Friday, August 18, 2023

Welcome Disruption

Welcome Disruption

Psalm 67, Isaiah 56:1-8



We Presbyterians tend to be fans of order. Our constitution is in two major parts – the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order. Both Pastor Elana and I chose to memorize the same verse before being examined by our separate committees on preparation for ministry as we were in the process of being ordained. That verse, I Corinthians 14:40, states: “Let all things be done decently and in good order.” Contemporary Presbys have a tendency to want to study issues carefully, to send things to committee, and to change slowly and surely, according to the Spirit of God, as expressed through the church as a whole. Our history lends us a distrust of authority – after all, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” and so we institute checks and balances to try to keep things decent and orderly.

This is, I think, a good thing. We generally are insulated from wild swings of a governance pendulum, and find a fairly steady path before us, illuminated by the light of God. That’s not to say we’ve gotten everything right – because, of course, we too are subject to misinterpretations and have fallen short of God’s intent. But we adapt and change and grow in faith and in love. And, using our slow and steady pace, we also influence the world around us to take care in the same way.

But, there are times when that slow and steady pace is disrupted. There are circumstances in the world that call for immediate action – or at least, swift action. When wildfires burn through communities, we send help. When someone is sick or injured, we ask for healing and help get them to medical facilities. In those instances when swift action is needed, we let the principles of the church guide our actions, and make modifications as needed. For a non-controversial example, when the pandemic hit and churches suddenly found themselves unable to meet in person, it was realized that, technically, the Book of Order doesn’t specify that meetings can be held remotely. Churches that met via zoom were in a grey area – but the meetings were important enough to happen, even without being in direct line with the Book of Order. Now, the Book of Order has been updated to explicitly allow remote meetings, but it takes time for those changes to be made official.

On the bulletin cover is an image of a crosswalk sign – placed against a corner of a building. Signs like this are setup where there is need for disruption – when traffic needs to stop for people, in an orderly sharing of the road and resources. But we often build walls instead of bridges, privileging drivers over pedestrians, even if unconsciously. That’s where disruption is most needed.

Jesus is famous for showing how disruption is a part of God’s path for us, too. His parables, for instance, contain references to setting aside personal comfort to help others (Good Samaritan), to welcome home those who have made mistakes, but have changed hearts (Prodigal Son), to loving those who persecute you, to give to others that all may be sheltered, fed, and loved, and so on. Jesus’ suggestion of disruption to the status quo is certainly radical – but it follows in the grand tradition of the Prophets, all of whom showed that God’s preference lies towards disruption of comfort and order if it means helping people – especially those whom society has pushed to the outside.

When the Judahites were allowed to return home following the exile to Babylon, they were a people who had suffered oppression and disruption to the way they had always done things. There was a strong movement to try to return to traditional ways, and a big part of that was in a rejection of anything “foreign.” Even related peoples, like the Samaritans, the Edomites, and the Arameans, were considered “foreign” in the time of return. The identity of the people of Judah became more and more tied up in the notions of “us vs them.” As Professor Amy Ogden puts it, “It’s easy to see how a vulnerable people who had been attacked and conquered would be suspicious about welcoming outsiders. Such welcome could be seen as a betrayal of their own struggle, their sense of community identity and integrity.”

This is important, because when Isaiah says, “I will bring [foreigners] to my holy mountain of Jerusalem, and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer,” it is very much not what the people are expecting to hear. It is a disruption – in many ways, an unwelcome disruption. Now, when you look at what God is saying through Isaiah, it’s clear that God is welcoming those who follow God’s ways, not those who still follow foreign gods or idols. But, Isaiah’s prophecy is a reminder that the Israelites have a tradition of welcoming converts and caring for people that is more important to their identity than they want to acknowledge.

God extends the welcome beyond the foreigner, however. Many of you remember that God’s first commandment, in the beginning of Genesis, is to all creation: “be fruitful and multiply.” Much of the identity of people in Israel and Judah was tied into this idea – that they were part of families whose names were written in the holy scripture, and that their families would number more than the stars in the sky and the grains of sand in all the beaches of the world. But there were people who did not have children – either from choice or from accident. During the exile, many Judahites were made into Eunuchs at the whim of the king – and during the many diasporas, the smaller exiles that preceded and followed, the same was true of many others.

Many of these people felt that they were no longer worthy of God’s love, since they were not able to contribute to the growth of the people of God. But God spoke through Isaiah, saying, “I will bless those eunuchs who keep my Sabbath, who choose to do what is right and commit their lives to me. I will give them, within the walls of my house, a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear!”

God promises not only to welcome those who were outside the norm for their society, but to bless them, to love them, and to remember them. All they have to do is to not desecrate the Sabbath, and live righteous lives. It’s the same contract with anyone in Israel, in case you’re wondering – follow the commandments, and live lives of loving each other. When you make mistakes, seek to make it right, and ask forgiveness both from those you’ve wronged and from God.

Many of us today, hearing “keep the Sabbath holy” hear it as an additional burden. We remember the Blue Laws, with everything shut down on Sunday, and the extra burden that placed on families. But, for the people in Isaiah’s day, keeping the Sabbath meant a return to the rest that they did not have in exile! Babylon would not have allowed for communal days of rest, especially not for all levels of society. This is the joy of the Sabbath commandment – God knows that we humans need to rest.

Sabbath should be a welcome disruption to the order of our week – a chance to put aside work and enjoy the company of friends and family. God rested on the seventh day of creation – and if God can rest, then so can we and so should we. God rested, not to improve God’s productivity, or to think of new creative ideas – but because it is important to take time to love and enjoy creation. To take time to study what is, to notice little details, and to get the rest that is so lacking in the world today.

Just as Sabbath is a welcome disruption, so too should people who are different be a welcome disruption. “God welcomes all,” we sing – and we should be aware that “all” is a very large bunch of folks! It’s not just neighbors who recently moved in, but the cries of children who are exposed to hymns for the first time, and those who society has rejected for any reason. People of all origins, orientations, and abilities.

For God’s welcome is inclusive and expansive. God’s disruption of our status quo helps us to connect with people all over the earth, and all over our communities. To sing, with the psalmist and all who have sung the psalms through the years: “Let the people celebrate and shout with joy because you judge the nations fairly and guide all nations on the earth! Let the people thank you, God!”

For God’s welcome is a grace and a blessing extended to us all. Let us likewise extend grace and welcome to others. When we need a way forward, let us remember to pray – for we are a part of the house of prayer for all people. When we fail to act in righteous ways, let us ask forgiveness, make things as right as we can, and then worship and rest together. When society has built barriers, let us build crosswalks. When our own barriers exclude, let us tear them down and show God’s love. Amen.



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