Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Fourth Sunday after Pentecost - 06/12/16 Sermon - “Radical Hospitality"

Sunday 06/12/16 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Radical Hospitality”

                            

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 5:1-8

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Galatians 2:15-21

Gospel Lesson: Luke 7:36-8:3

          Friends, sisters and brothers, I want to welcome you again on this the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit moved on and through the first disciples of Jesus Christ, and for the first time they went forth preaching and living the gospel of Jesus Christ. The day of Pentecost is the birthday of the Christian Church, and the day that the work of Jesus Christ formally began.

          In doing this work, the Christian Church has so often been asked to explain to people why the gospel of Jesus Christ is worth investing in. This is to say, a non-believer can easily say, “Why should I follow Jesus Christ?” When presented with that question, what is our response to such a person? We could say that Bible reveals Jesus Christ as the savior of the world, and the way to salvation. Yet, if someone has never heard the gospel before, and if they don’t know who we are, is it possible that our words might just fall on deaf ears? If we as Christians seem unfriendly, unloving, and uncaring, perhaps our presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ comes across as an infomercial for a juicer, or a cleaning product, or perhaps we sound like a telemarketer. We are called to grow the church, but I don’t believe that the church is a business. I believe that Jesus Christ can and does forgive us of our sins, and that when we come to him, we can be changed through the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that church has the power from God to change the world. Yet, we need to convey this people in way that they feel loved, appreciated, and cared for.

          One of the things that Jesus Christ, and then his disciples and the early church often practiced so well, was the practice of “radical hospitality”. This morning, I want to talk about how the Christian Church has grown over the years, and how this growth was often connected to “radical hospitality”. I also want to talk about how I believe that the Christian Church can continue to grow and be strong through the practice of “radical hospitality”. 

I want to read to you now from the United Methodist Church Communications website what is meant by the term “radical hospitality”. This is written by a person named Poonam Patodia. This is what they wrote: “Radical hospitality” requires intentional invitation and welcome. It goes beyond greeters at the door and handshakes during worship to welcome every person as an honored guest.”

“Certainly, being a “friendly” church is good. But being in ministry in a confused and hurting world calls for “radical hospitality,” which breathes our core value: people are important to God and to this church. You already have the building blocks.”

This morning in our gospel of Luke reading, we have a story about “radical hospitality”. In this story we have a woman, whom the gospel identifies as “a sinner,” who shows Jesus radical love and hospitality (Lk. 7:36-8:3, CEB). Before getting into this gospel reading though, I want to talk for a few minutes about the future of this church, and all churches, around the practice of “radical hospitality”.

To begin, I have a question for everyone here. How many of you would say that when you grew up, that there was a strong sense of community? By community, I mean, you knew your neighbors, and they knew you. You and your friends probably had Sundays off, or at least Sunday mornings. Many of you went to church, as the majority of the community did so. While we had differences, many of us can say that we grew up in communities that had a lot cohesion, or togetherness. Communities where we knew each other, and maybe even communities where we lived and worked with people for years.

There certainly was lot wrong with the years that some of you grew up, in the way of injustices, and other social inequalities, but many people that I talk to, would say that when they grew up, there was more of a sense of community.

In the world we live in 2016, how many of us barely know our neighbors? I know that I can be guilty of that. How many of us know all the families around us well? How many of us get together with each other often, like we used to? We also have a situation where many of the businesses and jobs that we once had are no longer here. Some of our young people when they graduate from high school of college venture off to other towns, cities, states, or even countries.

The country that we live in, and the world itself is changing. Due to all of this, and due to the fact that Sunday is now a busy day for many, it has affected our churches. Sure we have a lot people near the church, and some of them have small kids, but a lot of church folks say, “I wonder why they don’t come to church”.  

Many of these new families are not from Freeville, and they have moved in in recent years, or even months. Yet the mission of our church is, “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”. Our culture, our sense of community, has and is changing rapidly. How many of you feel that in 2016 we have greatly lost our sense of community?

I was talking to a friend of mine who is pastor in Cortland, and he reflected on a pastor that he knows. This pastor began pastoring a Church in 1970’s in relatively urban area. The church grew rapidly. When the pastor was asked his secret for growing the church, he said, “I opened the doors”. What I want to propose this morning, is that we are in era of the Christian Church, at least in this country, where opening the doors is no longer enough.

In having been a social studies teacher out of college, I remember teaching my students that at the center of just about every town in New England was a church. The church would have a tall steeple, and it was the center of the community. Yet when community was strong, the church was strong, because community was invested in the church.

My brothers and sisters, if we feel that our sense of community has deteriorated, and if the Christian Church has largely been the center of many communities, then we have to do church differently. I believe that we are no longer in era of “open the doors” and the church will explode in size. If we feel that our sense of community has deteriorated, then we as the church must find ways to go out into the community, to rebuild our sense of community. We must implement love and “Radical hospitality”.

If the Christian Church was once the center of our communities, and if our community structure has weakened, then we as the church have to literally go out into the community, for relationships, to show “radical hospitality,” and bring the community together, through the church, for Jesus Christ.

Some folks have said to me, “But pastor, when we grew up, the church was always full, and all we had to do was open the doors”. There are plenty of days in ministry that I am tired, and that wish that this was still the case, but it isn’t.

If we feel that our sense of community has faltered, what can God’s church do reach out, to re-build our sense of community? You see many of our churches were strong as a result of a strong community. It is certainly a challenging place to be as a church, but I believe that a big part of building community, and subsequently the church, is through “radical hospitality”. Letting people know and showing people that they are loved by you, and by God. Showing this community who we are in Jesus Christ. Showing this community why are church is such a gem, and rebuilding this church with the new people we have and are yet to have.

Sisters and brothers, I need to do better with this, and I intend to. How many of us here though, love this church and love Jesus Christ? What can we do this week to show the people around here, and where we live, the “radical hospitality” of Jesus Christ? Maybe someone from this church can get us connected to the community garden that is down the street? How can we better partner with them?

This morning in our gospel of Luke reading, the gospel begins by saying, “One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him” (Lk. 7:36a, CEB). I am guess that this Pharisee did not invited Jesus over to dinner just to be kind, but likely so that he could fault with Jesus. This Pharisee will do just this as the gospel reading continues.

Gospel then says, speaking of Jesus, “After he entered the Pharisee’s home, he took his place at the table. Meanwhile a woman from the city, a sinner, discovered that Jesus was dining in the Pharisee’s house. She brought perfumed oil in a vase made of alabaster” (Lk. 7:36b-37, CEB). So this woman has come to Jesus.

The gospel then says, “Standing behind him at his feet and crying, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured the oil on them” (Lk. 7:38, CEB). Now I don’t about you, but I would consider this to be a great example of “radical hospitality” on the part of the women.

This is what the gospel says next, “When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw what was happening, he said to himself, if this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. He would know that she is a sinner” (Lk. 7:39, CEB). Friends, are we not all sinners? Do we not all need God’s grace though?

Jesus responds to the Pharisee who invited him over to dinner by saying, “Simon, I have something to say to you. “Teacher, speak,” he said. “A certain lender had two debtors. One who owed enough money to pay five hundred people for a day’s work. The other owed enough money for fifty. When they couldn’t pay, the lender forgave the debts of them both. Which of them will love him more?” (Lk. 7:40-42, CEB). Then “Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the largest debt canceled.” Jesus said, “You have judged correctly.” Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your home, you didn’t give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with tears and wipe them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has poured perfumed oil on my feet” (Lk. 7:43-46, CEB).

Then Jesus says this to Simon, “This is why I tell you that her many sins have been forgiven; so she has grown great love. The one who is forgiven little loves little” (Lk. 7:47, CEB).

The gospel continues by saying, “Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other table guests began to say among themselves, who is this person that forgives sins?” (Lk. 7:48-49, CEB). The gospel continues on to say, Then “Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (Lk. 7:50, CEB).

The “radical hospitality in this morning’s gospel reading doesn’t end here either. The first few verse we are given from Luke 8 say, “Soon afterward, Jesus traveled through the cities and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom. The Twelve were with him, along with some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sickness. Among them were Mary Magdalene (from whom seven demons have been thrown out), Joanna (the wife of Herod’s servant Chuza), Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources” (Lk. 8:1-3, CEB). My brothers and sisters, “radical hospitality”.

          Historically speaking, whenever the Christian Church has loved people like this, whenever the Christian Church has been effective at showing, displaying, and conveying “radical hospitality”. If we feel our communities have weakened, and are not as strong as they used to be, what can we as the church do about it? If the church is called to be the center of communities like this, we must then go out to the people, loving, healing, caring, and showing “radical hospitality”.

          Our task for this week ahead then, is this. I ask that you step out of our comfort zone and do at least one loving and radical thing for someone else, near where you live. Make someone some cookies, send them a card, be for them the living gospel of Jesus Christ. My sisters and brothers, this is the solution to the church, this is how we grow, and this is how can become all that Jesus Christ wants us to be. God bless us all. Amen.