Gifts to Give and Receive (1 Corinthians 12)

 🌍On this World Communion Sunday, I want to tell you a little bit about the work of Global Ministries.

Global Ministries is the common witness of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (our denomination) and the United Church of Christ. Our two denominations have a formal partnership, working together with a common staff, budget, programs/projects, and governance in our presence and witness with international partners throughout the global community.

Global Ministries currently works with about 250 partners in nearly 90 countries. We join hands with international partners and walk together in mutual love and respect with our siblings around the world.

Just by being part of First Christian Church, you are part of the work of Global Ministries. By being in covenant with other Disciples of Christ congregations, this is a part of our ministry.

In addition to the work of the Global Ministries office, some of our regional churches have their own Global Ministries committee. In 2018, in southern California, I was invited to be the chair of the regional Global Ministries committee in the Pacific Southwest Region.

I accepted, but there was just one problem: I knew very little about what that global ministries committee did.

Fortunately, most of the members of that committee had lots of experience. They had the knowledge. They just needed someone to keep them organized.

So I sent our reminders of our meeting dates, I made the agenda for each meeting and sent those out, I kept us focused on the agenda, and I followed up each meeting by sending out the minutes. These things, I could do.

And, little by little, I learned about the ministry that the committee did.

Over the years, the committee had developed partnerships with ministries in several different parts of the world. One of those places was Puerto Rico. 

🌍And a few months after I became chair of that committee, I found myself on an airplane bound for San Juan, with other members of our committee. Our purpose was to help communities in Puerto Rico in their recovery from Hurricane Maria, which had hit the island 18 months earlier, killing 3,000 people, and destroying the infrastructure of the island.

Mission work in the 21st century flows two ways. We were there to give and receive. We offered our labor and our presence, and we received from the people we worked with their gifts of faith, determination, and knowledge.

Once upon a time, mission work was seen as something that went only one-way. White Americans or Europeans believed that they had all the answers, and that “primitive” people in less developed countries were in need of guidance and direction. We went there, and we told them what they needed and what they needed to do. It was condescending and colonialistic.

But gradually, the church learned—and is still learning—to accept the gifts and the leadership of our partners in other countries, and to let them guide us.

The Disciples of Christ have a long history in Puerto Rico. 

Well over 100 years ago, we sent missionaries to Puerto Rico. I’m not sure whether those missionaries followed old patterns of missionary work, or were starting to embrace new ones, but they worked to establish the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Puerto Rico: a wholly separate denomination from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada; but obviously, the two denominations have strong ties and historical roots.

And we have a lot to learn from one another.

While in Puerto Rico, we attended Sunday worship in one of their congregations. The preacher that day was a pastor who I had heard preach before in California; the only difference was that, in California, he preached in English. Here, in Puerto Rico, it was in Spanish.

I didn’t understand much. The sermon seemed to be about the paralyzed man who was lying on his mat next to the pool, hoping to be healed by Jesus. I heard the preacher say “Quieres ser sano,” and I understood that phrase:  “Do you want to be healed.”

Later in the sermon, another phrase caught my attention: “No es fácil, pero es posible.” 

It’s not easy, but it is possible.

To be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure what the preacher was talking about. Was he talking about the paralyzed man starting a new life after being healed by Jesus? Was he talking about the road ahead for Puerto Rico, as they continue recovering from the hurricane? Was he talking about something else?

I wasn’t sure.

But then I thought of how those of us from California were struggling to understand everything that was being said, not only during that worship service, but throughout our time in Puerto Rico. And I thought of how we are called to work together, for our mutual healing, and for the healing of this world, especially with people who are so very different from us. People who worship in other places, in other languages. 

No es fácil, pero es posible.

And I thought of the difficult task facing the church in so many places today, when so many are turning away from religion, while so many others are embracing a religion of judgment and condemnation and greed that is so far removed from the way of living Jesus taught. It’s become so hard for churches—churches like ours—just to exist, just to sustain their ministries, year after year.

It’s often so discouraging.

And yet: no es fácil, pero es posible.

The amazing thing is that it’s now been over seven years since I went on that trip… and, as you can see, I’m still influenced by it. I’m still reflecting on it, and the lessons I learned.

That’s one of the benefits of modern missionary work.

We have so much to learn, all of us. So many gifts to receive, and so many gifts to share. 

🌍World Communion Sunday reminds us of the gifts of Christians all over the world, who gather in unity around the Lord’s Table. It reminds us that there really is just one table around which we gather. In some places, it is smooth and polished, while in other places, it is rough and worn. But it is one table, and we are all united around it.

As we receive the gifts of Christ’s body and blood, we remember that we are just one part of the body of Christ, as our Disciples of Christ identity statement says; and we share with one another the unique gifts that each of us has to offer. 

 To help churches celebrate World Communion Sunday, the Global Ministries office offered up some reflections, including one by Michael Kalito, who is the executive director of Theological Education by Extension in Zambia.

His reflections focused on 1 Corinthians 12, our scripture for today; and I want to share, briefly, some of his reflections.

Michael Kalito notes that, in 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul does several things. First, Paul celebrates unity in diversity.  

Paul states that just as the human body is one, though it has many parts, so is the body of Christ. He further points out that through baptism in one Spirit, all believers — Jew or Greek, slave or free — are made one. Thus, the mentioned diversity is not a threat but a gift for the unity of the church.

Secondly, Paul mentions the necessity of every member.

From Paul's perspective, no part of the body can claim it doesn’t belong (“Because I am not an eye, I do not belong…” No!). Inferiority complexes and exclusion have no place; every member is essential. 

Thirdly, Paul talks about interdependence and mutual care. The stronger cannot despise the weaker (“I don’t need you”). On the contrary, weaker or less "honorable" members receive greater honor and care, just as hidden but vital body parts are protected. Amazingly, in Paul’s language, when one member suffers, the whole body suffers; when one rejoices, all rejoice.

What an important lesson that is for us today, as we debate who deserves to have their rights protected and who doesn’t; who has the right to health care, who has the right to due process, who has the right to food or shelter, who has the right to even be part of the ongoing conversation taking place in our country…

Then Paul highlights Christ as the source of unity.

In this regard, the church is not just like a body; it is the body of Christ. Paul brings forth the reality that believers are individually members, yet collectively part of Christ’s living presence in the world.

One thing that American Christianity is lacking is a wider perspective; the type of perspective that one gains when exposed to ideas coming from contexts other than our own. It is so beneficial to be in relationship with Christians from other cultures and nations, to work with them, and to learn from them.

🌍Here in our sanctuary and in the centrum, there are flags from many nations. They were put in place last Sunday after worship, which means they were already in place when the youth met last Sunday evening…

And I asked the youth if any of them knew what countries the flags were from.

Boy did they surprise me! They were able to name almost all of them. They knew more than I did. 

Turns out we have some big soccer fans among our youth, and they recognize the flags from the uniforms the soccer teams wear.

We also have, here in our sanctuary, bread, representing the different types of bread that Christians all over the world eat. Bread made from wheat, corn, rice, and other grains. Bread in many shapes and sizes, with various textures and flavors.

And it’s all so beautiful, don’t you think? Just look at the arrangement of bread. It’s pleasant just to look at! It’s pleasing to the eye. It’s like a bouquet of flowers, with different, complementary colors, that just strikes us as beautiful.

Imagine how much more pleasant it is to God, to look upon humanity, with all our colors, shapes, textures, and all the different ways we dress, and the different languages we speak. What delight God takes in human diversity… and even more so, when we gather around a common table in peace and unity.

There are so many calls to build walls and fences that divide; but here, on this day, we are reminded that the way of Jesus isn’t about building walls and fences; the way of Jesus is about building a table… a table where everyone is welcome… a table of love and fellowship and unity… a table of peace and friendship… 

…a table where Christ shares with us gifts of love and life, and where we share with one another, giving and receiving the gifts each of us has to offer.

Let Them Come! (Mark 10:13-16)

 Sermon: “Let Them Come!”

The disciples were trying to manage things. I respect that. Maybe they thought they were trying to protect Jesus, or at least, protect his image, his reputation. They wanted to see him respected. They wanted him to be seen as someone worthy of honor.

I respect that.

And, in their society, men who were respected and worthy of honor couldn’t be bothered with spending time with little children.

Spending time with children is for less important people. That’s what they thought.

So they tried to stop the children from coming to Jesus. They tried to control who was allowed to come into his presence. 

And, in some ways, as often happens in these situations, I think they tried to control him.

I think their intentions were good. Mostly. They just didn’t understand: Jesus didn’t belong to them. And Jesus would not be conformed to the expectations of society. 

Jesus would be nothing less than who he would be.

This story is about more than just Jesus’ love of children. It’s about the ways we try to control Jesus, or the ways we try to control who has access to Jesus. 

Who is worthy of coming into Jesus’ presence? Who is qualified to be a part of Christ’s community? Who is worthy enough to enjoy that close fellowship, that intimate fellowship, to touch Jesus and be touched by him, and to receive his blessing?

Throughout the history of Christianity, the church has struggled with that question. 

On the one hand, the answer seems obvious: everyone is welcome in Christ’s presence. Right?

But on the other hand, the church has felt it was necessary to manage who had access to Jesus. The church has felt it was its duty to control who has access to the Lord’s Table, where the presence of Christ is most intimately revealed to believers.

Every important person has people who control who has access to that person. Celebrities, presidents, CEOs. Shouldn’t it be the same for Jesus?

And so, one of the roles the church has played over the years is the role of gatekeeper.

This, it has done in various ways over the years.

At the dawn of the 19th century, in Scottish Presbyterian churches, communion was only celebrated twice a year. 

And when communion was celebrated, one couldn’t just show up. In the days and weeks leading up to the communion service, church members were required to meet with the presiding minister. The minister would evaluate them, and determine if they were in good enough standing to receive communion. If the minister decided that the member was worthy to receive communion, the minister would give the member a token which the member would have to present at the communion service if they wanted to receive the bread and the wine.

Anyone who did not have a token would not be welcome at the table.

The communion service was a major event that took most of the day. First, there was the sermon, a lengthy discourse about how those who have been approved would bring God’s displeasure upon them if they refrained, and how those who are unfaithful—those not approved—should keep away from the table.

Then, the congregation came forward—not all at once, but one small group at a time. At the front of the sanctuary, they gathered, and a tray was passed around, and one by one they dropped their tokens into the tray. 

And then, they partook of communion.

At one such service, a 21 year-old named Alexander Campbell sat in his pew, holding his token. He watched as one group after another went forward for communion. 

Alexander was troubled, and perhaps a little angry. He thought it was wrong to deny anyone the opportunity to receive communion. In his mind the token was a human invention that did nothing but divide people from one another and separate them from God. And no one, he believed, should be denied communion.

As the story goes, Alexander Campbell waited until the very last group of people was called forward, wondering what he should do.

When the last group was called to the table, Alexander Campbell stood up, walked forward, and approached the table. The tray was passed around, and each worshiper placed their token in it. When the tray came to Alexander Campbell, he violently threw his token in the tray, so that it made a loud clang that echoed throughout the sanctuary; and then, without partaking of communion, he stood up, turned, and walked out of the church building, resolving that he would find a way to break down the barriers that only allowed certain people to encounter the presence of Christ at the communion table.

A few months later, Alexander emigrated from Scotland to the United States. He met up with his father, Thomas Campbell, who had already journeyed to the U.S. He shared his thoughts with his father, and was surprised to learn that his father had begun having similar thoughts. 

On separate continents, both Alexander Campbell and his father, Thomas Campbell, had come to the same conclusion: that all Christians are a part of the one church, and that therefore all Christians should be welcome at the table.

Together, Thomas and Alexander—father and son— began discussing how to rid the church of these barriers which divided people and prevented people from being welcome at the Lord’s Table. Eventually, these would help start the movement that became the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Today, over 200 years later, we in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) still identify ourselves as a movement that welcomes all to the Lord’s Table, as God has welcomed us.

We have long proclaimed that the table is an open table… and we (to be honest) are still learning what that means. Not too long ago, many congregations, even in our denomination, did still discourage children from partaking of communion, saying that one should only partake of communion after one has gained an adequate understanding of what this table and this meal signify. And so, many congregations had children wait until they were baptized before receiving communion.

But, reflecting on our heritage, and after paying attention to how Jesus welcomed people, even children, into his presence, this began to change.

This was something we talked about when I was a seminary student. My theology of worship professor, Keith Watkins, liked to say that the Lord’s Supper was a meal of great thanksgiving, not all that different from the Thanksgiving meal many of us celebrate the fourth Thursday of every November. 

And at that Thanksgiving meal, the one we celebrate in our homes, we don’t tell children that they can’t sit at the table, or that they can’t have any turkey, or sweet potatoes, or stuffing, or pumpkin pie, until they are old enough to fully understand why we celebrate Thanksgiving. No! Children get to eat, just like the adults do; they get to enjoy all the blessings of the day just like anyone else… and the hope is that they will learn to understand the importance of Thanksgiving, and the importance of gratitude, through their participation.

And that is how it is in most Disciples congregations today, when we gather at the Lord’s Table.

All are welcome. All can approach the table and receive Christ’s blessings. Children and adults. Disciples, as well as people of other denominations. Even people of other religions and no religion are welcome, if their hearts are sincere. 

I am deeply saddened every time I visit a church where all are not welcome at the table. I am saddened when I am told, “only members of this congregation, or this denomination, can receive the elements. All others can receive a blessing, but the elements are for members of this church only.”

I am saddened, because other than that one thing, I have respect and admiration for the church I’m visiting. If it’s a friend or family member who invited me to join them for worship at their church, I am grateful for the invitation and the love and the welcome. I am grateful that we can be united in our love for Jesus and our desire to follow him.

But then, to be told that I’m not welcome to receive the elements… it hurts.

And I’m saddened, because it is a division that mars the unity we have in Christ. I believe that it is Michael Kinnamon who likes to say that we don’t pray for a day when the church might be one—the church of Christ is one! Right now! It’s just that we often fail to recognize it.

That’s why the Disciples of Christ identity statement I alluded to earlier says that “as part of the one body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord’s Table, as God has welcomed us.”

As part of the one body of Christ…

We are part of the one body. We don’t claim to be the whole body of Christ. We recognize that there are other parts of the body of Christ. There are Presbyterian parts and Methodist parts and Roman Catholic parts and Eastern Orthodox parts of the body of Christ. We are all parts of the ONE body of Christ. 

And our failure to recognize this is a sin. When we fail to recognize the one body of Christ, we are dividing the church that Christ has made whole. 

World Communion Sunday is a day to recognize that all those who gather around the Lord’s Table are, together, the one body of Christ. 

On every continent: North and South America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia: we are one. 

In every denomination: Protestant, catholic, whatever. We are one.

People speaking every language: Korean, Swahili, Urdu, Arabic: we are one.

People in every time: all those in generations past, present, and future. All those who have died and gone to heaven, and all those who still dwell on earth. At this table, we are all one. We are all united in Christ.

Because there is just one table around which we gather. This here, is a representation of that one table. In some churches, their table is rough, and hand cut, perhaps made from plywood or even boxes stacked and covered with a cloth.

In other churches, the table is ornate; something worthy of royalty.

And yet, they are all really just representations or manifestations of the one table of Christ; and it is around this one table of Christ that we all gather.

I don’t always agree with what others think or preach in other parts of the one body of Christ; but I cannot deny that we are one body, that we are part of the same church, and that we worship the same Savior, and that God calls us to act as one body, united in Christ Jesus our Lord.

"Sin Fronteras" (Revelation 21)

1. World Communion Sunday

Today we honor and worship the God who unites humanity into one family; who makes us all brothers and sisters, children of one God… And we give thanks to God for the church, which exists not only in every place where the bread and wine are present, but also in every time where the bread and wine are present. 

World Communion Sunday reminds us that we are connected - connected to Christians in every place and every time, partaking of one meal, one bread, and being formed again and again into one body - the one body of Christ, past, present, and future.

2. Turning Neighbors Into Enemies

We all know President Trump has as a primary goal the construction of a border wall.

Southern Baptist preacher Robert Jeffress supports building the wall. Jeffress has said God supports building walls, because the prophet Nehemiah built a wall, and because the future city of God in Revelation has a wall.

But you have to be pretty selective and narrow-focused to conclude that God wants this wall. After all, while there are Biblical passages that speak of separating people and excluding foreigners and immigrants, there are many more that highlight the importance of offering welcome and hospitality to immigrants.

And about that wall in the book of Revelation: the Biblical author says there will be a new heaven and a new earth, as we’ve already heard. And he says that God will dwell among the people, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes, and mourning and crying and pain will be no more. 

And there will be a great new city of God; and yes, this new city, this new Jerusalem, will have a wall around it. The Bible says it is a great, high wall, with twelve great gates: three facing east, three facing west, three facing north, and three facing south...

If you were to stop there, it would sound like this is another passage supporting the building of walls that keep people separated. 

In Revelation, the wall is described as being made of pure jaspar, while the city is pure gold, clear as glass. And the foundations of the city are made of precious jewels; and the twelve gates are actually twelve pearls...and the streets are pure gold… 

Are you picturing all this? It’s kind of hard to imagine...

And then, from the end of the chapter, as we already heard: there is no sun or moon shining on the city, because the glory of God shines brightly. 

And the gates in the walls… the gates will never be shut; those twelve gates will always be open.

The gates that let people into and out of the city of God will always be open.

So, yes, there is a wall in this metaphorical city of God, but with open gates, the people are allowed to come and go, passing into and out of the city freely. If the gates are never shut, one wonders what the point of having a wall is, but the wall symbolizes the strength of the city. The city is strong, the wall is strong… but the gates are always open.

And because the gates face out in all directions - east, west, north, and south - those open gates are ready to welcome, without hesitation, people from every nation.

There is a lot of symbolism and metaphor here, obviously, and some of it is hard for us to understand in these modern times. But one thing that’s clear is that the kingdom of God has open gates and open borders.

And it becomes very difficult to use the Bible to justify building a wall designed to separate people or keep people out.

Pope Francis knows this. Pope Francis went so far as to say that “a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the Gospel.”

Building walls is not the gospel. Building walls is not good news.

But maybe there are other reasons to build the wall. Reasons that the Bible doesn’t take into account. Reasons like national security in the 21st century.

Except that, according to the U.S. state department, a border wall won’t stop terrorism. In recent years, most acts of terrorism have been committed by American white nationalists who are already here, and the terrorists who have come from overseas - a wall wouldn’t have stopped them.

And a wall won’t stop drugs from entering the country. Most drugs that come into this country from outside our borders are hidden in trucks that come through at border crossings, and a wall won’t change that.

And a wall won’t stop criminals. Immigrants actually commit less crime than citizens do.

So a wall doesn’t really make sense. It’s contrary to God’s will, and it goes against logic and common sense.

The wall is simply a propaganda piece, a tool to make Americans afraid of black & brown people from other countries. It stokes fear & division. It turns our neighbors into enemies.

3. A Changing World

Yet the Christian faith in general, and World Communion Sunday in particular, remind us that we cannot be divided, and that one of our highest callings in life is to find ways to build bridges instead of walls. As Pope Francis has said.

Here’s another thing. If we build walls to keep ourselves separated from the rest of the world, we might want to take Robert Frost’s advice, and consider what we are walling in, and what we are walling out. Because the world today is a lot different than it used to be.

Five hundred years ago, 90 percent of all Christians were in Europe. Then Christianity spread beyond Europe to the Americas, and then it spread even further, to the south, and to the east. Today, one out of every 4 Christians lives in Africa. Latin America is largely Christian. And, on any given Sunday, there are more Christians worshiping in China than there are in the United States. If the wall is built, there will be more Christians outside the wall than inside.

4. Turning Enemies Into Friends

But even without these changing demographics - even if we disregard religion entirely, or assume that those outside our borders are of other religions - we know that our faith calls upon us to welcome the stranger and to love the neighbor… and the definition of neighbor includes even the one we fear the most or despise the most. It includes the one who is most different from us, the one who worships differently than us.

 That’s the whole point of Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan. Many people today don’t realize that, for Jesus and his fellow Jews, the Samaritans were a despised group. The Jews believed it was their God-given duty to keep themselves separated from the Samaritans. They would have easily agreed to the idea of building a wall designed to keep Samaritans out.

But when someone asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor,” Jesus told the story of a man journeying down a road, who was beaten and attacked and left for dead. A Jewish leader came by, but did not help; another Jewish leader came by, and did not help; and then a Samaritan came by - and those listening thought to themselves, certainly HE’S not going to help!

But he did. The Samaritan did stop and help. And to the person who asked “Who is my neighbor,” Jesus said, “Which of these three acted as a neighbor?”

And the man was forced to admit, through gritted teeth, that it was the Samaritan.

What neighbor are we walling out?

Two years ago, I took a group of youth from our region to Hawaii for ten days of service and cultural immersion. And on our first full day there, some of us got to witness a historic event of great magnitude: the return of Hokulea.

The Hokulea was the first Hawaiian canoe built using traditional methods, and navigated in traditional ways, in 600 years. It was built to showcase the navigational expertise of the ancient Hawaiians.

The Hokulea had just returned from a 3 year, around-the-world voyage, spreading aloha everywhere it went. And this voyage helped people realize that, in traditional Hawaiian thought, the oceans didn’t divide far-flung people from one another. Just the opposite. The oceans united people. The oceans connected people.

The difference is really how you think of it. Is your mind bent on division? Then you will find division, and you will create division. But if your mind is bent on unity, then you will find unity and you will create unity. You will create wholeness. 

Which, I believe, is what God calls us to do.

5. Kingdom Without Borders

And when we find our connection to others and recognize what it is that connects us, our lives are enriched. Some of us gathered here last spring and listened to a presentation by Paul Turner, a Global Ministries worker in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Others of us got to spend a week at Loch Leven with him this summer.

And we got to learn about the church in the Congo, and how we are connected, and what we can learn from each other. Not just what we can do for them, but what we can do for each other and what we can learn from each other.

This year I became the co-chair of our regional Global Ministries committee.  I’m not really sure how that happened. It wasn’t a position that I sought. But I gotta tell you: I’m learning so much!

Being connected to the work of Global Ministries took me to Puerto Rico earlier this year. And I’ve heard from others who have taken trips to Mexico, Uganda, and Palestine. 

As a committee we’ve committed to supporting another friend of ours who is currently on a trip to Morocco. And we’re hoping to stay in touch with yet another southern California Disciple who is on her way to Japan.

And the connections we make because of all this enrich and strengthen our faith and our lives. The connections we make with people who are different, who live in different countries, who worship in different languages, is mutually enriching. 

That’s why we do mission work.

That may not have been why the church has done mission work historically, but it’s why we do mission work today.

Because we already are connected to every person in every time and place - and the connection is especially strong with all those who gather around the Lord’s Table in worship.

Because the kingdom of God has no borders and no locked gates and no walls designed to keep people out.

This is our witness to the world. That we have so much more to gain by building bridges, and so much to lose by building walls. It is holy work. It is God’s work. 

And it’s why we pray - as Jesus did - that all Christians may be one.

And it’s why we pray that all people may, one day, be one.