Courageous Proclamation

      “Who do people say that I am?”  That’s a familiar passage and Peter’s answer is one of the fundamental beliefs of Christian faith.  But the question is more complicated than appears at first glance because it has implications that go beyond just identification.  Who I am today - is a direct outcome of how I answer Jesus’ question.  Who we are as a community…  is a direct result of how we answer that question together through our hospitality, our outreach, and our proclamation.  Today I want to focus on how we answer the question as a community of faith.

“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. “

Each one of us is a part or – a “member” of lots of bodies.  I am a member of the tennis community.  Garry, Theresa, Jason, and Jon are members of the choral community and we are all members of the Body of Christ.  Each one of us has a multitude of relationships, roles, and responsibilities within the “bodies” to which we belong.  The harmony of the Chorale or the success of the tennis league is dependent on each one of the members bringing their own skills and knowledge to the table and coordinating their efforts with the other members of the body.  For us as members of the Body of Christ it is how we answer Jesus’ question that matters, because how we answer and what we believe shapes the ministry and the mission of not only our own faith, but also the substance of what it means to be a Christ-centered community. 

Every third Sunday of the month the Vestry meets to make financial and missional decisions about our community.  We begin as we always do with the words: “A sacramental community inviting and welcoming all to grow in Christ’s love through fellowship and service”.  On the front of our bulletin we boldly state:  “We are an inclusive and intentionally affirming parish, dedicated to growing in faith, spirit, and community.”   In corporate terms these are “statements of mission”.  But what is also true is that mission statements do not mean much unless they are embodied within the physical and spiritual lives of the people who make that body up.  In other words in order for us to fully be the “Body of Christ” we must invest time and energy into understanding who we are, what we bring, and how we are called to live and move and have our being in order to build the Reign of God.   

So what do we mean when we say we are an “intentionally affirming Christian community”.  What it doesn’t mean is refusing to acknowledge difference.  Without difference we would all bring the same gifts to the table.  But, if we limit our understanding of difference to acceptance or tolerance then we are setting up a hierarchy of gifts.  Professor of religion at Colgate and noted Womanist theologian, Clarice Martin writes “If there were not diversity in the body, and all members were the same or nearly the same, the body would be an unrecognizable non-functional entity.”  

Look back at the reading again.  “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”  Each according to the measure that God has assigned.  I am not the creator of gifts – God is.  And when a God given gift is offered, affirmed, and included – then the Body of Christ is whole. 

To intentionally affirm another’s gifts is to commit to the deliberate practice of making sure we are fully open, supported by, and led into the world by all those who pass through these doors.  And I’m not just talking about on Sunday morning.  I heard a term NPR this week that struck home.  “Courageous proclamation”  That’s what intentional affirmation is… It’s courageous proclamation of God’s love.

Whether it is the families who receive the school supplies we collect, the seekers who visit our booth at Pride and Equality Fest, the children who struggle with adapting to loud and unfamiliar places, the folks who feel cut off from God’s Love and Grace, or perhaps the folks who will walk these halls in a few weeks with white tipped canes.  Each and every one of the Beloved of God bring gifts to this place.  Gifts that God has given to them and there is no gift that is more important than any other.   The Body of Christ is not whole until the people who are unseen actors and unheard voices are proactively included and recognized as contributing members.

Each one of us has to figure out for themselves what that means for them.  I have been thinking about how we can do some tangible things to include and recognize our tenants who are visually impaired.  How about remembering not to leave chairs out in the middle of the shared space, treating the lawn to get rid of fire ant beds, making the driveway easier to walk on.  At the risk of criticism for being “woke”, I was reading an article in the Post last week that discussed how we refer to someone – like pronouns they use…  the gist of the article was that we should ask them.  Don’t just assume you know.  And not just pronouns….  What about names that are not straightforward to pronounce…  It is just simple courtesy to ask rather than to mis-pronounce someone’s name.  And in our own fellowship – making sure there are snacks that meet the dietary needs of each person or asking before touching someone who might not like a bear hug, and the reverse - being sure to smile and offer the peace to others.  

The reason we do these things is because when Jesus asks us “Who do you say that I am?” we answer, you are God with us, beloved of God, Son of God, our teacher, our healer, our comforter, our friend - who says to us “Love one another as I have loved you” 

“Love one another as I have loved you”  Pretty simple. 

“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.”  Amen