5th Sunday of Easter (Year C) | Sunday 18th May 2025 | St Anne’s, Wrenthorpe (Extended Communion)
John 13.31-35 | Acts 11.1-18 | Genesis 22:1-18
The sign read: “Everyone Welcome”.
Hold that thought for a moment…
I don’t know about you, but there are some aspects of the Internet that I find quite amusing… such as collections of church signs that speak the message of Jesus in a pithy way, with humour and self awareness… with a clever use of language – perhaps you have seen them too…. No? Just me then!
This particular sign was at the door of Wakefield Cathedral. I initially saw it many years ago, when it was first placed there, and, at the time, it raised conflicting thoughts and feelings within me.
It just said: “Everyone Welcome” and, on the one hand, I thought… ‘good, that’s a good message, well done!’ – in my ever-hopeful, middle-class, white, hetero-normative kind of way….. I have seen others like it, in churches up and down the land. It’s what you would expect a Christian community to say….
On the other hand…
Why does there need to be a sign?
Again, an obvious question but, we take some much for granted…
If you are someone who does not feel welcome; who approaches a church with mistrust, from experiences that do not speak of love, or anything hopeful, maybe you need that encouraging invitation.
Not all churches are good at the ministry of welcome and, lets be truthful, it takes but a moment, and the wrong facial expression or body language, for a visitor feeling fragile in their own skin, or sense of worth, to assume there is no place for them in God’s house.
Whatever it is that looks ‘different’, seems different about a person; or maybe its the attitudes of society, the laws of the land, not always well presented within religious institutions – whatever it is that is carried on those shoulders… a visitor may arrive believing that ‘Christian’s are supposed to be loving, accepting and forgiving, aren’t they?’.
How welcome will I be… really… once you know me. And yes, fears of rejection, and the need to belong are always a catalyst in joining something new.
It’s not just visitors to our churches. The reputation of Christianity takes a good kicking, often with good reason! Not all who profess a faith in “the church” are interested in the Gospels. Many have, and still do, use the word “Christian” to label themselves as just, good and worthy, chosen – and they can easily identify the outsider, the wrongun, the one who is “othered”.
They might be self-made custodians of some notion of a church that hasn’t changed, and doesn’t exist: yet fits with their worldview, is more aligned with law, judgement, and most likely outdated attitudes that keep people away – the sort of people though, that Jesus sat with.
Social media is filled with voices that either call-out the hypocrisy of “church” and Christianity or just rubbish the whole idea of religion as pointless.
Sad but true. And you could see why, maybe.
Mostly, we do our best to live as disciples, in the hope of Gods grace…. Praying for transformation in the world, offering it our hospitality and talents, perhaps speaking up, speaking out, standing with, welcoming in. Quietly loving.
Three years ago, I stood here and preached on the same readings as today. I wonder what has changed in your lives, during that time. Maybe there is much you would not wish to dwell on; but hopefully there is more that has been good, fruitful – the memory of which brings joy!
I wonder then, how your relationship with God has been….in prayer and worship, perhaps there has been spiritual growth through reading scripture (or anything else), silence, community fellowship, or in the natural world maybe.
What about your relationships with others… those that become a reflection of your relationship with God…?
That may be more tricky to describe or evaluate – for want of a better word!
Today’s readings speak volumes about accepting God’s love for us, and reflecting that back in how we live, and love for others and the world around us. When this does not happen, we must look again and again at all that stands between us and God’s eternal love – a gift for everyone.
Jesus, at The Last Supper, calls His disciples “little children” as He tries to explain what will come to pass. He leaves them a New Commandment – to love one another.
What was new about it?
It was an instruction above and beyond The Law of Moses, to enter into relationship with one another, to reflect the love that God has revealed. Jesus knew this, and in time, so would His friends, in whom Jesus had such faith – though they often seemed clueless!
Years later, Peter was trying to impress upon his colleagues the need to change the way things were done, to get the message out into the world. Not only was the household of Cornelius ‘saved’, but attitudes were changed, new directions taken.
Think how that happened…
17 If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?’ 18When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, ‘Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.’
Again… “…who was I, that I could hinder God?”
QUITE!
It is not for us to say who is or who is not to be accepted by God! Not ever!
It is not for us to determine who is or who isn’t deserving of God’s forgiveness – redemption through God’s free and radical grace!
Jesus spoke of the Kingdom, of faith making the changes they longed to see, to trust in how God loved: Loved them, loves you.
And here is Peter – remember how he refused to eat what he believed was profane? Now he is pushing back against the ways in which the Law of Moses – given to Israel that they might live lives for God – ways in which the Law was often used to separate and curtail relationship.
If you read the passage from Genesis, maybe like me, you find it challenging – Abraham leading his son Isaac to be sacrificed to God. It reads as astoundingly awful. The meaning is found, in that God did not want the life of Isaac, taken by his father. God loved Abraham and Isaac. Abraham trusted God. In putting God first, Abraham changes everything….
“By your offspring shall ALL the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.’ (18)
WOW!
On Thursday evening, I was blessed to hear Professor Jane Williams speak about the Holy Spirit, in the context of the Nicene Creed. We often struggle to “explain” the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and yet we recite the Creed at least weekly.
And as a community, we don’t often wrestle with theology, head-on, so to speak. So it was good to gain some insights into how the Holy Spirit moves within our Credal recital – as integrated, and inseparable from Father and Son – not just words but RELATIONSHIP – yes, that word again!
For me, one ‘take-away’ from Jane’s talk, was a verse mentioned from Paul’s letter to the Galatians, that I had not really noticed before:
““And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”” (Galatians 4:6)
Here we have God as Father, Son, Spirit… and US – you and me – we are the reflection of God’s love, which we too can accomplish if we choose to live in relationship, with one another, with creation… and thus God.
We were created in Gods image. Individual, yes, but truly of God.
Whatever has gone before, we can restore that image of God in us, through living as the Son commanded, enriched by the Spirit – if we show love for one another.
There will always be opportunities for us to break down barriers, challenge the words of hate, reject the insidious presumption of “me first”.
There will be many, many more opportunities for failure in this.
Relationships are hard, and need constant care and attention.
Can we trust in God like Abraham? I don’t know.
I don’t have many Abrahamic days, to be honest!
Can we seek changes that help those on the outside feel welcome and included?
Think again of the sign: “Everyone Welcome”.
Imagine not needing it because our community knows church is hopeful, a place where brokenness is healed, and difference is loved.
But DO NOT ever allow the sign to be redundant because our doors, and hearts are closed.
None of this will be done from our own energies alone.
Some of the changes needed to foster the relationships needed in this world, for peace, understanding and justice, may not even happen in our lifetime.
Whatever we can do, or try to do, to reflect God’s love in us will be our life’s mission!
We are worthy of this task…. Aren’t we?
We are commanded to do it… because we are already loved!
Discipleship is possible for everyone, for before we were loving, we were already loved!
In prayer, sacrament and fellowship, we might hope to discern all the ways in which we can live this ‘New Commandment’!
Our life’s endeavour – to point the way to God who IS love – with NO barriers or restrictions!
Everyone welcome.
That is the Gospel we proclaim.
And I commend it to you with all of my heart!
Alleluia!
Amen.
Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash
Just for fun: https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-church-signs-twitter/