Scripture:
Matthew 15:21-28
21 Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." 23 But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.
Marta:
All Jesus and his disciples wanted to do was grow their mission. I don’t know about you, but I am not called to lead a small group of people in a new start congregation. That is essentially what Jesus and the gang were doing. They would walk…
from village to village…
gathering the community in the squares…
around the water well or amongst the market place.
And, they would tell stories. And, often the stories would be embodied and incarnate and full of ritual that had to do with water - sometimes wine and often something sweet and leavened. It was enjoyable, heart warming and sacred to witness and be a part of such a group of people. As you can imagine, word spread of such a group. So those who were vulnerable and tired sought out the comforts of someone who might provide a glimmer of hope and good news. I am not surprised that on this day a frantic woman with her daughter - that quite possibly had a mood disorder rather than a demon- (semantics) came running to the small community of believers for help, hope, happiness.
She too, wanted to be a part. And, she wanted her daughter to be accepted and she wanted to join the new movement, to be in covenant and partnership with others doing the work to unfold God’s kin-dom because that would give her some help, hope and simply happiness.
Mandy:
I love how this brave woman speaks her truth to Jesus, and Jesus listens to her! Honestly, Jesus was kind of mean to this woman who simply requested healing for her daughter. Jesus ignored her at first, and then compared her to a dog. That sounds a bit like a racial slur to me. The divide between Israelites and Canaanites in Jesus’ day was vast. Jesus likens this woman and her people as something less-than human. In some biblical interpretations, this Canaanite woman is portrayed as a demure figure, recognizing both Jesus’ power and her own place as ancestrally inferior, begging for Jesus to have pity on her lowly existence. Maybe that is true. There is definitely evidence that can point to that interpretation. However, when I read this woman’s words, I hear some indignation and sarcasm in her words. You might hear her like this: Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table. And in that moment, I think Jesus has changed. He hears the woman calling him out, and he recognizes his mistake. Instead of seeing this Canaanite woman has a fellow human being, Jesus first saw her as “the other.” It isn’t until she challenges him on his assumptions and prejudices that he sees her, truly sees her. This is an incredible lesson for us! If Jesus needs to be called out sometimes, then of course we do too! And, if after being called out, Jesus can change, we have the permission to change as well!
Marta:
Every week, visitors join our group. Some of them are with us virtually, some of them are right here in our midst. And, everytime we say “welcome,” we are saying join us and when you “join us” we acknowledge that our group will shift and change. We don’t say, “welcome” and now be just like us. When we say “welcome,” it is actually an invitation to change. I think most of you can say, over the course of the past two years, this community has changed. We have not lost memories or history but we have also not stayed the same. The scripture text is a model and invitation for us to evolve and change. Jesus changed right before his disciples eyes and before the women begging with her daughter. Jesus shows us growing in faith is learning to change.
This week I listened to the general president of the United Church of Christ, Rev. Dr. John Dorhauer, at our Rocky Mountain Conference Annual Celebration that was recorded last week. He talked about a recent Black female pastor that was pressured to resign from her all white church in northern Colorado this month. (as a side.. our general president did his doctoral work on white privilege). (as another side) Our denomination is 86% white, despite our intentions to become multicultural beginning in the 1990’s. Dorhauer says: integration was not the goal of the civil rights movement. The more we focus on integration, the more we instantiate white privilege. To integrate, means to incorporate something from the outside of an entity or organization into the existing group. So when we talk about integration we are taking the other and placing them into an already established whole. What we also observe about the civil rights movement is that white people are calculating what percentage of the othered community can be successfully integrated without compromising what it means to be white in practice and experience. Often- we are asking people to integrate without changing the culture of the existing community. We are not asking: what about our current mode of being contributes to bias and bigotry that already exists? And then asking those that are being integrated to accept the familiar practices of an already white community. So it becomes the responsibility of the “othered” to adapt to the community, suffer consequences or move on. Dorhauer went on to talk about racism and the church but I appreciated what he had to say about integration.
Mandy:
This behavior is not intentional. This theory of integration not only applies to racial integration (while important to recognize- especially, right now) but can apply to the integration of ordained women (when men have largely held those roles) it can apply to children in the worship space (when adults have mostly occupied that space) or even new members coming into our community. We don’t just want the other (the group of new members) to integrate and adapt to our culture- we want to welcome, knowing that the other will share a piece of themselves and in turn change us so that we too can grow.
Jesus did not want the woman and her daughter to be just like him and the disciples but Jesus allowed himself to change as a way of welcoming her. She would bring her anxious being and daughter who struggled to comply with societal expectations and that was okay. That is a true welcome.
Marta:
and so today, we invite our 14 to not adapt to us--- but to change us. To ask a lot of questions, to bring fresh ideas, to be who they are in this space- demon filled and all. Our 14 new members have been attending for six or more months on a regular basis. They have all engaged in the life of our church through some type of volunteer role, they have given financially as they can and they are aware of our purpose and vision statement, they are ready and willing to covenant with us and we are ready and willing to covenant with them:
I would invite the fourteen (whoever is here today) to please stand if you are able. Janet and Eddie Liddle (who are still not joining groups), Liisa Coco, Ian and Theda Stone, Linda and John Stevens, Jennifer Neuzil-Hayes, Sue Todd, Mandy Todd, Russ Ware, Roger Butts, Chloe Nagle and Josh Geckle:
Do you promise to participate in the life and mission of this family of God’s people, sharing regularly in the worship of God and enlisting in the work of this local church as it serves this community and the world? If so, please say: I promise, with the help of God. (please be seated)
Marta:
Let us, the members and friends of BFCC express our welcome and say: we affirm our mutual ministry in Christ.
Mandy: And now, let us welcome you with joy in the common life of this church. We continue to promise you our friendship and prayers as we share the hopes and labors of the church of Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit may we continue to grow together in God’s knowledge and love and be witnesses of Christ in the world. Amen.