Today we commemorate the anniversary of our congregation. We were chartered on Reformation Day in 2004.
During the last 14 years, There is a three word phrase we have used on every piece of communication about our church. Every mailing, every printed invitation, every social media posting, every newspaper advertisement has included this three word phrase.
When I hear the 3 three words: “Grace of God” my heart is filled with gratitude and joy. I imagine the buzz that happens before worship. I picture the children and youth who have learned of Jesus here at Grace of God. I can feel the love and the fellowship. I can hear the music of the songs we love to sing together. I connect those three words, Grace of God, to all of you . . . to the grace we have experienced together. . . to the grace we have shared and celebrated with each other. “Grace of God” are three words that identify us. They are words we have tried to live up to. They say who we are and what makes us tick.
But those are not the three words that I’m referring to. Every piece of communication about our church for the past 14 years has included these three words: “All are welcome.” These words are Gospel. These words define and describe our mission and ministry. These are “Reformation” words that remind us that nothing will get in the way of complete access to God’s grace. “All are welcome” is the necessary proclamation that leads to the grace of God. Because it if is not available and accessible to all, it is no longer grace.
And those three words are the truth that sets us all free.
Jesus words in our Gospel do not say, “If you continue in the laws and traditions you have learned, you will know the truth.” He does not say, “if you continue in your own unexamined thoughts and opinions, you will know the truth.” Nor does he say, “if you continue safely in the familiar and the comfortable you will know the truth.”
But Jesus says “if you continue in my word you will know the truth.” AND he says, “the truth will set you free.” AND he says, “if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed.”
Jesus knew that the ministry that would follow him would have to evolve. He knew his followers wouldn’t necessarily understand everything right away. It would take them a while to figure out, for example, that Old Testament restrictions like dietary laws and circumcision were no longer binding on God’s people. That they could let go of all the distinctions and categories that limited access to God and the liberating power of God’s love. That is why he said we should CONTINUE in his word.
To continue in Jesus’ word means to follow him . . . to listen to him . . . to allow his word of grace and truth to permeate our lives.
To continue in his word means recalling the promises and invitations that he spoke:
“Come to me ALL who are weary and burdened.”
“I came to seek and save the lost.”
“I chose you; you did not choose me”
“I forgive you – I do not condemn you”
“Everyone who believe in me will live.”
“I am the way and the truth and the life”
“I have come to proclaim release to the captives and freedom for the oppressed”
Those are Jesus’ words.
Reformation is all about unlimited and unrestricted access to God. And a church and ministry that provides that access. Our second reading says, “Through Christ we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” What happened to the church 500 years ago and what continues to happen to the church when the Gospel has free reign is that hearts and minds are reshaped and reformed by Jesus’ words and promises. And obstacles that we put up to keep people AWAY from Jesus are torn down. Christ alone is the access to God.
The real reason we celebrate the Reformation every year not as an historical event in the past but as an ongoing movement in the church is because we forget that we are saved by grace and the truth that sets us free. And we remain imprisoned by our own guilt and shame. Imprisoned by fear that if we are truly known for who we are we will not be loved and accepted. We are imprisoned by our own lack of trust in Jesus’ words and promises. Not only that, but we imprison others with our judgments and righteous proclamations. We imprison others by holding them up to impossible standards and loving them conditionally. We imprison our neighbor by deciding who is in and who is out when it comes to God’s grace.
The Reformation movement was a reaction to a church that said, “We can decide who’s in and out. If we like who you are, if you say enough ‘Hail Marys’, if you’ve done enough penance, if you buy enough indulgences and do what we tell you to do then we might let you be in.” They burned at the stake people they had branded as heretics. They didn’t want anyone who would upset the balance of power and authority they had established. And frankly, they really didn’t want Jesus and his word. Now I’m not going to preach about Martin Luther or venerate his memory or retell his amazing life story. But I’m just going to say this: The namesake of our theological tradition – the guy our church is named for (much to his chagrin, we should add) is someone who got kicked out of church.
They kicked him out because the Good News he preached, that we are saved by grace, seemed too risky. Because the word of God translated in a language the people could read and understand felt too dangerous. Because granting access to God would upset the status quo and unseat too many of the powerful.
And doesn’t this sound exactly like the reaction Jesus got? When the Word made flesh entered our world he was not received well. He literally crossed boundaries to make himself and God’s love available and accessible. He hung out with sinners and offered love and acceptance and forgiveness. But just like happened during the Reformation and countless times before and since, the human invented regulations of the religious establishment got in the way. They kicked him outside the city walls and hung him up to die. There on the cross he himself took the place of sinners. So that all would be free and all would be included.
I think we all know what it’s like to feel detached or unwanted. I think we know how dark our self-imposed prisons can be. Or what judgment and condemnation do to our sense of self and our ability to thrive. Maybe you even have experienced this type of pain and injury from the church.
Jesus comes today to set us free. He is completely accessible to us here in our fellowship and around this table. He is here to offer to us – to you — the invitation of grace, to remind us that we are loved and accepted no matter what, to speak to us a word that brings us hope and comfort and scares no one away, to help us create a community that engages all in ministry and keeps no one out. Jesus is the grace of God. THIS is his church. And here ALL ARE WELCOME.
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