Third Sunday in Epiphany
In our second reading today, Paul urges the church in Corinth to be one in mind and without division. That is easy to do, right? To be honest, I chuckle at this a little bit. Has Paul ever been to church before? I think anyone who has ever spent time in a church—or anywhere for that matter—knows that not everyone will agree or be ‘one in mind’ on everything. People are complicated and diverse, which is both a blessing and a challenge when living in community. At some point, there will always be something that people disagree on, even in church.
There are the smaller disagreements and divisions such as what color carpet to choose, the best way to collect the Sunday offering, or how to arrange furniture. I remember the one year during Lent when my home congregation re-arranged the sanctuary into a circle with the altar and the cross in the middle—there were definitely some mixed responses there! With these kinds of disagreements and divisions feathers can be ruffled and there might be some frustration, but typically these issues do not interfere with the bigger picture of the Church’s mission. We can usually make it through these kinds of challenges without too much trouble.
But then, of course, there are wider matters of debate and division, such as questions of theology and how to do ministry. How should the church organize its budget and spend its money? How involved should the church be in political matters, or when might the church need to take a stand on a political issue? Who is welcome in the church, and what should the church do with “problem people”—the always misbehaving child, the drug addict, the undocumented immigrant? What does the church look like and how do we “do church” together in an ever changing and complicated world? These are complex questions that often come with emotions and dearly held beliefs. These are the kinds of questions that can divide a community if they aren’t handled with care.
Well, I’m sorry to say that I don’t have the answers to these complicated questions, but I do know that the Church as a whole has been wrestling with complicated questions since the beginning. In the letter to the Corinthians Paul is writing to a divided church. The Church in Corinth was still in its early stages and they were learning how to do and be church together. They had to figure out what their worship would look like, what theological teachings they would follow, and how to interact with people of different backgrounds (I.e. Jew and Gentile, Rich and Poor, etc.). The people in Corinth were full of faith, passionate about their community, but they disagreed on various things and they were trying to find a way forward.
So in the midst of these conflicts and questions, here comes Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Paul writes to remind them who they are as a community. They are a community of people who have been transformed through the Gospel, called to be united in mission with Christ at their center. Caught up in their disagreements they were forgetting this fact, and I think we too can lose sight of our true purpose in such moments. To be one in mind does not mean we will always agree, but rather that we are committed to living and working together for the sake of God’s work in the world. Said in another way, there will be disagreements in the Church, but as Christians transformed by the Gospel we seek to be community together with Christ as our center.
So how does a community transformed by the Gospel do ministry? How do we make decisions centered in our common mission in Christ? Of course this will look a little different in each congregation, but I think there are a few key things we can learn from Jesus when it comes to living in community together.
First, the four gospels teaches us that Jesus had compassion and concern for the poor and marginalized. Rather than ignoring the “problematic people”, Jesus reached out to them in kindness. Think of Zacchaeus the tax collector, the blind beggar or the ten lepers. These are all people who were on the outside for one reason or another until Jesus reached out. He saw the humanity in them when others did not. As a community discerning ministry and life together, we can learn from Jesus to keep in mind the most vulnerable in the community and how we as a church can reach out.
Second, Jesus was inclusive, and often included the most unexpected of people. Our gospel for today is an example. Jesus is walking along the shoreline and chooses to call two groups of fisherman to be his disciples. Now in that time period, Jewish boys typically went through a certain amount of religious instruction and education, and at the end of that training if a boy was smart enough/good enough he might be chosen to be a disciple of a rabbi. This was a great honor if you were chosen. But if you weren’t good enough to make the cut you lost the opportunity and went to learn the family trade. This is what happened to Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John. None of them were good enough to make the cut to be chosen by a rabbi. And yet, along comes Jesus, who calls these seemingly unqualified men to be a part of his ministry. He tells them “Come, and I will make you fishers of people” and they dropped everything and came as they were. I also want to note that Jesus did not specify what kind of people they would be fishing for. They would not be fishing for just the people that were good enough, smart enough, rich enough. They would be fishing for people, all kinds of people, because in God’s ministry all people belong. As a church we can ask ourselves in our ministry how we are following Jesus’s example of inviting and involving all people. Scripture reminds us—there are many gifts and many people but one Spirit uniting the Body of Christ. The uniqueness of each individual is an asset to the community as a whole, all people have value and something to share.
Third, I think Jesus is a good example of relationship, patience and humility. Jesus took time to get to know the people around him. He seemed to have a genuine interest in others, and he even made time for children and the lowest in society. He had compassion and he listened. As a community, when it comes to making a decision or working through a disagreement, I think one of the best things we can do is to follow the example of Jesus and simply listen. People want to know that we care enough to hear their concerns. And who knows, we might just gain a valuable new insight we hadn’t had before. Being community together means being open and willing to learn from one another.
Finally, and most importantly, Jesus’s ministry was rooted in prayer and discernment. Jesus often took time away from his work to pray and be with God. Taking this time to pray allowed Jesus to discern, listen and reflect so that his ministry could be purposeful and Spirit-led. Likewise, church communities also need time to pray and discern together when making a decision or facing a challenge. This time helps us as a community to remember our values, strengthen our relationships with God and one another and be open to where God’s Spirit might be leading. We can ask ourselves how we as a community are taking time to grow in relationship both with God and with each other. What might God say to our community if we took time to listen, pray and discern together?
Being in community can certainly be challenging at times—relationships of all kinds have their challenging moments— but community is also such a gift. God created us to be in relationship with one another. Community can support us when we need it, as well as challenge each of us to grow and try new things. In community we learn to see God in our neighbor and we learn from those who are different than ourselves. In community we find belonging and the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, and when we bring our gifts, talents, resources and passions together we can do far greater things than we could do on our own.
This is the kind of community I have experienced here at Faith-Lilac Way. This is a community that is passionate about ministry, and together you have done and continue to do wonderful things for the sake of the gospel. I have found this to be a community that supports one another, a community where people can be vulnerable when they need to be and still be accepted. This is a community that people can call home, a place to belong.
God is with us in this community. This church is made of many members and many gifts, and with Christ at our center this congregation will continue to grow in faith, relationship and mission. So let us continue together, one in mission and one in gospel. Let us show compassion and inclusivity, patience and listening. May we be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led in prayer and discernment. With all of the the ups and downs that come with living in community, I know God is at work within this community and good things continue to be in store. Thanks be to God. Amen.