Sermon 6/6/2021

Listen along on Facebook [link] or YouTube [link].

Theme: Tell Me a Story

Title: Coming Home

Scriptures:Luke 15:11- 24, Mark 4:30-32 

Coming Home

When our son Amos was little he had an imaginary game he loved to play.  He would pack a little backpack as if he was going on a trip, put it over his tiny shoulders and make a big show of waving and shouting “goodbye!” and walk out of the room.  A few moments later (sometimes only a few seconds later) he would walk back through the doorway and announce, “I’m home!” at which point my face would light up and I would rush over to give him a big hug and tell him how much I missed him and how happy I was that he was home. 

In some ways, this little play drama was a dramatic re-enactment of the story of the prodigal son.  An experiment in going away and returning back home. It demonstrates how universal, how innate the human desire is to have a home we can always return to where we will be loved and accepted and greeted with joy.

Today is a day of joyful homecomings. A day to celebrate and give thanks! It has been 15 months since we have worshipped together in this space. We may not have a robe and a ring and a fattened calf but the table has been set, and the greatest of all feasts has been prepared so that we may once again celebrate together here. 

Here in this sacred space. 

Here in the company of the family of God. 

Here around the Lord’s Table. 

After this long season away: away from our sanctuary, away from one another, there is great joy in coming home to church. Even though we know that God is not contained within sanctuary walls and stained glass, there is something about sitting in a church that helps many of us draw closer to God. 

Finding Sanctuary

I know this is true for Ray Landis. For the last several months, Ray has been coming to the sanctuary during the week for his devotional time. He arrives, book in hand and quietly makes his way to the sanctuary.  We had a conversation after one of these visits and Ray shared with me that when he sits in this space and looks around he can see the faces of all of the beloved members of his church family, both those who have gone to be with Jesus and those still here and it brings him great joy and comfort. 

When I was studying abroad I spent a lot of time wandering into random churches.  At first it was mostly out of curiosity to see the architecture and art.  But the feeling that came over me as I walked through those doors into those quiet and majestic spaces reminded me of my longing to be in the presence of God and the community of the church. I found a church in Paris where I could attend on Sundays and another church that had a weekly study and fellowship group for college students.  But I also found myself, especially during times of homesickness and loneliness and anxiety, stepping off the noisy sidewalk and through the doors of random churches.  Sometimes I would stay for a few minutes, sometimes much longer. But each time helped to anchor me. As I lit a candle and said my little prayers I reconnected again with God.  And I knew that no matter how far I travelled or how alone I felt, I could always find my home in God. 

In my own life I find that I can vacillate between embodying the two sons in Jesus’ parable. Sometimes I return to God like the prodigal son with my head bowed, ashamed of my selfishness and self centeredness.  Sometimes I return to God like the older son, with a bit of a dope slap to the head. A wake up call that God was with me all along but I was too busy being judgmental or jealous of others to appreciate the abundance that was all around me. Not all of these small epiphany moments came while at church, but certainly many did.

For me the church, and here I don’t just mean the physical building, but the community of people, is a special place where God’s power and presence has been made known to me in worship, bible study, conversation and prayer. For me the church is what the Celtic Christians called a “thin place”.  

Thin Places

"Thin Places" are a Celtic concept. The Celts believed that physical locations existed in which God's presence was more accessible than elsewhere, places where heaven and earth seemed to touch, where the line between holy and human met for a moment. 

I came across a reflection about “thin places” written by a woman named Amy Julia Becker who blogs for Christianity Today. She writes this: 

I tend to believe that thin places, places where the Spirit of God is at work in a way that we can sense, are not bound by physicality. Thin places happen every time, every place, where two human beings connect in a way that reflects our God-given humanity in all our brokenness and beauty. This space is meant to be an invitation to a thin place—to a place where some of the lines that so often divide us (liberal/conservative, religious/secular, evangelical/mainline, gay/straight, disabled/able-bodied, rich/poor, black/white) might become bridges, points of connection and understanding.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/amyjuliabecker/2014/february/introducing-thin-places.html

I can personally attest to the fact that what she writes is true.  Less than 48 hours ago I was seated around a dinner table here on our church lawn in the shade of our lovely trees with 10 other members of our church. We came together as part of our church’s dialogue dinner series.  And even though I knew each person around that table, the stories many of them shared was a revelation to me.  In many cases I had no idea about the depth of their particular struggle or joy or pain. And as we took turns speaking and listening; sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, something profound happened.  Our eyes were opened to one another in new ways and a strong connection of mutual love was forged. It truly felt like a thin place, that God’s Spirit was powerfully present in that moment. 

Encountering God through Stories

Today I want to extend a special invitation, actually two special invitations. The first is to invite you to sign up to take part in one of these dialogue dinners.  The dinners will be made up of a small group of members from the congregation, around 6-8 people. Each group will decide how and where they want to conduct their meal and the dialogue portion will be guided by a set of questions provided by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee.  After what I experienced Friday night, I can tell you that you do not want to miss out on this special opportunity. 

The second invitation is to share a story with the congregation. For the months of June and July we are hosting a sermon series entitled “Tell Me A Story”.  Half of the time we will be sharing some great stories from the Bible and the other half of the time will be hearing stories from you, members of our congregation.  As we know, Jesus frequently used stories as a way to open people’s eyes to the truth and to draw them into relationship with God and one another. Today’s parable of the prodigal son is one of the most familiar and beloved, and for good reason. It inspires and transforms in a way that a sermon with the same insights cannot achieve. 

I can appreciate that some of you may feel that you don’t have anything of value to share.  Let me remind you that it is often in the small moments that God teaches us the greatest truths. 

Remember the story I started my sermon with?  How when Amos was a toddler he would leave and come back and I would welcome him home with open arms.  Well, fast forward about 6 six years until today.  Now, when I come home from work, Amos will often hear my car pull into the driveway and by the time I make it to the front door, he is right there to open the door and give me a giant hug and say, “you’re home!” Sometimes it takes me a while to gather my things and Amos rushes out the door and meets me in the driveway before I can make it to the house. It is one of the greatest joys of my day, to arrive home and be greeted with such joy and love.  

In reflecting on this small moment and on the role reversal that took place, where I, once  the welcomer, became the welcomee; God has opened my eyes to see how in the church and in our lives we are ALL called to relationships of mutuality.  God has so ordered the body of Christ this way on purpose, so that we can minister to each other. 

This is why telling our own stories is so important.  It is one of the primary ways we share God’s good news of hope and redemption, healing and peace with one another and the world. 

What is your story?

Where are your thin places?

Where have you experienced God’s presence in your life?

Prayer: 

Mighty and merciful God, we thank you for your gift, the church. For gathering us back home in this sanctuary where we can encounter you through scripture and songs, the prayers and the breaking of the bread. We thank you for the body of Christ, which is your people, and for the way you have ordered things so that we might serve one another in humility and love.  Most of all we thank you for your son Jesus Christ, for the example of his life and the teachings of his lips.  May we continue to learn from him that we may decrease and he may increase so that others may know the transforming power of your love.  Amen.