10052022 – Luke 17. 5-10
From the gospel tonight I detect two or maybe even three different kind of churches.
And of course you realize by the time of gospel writer, the church had already been around for some 40 years…
There are “MANY TYPES of churches,” and some might even say, THEY ARE ALL VERY DIFFERENT.
The first one appears when the disciples come to Jesus and ask him to “increase their faith.” They represent a church that is ALL ABOUT “FAITH and FOLLOWING.” Nothing wrong with that! I mean, isn’t that to be expected? Aren’t we supposed to “faithfully follow?”
But, there has been criticism like forever that “the church” has become nothing more than a private-social-country-club. We sing together. We talk. We laugh. We pray together. We share stories. We fellowship together. We drink coffee. We smile and make small talk. Almost like a substitute family. We inquire about one another. And then we go home and we do it all over again next Sunday…or on Wednesday or on a Saturday. Many people are “actually glad” to see one another. They do indeed care. There is a sense of community, a sense of belonging, and even a sense of caring…support, loving, warm, and kind. For some it is a close-knit-loving-family.
“All of that kind of stands out” in a non-caring, cold, everyone-out-for-themselves-kind-of-world. Where more than 1/3 of Americans say that they are lonely, they are without any close family or friends.
So we DO have OUR critics! People see us as a bunch of navel gazers, starring at our own belly buttons. Caring only about our-own-little-in-group, and those that we MAY-allow-in. It’s all about us. Our fellowship. Our friends. Our building. Our gatherings.
But when Jesus continues on with still another parable, he describes what just might be another kind of congregation.
It is a church where the people “work.” Where they accomplish things together. It is a church where people are “very generous.” Giving of themselves, their time and their monies. They give. And, sometimes, they give a lot. They give to others. They are involved.
They work at feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked, and visiting the sick, the imprisoned, and reaching out, and touching the untouchables of our world.
These churches tend to be “open to all people,” in all walks of life. And these churches DO THIS, not just because they are compassionate people, but because they believe it is “expected of them” as followers of the Risen and Resurrected Christ.
Remember Jesus’ words in the parable?
“The slave knows that he or she cannot come in from the field and sit down for a dinner. Rather, the slave comes in, puts on an apron and “SERVES THE MASTER.” So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done.’”
So this second type of church reaches out…you know, to the Police Dept, the Fire Dept, the school kids with backpacks, and school supplies, they hold blood drives, and open their building to all kinds of community gatherings, they care about homeless and sheltered animals, and they feed the hungry, they dirty their hands, and their nails, and sometimes they even empty their wallets.
But I suspect that you might even find a third type of church in that description that is a combination of the two.
You know a place to call home. That is my church. That is where I go to worship! We do this, this, and this. For a little church family we are always involved in something…OUT REACH is important to us, and always has been. But so is concern for our own membership…we care about each other.
A tale of two churches, maybe three and all from just one story, as told by Jesus.
The church is always what WE MAKE IT TO BE in every place and in every age…
The church is in OUR HANDS.
It can be vibrant and growing or it can be complacent, stale and dying, it all depends on YOU…and always has…
It is NEVER TIME to circle the wagons and to celebrate OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, because we are always called to be made ANEW…and to do more!
To extend ourselves, to reach, to grow, to stretch…to become, MORE THAN WE ALREADY ARE!
We can never forget there are always those WITHIN our very walls, whose needs ARE GREAT…and even, CONTINUAL.
Lord knows there are millions OUTSIDE OF OUR DOORS who are just waiting for someone to reach out to them…and help them, and maybe even, invite them in…
ALL OF US are needed and necessary, and ALL OF US are called to be THE Church and WHAT we make of it, is WHAT IT WILL BE.
A story of TWO CHURCHES, maybe three, and all because they asked that their faith be increased…and he responded by telling them a parable.
Thank you, for your role, in this church family! And, for all that you do! Amen.