Sunday 4th December (Advent2)
Romans 15: 1-13
“Welcome one another, therefore,
just as God in Christ has welcomed you,
for the glory of God.”
It’s not uncommon to see on church noticeboards the invitation:
All are welcome.
The sub-text is that we are a friendly church We are a church to which you might want to belong.
I have not heard of John the Baptist noticeboards saying- we welcome everyone – you brood of vipers, repent and be baptized! Share your clothing and food, be above board in your business affairs, don’t manipulate and be content with what you have ( see Luke 3:10-14)
It doesn’t sound like a very welcoming message – but John prepared the way for Jesus.
I’ve belonged to well over a dozen churches in my life. I know what it is like to visit a church when I am not known. Standing on the edges, quietly looking at groups of people who scarcely notice my presence. I may visit that church without anyone bothering to say hello.
Today, the passage from Romans asks us to reflect on welcoming the strangers – who may be the guise of Christ.
The universal church confesses it is the Body of Christ. Local churches carry the DNA of the universal church. Today as we celebrate holy communion we are participating in the sign that as God makes us welcome. As a result we should welcome one others for the glory of God.
Jews & Gentiles
Colour, language, culture & religion are four important factors which form semi-exclusive groups.
In the ancient world a great division was between Jews and Gentiles. The Jews believed in a God who had chosen them to be a light for the nations. They were sandwiched between more powerful nations which worshipped many gods, and thought them a little absurd.
It was not easy to become a Jew, although e quite a number of gentiles were attracted to the ethics of monotheism. These were called God-fearers by the Jews.
With the birth of Christianity boundaries between Jew and gentile collapsed in part. The new Jewish religious movement welcomed Gentiles as fellow believers. Who is welcome? – was the first significant struggle of the early church to practice being united in Christ. (See Acts 15)
The great letter to the Romans is consumed by this relationship of Jew and gentile. Paul was emphatic that the new covenant did not deny God’s covenant with the Jews. God is in the business of widening the circle of grace.
The advent of Jesus the Messiah birthed a new future for Jew and Gentile. Towards the end of his letter he drew on Isaiah and the Psalms to stress that this was God’s plan long before the birth of Jesus. “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.”
Today Christianity is alive in almost every nation and language group in the world. One of its strengths is cultural adaptability and the ability to welcome others, as God in Christ welcomed us.
The flipside is the unerring capacity of Christian churches to exclude, condemn and demonise – something which is never found in the good news of Jesus.
Who’s in, who’s out?
People often divide into groups. Baptists and Methodists. Hindus and Moslems. Atheists and theists. Scientists and artists. Who’s with us, who’s not. Who’s welcome on any terms, and who’s welcome as long as she behaves/ believes in our way.
It didn’t take long for the young churches to divide. Paul , in his letter to the Corinthians was horrified how people split into groups. “One of you says I follow Paul; another I follow Apollos,; another I follow Peter; still another I follow Christ. Christ has been divided into groups! “ ( 1 Cor 1: 12-13)
Four centuries passed and the Eastern and Western Roman Empire developed. Catholic and Orthodox churches developed very different practices of Christianity depending on their culture, language and context.
A thousand years later the Western church spilt into increasing diversity of denominations. Anglicans, Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, Quakers … just to name a few each with a different perspective on true Christianity.
Diversity was not so much a problem but many would have little to do with one another. One grouping of Christians mistrusted that other lot down the road. You can see it in country towns and in cities – all those different Christian ‘brands’.
The creation of the Uniting Church was a response to declare that the day of division should be over. Our founders pushed back to the ancient message. Welcome one another, as God in Christ welcomed you to the glory of God. The ecumenical movement is the art of seeking to understand and welcome one another with all our differences.
There are no barriers – except the ones we create. No one is unwelcome – unless we choose to make them so. The letter to the Hebrews reminds us of sacred hospitality: “Do not forget to welcome strangers , for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Being a welcoming community is not just nodding and saying hello. It is moving from your comfort zone. Begin a conversation. Invite a newcomer for lunch. Help explain an aspect of the service that is puzzling. Why do we sing together? Why do different churches have different emphases? How can I encourage you in your life and faith?
Today, as we celebrate Holy Communion we are at the heart of God’s welcome. A meal is the heart of community, although in this Meal we share a fragment of bread and wine – which becomes for us the communion of Christ.
Welcome and hospitality is a spiritual discipline. It calls us out of cliques and friendship circles into building new relationships, encouraging one another on this journey of faith.
We are the Body of Christ. His spirit is in us. Let us welcome and cultivate the diversity of God’s rainbow people.