Where Two or Three are Gathered in My Name…

Fanned by strong winds, wildfires wrecked destruction on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. Water from Hurricane Idalia poured into towns in Florida and towns in Kentucky and California are overwhelmed from flooding. Each place faced devastation and destruction. But after each storm, neighbors came together to help neighbors.1

In one town, the power was out at the gas station but rather than waste the food that might spoil, workers were cooking up a free feast for the community in the parking lot. Others brought bags of charcoal and helped clear the parking lot of debris.2

In another town, in response to her community coming to her aid, a woman said, "Thank God for small towns and people helping people who will come out and help you no matter what."3

Stories like these warm my heart. People came together to help neighbors. People of every gender, race and heritage work together to bring people to safety, serve food, and clean up the mess. No one seems to notice any of the categories that tend to divide people. When people come together to help one another, I am reminded that God can work through even the worst disaster.

As Jesus said, ‘where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’ And I think that is what happens when people work together to do good for the world both on the ground and with the prayer and financial support that faithful people everywhere offer up. That is what we do through the ELCA’s Lutheran Disaster response. Our thoughts, prayers and donations not only reach people in their immediate need, but what makes this relief effort different is that “when the dust settles and the headlines change, LDR stays to provide ongoing assistance to those in need.”4 This happens not only in places like Florida and Hawaii but also places like Ukraine and Sudan.

And in our neighborhoods. This is why the ELCA focuses on doing God’s work in the neighborhood. We believe that serving the neighbor is “God’s Work” and God uses “Our Hands” and feet and voices and all the gifts God has given us to do good work in our world. And, Jesus is in the midst of it all. As Jesus said, ‘where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’

Jesus is with us when we serve, and when we pray, and when we study the Bible and when we worship God together. In all of these circumstances, where two or three or more are gathered in His name, Jesus is with us.

These are the times that I think about Jesus being with us. And yet, Jesus said these words in a very different context. Jesus was talking with his disciples about the very sticky problems that we face as a church and as a community when a brother or sister in Christ sins against another. There is real hurt and there is a real problem. And it happens.

Jesus tells his disciples – and us – concrete steps we can take to address the situation and, hopefully, restore the offending party to the community. Perhaps there was a particular problem that Jesus anticipated or that the church was experiencing. But even if there were, that’s not as important as the process that Jesus lays out for Christians to follow.

So… imagine that “Chris” sins against “Pat”. Jesus says: “Pat, first, go directly to the person – Chris - who hurt you. Don’t talk about it with other people. Don’t tweet about it. Don’t send out an email or post something on social media complaining about “Chris.” Simply talk directly to Chris. And, if Chris listens to you, then the relationship can be restored. I assume that also means that whatever the “sin” was is then able to be forgiven, amends made and relationship is restored between Chris and Pat and the whole community. That’s a win!

But if Chris doesn’t listen, then, Pat, you need to take another person or two with you. Again, see if Chris will listen. If that doesn’t work, then involve the whole church – the community. The goal is not to shame Chris. The goal is for Chris to listen so that Chris and Pat’s relationship may be healed and Chris may be restored to good standing in the community.

One of the key words here is “Listen.” I think this is one of the hardest things for people to do when confronted with their own sin, their own shortcoming. It is much more tempting to deny it happened or defend ourselves from blame. It takes courage to listen.

It also takes courage for Pat – the one who was hurt - to speak, to tell the truth about the hurt. But the truth, when spoken in love, helps not only the victim – Pat -- but also helps Chris - the one who sinned. For the sin – the hurt – the abuse – also hurts Chris.

For example, when someone is abusing alcohol, family and friends may be hurt. But the alcohol is also hurting the drinker. Out of love and care for their loved one who is misusing alcohol, family and friends may do an intervention in which they express their concerns, advocate for treatment and speak the truth in love. Good results are never guaranteed, but studies show that this kind of support often helps the person seek help.

This is what Jesus encourages us to do to restore community. It is easier to come together when the culprit is a storm or a fire or a flood. But when it is your brother or sister who commits the hurt, who inflicts the damage, then it is harder. Jesus recognizes this and this is why he wants you to know that you are not alone. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Reconciliation of people and restoration of community is always the hope. But sometimes it doesn’t happen. In those cases, Jesus tells us to treat the perpetrator like a Gentile or a tax collector. At first, this may sound like we should ostracize them and treat them like “outsiders.” But… do you remember how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors? Jesus healed Gentiles and ate with tax collectors. Jesus also called one tax collector, Matthew, to be one of the 12 disciples.

Jesus also called Zacchaeus, another tax collector, out of the tree he was sitting in and invited himself to dinner. In that culture, eating with someone was like giving them a seal of approval. Jesus ate with Scribes and Pharisees who hated him and with prostitutes and tax collectors – like Zacchaeus who was despised for working for the Romans and who was assumed to be a cheat. But after Jesus saw him, named him and invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house, Zacchaeus joyfully proclaimed that he would give half of his possession to the poor and repay fourfold anyone that he had harmed. Jesus proclaimed, “Salvation has come to this house” and restored Zacchaeus to community.

Reconciliation and restoration of the community may not happen immediately between the Pats’ and Chris’ of our world. But maybe it can happen – in God’s time. There is always room for hope and for the Holy Spirit.

When I was at Almstead’s the other day, I ran into the son of one of our members whose funeral I did during the pandemic. He was not much interested in church and yet he respected his mother’s faith. He greeted me warmly and spoke with more hope and joy in his voice than I had ever heard. As I chatted with him, I hoped that the Holy Spirit was at work in him for… where two or more are gathered…Jesus was there too.

I had no sooner finished chatting with him than another man approached me. “Pastor Pam,” he said, “do you remember me?” I looked at him… trying to place him. I knew I knew him but I was still thinking about the conversation I had just had and so I said, “Help me.” He told me his name. And the memory of him came back with a roar. You see, when he left our church, he was quite angry with me and with the ELCA. He had posted some rather harsh words on social media. I chose not to respond then…but the words filled me with sorrow. But that was then -- and here we were, in Almsteads, face to face. “Of course, I remember you,” I said with a smile. I asked him how he was doing and asked about his family and if he had found a church. He had. And then…I felt a certain peace come over me. We still disagree now about the things that we disagreed about then. But… we also knew that Jesus was with us. For two or three – gathered in the name of Jesus – are promised the presence of Jesus Christ and the assurance that Jesus came to save God’s children – all of us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

1By: Kenzie Krueger https://www.wtxl.com/florida-neighbors-help-neighbors-after-hurricane-idalia

2 https://news.wfsu.org/wfsu-local-news/2023-08-31/after-idalia-neighbors-in-perry-share-a-spirit-of-hope-and-togetherness WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL)

3 https://elca.org/Resources/Lutheran-Disaster-Response

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Sunday, September 10, 2023

FAITH-LILAC WAY
LUTHERAN CHURCH