INTRO:
Welcome to the Church of the Open Door. Before we move into prayer and worship I’d like to take a minute to address something that has been bothering me the past few days. I’ve been hearing a lot of talking recently about how the churches are closed, and people aren’t allowed to go to church any more, and it’s all a terrible thing because God is shut out of our lives. I’ve decided it really is time to speak up and say that this is all hogwash.
The Church is doing just fine. We’ve had to make some adjustments, yes, but I’m pretty sure that the God I love and serve is stronger than a few adjustments to the pattern of worship. The church is still here – here we are – gathered across the miles – still coming together in God’s name to learn together, to pray together, to love and serve our neighbors, near and far, together. The work of the church goes on.
And not just our local congregation but also at a regional level -- I know so many excellent pastors who work very hard in rich and creative ways to lead their congregations in "being church" in difficult situations and those people are growing and flourishing. At the national level, the church is actively involved in relief work wherever there are wildfires or tornadoes or floods – helping people rebuild their lives – staying in contact with each other across state lines -- because this is the work that we as Christians, among others, are called to do.
And here locally, we check in with each other, we learn together, we pray together. Do we miss meeting together in one place? Of course we do, but the church does not cease being church – because we – all of you, me, anyone reading this – WE ARE THE CHURCH. And we are still here.
Welcome to the Church of the Open Door. Before we move into prayer and worship I’d like to take a minute to address something that has been bothering me the past few days. I’ve been hearing a lot of talking recently about how the churches are closed, and people aren’t allowed to go to church any more, and it’s all a terrible thing because God is shut out of our lives. I’ve decided it really is time to speak up and say that this is all hogwash.
The Church is doing just fine. We’ve had to make some adjustments, yes, but I’m pretty sure that the God I love and serve is stronger than a few adjustments to the pattern of worship. The church is still here – here we are – gathered across the miles – still coming together in God’s name to learn together, to pray together, to love and serve our neighbors, near and far, together. The work of the church goes on.
And not just our local congregation but also at a regional level -- I know so many excellent pastors who work very hard in rich and creative ways to lead their congregations in "being church" in difficult situations and those people are growing and flourishing. At the national level, the church is actively involved in relief work wherever there are wildfires or tornadoes or floods – helping people rebuild their lives – staying in contact with each other across state lines -- because this is the work that we as Christians, among others, are called to do.
And here locally, we check in with each other, we learn together, we pray together. Do we miss meeting together in one place? Of course we do, but the church does not cease being church – because we – all of you, me, anyone reading this – WE ARE THE CHURCH. And we are still here.
Genesis 2:8-9, 5
And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.....The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
This is Labor Day weekend. And it’s likely to be a Labor Day unlike any before it for a long while. Not only are we still in the middle of dealing with a pandemic, but the temperatures are going to be horrific across much of California this labor day. Some people will undoubtedly ignore the scientific warnings and medical advice and go ahead and gather in large groups and party away, but a great many of the rest of us will heed the medical warnings and stay home—no parties, no fireworks, no parades. But since we are spending a quiet-er holiday, maybe we can take some time to reflect on the biblical concept of labor, of work.
The reading here from Genesis tells us the very first work for the newly created humankind was to work the garden and take care of it. According to this we were put here to care for God’s creation, not just to amass wealth for ourselves or to gather stuff, we were put here to take care of God’s beautiful world. The rest of scripture makes it clear that we are expected to work — to do our share -- not just laze around and expect others to take care of us.
Our definition of work has changed as the world has grown and changed. Some of us work at computers, some work with backhoes, some crunch numbers, some tend the sick, some teach, while others dangle high above the city building skyscrapers. We have work that is in and of the world. Most of us take our commitment to this work seriously. We work for ourselves, yes, but also to make our world better in some way for all of us. We work for the larger world and we work for ourselves—and all work deserves respect and dignity. There is also the work we do to build God’s kingdom—working, especially, for those who most need our help.
But there are always those who will see our commission to do God’s work as “Get what I can for ME.” Such people—the selfish, the greedy, the lazy—make it more difficult for the rest of us, because, inevitably, their greed begins to hurt others and when we see their greed begin to hurt others then we must act to prevent them doing harm. Part of our work, it turns out, is to see that we all enjoy the same benefits, the same dignity, in the work we all do. This work, and the world, belong to all of us and is for all of us.
The express form of our work can be found all throughout scripture in a long list of imperatives. Love your neighbor as yourself, Love the Lord your God; Feed the hungry; Care for the widow and orphan; Welcome the stranger; If you have two cloaks share with someone who has none; etc..
To wrap it all up, we are told in Galatians, as well as many other places, but I like this one best: “Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all.”
Happy Labor Day.
The reading here from Genesis tells us the very first work for the newly created humankind was to work the garden and take care of it. According to this we were put here to care for God’s creation, not just to amass wealth for ourselves or to gather stuff, we were put here to take care of God’s beautiful world. The rest of scripture makes it clear that we are expected to work — to do our share -- not just laze around and expect others to take care of us.
Our definition of work has changed as the world has grown and changed. Some of us work at computers, some work with backhoes, some crunch numbers, some tend the sick, some teach, while others dangle high above the city building skyscrapers. We have work that is in and of the world. Most of us take our commitment to this work seriously. We work for ourselves, yes, but also to make our world better in some way for all of us. We work for the larger world and we work for ourselves—and all work deserves respect and dignity. There is also the work we do to build God’s kingdom—working, especially, for those who most need our help.
But there are always those who will see our commission to do God’s work as “Get what I can for ME.” Such people—the selfish, the greedy, the lazy—make it more difficult for the rest of us, because, inevitably, their greed begins to hurt others and when we see their greed begin to hurt others then we must act to prevent them doing harm. Part of our work, it turns out, is to see that we all enjoy the same benefits, the same dignity, in the work we all do. This work, and the world, belong to all of us and is for all of us.
The express form of our work can be found all throughout scripture in a long list of imperatives. Love your neighbor as yourself, Love the Lord your God; Feed the hungry; Care for the widow and orphan; Welcome the stranger; If you have two cloaks share with someone who has none; etc..
To wrap it all up, we are told in Galatians, as well as many other places, but I like this one best: “Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all.”
Happy Labor Day.
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