A Big Enough Table
“A Big Enough Table”
Matthew 25:31-24
Rev Carolyn Waters
November 20, 2005 CCUM
Mark Twain
“It is not those parts of the Bible that I do not understand that bother me. It is the parts of the Bible that I do understand that bother me the most.”
The gospel lesson this morning is quite clear and to the point! Take care of the people who need help and you’re a sheep! Enter the kingdom of heaven with no risk or question! On the other hand, if you turn the other way in the face of injustice, you’re a goat! No amount of barter or begging or bribing will make a difference. The goat’s are history, be gone from here, there is simply no hope.
But wait just a minute. Before we too quickly assume that we are in one animal pen or the other, lets take a minute to look a little closer at what happened for the surprised righteous ones who were welcomed to God’s kingdom, and the shocked ones likened to goats who were turned away.
In our liturgical calendar, this is the last Sunday of the Christian year, commonly referred to as “Christ the King” Sunday. In effect, this is the day that would make the most since for people to “join” the church or confess their faith. It is the day that we use the scripture to ask the question, who wants to be a part of this party? Who wants to go for this ride? Who, by the way they are living and the decisions they are making, are living lives that reflect the Kingdom of God in our midst.
Perhaps that would make a really good question at the time of joining the church. “Are you living a life to reflect the Kingdom of God in our midst?”
Reinhold Neibuhr in his work Beyond Tragedy, published in 1937 and therefore a little dates with language, speaks directly to this scripture passage:
“On the one hand it is true that it makes a difference whether men are good or evil, loving or selfish, honest or dishonest. It makes a real difference, that is, an ultimate difference in the sight of God. On the other hand it makes no difference. No life can justify itself ultimately in the sight of God. The evil and the good, and even the more and the less good are equally in need of the mercy of God.”
“The difference between good and evil in history is an ultimate difference, which transcends the relativities of history. The love shown to "one of the least of these my brethren" is love to God Himself. That is, the "good" deed, which in the gospel is always a loving deed, is one which enters into the very texture of eternal reality. Yet on the other hand eternal reality is determined by God and not by man. And it is revealed in the divine mercy, which overcomes the evil in man and therefore the distinction between, good and evil in man. It makes a difference. It makes no difference.”
“Love is the law of life and not merely some transcendent ideal of perfection. All men may violate the law of life but there is a difference between those who seek to draw all life into themselves, and those who have found in God the centre of existence and through loyalty to Him have learned to relate themselves in terms of mutual service to their fellows.”
(Beyond Tragedy was published in 1937 by Charles Scribner’s Sons. This material prepared for Religion Online by Harry and Grace Adams.)
http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=436&C=335
In other words it makes a difference, it makes a difference to the world, it does matter how we live and how we relate to others. It is a reflection of God in and through us. On the other hand it doesn’t make a difference as to God’s reaction to us in our need of God and our own brokenness.
The sheep are separated from the goats. But according to the rest of our biblical story, God still loves the goats…………even though frustrated by them!
The great Catholic Social worker Dorothy Day once said: “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least."
Another of our spiritual leaders John Wesley once said: “One great reason why the rich, in general, have so little sympathy for the poor, is, because they so seldom visit them.”
It’s appropriate to have this challenging scripture just before we celebrate our own “national” Thanksgiving Day. And it is appropriate to have this scripture passage just before we begin the Advent and Christmas season.
We really have little to no trouble doing for ourselves in these coming weeks. But we all need to be challenged to do for others in the same breath that we “take care of” our own.
How big will your Thanksgiving table be this week? How large can your spirit expand in the next 30 days?
Anthony B. Robinson, senior minister at Plymouth Congregational Church in Seattle (Christian Century Nov 3 1993) tells about the ministry of a clothing bank in their church. One couple in particular gives themselves to its upkeep and availability to the community. Robinson says,
“I don't know if the clothing bank was effective. But, then, in the parable of the last judgment Jesus did not say anything about effectiveness. He only asked, "Did you feed the hungry?" "Did you clothe the naked?" "When I was in prison did you come to me?" It is good to know that, whether or not you can change the world, you can still be faithful. When you're not wielding a lot of power, it's easy to say, ‘What difference does what I do make?’ But maybe those who seem to be in charge are not as powerful as they appear. Jesus only asks us to be faithful.”
“Goodness is not planned. It is not a heroic decision or clever calculation. It is an expression of who we are.”
“The fact Jesus was pointing out to them was a fundamental rule of Kingdom living. We are the Body of Christ - and so, deeply united in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. What we do - one for another - heals and builds up the Body of Christ. What we do not do - one for another - weakens and diminishes it.”
From Weekly Wellspring…..Nov 20, 2005 http://www.wellsprings.org.uk/weekly_wellsprings/year_a/sunday_34.htm
In the current issue of Homiletics, the story is told of an experience theologian/philosopher Parker Palmer once had.
“Palmer was a passenger on a plane that pulled away from the gate, taxied to a remote corner of the field and stopped. You know the feeling: The plane stops and you look out the window and see that you’re not on the runway and the engines wind down and your heart sinks. The pilot came on the intercom and said: ‘I have some bad news and some really bad news. The bad news is there’s a storm front in the West, Denver is socked in and shut down. We’ve looked at the alternatives and there are none. So we’ll be staying here for a few hours. That’s the bad news. The really bad news is that we have no food and its’ lunch time.’ Everybody groaned. Some passengers started to complain, some became angry. But then, Palmer said, one of the flight attendants did something amazing.
She stood up and took the intercom mike and said, “We’re really sorry folks. We didn’t plan it this way and we really can’t do much about it. And I know for some of you this is a big deal. Some of you are really hungry and were looking forward to a nice lunch. Some of you may have a medical condition and really need lunch. Some of you may not care one way or the other and some of you need to skip lunch. So I’ll tell you what we’re gong to do. I have a couple of breadbaskets up here and we’re going to pass them around and I’m asking everybody to put something in the basket. Some of you brought a little snack along---something to tide you over---just in case something like this happened, some peanut butter crackers, candy bars. And some of you have a few LifeSavers or chewing gum or Rolaids. And if you don’t have anything edible, you have a picture of your children or spouse or a bookmark or a business card. Everybody put something in and then we’ll reverse the process. We’ll pass the baskets around again and everybody can take out what he or she needs.
‘Well,’ Palmer said, ‘what happened next was amazing. The griping stopped. People started to root around in pockets and bags, some got up and opened their suitcases stored in overhead luggage racks and got out boxes of candy, a salami, a bottle of wine. People were laughing and talking. She had transformed a group of people who were focused on need and deprivation into a community of sharing and celebration. She had transformed scarcity into a kind of abundance.”
After the flight, which eventually did proceed, Parker Palmer stopped on his way off the plane---deplaning, that is----and said to the her, ‘Do you know there’s a story in the Bible about what you did back there? It’s about Jesus feeding a lot of people with very little food.’ ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I know that story. That’s why I did what I did.’ “
As we enter the holy day and holiday seasons of Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas………
May we all remember that we have enough, there is more than enough to go around.
Not just enough food for the table, or enough money for more gifts for more people………..
But we have enough time, for the things that need our attention.
We have enough vision, to see those who have needs.
We have enough patience for the impatience of children.
We have enough heart, to listen to the hurting hearts of others.
We have enough clothes, to shed some and give away.
We have enough spirit, to lift up the downtrodden.
And we have a big enough table, providing room for any who are hungry.
And that my friends, is what the Kingdom of God looks like, enough………….more than enough to go around.
Matthew 25:31-24
Rev Carolyn Waters
November 20, 2005 CCUM
Mark Twain
“It is not those parts of the Bible that I do not understand that bother me. It is the parts of the Bible that I do understand that bother me the most.”
The gospel lesson this morning is quite clear and to the point! Take care of the people who need help and you’re a sheep! Enter the kingdom of heaven with no risk or question! On the other hand, if you turn the other way in the face of injustice, you’re a goat! No amount of barter or begging or bribing will make a difference. The goat’s are history, be gone from here, there is simply no hope.
But wait just a minute. Before we too quickly assume that we are in one animal pen or the other, lets take a minute to look a little closer at what happened for the surprised righteous ones who were welcomed to God’s kingdom, and the shocked ones likened to goats who were turned away.
In our liturgical calendar, this is the last Sunday of the Christian year, commonly referred to as “Christ the King” Sunday. In effect, this is the day that would make the most since for people to “join” the church or confess their faith. It is the day that we use the scripture to ask the question, who wants to be a part of this party? Who wants to go for this ride? Who, by the way they are living and the decisions they are making, are living lives that reflect the Kingdom of God in our midst.
Perhaps that would make a really good question at the time of joining the church. “Are you living a life to reflect the Kingdom of God in our midst?”
Reinhold Neibuhr in his work Beyond Tragedy, published in 1937 and therefore a little dates with language, speaks directly to this scripture passage:
“On the one hand it is true that it makes a difference whether men are good or evil, loving or selfish, honest or dishonest. It makes a real difference, that is, an ultimate difference in the sight of God. On the other hand it makes no difference. No life can justify itself ultimately in the sight of God. The evil and the good, and even the more and the less good are equally in need of the mercy of God.”
“The difference between good and evil in history is an ultimate difference, which transcends the relativities of history. The love shown to "one of the least of these my brethren" is love to God Himself. That is, the "good" deed, which in the gospel is always a loving deed, is one which enters into the very texture of eternal reality. Yet on the other hand eternal reality is determined by God and not by man. And it is revealed in the divine mercy, which overcomes the evil in man and therefore the distinction between, good and evil in man. It makes a difference. It makes no difference.”
“Love is the law of life and not merely some transcendent ideal of perfection. All men may violate the law of life but there is a difference between those who seek to draw all life into themselves, and those who have found in God the centre of existence and through loyalty to Him have learned to relate themselves in terms of mutual service to their fellows.”
(Beyond Tragedy was published in 1937 by Charles Scribner’s Sons. This material prepared for Religion Online by Harry and Grace Adams.)
http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=436&C=335
In other words it makes a difference, it makes a difference to the world, it does matter how we live and how we relate to others. It is a reflection of God in and through us. On the other hand it doesn’t make a difference as to God’s reaction to us in our need of God and our own brokenness.
The sheep are separated from the goats. But according to the rest of our biblical story, God still loves the goats…………even though frustrated by them!
The great Catholic Social worker Dorothy Day once said: “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least."
Another of our spiritual leaders John Wesley once said: “One great reason why the rich, in general, have so little sympathy for the poor, is, because they so seldom visit them.”
It’s appropriate to have this challenging scripture just before we celebrate our own “national” Thanksgiving Day. And it is appropriate to have this scripture passage just before we begin the Advent and Christmas season.
We really have little to no trouble doing for ourselves in these coming weeks. But we all need to be challenged to do for others in the same breath that we “take care of” our own.
How big will your Thanksgiving table be this week? How large can your spirit expand in the next 30 days?
Anthony B. Robinson, senior minister at Plymouth Congregational Church in Seattle (Christian Century Nov 3 1993) tells about the ministry of a clothing bank in their church. One couple in particular gives themselves to its upkeep and availability to the community. Robinson says,
“I don't know if the clothing bank was effective. But, then, in the parable of the last judgment Jesus did not say anything about effectiveness. He only asked, "Did you feed the hungry?" "Did you clothe the naked?" "When I was in prison did you come to me?" It is good to know that, whether or not you can change the world, you can still be faithful. When you're not wielding a lot of power, it's easy to say, ‘What difference does what I do make?’ But maybe those who seem to be in charge are not as powerful as they appear. Jesus only asks us to be faithful.”
“Goodness is not planned. It is not a heroic decision or clever calculation. It is an expression of who we are.”
“The fact Jesus was pointing out to them was a fundamental rule of Kingdom living. We are the Body of Christ - and so, deeply united in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. What we do - one for another - heals and builds up the Body of Christ. What we do not do - one for another - weakens and diminishes it.”
From Weekly Wellspring…..Nov 20, 2005 http://www.wellsprings.org.uk/weekly_wellsprings/year_a/sunday_34.htm
In the current issue of Homiletics, the story is told of an experience theologian/philosopher Parker Palmer once had.
“Palmer was a passenger on a plane that pulled away from the gate, taxied to a remote corner of the field and stopped. You know the feeling: The plane stops and you look out the window and see that you’re not on the runway and the engines wind down and your heart sinks. The pilot came on the intercom and said: ‘I have some bad news and some really bad news. The bad news is there’s a storm front in the West, Denver is socked in and shut down. We’ve looked at the alternatives and there are none. So we’ll be staying here for a few hours. That’s the bad news. The really bad news is that we have no food and its’ lunch time.’ Everybody groaned. Some passengers started to complain, some became angry. But then, Palmer said, one of the flight attendants did something amazing.
She stood up and took the intercom mike and said, “We’re really sorry folks. We didn’t plan it this way and we really can’t do much about it. And I know for some of you this is a big deal. Some of you are really hungry and were looking forward to a nice lunch. Some of you may have a medical condition and really need lunch. Some of you may not care one way or the other and some of you need to skip lunch. So I’ll tell you what we’re gong to do. I have a couple of breadbaskets up here and we’re going to pass them around and I’m asking everybody to put something in the basket. Some of you brought a little snack along---something to tide you over---just in case something like this happened, some peanut butter crackers, candy bars. And some of you have a few LifeSavers or chewing gum or Rolaids. And if you don’t have anything edible, you have a picture of your children or spouse or a bookmark or a business card. Everybody put something in and then we’ll reverse the process. We’ll pass the baskets around again and everybody can take out what he or she needs.
‘Well,’ Palmer said, ‘what happened next was amazing. The griping stopped. People started to root around in pockets and bags, some got up and opened their suitcases stored in overhead luggage racks and got out boxes of candy, a salami, a bottle of wine. People were laughing and talking. She had transformed a group of people who were focused on need and deprivation into a community of sharing and celebration. She had transformed scarcity into a kind of abundance.”
After the flight, which eventually did proceed, Parker Palmer stopped on his way off the plane---deplaning, that is----and said to the her, ‘Do you know there’s a story in the Bible about what you did back there? It’s about Jesus feeding a lot of people with very little food.’ ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I know that story. That’s why I did what I did.’ “
As we enter the holy day and holiday seasons of Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas………
May we all remember that we have enough, there is more than enough to go around.
Not just enough food for the table, or enough money for more gifts for more people………..
But we have enough time, for the things that need our attention.
We have enough vision, to see those who have needs.
We have enough patience for the impatience of children.
We have enough heart, to listen to the hurting hearts of others.
We have enough clothes, to shed some and give away.
We have enough spirit, to lift up the downtrodden.
And we have a big enough table, providing room for any who are hungry.
And that my friends, is what the Kingdom of God looks like, enough………….more than enough to go around.
posted by Rev Waters | 8:45 AM
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