By Sharon MacArthur
For Sycamore Congregational Church, UCC September 4, 2005
"If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."
Matthew 18:15-20
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Todays scripture is one of those amazing coincidences - an experience of community at Fun Night and then the lectionary reading today is speaking about church and community. On top of that we talked about Holy Harmony last week - about coming just as we are and being accepted just as we are into Gods community.
One cant help but sit up and take notice - theres seem to be a progression here - some might call it being led; being guided by an unseen force...we would call God!
So, allow me to paint a verbal picture for you - the picture will be more vivid if you close your eyes - so youre welcome to do that at this time and I wont think youve fallen asleep!
Imagine Adamson Hall set up for say Rally Day/Preschool welcome when the worship communities, the preschool community and the tomodachi time community come together to kick off the new academic year. Thats 12 tables, each with 8 chairs. We set out 100 plates and food was plentiful...and the fun night participants came! There were lots of children of all ages - a movie called The Incredibles was being shown in the sanctuary for the young and young at heart. Many preschool moms and dads were able to have real conversations with each other without having to keep constant tabs on their kids; the kitchen was a sanctuary for some who enjoyed the quiet of a dinner hour; the seminary community was represented by a dozen people from all over the US and the world - our engagingly gregarious Yoshiki Morita in addition to blessing us with his culinary gifts by cooking also invited his new friends from PSR to our fun night -
There was Iniva from Gabon in Africa (I had never heard of Gabon before fun night!) and several students from Korea
There was David from Zaire and Adrienne from DC and a family from Japan.
There was a student from Germany and Aimee from Connecticut!
And our new Minister-in-trainiing and Intern - Matthew Seeds, who joined right in and met everyone by helping with the name tags!
Incidentally - Matt said as he was leaving that he had never experienced such an event before - a church having a Friday night social with kids all over the church and people just hanging out and having a good time. This is, he said, what church should be like! He looked like he was in heaven! He will provide a wonderful opportunity for Sycamore to experience being a teaching parish - we have the awesome call to shape a future pastor...
Anyway - here we are - the majority of the fun night revelers were from the preschool community - most of whom have had some exposure to Christianity, but perhaps not involved in Church. at another table are seminarians - steeped in Christianity and in church...and sprinkled here and there were Sycamore members and leaders - but it all worked - not a lot of table hopping, except for Matt, but I did notice people meeting and greeting each other and conversations happening here and there. And I know that evenings happening as all our gatherings are a part of our journey in redefining church! Just what is Church? Is it the body of people who gather to worship each Sunday morning? is it the group of folks who are the members by virtue of being baptized in the church or by transferring their membership to the church? Is it the corporation which has a legal status in the State of its incorporation? Is it the sum of all who identify with the church because it has played an important part in their lives? Is it all of the above? Just what is church?
It is in this context that I thought about todays scripture...I have to confess that this passage has always been a challenge for me - for so long - it has sounded so holier than thou -
especially the beginning listen to this -
If another member of the church sins against you,
go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone.
So at the very outset - were talking about a member of a church...and its not so cut and dry for me anymore -
who is member of a church? I used to think it was pretty simple -
one who joined the church by baptism or by transferring their membership from another church.
And then I came to Sycamore and things got complicated! Folks, there are sooo many people who identify with Sycamore...folks who consider themselves a part of Sycamore - they are not on our books - we have no record of their membership anymore - but somehow or other - they feel they are a part of the Sycamore family....how do we handle that? How can we say, No, youre not - we dont have you on record? But thats for another conversation...
What if for todays discussion - we consider the broadest interpretation - if anyone who considers themselves part of Sycamore Church wrongs us - we point it out to that person....one to one - I can live with that - getting things out in the open is ok..reconciliation cant happen without that..I assume that there would be a conversation to follow - lots of listening and talking and sharing with the goal of reconciliation...
But then it gets a little sticky if that one-to-one conversation doesnt work...
Todays scripture continues But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
And then, If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
And for the longest time - I interpreted that to mean - forget him - ostracize him - hes a Gentile and tax collector! Remember, back then, in Hebrew traditions back then, the Gentile was in fact not welcome in the temples, nor were tax collectors...
And then it hit me! Wait a minute - That is the tradition that Jesus was trying to change! When Jesus was on earth - his ministry was with the Gentiles and the tax collectors...he dined with the tax collector, at his home! He accepted drink from the Samaritan woman at the well! He accepted them just as they were.
And in the inside/outside/upside down kind of world that God calls us to consider - I wonder if we might be asked to reflect on just what does it mean to be wronged? I wonder if we might be asked to be open to considering the wrong to be a step toward something that is very right!
Thursday was the Church Fair at PSR. Along with other churches in the local area, we were invited to participate in the first ever Church Fair...we were given half of a 6 foot table to welcome incoming PSR students as a part of their orientation experience. I was there with Kathleen, Morita sensei and my granddaughter Ikaika. As we began to lay everything out - we had our new info card on Sycamore, we had Bazaar flyers, photo albums, a sign up sheet for Fun Night and a basketful of treats to give out.
Then the sun came out - for some it was a wonderful thing - it was warming up - at last - were having some California weather. But for Ikaika, it was the beginning of being a Grinch - you see, being in direct sunlight doesnt agree with her - she gets cranky with heat. She began whining and grumbling and I was quite annoyed! After all - we had talked about it - how she would play with her toys next to me and snack and help greet the people.
She was NOT living up to her end of the bargain - I dont know WHAT I was thinking - striking up a bargain with my granddaughter - shes THREE!
Anyway - she insisted on getting out of the sun and going inside the hall that our table was in front of...we found snacks and drinks and most important - SHADE! She struck up a conversation with a student who sat across from us and I calmed down enough to look out the window...
There in front of me were Morita sensei, Kathleen AND Matt in animated conversation with a diverse group of people - it looked like everyone was enjoying themselves. It was then that I realized the wrong that Ikaika had inflicted on me was from another perspective a very right thing to happen..my stepping back into the background enabled our young people to come forward and speak about Sycamore in a new a fresh way and invite and recruit!
By the way - the unfamiliar faces in animated conversation with Morita sensei et al? They were all here at Fun Night! I am amazed that a child (my granddaughter) led the way...My faith and trust in God deepens with each experience such as this - you see how I know God is still speaking about church and community? What a blessing to be your pastor!
So, again - I wonder if we might be asked to reflect on just what does it mean to be wronged? I wonder if we might be asked to be open to considering the wrong to be a step toward something that is very right! We might recall our church history, that by leaving the Gentile and tax collector to God the whole church eventually changed to welcome Gentiles and tax collectors...the whole church became transformed in the process...we are a church - the United Church of Christ - that insists on welcoming people no matter who they are or where they are in lifes journey even if network TV thinks this is too controversial a message to broadcast! And it is a church that is willing to accept the risk of being transformed in the process.
And listen to this:
if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."
Perhaps one interpretation is that Gentiles and tax collectors (code words for those not welcome in existing churches) can gather and become a branch of church...theres an ever-widening perspective, infinite in scope and time that we cannot even imagine...there is Gods hope for the world that we are journeying toward...
That is what happened in the more than 150 Pacific Islander Asian American UCC churches founded in the U.S. These churches have formed a branch of the UCC that makes real contributions to the UCC. And next year the national PAAM convocation will happen here in Northern California on the Cal campus at the end of July. Ill keep you posted - it should be a wonderful time for all of us as we gather with our PAAM family from across the continental US and Hawaii.
We have shared and celebrated communion today - we have come to Gods table and vowed to become the Body of Christ, to become Gods hands, voice, face and love in the world...not only do we open our ears to hear God speaking, friends, we are called to open our mouths and be Gods voice speaking about church and about community in the life we are living now......May it be so..Amen.