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Sermon Preacher at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Granite Springs by the the Reverend Matthew Mead
Septmeber 20, 2009
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 20, Year B (RCL): Jeremiah 11:18-20; Psalm 54; James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; Mark 9:30-37


Today is my first Sunday at Good Shepherd. Its also the first time in a month that I have been Celebrant and Preacher. The last four Sundays I’ve been in the congregation at different churches with my wife and two sons. Whenever I am on vacation I enjoy visiting other churches, and I always find it to be an interesting experience worshipping in a church for the first time. Sometimes I find myself quite at home when I visit a church, other times I feel lost and confused.

When I really feel at home, I hope I will be able to come back soon and the experience is one that I remember. As a priest I always try to learn from the good things that other churches do. A few years ago my wife and I visited a church in Washington DC. The service was easy to follow. The hymns were familiar. The preacher was on point and spoke in a way that was accessible to everyone in the room, including visitors. They did a really great job of making sure anyone who was visiting could fully participate in the service; at the same time their own customs and traditions were celebrated with integrity.

Beyond that they anticipated the things that any visitor might need: it was a city church with parking on the street and they made sure we were parked legally; it was a really hot and humid day and even though the church was air-conditioned, they still showed us where we could get water; at coffee hour the priest and members of the congregation actually seemed interested in speaking with us; and after church when we asked where a good place to go for brunch was, they not only showed us where we might find good food, we ended up going out to lunch with some members of the church. It was a homerun, and next time I am in DC, I hope to worship at that church again.

But, anyone who has ever visited a church knows that its not always like that. I’ve been to plenty of churches where I found it difficult to worship and pray or felt like I was an uninvited guest at a members-only club. I’m a priest, if I’m confused and lost how are most visitors going to feel? When I feel lost or unwelcome, the best part of the service is always the dismissal… it should be like that. I remember the not-so-great experiences: you can learn from those too.

Trying to be as welcoming to visitors as possible isn’t just nice, it isn’t just a tried and true way of growing the church, its also following the teaching and example of Jesus himself. During his ministry Jesus’ disciples never quite understood that his death and resurrection would bring salvation to the whole world. They had other ideas about what kind of movement he was beginning. Saint Mark tells us that one time when Jesus predicted his own passion and resurrection, they responded simple by arguing about which of them was the greatest. Perhaps they were wondering who would be the next leader when he was gone? I don’t know – I’m not sure it matters why they were arguing.

I think the point is Jesus’ response to their argument: whoever wants to be first must be servant of all. Whoever welcomes even a child welcomes me and him who sent me. Jesus is not only predicting his death and resurrection. He is predicting the identity of all who share in his death and resurrection. Through Christ we have become children of God, part of Christ’s own body, and brothers and sisters in Christ.

Once you see yourself as part of the Body of Christ, the next logical step is to look at others differently. You don’t see your neighbor in the pew. You see a part of the Body of Christ who happens to be your neighbor. Whenever I stop and think about the fact that I have been calling God Father for thirty three years, I am always reminded that every other Christian in the world is saying the same thing: Not just my Father, but our Father.

The Body of Christ isn’t just another name for the church, it’s the actual identity that every Christian is able to claim. Every single one of us – from the oldest to the youngest – whatever our background may be – wherever we may be in our spiritual journey… every single one of us should expect to be welcomed as if we were Christ himself because we share in his death and resurrection. Every single one of us, whether it’s the first time we enter a church or the thousandth should expect to be welcomed as a brother or a sister who already has a reserved place at the table. Think of the best welcome you have ever received at a church and think about what it would be like if everyone always received that same great welcome.

This Fall, if you are looking for ways to live out your faith, start by looking with eyes of faith into a mirror and seeing the Body of Christ. Then pray that you can continue to see with those same eyes of faith all the time, in particular when we gather together and there are visitors or newcomers. Recognizing someone and welcoming someone as if it were Jesus himself isn’t just a nice thing to do. It isn’t just a great way to grow the church. Most importantly, its living out the identity that we all have as the Body of Christ in the world.