Loading...Who is welcome at the table? I suppose the answer depends upon whom you ask and what the occasion is.
•When the Syrophonoecian woman (who is nameless in this story) asks Jesus for help – a seat at the table – he tells her that neither she nor her daughter are welcome.
•As a nation, we seem to want to build bigger walls rather than longer Tables for those refugees and immigrants who are asking for a place. As individuals, however, we open our hearts to those who are asking for a place. My neighbors Debbie and Randy have opened their hearts and embrace to a family from Burundi; this congregation has opened its embrace to the families who are part of World Relief.
•At this Table and at this Font, we welcome all.
Today, the sacrament of Baptism will be celebrated with Isabella and Trey; and we welcome Rose Ann as newly part of our community.
Who is welcome at the table?
The Syrophonoecian woman didn’t take “no” for an answer.
Jesus – who himself was the outsider, the foreigner in this story – was somewhat rude in his denial of assistance.
But this momma, she persisted!
Her daughter needed Jesus’ healing and wholeness.
Her daughter (and she herself) needed to be at the Table –
the table that God spread for all peoples and nations.
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God welcomes us at the Table:
single, married, LGBTQI & S;
the rich array of skin tones, the over-educated, all the cultural variations; those of us with glasses, or using crutches or canes;
those with mental illness, those of us who are rounder than we should be, mistake makers, those under-employed;
the stubborn, cranky, or sweet-as-pie;
those of us who come from unhealthy families,
alcoholics, bike riders, weight-lifters, bacon-eaters,
and those sporting tattoos.
You are welcome.
Come to the feast and eat so that you are nourished.
Skootch over so that there’s enough room for all the others who show up
including the Syrophonoecian woman and her daughter.
Who is welcome at the Table?
God welcomes any and all.
Eat, be healed, be nourished, be filled.
And then...
and then we become the servers, the helpers, the welcomers, the inviters
And then,
we both assist God’s grace to be shared and experienced,
AND we get out of the way with our own rules and regs about what we think is right so that Christ’s healing may be know and experienced.
~~~~~~~~
I’m thrilled that we are welcoming into God’s family at St. David’s these new friends in Christ: Trey, Isabella, and Rose Ann.
I’m thrilled because this IS a place where God’s grace is known,
Christ’s healing is experienced,
and the Holy Spirit’s courage is lived out.
But, mostly I’m thrilled because these three are at God’s Table with us,
just as they have been for the past several months,
knowing that they belong and that they are loved.
Amen
