Sunday, September 29, 2024
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
HOW NOT TO CREATE STUMBLING BLOCKS
The Rev. Mark D. Wilkinson, Rector
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Katy Tx 77450
Did you feel a little strange responding to this particular gospel with the references to gouging out eyes and chopping off hands with the words, “Praise to you Lord Christ”? There are often pieces of scripture that we would like to avoid. This week and especially next week are some of those hard passages.
The beauty and challenge of our lectionary is that we really cannot avoid the tough passages. We have the best chance to grow not when we sit and bask in those easy passages, but when we dive into the depths of those passages that cause us discomfort. Then I realized that it is interesting to juxtapose the James and the Mark passages for they are two sides of the same coin in some respects. Mark is a caution about constructing stumbling blocks and the James is about removing those stumbling blocks.
Jesus has just about had it with this bunch of thick-headed disciples, so Mark decides to have Jesus use classic Greek rhetorical skills to make this wild statement about cutting off hands and gouging out eyes. This example would not strike Mark’s Greek speaking audience as that outrageous if you consider some Greek dramas. Think in terms of Oedipus who gouges out his eyes rather than view the fruit of his sin. Jesus uses this exaggeration to make his point about what awaits those who block the path of people seeking to know Jesus.
It is hard enough to be a Christian without anyone making it any more difficult. We all have enough stumbling blocks in our life. We don’t need people adding to the collection. The disciples have been doing a good job of adding stumbling blocks to their own path and in doing so show us some of our own stumbling blocks.
The first stumbling block is in the opening of the gospel. This person isn’t one of us and he’s healing people. Tell him to stop. There seems to be an idea that only the right person from the right group has access to the power of the Spirit. Let me assure you; A, the Holy Spirit can take care of itself and B it isn’t just one group that has access to that power. Rather than stand in the way of someone, why not combine skills, energy and resources to work together to further the kingdom. I work with people inside and out of the Episcopal Church who I have theological differences, but the person at the Food Bank or in line at the Beacon really doesn’t care about theology. They want to be fed and really do not care what your theological stance is on any subject.
Working with larger faith-based groups allows us to pool resources and ultimately to do more with what we have. The large number of volunteers is what makes programs like the Beacon, Katy Christian Ministries and Christ Clinic work. We are doing gospel work, not just work to promote our particular branch of the Jesus movement. And not everyone is looking for exactly the same church experience. Which brings me to the next point.
We do need to be careful not to put stumbling blocks in the way of people who are searching for God. Brian McLaren said the biggest problem in bringing people into church is that they come looking for a relationship with God and we give them the church, the institution and all the baggage that comes with that in today’s world. Several years ago he was speaking to a group of young adults and had two big flip charts. One was labeled religion and the other spirituality. He asked this group of young adults to come up with words that popped into their heads when they heard these two words. Almost without exception the words under spirituality were positive and the words under the religion heading were negative.
There is another entirely different type of stumbling block that we need to look at today. One of the wonderful things that we have been seeing the recent months is a large number of visitors and new members.
In teaching newcomer classes I start by making sure people have some basic bible skills, like what do we mean by Luke 3:11-15. If you have never looked something up in the bible someone needs to teach you! I came into the Episcopal Church from a Christian Science background and discovered there was an entirely new vocabulary I had to learn both religious and church speak which I will get to in a minute. I remember asking my rector so what is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not mentioned in the basics of Christian Science nor is the idea that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. So you see I always start with a what do you know inventory when meeting someone new to the church. In fact, I almost always ask a visitor if this is their first time in an Episcopal Church. If it is, I find someone to sit with them to help them through the service and what some call Episcopal aerobics!
A big stumbling block is assuming that the visitor understands what I call Episcospeak. The language that we use in our service, on our signs, in our bulletins and in our announcements that can prove to be a huge challenge for a visitor. Saying that the Altar Guild will meet in the conference room may not mean a thing to a person who is not familiar with our building or what an altar guild is. A reminder or announcement about DOK does not tell the visitor what DOK is or does. Many Episcopalians don’t know the difference between the nave and the sanctuary. What feels comfortable can be confusing to someone new to church.
But the biggest stumbling block to visitors and newcomers is just this simple, welcome. We welcome everyone no exceptions because God loves everyone no exceptions. Jesus has said whoever welcomes a child like this welcomes me and who ever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. The one thing that opens the door to this welcome is to see the sacred, the divine in every person. We welcome everyone because we respect the dignity of every human being.
I had a person visited once and at coffee hour afterward she said, “Wow a church service where nobody was condemned, made to feel other or cast as a sinner. This was a new experience for me.” I must admit I was amazed that she had darkened the door of any church if her experience had been so negative. However, she was willing to give a church one more chance because she knew she wanted a relationship with God. Talk to someone who is not attending church and if you get far enough into their reasons you will hear a litany of stumbling blocks that a church or churches somewhere has put in their path. I can tell you this applies to young people and sadly to many people over 60. Think about how few people in your neighborhood darken the door of a church other than for weddings and funerals.
Ghandi was turned away from a Church of England church in India because the usher told him this was a white man’s church. He was truly intrigued by Jesus but was told go away. Think of what might have happened if he had been welcomed in. Later in life he said, “This Jesus I like, his followers, not so much.” There in a simple statement is exactly what Jesus is talking about in todays gospel and in the letter of James.
I want to go back to the closing of the prayer I used at the end of last week’s sermon.
Open us all to receive the spirit of humility,
wise intentionality, and a sense of our sacred purpose
in the mission of the Gospel to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Through Jesus Christ our Savior,
who is the model of our life and witness.
We are called to remove stumbling blocks by following Jesus who is the model of our life and witness. And then let Jesus and the Holy Spirit take care of what comes next.