the phone rang.  If you have ever hung out in a church office, you know that we get all kinds of interesting phone calls.  We get phone calls from people needing a variety of kinds of assistance, or people with no connection to the Episcopal Church whatsoever who want to vent about some stand or other than the church has recently taken, or, my personal favorite-companies wanting to offer us a line of credit but needing to speak to the owner.  I would happily put the caller through directly to God if I could!

          That afternoon, however, the call was from a man named Alan Kimbrough.  Alan lived in Dayton, Ohio and was actually my husband’s cousin although we had never connected with Alan in all the years we had lived in Springfield.  Alan was looking for a church that would host the Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus for their Christmas concert.   The Chorus had several church venues in Dayton, but were looking to move out into wider community.  Would the Episcopal church in Springfield be willing to host?

          After some wonderful conversation with the vestry, I called Alan back to say that we would love to host the concert.  We had months in which to plan the hospitality, which we took very seriously.  We knew that exceptional hospitality would send one message and mediocre hospitality would send another message.  When the long-anticipated night finally arrived, we had ushers and greeters scattered throughout the building, which is as much of a maze as this church, and enough appetizers and dessert to feed a small army.  The church was packed with excited people who had come from as far away as Zanesville to hear the chorus.  The atmosphere was electric, and I could feel the energy in the room.  People stayed for a long time after the men sang and enjoyed the reception.  But what I will remember the most about that evening, and hope I never forget, is the number of people who came up to me that night and said, “This is the first time I have ever felt welcome in a church.”

          This morning, Jesus decides to go to Galilee where he finds Philip and says “Follow me.”  Philip then finds Nathaniel and tells him, with some excitement in his voice, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.”  Nathaniel should be excited, too.  Philip has found the long awaited Messiah.  But Nathaniel is somewhat less than enthusiastic.  “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” 

          By the end of the story, Nathaniel has declared that Jesus is the Son of God.  What changes Nathaniel’s mind about Jesus?  What convinces Nathaniel that something good has come out of Nazareth, and that this Jesus is worth following?  What happened was an encounter with Jesus in which Jesus sees something in Nathaniel that is good.  “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”  Even then, Nathaniel is skeptical.  “Where did you get to know me?”  Jesus replies “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.”  Jesus had noticed Philip under the fig tree when there was no real reason to notice the man.  When Nathaniel realizes that Jesus really saw him, and saw something in him that was good, Nathaniel is moved to say “Rabbi, you are the Son of God.” 

          “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”  When I talk with people who have never had a connection with church, and all they know about church is what they read about in the press or on social media, they wonder “Can anything good come out of church?”  At best, they see that we give up precious time on Sunday mornings, and often other times during the week.  We believe in a God we cannot see.  We pattern our lives around an ancient book.  We eat bread and drink wine that we call the body and blood of Christ.  We do lots of good works, but so do many other organizations.  At worst, they see church as an institution that divides rather than unites, that preaches judgement rather than compassion, and that condemns rather than loves.  Can anything good come out of church?

This weekend, we celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I am reminded of Dr. King when I hear Jesus say to Nathaniel “Here is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”  Jesus was speaking about Nathaniel’s character.  Dr. King said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”  Dr. King gave his life to overcome racism in this country and to tear down the barriers that divide us.  Dr. King’s work was to make this country a place that welcomes all people into all aspects of life regardless of their color, whether drinking fountains, restrooms and restaurants, or places of employment and government office.  Whether based on the Declaration of Independence and the statement that all are created equal, or based on the book of Genesis where all are made in the image of God, Dr. King called us to live like we believe those statements to be true.

          Can anything good come out of church?  Both Jesus and Dr. King call us to treat people exactly the way our Baptismal Covenant calls us to treat people.  If we work for justice and peace, and respect the dignity of every human being, no exceptions, and seek and serve Christ in all people, no exceptions, then people of all races, economic backgrounds, educational levels, nationalities, and sexual orientations will know that they are welcome here.  And to all who wonder, the answer to the question “Can anything good come out of church?” will be a resounding “Yes!”

                                                                             Amen.