September 15, 2019
Luke 15:1-10
It seemed like everywhere I looked in Section A of today’s edition of the Greensboro News & Record, I found an article on the opioid crisis that has been and continues to devastate. One in particular caught my attention. Maybe it was because of the large columns and front steps of the church building in the background of the picture focused on a man installing a yard sign to informed passerby about a Syringe Exchange program. That church in the background is pastored by my good friend Dr. Michael Usey and the article is about College Park Baptist Church’s new partnering initiative with The Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Crisis. While the deserved focus of the article is on the positive work being done to address this epidemic, there is something else the article touches on, the unwillingness of most faith communities to get involved.
It seems in the eyes of people who do not attend College Park, Michael and the church he serves have a reputation as being somewhere between radical and progressive. Without trying to put words in Michael’s mouth, I would venture to say he doesn’t see it that way. Rather he sees his church’s willingness to get involved where other faith communities refuse as deeply biblical and evidence of just how far they are willing to follow in the footsteps of their Rabbi, Jesus. In those areas of life where so many other area churches’ doors are closed to those outside, Michael and College Park seemed to always be there to open theirs. This latest initiative is a perfect example.
In collaboration with the UNCG Department of Social Work, the Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Crisis, is a free program providing wound care, counseling and access to treatment and now syringe exchange, which may be the biggest reason finding a partner within the faith community was so difficult. Like other times, College Park Baptist took an open-door participatory approach. So, when “church member Melissa Floyd-Pickard, chairwoman of the social work department at UNCG and a former substance abuse therapist, had heard that initially another congregation had turned the group down… She texted Usey, her pastor who quickly responded by saying College Park Baptist would “Absolutely,” be willing to partner and participate. Then the members of the church stepped up and began the preparation. Church-Member Bill Ingold along with others refurbished a room that had been used for storage into the clinic which is now open two days a week. As Mr. Ingold said, “This is a problem” and in terms of helping we had to ask, “Why not us?” a question that unfortunately most faith communities struggle to ask. It seems the teachings of Jesus helped this congregation make this choice as walking in the footsteps of their Rabbi Jesus is something the people of College Park Baptist church take seriously. So seriously that when others choose to close their doors, or leave them shut, they open theirs. Mr. Ingold said it best when he said, “I’m no Bible scholar, but I can’t remember Jesus ever closing the doors of the church to anybody.”[1]
*************************
Not closing the doors is, of course, figurative speech, as most of Jesus’ ministry was done outside, instead of inside a building. However, the concept of open doors has always been central to our understanding of Jesus and this weeks’ gospel lesson is yet another example of just how open to participating in the lives of “others” he was. Within the first two verses, the scene is set, and in that scene, we have outcasts as well as the religious elite of the day. We also have Jesus, but only because Luke places him within the scene as the one responsible for the presence of the outcasts. You see, the only reason the outcasts were there was because they were drawing near to Jesus. And because his doors were open to them, because he was willing to eat with them, the religious elite felt compelled to speak their voices of disapproval by saying look at this fellow, he welcomes sinners and eats with them. Apparently, their voices of disapproval prompt Jesus to tell them a few parables, although this week’s lesson only gives us the first two.
Some might conclude these parables are simply about the lost are found, and while that is true, I believe it is only partly true as there is so much more being taught if you have ears to hear. These parables offer remarkable adjectives about God and God’s essence. Just consider “The thoroughness of the searches and the extravagance of the celebrations”[2] in these parables. The shepherd goes after the one until it is found. The woman doesn’t just try one thing in searching for the coin, she tries multiple things. In both instances, when what was once lost was found, friends and neighbors are called together to rejoice.
These two parables speak about a God who is relentless… A God who could be called stubborn or insistent… They also speak about a God who is tireless in the pursuit of that which is lost. Maybe even more striking is something that was right in front of our eyes when George Lane read this earlier, but I wonder if we caught it. You see we are so used to passing over words in sentences that I feel we sometimes miss things and not because we are necessarily trying to miss them, it just seems to happen. I’m not so sure Jesus’ audience would have missed this though because it would have been so striking for them to hear about the feminine God. That right, when read together these two parables speak about a masculine God and a feminine God. Jesus used an image of God as masculine in the shepherd and as feminine in the woman sweeping the house and by doing so maybe this wise teacher was attempting to change people’s mind about who God is. No matter what, by giving both a masculine image AND a feminine image, Jesus “made sure no one was left out, not even a feminine God.”
There is one other thing these parables do that needs to be acknowledged today. There is no shaming of the lost. There is no blaming the fact that someone is lost on that someone. You see, being found happens because of the one pursuing the lost, not because the lost pursues them. Just consider that a sheep “that is able to bleat out in distress often will not do so, out of fear. Instead it will curl up and lie down in the wild brush, hiding from predators. The sheep is immobilized, so that shepherd must bear its full weight to bring it home. Similarly, the lost coin, an inanimate object, is unable to call out or shine brightly to bring attention to itself. Its rescue is totally dependent upon the woman’s diligence.”[3] In both instances, neither one that is lost has done anything wrong so why in the world would anyone want to make them feel like they had.
“These parables call the community to open its doors and rejoice”[4] in all who are found, whenever and however they are found.
**************************
We are so fortunate to have these stories and these teachings. They open us up to see the world in all of its glory. They should open us up to see the myriad aspects of God’s essence. We are equally lucky to have examples like Dr. Michael Usey and College Park Baptist Church because their doors are open. They allow these stories and these teachings to lead them. To change them even and the end result is true community. As Chase Holleman said about College Park’s willingness to partner in this initiative, “Some faith communities do the traditional blame, shame and moralizing with folks, which isn’t helpful for anyone… What we’ve found here is what we do as Christians, we love people and offer them kindness and respect no matter where they are in life.”[5]
In other words, friends and neighbors let us gather with them and rejoice with them for that which was lost has been found. LET US ALL REJOICE!
[PRAYER]
Amen!
[1] Greensboro News & Record, Sunday September 15, 2019
[2] Lewis, Karoline, http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=5379
[3] Debevoise, Helen Montgomery, Feasting on the Word Commentary Year C, Luke 15:1-10, Pastoral Perspective
[4] Id.
[5] Greensboro News & Record, Sunday, September 15, 2019
Luke 15:1-10
It seemed like everywhere I looked in Section A of today’s edition of the Greensboro News & Record, I found an article on the opioid crisis that has been and continues to devastate. One in particular caught my attention. Maybe it was because of the large columns and front steps of the church building in the background of the picture focused on a man installing a yard sign to informed passerby about a Syringe Exchange program. That church in the background is pastored by my good friend Dr. Michael Usey and the article is about College Park Baptist Church’s new partnering initiative with The Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Crisis. While the deserved focus of the article is on the positive work being done to address this epidemic, there is something else the article touches on, the unwillingness of most faith communities to get involved.
It seems in the eyes of people who do not attend College Park, Michael and the church he serves have a reputation as being somewhere between radical and progressive. Without trying to put words in Michael’s mouth, I would venture to say he doesn’t see it that way. Rather he sees his church’s willingness to get involved where other faith communities refuse as deeply biblical and evidence of just how far they are willing to follow in the footsteps of their Rabbi, Jesus. In those areas of life where so many other area churches’ doors are closed to those outside, Michael and College Park seemed to always be there to open theirs. This latest initiative is a perfect example.
In collaboration with the UNCG Department of Social Work, the Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Crisis, is a free program providing wound care, counseling and access to treatment and now syringe exchange, which may be the biggest reason finding a partner within the faith community was so difficult. Like other times, College Park Baptist took an open-door participatory approach. So, when “church member Melissa Floyd-Pickard, chairwoman of the social work department at UNCG and a former substance abuse therapist, had heard that initially another congregation had turned the group down… She texted Usey, her pastor who quickly responded by saying College Park Baptist would “Absolutely,” be willing to partner and participate. Then the members of the church stepped up and began the preparation. Church-Member Bill Ingold along with others refurbished a room that had been used for storage into the clinic which is now open two days a week. As Mr. Ingold said, “This is a problem” and in terms of helping we had to ask, “Why not us?” a question that unfortunately most faith communities struggle to ask. It seems the teachings of Jesus helped this congregation make this choice as walking in the footsteps of their Rabbi Jesus is something the people of College Park Baptist church take seriously. So seriously that when others choose to close their doors, or leave them shut, they open theirs. Mr. Ingold said it best when he said, “I’m no Bible scholar, but I can’t remember Jesus ever closing the doors of the church to anybody.”[1]
*************************
Not closing the doors is, of course, figurative speech, as most of Jesus’ ministry was done outside, instead of inside a building. However, the concept of open doors has always been central to our understanding of Jesus and this weeks’ gospel lesson is yet another example of just how open to participating in the lives of “others” he was. Within the first two verses, the scene is set, and in that scene, we have outcasts as well as the religious elite of the day. We also have Jesus, but only because Luke places him within the scene as the one responsible for the presence of the outcasts. You see, the only reason the outcasts were there was because they were drawing near to Jesus. And because his doors were open to them, because he was willing to eat with them, the religious elite felt compelled to speak their voices of disapproval by saying look at this fellow, he welcomes sinners and eats with them. Apparently, their voices of disapproval prompt Jesus to tell them a few parables, although this week’s lesson only gives us the first two.
Some might conclude these parables are simply about the lost are found, and while that is true, I believe it is only partly true as there is so much more being taught if you have ears to hear. These parables offer remarkable adjectives about God and God’s essence. Just consider “The thoroughness of the searches and the extravagance of the celebrations”[2] in these parables. The shepherd goes after the one until it is found. The woman doesn’t just try one thing in searching for the coin, she tries multiple things. In both instances, when what was once lost was found, friends and neighbors are called together to rejoice.
These two parables speak about a God who is relentless… A God who could be called stubborn or insistent… They also speak about a God who is tireless in the pursuit of that which is lost. Maybe even more striking is something that was right in front of our eyes when George Lane read this earlier, but I wonder if we caught it. You see we are so used to passing over words in sentences that I feel we sometimes miss things and not because we are necessarily trying to miss them, it just seems to happen. I’m not so sure Jesus’ audience would have missed this though because it would have been so striking for them to hear about the feminine God. That right, when read together these two parables speak about a masculine God and a feminine God. Jesus used an image of God as masculine in the shepherd and as feminine in the woman sweeping the house and by doing so maybe this wise teacher was attempting to change people’s mind about who God is. No matter what, by giving both a masculine image AND a feminine image, Jesus “made sure no one was left out, not even a feminine God.”
There is one other thing these parables do that needs to be acknowledged today. There is no shaming of the lost. There is no blaming the fact that someone is lost on that someone. You see, being found happens because of the one pursuing the lost, not because the lost pursues them. Just consider that a sheep “that is able to bleat out in distress often will not do so, out of fear. Instead it will curl up and lie down in the wild brush, hiding from predators. The sheep is immobilized, so that shepherd must bear its full weight to bring it home. Similarly, the lost coin, an inanimate object, is unable to call out or shine brightly to bring attention to itself. Its rescue is totally dependent upon the woman’s diligence.”[3] In both instances, neither one that is lost has done anything wrong so why in the world would anyone want to make them feel like they had.
“These parables call the community to open its doors and rejoice”[4] in all who are found, whenever and however they are found.
**************************
We are so fortunate to have these stories and these teachings. They open us up to see the world in all of its glory. They should open us up to see the myriad aspects of God’s essence. We are equally lucky to have examples like Dr. Michael Usey and College Park Baptist Church because their doors are open. They allow these stories and these teachings to lead them. To change them even and the end result is true community. As Chase Holleman said about College Park’s willingness to partner in this initiative, “Some faith communities do the traditional blame, shame and moralizing with folks, which isn’t helpful for anyone… What we’ve found here is what we do as Christians, we love people and offer them kindness and respect no matter where they are in life.”[5]
In other words, friends and neighbors let us gather with them and rejoice with them for that which was lost has been found. LET US ALL REJOICE!
[PRAYER]
Amen!
[1] Greensboro News & Record, Sunday September 15, 2019
[2] Lewis, Karoline, http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=5379
[3] Debevoise, Helen Montgomery, Feasting on the Word Commentary Year C, Luke 15:1-10, Pastoral Perspective
[4] Id.
[5] Greensboro News & Record, Sunday, September 15, 2019
