Sunday, October 12, 2014 (full size gallery)
Some clearing in the weather after 2 days of rain as we move in to the fall season though at a very gradual pace with only some of the maples showing color. If you looked hard, the great sycamore had a few turned leaves.
The Rev. Amy Turner substituted for Catherine who was at the Credo retreat in Lake Logan, NC as part of continuing education. Amy was also the doorkeeper for Godly Play which took up the story of Abraham and Sarah and their journey to Shechem in Canaan. Godly Play is structured around a lessons, free play, and a "feast."
We only had 28 in the service. We did have a newcomer Rich and his daughter who is looking for a church. We did have 5 soup cans brought for the Village Harvest food ministry. Bring them in every Sunday in October!
Matthew’s gospel contains the third parable in Jesus’ reply to the question of his authority (21:23-27). The first (21:28-32), the Parable of the Two Sons dealt with the rejection of John’s ministry. The second, Parable of the Tenant (21:33-46) dealt with the rejection of his own ministry. This parable deals with the rejection of the ministry of the disciples and the dire consequences for Israel and Jerusalem.
The parable is in two parts. The first sets the stage with a king holding a wedding banquet for his sons. Two invitations are sent to the chosen invitees, but few respond, and some even mistreat and kill the servants (slaves) of the king giving the banquet. God has invited all into relationship with God but few respond–some laugh, some seem to busy, and some react violently. So therefore God has gone out and invited everyone off of the streets and fill the hall with guests.
As Amy noted this is a challenging scripture for preachers. At verse 11 of the Gospel we notice several shifts. The persona of the king changes from God to Jesus. The feast itself becomes the scene of final judgment. The king’s rejection of the last-minute guest seems particularly harsh and arbitrary; a man pulled from the street to take the place of an invited guest would hardly have time to make himself presentable for a feast.
We have to do more than show up for the Kingdom. Yes, we are welcomed but few choose themselves. There is preparation for living as God’s people which builds responsibility. So how do we prepare so that will have the right clothes ? We have to be clothed inside and out.
She quoted Colossians 3 :12 – "As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful."
The commentary is from Canon Lance Ousley of the Diocese of Olympia, Washington:
"Stewardship is founded in relationship with God and is a clear expression of God’s place in our hearts, whether that is stewardship of our financial assets, our time, or our God-given abilities. The readings this week emphasize the relationship between God’s will and our will and how that plays into our faithfulness and our stewardship.
"The second option for our first reading from Isaiah declares God’s praise and the consequences of those who choose not to follow in God’s ways. The following description of the Great Banquet exhibits God’s grace extended to all people. The prophet sings God’s praise for the loving attention given to the poor and the oppressed to meet their needs, and for the accountability of those who have acted outside God’s will in ruthless acts. Living in consort with God’s will is a positive reflection of one’s relationship with God.
"Paul’s letter to the Philippians urges them to "be of the same mind of Christ." The integration of our will with God’s will is the giving over of the self fully to God. Paul encourages them to be thankful in all things and to be gentle with all people loving them as Christ loves them. The litany of virtues he commends them to seek holds up the values of ling in Christ and stewarding the Gospel to the world through the way they are perceived by others.
"The parable of the wedding banquet in our gospel text might seem harsh at first reading, but when we dig deeper into the text we see that the issue at hand is a refusal to accept the conditions of the host. There are parallels in the parable to the way the prophets of God’s kingdom had been treated before him and certainly John the Baptist’s beheading at the hands of Herod. But the universal invitation to come to the banquet, to live in the kingdom of God, has the condition of living in God’s will. The man who enters the wedding banquet without the wedding robe has refused to put it on. Historically, there would have been porters at the door handing out the proper attire to any who did not have the appropriate clothes for such a banquet. So Jesus is describing a person who has refused to comply with the conditions of entry that already have been provided for him. Stewardship is surrendering our will to the will of God, seeking God’s kingdom in all things. And with that, we find the peace that passes all understanding! "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."