Pentecost 6
Isaiah 66:10-14
Psalm 66:1-9
Galatians 6:61-16
Luke 10:1-11,16-20
Peace be to this house.
I read a powerful article this week by a woman named Sara Miles (The Journey with Jesus Foundation.net.) She was a war reporter and wrote about covering very dangerous and inflammable situations. Yet even in the midst of life-threatening danger, there were moments of peace:
Being served tea by an elderly black woman while covering the final fights of apartheid in South Africa, being given cookies by a priest in El Salvador, fish by a peasant woman in the Philippines.
Moments of peace in the midst of war. Moments of peace that are centered in acts of hospitality. And in that hospitality the kingdom of God has come near.
Now, while this country is at war, we do not live in a war zone. We live in the relatively calm Ames and its surrounding communities.
Our lives are pretty peaceful overall. We aren’t dodging bullets or wearing flak jackets.
Even so, we can be pretty uptight with hospitality. Many other countries, some of you have traveled to these, offer strangers food, water, shelter. We send them to hotels and give restaurant gift certificates.
When I traveled to northern Indonesia with a group from seminary, the villages we visited would prepare a feast. They would load the tables down with all the food they could find and would be offended if we didn’t eat. Even thought it was all the food they could find for the week, we still had to eat it. And they would smile and laugh as they enjoyed our eating.
Many places around the world are still like the Mediterranean of Jesus day. No hotels. Travelers would rely on the hospitality of strangers to meet the needs of food and shelter. Communities would be proud of their reputations for welcoming the outsider.
So the disciples would show up, with no baggage, no sandwiches, and be invited into a home.
With the simple words Jesus gave them “Peace to this house.”
Then they would cure the sick and, proclaiming “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”
If a town is not welcoming, they are to go out in public and say “Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.”
The kingdom of God has come near. Whether you receive it or not, the word of God is unharmed by rejection. Hmm…
So today, in the US. We don’t invite unknown travelers into our homes, unless there is a rare weather thing like a blizzard.
But we are still called to be hospitable. Many churches claim to be welcoming. As in, “Thanks for coming today.”
But hospitality goes further. Hospitality goes deeper. Hospitality is showing a true concern for the person. It is like, say, the difference between having company come and sit politely, afraid to really move about or touch things. Or having company come and by the end of the night they are up and about, helping clear the table because they feel so much at home.
Hospitality is when people come back to this place because they are not just “welcomed”, they are “at home.” Because we care, we ask, we invite, we offer ourselves. And in this, the kingdom of God has come near.
If we invite and the answer is no, “Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.”
If we invite and folks who up, we want them to feel at home. Let the kids run about…have some more coffee, where did you say you worked? We are pretty good at that.
Today we are welcoming a bunch of folks into this congregation. First, we get to witness the baptism of Becca and Aaron. I’m excited about this! Two young people who will become a part of this family and the larger family of God.
Pretty soon, kids, you will have this room of people promising to care for you and pray for you. And we will all be family. Thought you had a big family before, didn’t you!
But soon, you are part of God’s family. The kingdom of God has come near.
And then Mom and Dad, Linda and Lee, and Marilyn who has already found a place in the choir, will become members of this congregation.
We are thrilled! We are glad you have decided to make this your home. We will do what we can to be hospitable. Our church is your church….and there is always room for one more, or two more, or five more…
The kingdom of God has come near.
We hope that you have already found in this place what the rest of us have found. Home. Respite from the world. And peace.
The peace that comes when we feel safe, loved, forgiven, and whole.
The peace that comes when we don’t need to have the right words or any words at all. The peace that comes when we realize that God is ultimately in charge. The peace that comes when we can relax and be ourselves.
The peace that comes knowing that if we need help or care or prayers, this room is full of people ready to jump in. Thanks you for that!
The peace that comes knowing that all when we need to speak all we need are the words Jesus gave his disciples “Peace to this house!” and “The kingdom of God has come near.”
So, even if our lives aren’t as exciting as the war correspondent, even if we have never traveled outside Iowa, we are still a part of the great family of God. We are still called to be hospitable and to accept the hospitality of others. We are still called to proclaim by words and by actions that “The kingdom of God has come near.” We are still called to welcome all these people into our hearts. And we do. And we do.
Peace, of Peace to this house.
Amen.