When Jesus called his first disciples, he did not issue a warning that implied
that because John the Baptist’s star was likely falling and his own was rising
it would now be wise to leave John and come over to follow Jesus. From the Gospel
record as we have it, there was no jealousy, vindictiveness or defensiveness between
John and Jesus. Jesus did not promise prospective disciples more success than
what they had had with John or a more exciting itinerary. Jesus did not use guilt
or intimidation to keep disciples in line or to draw new ones in. Yet somehow
prospective disciples knew that they could trust Jesus, that he sought relationships
of mutual caring, which were in such contrast to what they had ever experienced.
Jesus simply said without pretension or disguised threats or enticing promises,
“Come and see. Stay with me a while and see if you would like to follow me.”
Those first few honest words of Jesus made all the difference. In the same way
the first five minutes when newcomers enter a new church or upon being invited
afterwards to stay for coffee and enter the parish hall, those minutes are the
most critical in setting the tone whether one will stick around to hear and see
more.
This is the model of hospitality that Jesus
asks us to follow. There are no gimmicks or hidden agendas. One of the great temptations
is to get into the rut of thinking of God’s mission in terms of aggressive
“shoulds” and “oughts.” We are usually a little more sophisticated
than to blatantly claim, “The Lord has told me that you ought to do this.”
Instead we've learned to couch things in terms of opportunities waiting and exciting
challenges to meet. Nonetheless, too many opportunities and challenges ultimately
become “shoulds” and “oughts” disguised in fancy language.
At the heart of the mission offered us at St. John's
is an invitation to discover and share, not a list of “shoulds” and
“oughts”. Come and see the grace of God already working among you! The
question is not how do we get you or me to do this or that, but how can we discover
and connect signs of the resurrection with what is going on in people's lives
today. Where are the revelations of new birth?
Jesus
set high standards and modeled them. Undoubtedly Jesus was pleased with some of
his disciples and disappointed in others. Yet, he stuck by them. The world may
like to hire and fire football coaches solely on the basis of instant success.
Not so with people of faith. The world of a Notre Dame or Syracuse University
Athletic Department is not the model of the way relationships are valued in a
parish.
In a healthy parish, it is always the middle
of January. A healthy parish knows that most of its best days lie in the weeks
and months ahead. It must look beyond the immediate, for most of what immediately
lies ahead does not look promising. The bills look formidable. Peace and justice
seem to be only a fleeting dream, packed away with the Christmas tree decorations.
On the other hand, the church is still a youngster, still growing in the faith.
Most of our future is ahead of us, not behind, even if spring is still a vision
and summer a future longing. People of faith always keep hope alive.
We will have our annual meeting today, and I am touched by the enthusiasm, dedication
and breadth of all that goes on in the name of hospitality here. Sometimes when
we take our fellowship for granted or in the daily coping with life, we allow
it to go stale. I know that sometimes you feel unappreciated, weary or overwhelmed,
but as I read the annual reports that only touch a few areas I am reminded again
and again, what a difference you make. I hope that you, like me, draw new energy
from them. Yes, it is January, and even the skiing has, up to this weekend, been
lousy. However, people of faith know that the future belongs to God. God won't
let any institution, ideology, or social norms cheat the world out of Jesus' victory.
Sometimes extraneous noise drowns out the greeting. Nevertheless, God still beckons
us and invites all who pass by or stumble in, to come and see, come and taste
the gracious hospitality of faith.
