Sunday, July 2, 2017

Even a Cup of Cold Water Can Turn the World Right-Side-Up

Sermon for July 2, 2017Proper 8A – RCL Track 1



Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

The one phrase that really stands out for me in today’s very short gospel reading is “whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” 

The whole of this chapter in the Gospel of Mathew is about being a disciple.  Being commissioned and sent our to cast out demons and cure the sick.  To being welcomed back and warned that discipleship is not easy.  That the world will not welcome the good news that God’s economy is different that the economy of empire.  We heard that turning society back right side up will split families and communities.  Because God’s economy is one of welcome.  Welcome to those who feel unwelcomed. 

Being a disciple sounds like hard work and not for the feint of heart!  It sounds like something only a few are called to do.  But look at the disciples in our Gospel story.  None of them are brave warriors ready to battle and throw off empire.  They are tax collectors and fisher people. They are women and people who are generally looked down upon by society.  It is this rag tag group of people that God is trusting his kingdom to.  Not to the rich and powerful.  Not to empire.  But to ordinary fisherman.  To ordinary tax collectors who leave a lucrative – albeit despised position to help turn society right side up.

We come to the end of this description of discipleship and it now sounds so simple.  Jesus says It is about welcome.   It is about vulnerability.  And to put a fine point on it Jesus says even, even offering a cup of cold water ensures your place in God’s kingdom.  Even. Even welcoming those who society doesn’t welcome will get you into the kingdom.  Even offering a smile and a hello to someone who is ignored and despised because they look different will get you into the kingdom of God.

Conversely there are things that will make it much more difficult to enter the kingdom – and in fact make it hard, if not impossible, to see God’s dream for creation.  We do that by looking at people we don’t even know with contempt – or worse.  We do it when we assign motive to people who we never even talk to or make any effort to understand their situation. 

The other day I read a post on our neighborhood blog asking if anyone knew who owned the piano that sits out on a porch on H street – on my route to and from work.  There is a man who plays the piano that sits on the porch.  This man plays the piano beautifully and with passion.  I have heard Elgar and Bach sing out into the street as well as a little ragtime.  I wish I played half as well as he does.  And every time I hear him play my steps are lighter and a smile involuntarily comes to my face. But apparently not everyone is enjoying the free concerts.

The post I read was a complaint.  They complained that an unsavory black man was playing this porch piano and wondered how to make it stop.  Unsavory black man.  Why unsavory?  Because he is homeless?  Because he is unkempt?  Because he is black? There was a rush to judgment about the character of the man just because of his appearance.  I was ready to write just such a response to the post but I waited and was heartened that the neighbors came to the man’s defense.  One neighbor asked why unsavory?  That indeed we all can be a bit unsavory looking from time to time.  Many of the neighbors suggested that the person complaining talk to this gifted – yet homeless – pianist.  To get to know him before passing judgment and asking to take away what may be one of his few joys.  I did not have to post because the other neighbors who live around the porch piano love his playing and defended it – and noted that he got permission from the owner of the house before playing it!

How many times do we assign motive to someone without even talking to them.  How often to we assume the person who passes us on the freeway at a high rate of speed is just being a jerk?  Perhaps they are on there way to an emergency – maybe not but why judge?  We judge because it is easy to do and I admit to doing it too.  But these gut reactions are not what turns society right-side-up.

What turns society right side up are also not the big things.  Sure a huge feeding program and housing for those who have no place to lay there heads would help to fulfill God’s dream.  But really it is in the thousands of small acts that bring in God’s dream of love.  It is welcoming the stranger through our doors.  It is making sure that there is food at our coffee hours for both our own important community time but also for the space it makes for us to get to know those who walk through our doors looking for a bit of sanctuary.

And walking through these doors takes courage and makes the person vulnerable.  This little stone church speaks of empire.  It looks like empire.  It is an imposing building and the church in general does not always have a good track record in welcoming the stranger.  Many at St. Paul’s make a noble effort to make this a welcoming place.  But if you have not experienced that welcome this is a scary place to enter.  And many people have been hurt by the church – not necessarily this worshiping community but the church at large.  It is a radical act to offer hospitality to those society wished would go away.

It is in a thousand small acts that God calls us to perform that brings God’s dream of a society that focuses on the goodness of creation rather than on self aggrandizement to fruition.  A preacher I follow, David Lose said “that even our smallest acts of kindness and generosity reverberate with cosmic significance. You never know the difference your faithful actions may have. And it’s a thought – really, a promise – worth reminding [us] about: that [we] have the opportunity to be Jesus’ disciples and make a difference in the world each and every day and wherever [we] may be.”[1]

So when you hear the Holy Spirit calling you to discipleship don’t worry that you will be called to do something huge.  Do not fret that you are not big enough, strong enough, or have enough time to truly be a disciple.  Do not worry that your faith might not be big enough.  Because that is not what Jesus is asking his disciples to do and is not necessarily what we are being asked to do. 

Our Gospel lesson summarized the call.  We are called to provide welcome.  We are called to open our ears to the prophets and by extension to the Holy Spirit.  We are called to welcome those who call for radical reform that welcomes the least into full fellowship.  And we are called to provide a cold drink – even a cold drink to the least among us to ensure that we will not only enter God’s kingdom but that we actively create God’s kingdom on this corner of 15th and J streets. 

I see it happening on this corner all the time.  I see it in our midweek services where out of 25 people last Wednesday at least 15 of them came here who society would not welcome.  Some of them might be called by some as unsavory.  Some of them might be called worse by people who don’t know them.  But they brave coming in the door.  They hunger.  Not just for food but for welcome.  They hunger for a community that welcomes them to the table.  The hunger for spiritual food and drink. 

And thanks be to God they are welcomed and are fed spiritually.  And they are fed physically by our wonderful altar guild that provides a hot balanced and nutritional meal after the service.  The need is great and the gratitude for even a single good meal served at table is huge.  David Lose reminds us that we are “… called not to heroic discipleship but to genuine discipleship, the kind of discipleship characterized by what I’d call “everyday faith.” “Everyday” in both senses of the word: ordinary, mundane even …, simple. But also each and every day."[1]

I give thanks that we can offer a drink and a meal to those who are brave enough to enter into what from the outside is a very imposing building.  I give thanks that many people here are called to be disciples and are following that call. Because even a cold drink of water  given to one of God’s beloved creation will rock our society and help turn it right-side up. 




[1] http://www.davidlose.net/2017/06/pentecost-4-a-even/

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