01 If We Let THOSE People In Here

From exclusion to inclusion; from I to We:
The title of this sermon is "If We Let THOSE People In Here!"
I hate to tell you, but WE are THOSE PEOPLE! Almost the only
people IN the early church were, of course, Jews. Jesus was a Jew as
were the majority of his followers. Early on, they weren't meeting in
churches. they were meeting in the synagogues. The people in the early
meetings of the church were scandalized when they heard that the Apostle
Peter, was admitting THOSE PEOPLE - (Gentiles - that's us) into the
fellowship of the followers of Jesus. It was hard to believe that he would
do that - he was so concerned about the survival of the Jews who were
under Roman domination, that, like other zealots or nationalists, he carried
a sword on his person to be able to defend the Israelite nation at a moments
notice. Letting THOSE people into their fellowship was inexcusable -
what was he thinking? They called him on the carpet - or what passed for
carpet in those days!
What Peter said in essence was, "Don't argue with me, argue
with God!", explaining that GOD had shown him in a vision that the
fellowship of the followers of Jesus was to be an inclusive one. He readily
admitted that God had to show him - tell him - three times before He
himself could come to terms with the fact of coming into contact with
THOSE PEOPLE .
In Jerusalem we Gentiles were THOSE PEOPLE. In Miami
Beach in our time, the Jews were THOSE PEOPLE - If we let THOSE
PEOPLE In here....!"
Strange, isn't it. God made everyone in creation, why should we
not welcome those whom God has made. The Jewish dietary laws had
prohibited them from sharing at the table of the gentiles. But Jesus dined
with them all. (And I was thinking as I was driving along and developing
this sermon) that Jesus would invite everyone to come to His table. Over
the centuries, the church has made His table a very exclusive place for the
very few.) Too bad!
Like Jesus, now Peter was doing what Jesus had done - entering
into the homes of the Gentiles, dining with them, inviting them to follow the
Risen Christ.
Right after his vision, three men were waiting for him to invite him into a
Gentile home - the home of Cornelious who had been visited by an angel
and instructed to send people to get Simon Peter who would tell him and
his family about the new thing God was doing through Jesus.
God is hungering for us to know and welcome all of his people.
How welcoming are you? How charitable are you in your thoughts about
persons different from yourself - who worship in other ways - who vote
differently than you do - whose skin is of another color. How do you treat
THOSE PEOPLE in your thoughts? How do you treat THEM.
The first thing we can do to put God's vision to Peter into
effect in our lives is to cross some things out of our vocabulary.
Cross out "them". Cross out "those". There is only us!
In a premarital counseling session the other day, I asked the groom
who was saying "I - this" and "I - that: "When are you going to
transist from "I" to "We" You're not on your life's journey
alone any more.
Has your "I" turned to we - Has it finally dawned that all on Space
Ship Earth are your fellow travelers?
How long has it been since you expanded your circle of friends?
Can I guess who's coming to dinner?
Who have you invited to church lately. Who has the church
invited to church? Again this year, under the sponsorship of the Counseling
Ministry of South Florida - A Samaritan Center, persons of all faiths will
be here the night before Thanksgiving to that the Creator for blessings
received.
At the last one, I was so saddened to hear a sarcastic remark
from one of the rabbis when the Islamic speaker got up to address us.
We can either kill each other or learn to understand and get along with
each other.
Unfortunately, we so often judge a group by the worst person of
that group. I like to pick the best person I know that is in any ethnic, racial
or religious group than my own, and judge the group by that person.
I am listening now to Barak Obama's book in which he tells of a
man who used very bad language when referring to one racial group - until
at work he got to know and appreciate several members of that race. His
thinking changed. His vocabulary changed. His attitude changed.
Our coming to understand and appreciate each other and
care for one another is the very thing that can save us from
ourselves as fellow travelers on this terrestrial ball. And those of us
who practice a religious faith have possibility than any other group to
make a difference. We have allowed our faiths to divide the world and be
responsible for more wars than anything else. It is time for us to turn that
around!
But to do that, we must practice what we will call "Sacred envy"
First, we look at other denominations than our own - and other faiths than
our own and find some things to envy. The Rev. Thomas Goodhue,
Executive Director of the Long Island Council of Churches says that he
loves the infectious joy of African American congregations where worship
is exuberant praise as in Latin and Korean congregations. He loves the
churches that emphasize that "God is still speaking". He likes the
ways Muslims and Bahais focus on doing good rather than avoiding
evil.....the way Buddhists and Quakers gently nudge us to unplug, turn off
the noise, shut up, sit down and just be silent for a while. He is indebted
to Judaism for teaching him over and over again that we are called to
"tikkun olam" - to repair the brokenness of our world - and for raising a
certain Jewish kid who he strives to follow. Practice religious envy!
Remember that the is something larger than self, family, tribe and
nation. It's name may vary: God, Kosmos, Higher Power, Universal
Spirit, Source of the Sun that is greater than the parts. Let us expand our
circles of care and compassion and bring about a more peaceful world -
as we join the Prince of Peace at His table - his inclusive, around the
world table to which He welcomes all.
Come to this sacred table, not because you must, but becauseyou may.....