A sermon for June 2, 2024, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church – Buffalo, NY .
Video: To watch the sermon at the 10:30am service, click here (video starts with the Gospel reading).
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
A healthy and vibrant community of faith has a certain resilience … a certain confidence that shows itself especially in times of challenge or adversity.
As a healthy and vibrant community of faith, we know that we don’t go through this life isolated or alone, because “together … we can do hard things.”
But also … “together … we can talk about hard things.”
I hope that’s something we can always do together … even when it’s uncomfortable, challenging, or upsetting.
As I’m sure you know, Holy Trinity has been in the news recently. A choral festival was to be held at St. Joseph’s Cathedral on June 9, but that offer to host was rescinded only a couple of weeks before the festival.
Two groups were identified as reasons for the cancellation because the groups have “values … inconsistent with Catholic teaching”.
What are those groups – you may wonder? (1) the Buffalo Gay Men’s Choir, and (2) Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Yes … us. They were referring to Holy Trinity’s Welcome Statement that you can find on the opening pages of your worship bulletin every Sunday.
Our purpose today is not to turn our eyes to the Roman Catholic Church with anger, hurt, frustration, sadness, disappointment.
Instead, our purpose today is for us to look ourselves squarely in the mirror and ask:
“Who are we called to BE in this moment?”
“What are we called to DO in this moment?”
And so … we start with Jesus.
In today’s gospel, Jesus was with His disciples on the Sabbath Day, and they were walking through a grain field – I imagine them walking and talking leisurely.
It doesn’t sound like they were particularly hungry … perhaps they just picked a few grains without giving it much thought.
The Pharisees were watching the disciples and declared that they were “doing what is not lawful on the sabbath.”
We know that remembering the sabbath day and keeping it holy is one of the Ten Commandments. We know that sabbath-keeping is good and necessary and healthy. But, over time, the complexity in keeping the sabbath grew.
If you know much about the sabbath practices of observant Jews nowadays, you know how particular they can be – about meal preparation and even about pushing elevator buttons.
At what point does the rule become the focus instead of God or God’s purpose for people?
Jesus reminds us “the sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath.”
Jesus was in the temple with a man with a withered hand … again … on the sabbath.
The Pharisees were actually watching to see what Jesus would do. They were trying to trap him.
Now … I’m all for rules. I think rules are important for so many reasons.
BUT … rules can be used to define who are the insiders and who are the outsiders.
If you observed the sabbath day, you were an insider and, if you didn’t, you were an outsider.
What’s remarkable is that Jesus chose to focus on people which put him in opposition to the rules where the insiders were and, therefore, put Jesus among the outsiders.
But Jesus was comfortable being an outsider. He sat with tax collectors, sinners, and prostitutes.
And WHY did Jesus find himself as an outsider? Do you recall that Jesus said that people who are healthy don’t need a physician? He said that he came not for the righteous but for sinners.
All societies have norms – basically … rules that define who is “us” and who is NOT “us” … who are the insiders and who are the outsiders.
Taken a bit further, these norms can be used to define who is “outside the norm.”
Think back over time to how norms have defined what women could and could not do – what people of color, Irish, Jews could and could not do … what they could and could not BE.
But … we do NOT live definitions set by those who say what we are NOT.
We live by who we ARE and are called to BE.
Holy Trinity’s Welcome Statement describes who we are as a congregation and refocuses us on ALL of God’s people.
At times, that Welcome Statement will be seen as outside the norm and that we will then be … outsiders. But we are in good company, because that’s also where we find Jesus.
We have people who are active participants in the ministry – OUR people – who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
What does God call us to DO in this moment?
What does God call us to BE in this moment?
Are we called to expel LGBTQIA people from the worshipping community or welcome them?
Are we called to put conditions on whether Jesus loves or accepts them or speak definitively that Jesus does love and accept them.
If “we” are supposed to do these things … if “we” are supposed to pass judgement and restrict access to God and a community of faith … what would be our purpose? What would have given us this authority?
Can ANY person stand before God and say “I am worthy and this other person is not?”
The world is full of judgement … full of shaming and guilting … full of tearing down.
What the world desperately needs … is mercy.
What all people need is a place that is safe and where people can bring the best and the worst of themselves … their proudest accomplishments and their deepest shame … because if you can’t be yourself before God … if you can’t lay your life bare before God … where else can you?
Rules don’t define us as God’s people … LOVE does.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Epicurious Lutheran 