The following is the text of the sermon preached Wednesday, July 3, by Robin Wentworth Mayer. The text was submitted to the Annual Conference Office in mid-June and may have been modified for the actual presentation. Robin Wentworth Mayer Focus: Welcoming one another Title: "Come as you are" Scripture: Hebrews 12:25-13:2; Genesis 18:1-15; Matthew 16: 36-46, 17:1-8 1996 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio July 3, 1996 Soon after I accepted the invitation to speak tonight, I received a letter requesting that I have my sermon title into the Annual Conference Office by Friday, October 13. Do you know how long ago that was? Almost a year! I'm not accustomed to working so far in advance. Back home my church secretary is thrilled when I managed to get sermon titles into the newsletter a month ahead! That is to explain, that had I titled this message much closer to delivery, I would have probably entitled it "The other side of welcome." So you may want to insert that on your bulletin. I will also be frank with you and say that if you are expecting an "issues" sermon... you're going to be either very disappointed, or very relieved! Because I'm not an "issues" preacher. You know, when I was younger, I enjoyed discussing and debating issues. But I've grown weary of issues -- because issues don't save, issues don't heal, and issues don't edify. At this point, I try to make sure that the words that I speak in the name of Jesus are words that call people to repentance, salvation, and reconciliation. With that preface, let's look together at God's Word: Genesis 18:1-6. The three guests -- the angels unaware, if you will, one of which many biblical scholars believe was the preincarnate Christ. And Abraham does what any good host in the Ancient East would do. He obsequiously bows down, offers to wash their feet, and begs them to stay for dinner -- after which he orders Sarah to bake some bread! Sisters, haven't you been there? I mean, you've just gotten home from work, the kids are hungry, there's not much in the fridge for dinner, so you manage to scrounge up enough leftovers for a half a dozen tacos, when suddenly the love of your life breezes in and says: "Honey, I'm home! And guess what, I've brought three guests for dinner!" "You did what! We can't do this, I've only got six taco shells." "That's okay, honey, just whip up a few more from scratch." I can just hear her muttering "yeah right, like I've got nothing better to do..." The unit of measurement recorded in Scripture -- three seahs -- equaled about 20 quarts or five gallons. That's a lot of dough, friends. You can see this was much more involved than putting on a pot of coffee and pulling some cookies out of the freezer. Now if my husband did to me today what Sarah's husband did to her then, I'd probably say something really acquiescent and submissive like "Do it yourself!" Sarah, however, being a daughter of the Ancient East, couldn't get away with that. She just had to do it. But I have a funny feeling she didn't do it graciously! That was probably the most thoroughly kneaded bread dough in history! Genesis 18:7-15. What does this passage have to say to us about welcoming one another as Christ welcomed us? Well, this is where we will look at "the other side of welcome." Because the guests here were treated well. Abraham followed all the protocol of ancient hospitality. The "welcomees" were indeed welcomed, as they were. But the other side of welcome, you see, is that the hosts, the welcomers, also present themselves -- as they are. And what does that involved? Well, three things... 1. When we come as we are, we don't fake who we are. Sounds simple, right? I mean, we all know that. Be real, be genuine, be honest, just be yourself...easier said than done. I sometimes wonder about Abraham's extreme hospitality. The Scripture gives no clue that it was anything but genuine, so I'm inclined to assume the best about Abraham's motivation. But what about you and me? How many of us when we have unexpected guests arrive at our home, rush around to shove clutter into closets and stuff dirty laundry into hampers? We have a perpetual tendency to put up a front for those we want to impress, don't we? You know, several weeks ago in conjunction with my assignment to speak here tonight, I received a form requesting information about me -- background, education, previous employment, etc. And I got to the part where it asked: "List other service and community organizations of which you are a member and awards you have received." It stopped me cold. The only honest word that came to my mind was "none." It was a terrible moment. I mean, how could I just write down on paper in front of God and everybody and announce to the entire denomination how totally boring unimpressive my life is? For a brief, irrational moments, I considering making some up: After all, if I put down that I was a charter member of the CEAHDPR (Coalition to Eliminate Automatic Hand Dryers in Public Restrooms), who'd ever know? So what if I did say I was the chairperson of the CCCMTFPBC (Committee to Challenge the Constitutionality of Movie Theatres Forbidding Patrons from Bringing their own Condiments). "Would anybody actually check?" I wondered. Sounds ridiculous? Of course it does. The point is, even for those of us who really should know better -- the pressure is on to put up a front -- to make a good impression. But the answer, beloved, is to come as you are...don't fake who you are. 2. When you come as we are, we don't hide who we are. I find it interesting to note that in verse 10 in Genesis 18, Sarah was hovering in the background, trying to hear what was being said, without being seen. The other side of welcome, you see, involves not just not faking who we are, but also not hiding who we are. You know, Jesus chose to reveal himself to his disciples in the most intimate ways. In Matthew 17:1-8 we have the record of the Transfiguration. Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on the Mountain where he was transfigured before their very eyes: His face shone like the sun, His garments became white as light...and these three friends of Jesus saw him in all his eternal glory. Now there's a tremendous amount theological significance to this event. But I also see something very personal. I also see a Jesus who is delighted at the opportunity to come out of hiding with those he loved. I can almost hear him saying to Peter, James and John, "I want you to see the real me." We see also in Matthew 26:36-46 the Jesus who sweat drops of blood and labored in prayer over the Father's will. He'd pleaded with them to "watch and pray" with him. Why? Did he need their prayers? Did he think that if more were praying they'd have a better chance of changing God's mind? I don't think so. I think that at his most vulnerable, lonely moment he wanted his closest friends to be with him. And he didn't care that they wouldn't be seeing him at his best. He felt no need to hide his tears, no need to shield them from his grief. How does Christ welcome us? At the mount of transfiguration, he included us in his glory. And in Gesthemane, we invited us into his grief. No false humility over His brilliance; no counterfeit shame over his pain. Come as you are; don't hide who you are. You know, when I was a kid, 9-10 years old, I went with my parents and my older brother Mark to the home of one of my father's business associates. This man had two boys close to our age, one of which had one of those sugared wax candied objects. You've probably seen false lips made out of the same stuff at Halloween. Well, this one was an orange harmonica. At first he was generous enough with it, giving all of us a chunk to chew on. But as the afternoon wore on, he became progressively stingy and territorial, especially with me. We went outside to the tree house, and suddenly there was a new rule about "no girls allowed." By this time, I was fed up. So I just turned on my heel and walked off. To my immense surprise, he came running up behind me and started begging, "Please don't tell my dad...please don't tell." Well, what he didn't know was that it hadn't even crossed my mind to tell! First of all I knew it wouldn't do any good, because as far back as I could remember every time I told on one of my brothers, my mother would respond with "tattle-tale." Secondly, it wouldn't have broken the "code" for me to tell. I mean, I may have been a girl, but I knew better than to tell! But you see, beloved, he didn't know that about me. He was at my mercy. And he was terrified. He was still pleading with me, "Please don't tell my dad. If you won't tell, I'll give you another bite of my orange thing." As I looked at the naked fear in his eyes, I almost said that I wasn't going to tell. But then, I looked down at the wax candy in his hand, and I saw that, it was good for food, and it was a delight to the eyes, and it was desirable for making me wise, giving me a sense of superiority, so I said "okay." So I took it and ate it, and I gave some also to my brother who was with me and he ate it...and I enjoyed it. And I never forgot the power that I was able to exercise over another human being and the ability I had to manipulate him into doing what I wanted by simply not revealing, but simply hiding, a part of who I am. "I didn't laugh." Oh but Sarah, Sarah you did laugh. I heard you laugh, I saw you laugh. It may not be good that you laughed, but it is still true that you laughed and don't deny it to me. Come as you are. Welcome your brothers and sisters not with facades and secrets, welcome us with all of who you are. If we are going to have any oneness between us, we have to reveal the good and the bad, the trials and the triumphs, the glory and the grime. Come as you are, don't hide who you are. Finally, and this is the hardest part, finally... 3. Come as you are, but don't stay as you are. We are certainly called come as we are, Jesus says in Matthew 11:28. "Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest." In Matthew 9:13, he says that he has not come to call the righteous but sinners. In Romans 5:8, Paul reminds us that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. Christ welcomed us as we are. All of us. No judgement, no exclusion, no rejection. And so we should welcome one another. However, and this is a really major "however," however, even though Christ welcomes us as we are. It is never his intention for us to stay as we are. And beloved, if you believe that "come as you are" translates into "anything goes," you are dangerously, dangerously close to mocking God and cheapening the amazing grace to our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 8, Jesus certainly welcomes the woman caught in adultery. Said flat out he didn't condemn her. But remember what he said when she left? Did he say, "take it easy, have a good time, if it feels good do it"? Not at all. He said, "Go and sin no more." When the rich young ruler came to him in Mark 10 and presented to Jesus his resume of righteousness, Jesus didn't say, "Hey, no problem, anything goes here in the Kingdom of Come as you Are." He indeed welcomed the rich young ruler. But he also challenged the rich young ruler to surrender the part of himself, his wealth, that was a barrier in his relationship to God. In Luke 19, Jesus welcomed Zaccheus as he was. He put no prerequisites or conditions upon dining with Zaccheus. Considered a traitor by most Jewish people, Zaccheus just got richer, and lonelier, and more deeply entrenched in his dishonest lifestyle. That changed. After Jesus welcomed Zaccheus -- as he was -- Zaccheus announced he was going to give half his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he'd cheated four times the amount. And how does Jesus respond? Does he jump to Zaccheus' rescue and say "Oh now Zaccheus, you don't have to do that. I love you no matter what you do." That's not what he says at all. Verse nine of that chapter records Jesus saying, "Today salvation has come to his house." Apparently Jesus considered it a major breakthrough when Zaccheus realized he needed to make some changes. Come as you are, beloved. But don't stay as you are. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Everyone who came to him was welcomed just as they were. And the other side of welcome means that we present ourselves and treat others likewise. But everyone who came to him was also challenged to let go of behaviors, choices, and lifestyles that were not consistent with the call of God in Christ Jesus. And the other side of welcome means that we apply the same standard to ourselves and others. Come as you are does not mean "anything goes." If we are to welcome as Christ welcomed, we indeed accept and affirm and refuse, underscore, refuse to condemn. But we need to remember that when we welcome our brothers and sisters truly in love, it is not criticism, it is not condemnation, it is not rejection. It is what the Bible calls, exhortation. Come as you are, no faking, no hiding. But don't stay as you are. Surrender who you are to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robin Wentworth Mayer is the pastor of Kokomo (Ind.) Church of the Brethren. 1996 Annual Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio July 3, 1996