Family Matters

Ephesians 4:1-6

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Revelation 7:9-12

 After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,

‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ 

And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, singing,

‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom

and thanksgiving and honor

and power and might

be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.’

John 13:34-35

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

As we enter this sanctuary, we are witness to a miracle—a miracle of transformation—all that we bring—our diverse backgrounds, our range of outlooks, the diversity of our experience, our weave of families—it all gets subsumed into the presence of God. As all that we are falls under the presence of God, the miracle is that God binds it together into a communion—a unity of union, if you will.

We live in a time and place that seems as if it were constructed by random shotgun blasts by someone who cared little or nothing about hitting a target, kind of like they were shooting with a blindfold on. We live in a divided and divisive context. Rather than seeking compromise that might lead to fellowship, instead the conventional wisdom is to retreat into our positions with complete disregard for anyone different. In fact, to reach across borders is seen as unforgivable weakness, if the recent battle to name a new Speaker of the House is any indication.

But Jesus offers a far more excellent way.

Jesus practiced a policy of radical welcome as he made his way through the world. We see it in the makeup of the Twelve as he even brought together sworn enemies (a tax collector and a Zealot). We see it in the dinner parties he attended (collections of sinners, questionable characters, lepers, the morally ambivalent, etc.). We see it in his refusal to remain cloistered in Temple or synagogue. We even see it upon the cross as he welcomes a thief into paradise. Jesus’ primary work was gathering. 

And so we are here.

We name this room a sanctuary because it is a haven from all that works against compassion, mercy, and welcome. Here, we can find a respite from the loudmouths on TV telling us to be terribly, terrible afraid of all who are alien because they want what we have. Here, we can find a respite from all who declare that if we don’t have it all, we are simply not doing it right. Here, we can find a place to admit our weakness, faults, and breaks. Here, we are welcome.

At least, that is what church is supposed to be.

We have to confess, though, that the Church strays from this mission. That seems to be a driving force behind Pope Francis’ papacy—to undo the retreat into a mighty fortress that has defined the Church in the world. It is a fervent upwelling from the generations now entering adulthood—they long for a place to belong regardless of creed, sexual orientation, gender, or social status—who leave the Church as it is, not sparing us from their declaration that we are not who we claim to be. We have to accept the critique if we are ever to be what Christ seeks from us.

Or, as St, Paul asserts to the Ephesians, humility will be the leading leg in our work. 

As a church, we cannot stand in a need to be right, to be correct, or even to be guardians of whatever we call “truth.” Instead, we are to be people who seek to welcome all, freeing all from labeling, compartmentalization, and tribalism. The key to being able to be so is to make love—love as defined by Jesus himself—our prime directive. 

Jesus made the test of our alignment with him very simple—not easy, but simple—we will be known by our ability to love one another, accepting one another as we are to become what God will have us to be.

So, as we bring our families into this sanctuary, do we find welcome? Do we find the freedom to express our identities as children of God first, all else secondary? But beyond that—and perhaps even more importantly—are we welcoming? Do we allow others to be who they are so they can be with God? 

Differences can lead us to a richer and fuller expression of the Communion of Saints professed within the Creed. All of us come to know God as God, knowing us, allows for us to find God as we need to. Each of us has a unique experience of God—none is more correct than anyone else’s; none is absolute—but as we blend them together, we discover the wonder and glory of God who is above all, beyond all, and yet with all. 

The more we are able to make this understanding central to our gathering, the more we will experience the vision of St. John of Patmos who saw all the tribes of the earth gathered before God in love, grace, and communion.

Welcome one another. Welcome all. Enter the miracle.