Why
do folks go to church on Sunday? What goes on inside these buildings that keep
people coming back Sunday after Sunday? Why do we come here to sit and sing and
pray and listen? Is there some reward for coming to church? Is there some prize
awarded for coming to worship every Sunday? And why do folks always sit where
they sit? Is there something special about the pew cushion in that particular
spot? Are people going to receive some special reward for singing praise to
Jesus and giving God thanks? Are the
ones who come to worship every Sunday better than the ones who don’t?
Who
are we? If we look around we see that we’re all human beings who are short and
tall, young and old. Some of us dress up and some dress down. Some wear
dresses, some wear shorts, some wear pants, and some wear whatever they touch
first in their closet. Do the clothes we wear make us who we are? Who are we?
What
makes me different than you? What makes you uniquely who you are? What makes
one person think that they’re better than another? And why?
The
wars going on in Egypt and Syria, why are they fighting? Is it because one
group of people is better than the other group of people? Who are they? Who are
we?
We
listen to the news and we wonder what all the fuss is about. Why is there so
much anger and hate? Who are these people?
I
don’t know. The gospel lesson from Luke is about Jesus’ observations of people
attending a banquet at one of the leading Pharisee’s home. Jesus pays attention
to how people are jockeying for the most important, most prestigious seats at
the table. And what does he say? He says, “When you’re invited to dinner, go
and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say,
‘Friend, come up to the front.’ That will give the dinner guests something to
talk about!”
So,
is that why some folks sit at the back of the church during Sunday worship?
They are just waiting to be invited to sit up front.
Is
that what’s going on with all these wars? They’re all pushing and shoving to
get the best seats in the kingdom. And for what? What’s the reward for winning?
What’s the reward for annihilating an entire generation? What’s the reward for
wiping off the face of the earth an entire ethnic group of people?
Control
and power, that’s what it’s about. The people at the party want the places of
highest honor so they will be viewed as the most important, the most
influential people there. It gives a boost to their ego.
And
what about those who are seated at the very last seat, the lowest seat? How do
they feel about their position? What’s their reward?
So,
back to the original question, “Why do folks go to church on Sunday? Why don’t
as many come now as used to come?”
Have
you ever noticed that when there’s a meal served the count at worship is
considerably higher? What if we hosted a sumptuous banquet every Sunday? If we
laid out a fancy feast on the Communion table every Sunday would there be
pushing and shoving to be the first in line?
Good
friends, there is a banquet here every Sunday, even when the table is bare.
This table is bursting with the promise of a feast. And as Jesus said, “The
misfits are those who’re invited to partake of the bounty.” Those who can in no
way return the favor are the ones who’re are first at the table. They’re the
ones who receive the service of a 5-star restaurant.
And
their reward, it’s the same as yours. God forgives all for our sins through the
sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. All our sins, the ones
so small that we don’t think about them and the ones so large everyone sees
them, they’re all forgiven. Jesus took them with him to the grave.
And
the reward…its God’s grace, the gift of eternal life, a life of freedom that we
can hardly imagine.
So,
who are we? Look in the mirror, look in your neighbor’s eyes, maybe then you
will discover who you are.
Sisters
and brothers, we are children of God and heirs of the Kingdom. Thanks be to
God. Amen.
