Welcoming
. Blessing . Belonging
September
14, 2014 Exodus 14
Welcome everyone – it is so good to look out over the
pews this morning from my position behind the lectern, which is located in the
nave, in the midst of the sanctuary, situated in the chancel with the choir –
with a view to the narthex, behind the sacristy – whew! what a bunch of words –
words we use to describe the different parts of the church building and its
uses – did they make sense to you – the words themselves were created hundreds
of years ago in the midst of the glory building of European Cathedrals and I wonder
whether or not the words that we use are actually better left back a few
hundred years ago instead of in our church today, especially if these words
cause alienation instead of inclusion?
One of my favorite examples of a church being exclusive
and totally disregarding the call to welcome is from the one and only Mr Bean –
imagine if you will – a little orange car pulling up to a church parking area one Sunday morning
but finding no place to park – except very far away – and then when he goes
into church, the congregation is standing and singing and there is no room
except at the front, and when he joins the man in the front pew – no room is
made for him – he has to ask to see the hymn book the man is holding, and as he
is about to join in with the song, the hymn is over – everyone sits down –
except of course Mr. Bean , and then of course he gets so bored with what is
going on that he falls asleep in a way that only Mr Bean can. – And then
there is another time where he is back in church trying again and this time the
man who is beside him, will not share his hymn book – and as the congregation
sing “All People of Our God and King” Mr
Bean can only join in with the ‘Hallelujah’s” and each time a little late and a
lot off key. Again not knowing when to
sit down, when to stand up – and getting no help whatsoever from his seat mate –
a cold and unwelcoming place – and 50 oblivious people who all are in the know –
ignoring him.
What is it about this going to church business that
sometimes instead of being a place that welcomes and makes people feel at home
and comfortable – instead makes people feel uncomfortable and left out? We use language
that confuses, rituals that often little sense, we hold up our scripture
sometimes as something that everyone is familiar and comfortable with – we appear
to makes assumptions that we all believe the same thing, we all practice the
same way and the way that we do it is the right way. If we did any of those things this morning,
and you are feeling a little lost and left out – I would like to apologize
right now – I am sorry, I am sorry because sometimes I forget that that I have
been part of this institution for such a long time and I am familiar with the
ritual and the rules – spoken and unspoken – that my behaviour could alienate
instead of welcome –
I am sorry because if any other message besides the
message of welcome and belonging is heard during this time of worship, than we
have not been faithful to our duty this morning – for today above all else , is
a day of welcome and making sure that everyone who has joined us here in this
time feels that they are supposed to be here,
and that we value you and the time you have taken to share in this
worship this morning – especially Alison, Nolan and Mason – these three
precious babies – their parents, their grandparents and friends and family – I hope
you feel welcome….and more importantly – I hope you feel blessed.
This ritual that we just participated in, the ritual of
Baptism is a ritual of blessing. I think
the United Church worship book says it best:
“Baptism celebrates God’s initiative and our response.
It is God’s “Yes” to us, and our “Yes” to God. It is a sign of the Divine-human
covenant. Baptism flows from God’s unmerited grace and pours out in lives of
gratitude and commitment. As initiation into the Church, the Body of Christ, it
is an act of welcoming, blessing, and belonging. …(moreover) Baptism for infants and young children
proclaims the unconditional grace and love of God. It is also a reminder of the
wonder, blessing, and new responsibilities that come with a new life.”[1]
Blessings and new responsibilities that come with new
life… The events that happened to the Hebrew people this morning is also a encounter
with God that is about blessing and belonging and new life– although it may be
hard to see it at first glance for the water in this story is not as gentle as
the water in the font that was poured on the precious babies foreheads
earlier. No the water of blessing today
is a great big sea full of power with the potential for death and life,
struggle and suffering – and ultimately having to trust in God while walking
into the complete unknown.
Imagine what it would have been like to be a person in this morning’s bible story – let
not pretend to be Moses – he has an unfair advantage in this morning story – he
has been waking with God for a long time now and he has learned to trust and he knows that that God has the peoples
best interest at heart – But what would it have been like to be one of the nameless
people, the ones where were the slaves, who had lived in Egypt all their lives,
knew no other way – imagine yourself back there – as a slave in Egypt – living a
life of subsistence often with very little hope that things would change – but then
hearing about Moses, going to the Pharaoh and demanding your freedom. Do you think you would have appreciated his
interference – we think when we read the story that the people appreciated
Moses efforts for them – but what they didn’t – what if they didn’t mind their
lives – they knew who they were, they knew their place in the scheme of things,
they knew they had food at the end of the day – shelter, water, the essentials
of life.
But then come the plagues – you could not have lived in
Egypt and not been effected by the blights that came upon the land – frogs,
crickets, rivers running with blood – cattle dying in the fields – and finally –
the death of the first born – even with the blood over the mantle protecting
their children, the Hebrew people were there to hear the cries of the Egyptian
parents and their children died in the final plague – how awful for them. Would the price of freedom feel fair in the
midst of the great grief over the land.
And finally being able to leave – but quickly – packing
only what they could carry – and leaving as soon as possible just in case –
just in case Pharaoh changes his mind – which of course he did – sending out an
army complete with chariot’s and riders to round up the Hebrews and bring them
back to their lives of slavery.
And they go – and they flee – flee for their life –
their new life – protected by a pillar of cloud in the day and pillar of fire in the night – God is close
at hand as the Hebrews escape their chains of slavery, but so are the Egyptian
soldiers and just as they are closing in – they come to what seems like the end
of their journey as they reach the banks of the sea. Camp out at night – the pillar still
protecting them, but knowing that the soldiers where close – just beyond …what
fear they must have been experiencing.
But in the night – God comes:
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The
LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea
into dry land; and the waters were divided.
And then into the newly dried, sea bed the Hebrew
people walked – with the water on their left and the water on their right –
they walked away from the shore line where they had been slaves, they walked
deep into the sea, leaving behind their life of slavery, leaving behind everything
they have ever known, leaving behind any chance they would ever have to return –
deep deep into the sea they go – into the land of unknown and unfamiliar. And when they reach the other side of the water;
there is no going back – they stepped out of the sea bed as a new people, no
longer bound to the Egyptians, they step out as free Hebrew people whatever
that now means.
The parted waters of the sea baptized the Hebrew people
into their new life as God’s covenant people – on a journey to the promise land
– and although the next few years will not be easy, although the journey is fraught
with peril and danger, it is also paved with promise and blessing, and God
walks with them – throughout it all!
When we baptized those three beautiful little babies a
few minutes ago they too were changed by
the water, they too begin their life as God’s covenant people – just as you are
– their parents made decisions for them
today that will shape their new life – for one thing they are now part of this
congregation and the these people who sit in these pews have committed to care
and pray for these children and that means something and that matters – and no
matter how long St. James is here these children will have a place here – a connection
to us because of the water placed on their foreheads a few minutes ago, but
more than that – for these babies have a place in the whole people of God, and
the water of Baptism connects them to every other baptism that has ever
happened – and to every other person who walks the journey to the promise land
with God as their guide and companion.
“The covenant of
baptism celebrates the fullness of God’s grace throughout the story of salvation:
in creation and in exodus, in wilderness and in exile, in birth and in death.
In his baptism, Jesus received the Holy Spirit and was declared God’s beloved,
he opened himself to repentance and forgiveness, and marked a new beginning in
his ministry. In our baptism we are similarly claimed, called, and
commissioned. “[2]
We are claimed as
God’s, we are called to be in this world as God’s people loving and caring fo r
all of God’s children, and we are commissioned ot live in this world knowing
that the kingdom is coming and the the promise land is just at the end of a
journey. We are God’s beloved children;
welcomed, blessed and we belong to God – thanks be. Amen.
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