Thank you Pastor Rick Frederickson for your message today! God bless you and Sue!
Feeling unwelcome?
We all have times in our lives that we feel unwelcome. Sometimes this happens in a place where it shouldn’t happen – the church. Sadly, the church body has an especially hurtful way of making those who see things differently from them feel unwelcome.
This happened to me at the Minnesota United Methodist Annual Conference last week. I felt unwelcome.
You see, I am an unabashed, traditional Evangelical. The Minnesota Annual Conference, by its actions and statements, is not.
I believe that God’s plan for His creation affirms a unique and special covenant and relationship between a man and woman. I agree with the General (over-all) body of our world-wide United Methodist Church, that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, as is stated in the United Methodist Book of Discipline.
The Minnesota Annual Conference, in recently passed statements and action, disagrees and affirms full inclusion of LGBTQI in the church, specifically in marriage and the role of clergy.
But that is not the point. Whether you believe one way or the other, please read on, because that is not the point of this message.
There were attitudes and things said that were, well, unwelcoming to those who believe as I do. Initially, I was very angry. So as I read the lectionary this morning, I took notice of this passage from Luke 9:51-56:
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village.
God has this amazing way to speak to us at just the right time through the Spirit and His Word. Amen!
It struck me that Jesus was resolute in his calling. He was headed for Jerusalem and ultimately, the Cross. Jesus did not allow any circumstance he encountered to alter the path his Father was calling him to take. And so, we too, must also resolutely follow the path God calls us on, even to the Cross.
Jesus was unwelcome in the Samaritan village. We too, sometimes find ourselves unwelcome.
His disciples found themselves angry, and so they wanted to get even by calling fire down from heaven to destroy the Samaritans. How often have we, too, been angry and wanted retribution and to call our own version of fire down on those who make us unwelcome.
But Jesus rebuked them. That is not his way and neither should it be ours. Some manuscripts of this text add, And he said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man came not to destroy people’s lives but to save them”.
So what did Jesus do? He moved on. He continued resolutely toward the Cross. To save us. And – this is important – to save even those who did not welcome him.
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved.(Ephesians 2:4-5)
When we encounter people or situations and do not feel welcomed, Jesus rebukes us in our angry temptation, and tells us not to call down fire on them.
Instead, he calls us to let go of our hurt and anger, and to take up our Cross and do what he did.
Rick Frederickson, Pastor
