Sure, You're The Messiah, But...

Brad Sullivan

Proper 16, Year A

August 27, 2017

Emmanuel, Houston

Matthew 16:13-20

Sure, You’re The Messiah, But…

Some of y’all may not be aware of this, but children often don’t do what their parents say.  Sometimes they simply want to do their own thing, and sometimes it seems like they’re just pretty sure their parents have no idea what they’re talking about.  We’ve got this great picture of Noah when he’s a few days old in which his expression clearly states, “I get that you love me and all, but I’m not sure I trust this situation all that well; you seem to have no idea what you’re doing.”  To be fair, at the time, he was kinda right.  Since then, of course, there has never been any doubt in our children’s minds that we’ve got it all together. 

This idea of children not really trusting that their parents know what they are talking about pretty well illustrates Peter’s and the disciples rather regular response to Jesus.  “Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asked, and Peter answered, “You’re the messiah, the Son of God, but…”  Ok, Peter didn’t actually say “but” anything.  Immediately after his declaration that Jesus is the messiah, however, Peter told Jesus he obviously didn’t know what he’s doing.  As we’ll hear next week, Peter didn’t like what Jesus had to say in predicting his own arrest and crucifixion, and we hear in Peter’s response to Jesus an unspoken, “Well sure, you’re the messiah, Jesus, but you obviously don’t know what you’re talking about.  You may be the Son of God, and all, but right now you need to listen to me. ”

           

“Sure you’re the messiah, but…” has turned out to be a common refrain in the church.  Like children who aren’t really sure their parents have any idea what they’re talking about, disciples of Jesus often seem to think that Jesus had it about as together as the first time parents of a newborn.   I’m talking about ways we behave and even lessons we teach which seem to counter the claim that Jesus is the messiah, the Son of God.

Here are some things we’ve done or said, or at least heard of Christians doing and saying:

-          Jesus may be the messiah, but praying for our enemies doesn’t seem to keep us as safe as we’d like, so we think we should fight them first and only pray for them afterwards…

-          Jesus may be the messiah, but my eyes are just fine, log or no, and I can spot other people’s sins quite well, thank you very much…

-          Jesus may be the messiah, but we should only let certain people be a part of the church.  Jesus may have wanted all who travail and are heavy laden to come to him, but we say only those whose lifestyles aren’t too objectionable (or who at least are quiet about it) because we think his grace should only be poured out for those whom we deem appropriate…

-          Jesus may be the messiah, but contra his teaching in the parable of the workers in the vineyard, having enough to eat is only appropriate for those who have worked enough to deserve having enough to eat.  Those with more than enough shouldn’t share with those reprobates, they should get a job…

-          Jesus may be the messiah, but we don’t want to wait for God to sort out who the evil ones are at the end of the age, and we certainly don’t want all of us to grow together.  We think God is taking too long, and we want to kill off the ones we deem to be evil right now, or at least keep them far, far away from us…

-          Jesus may be the messiah, but taking up a cross, and risking death for the sake of love and peace in the world just isn’t working for me.  I’d rather live with the assurance of eternal life and not worry about too much sacrifice in this world…

-          Jesus may be the messiah, but reconciliation is too hard.  I’d rather say I’ve forgiven them, really hold a grudge, and let God work out the details…

-          Jesus may be the messiah, but his rebuke of the Pharisees was really way out of bounds; purity tests required for being Jesus’ disciples is a good thing, that way we can keep out those whom we feel are icky…

We probably wouldn’t claim that Jesus actually taught any of what I just said, but those are ways that are often lived out in the church.  There are many ways teachings which seem like wisdom but which rather counter to Jesus’ teachings.  We’re like kids who aren’t doing what our parents say.  We’re usually not trying to be openly defiant or rebellious.  We just keep thinking that the supposed wisdom right in front of us is going to work out better or be an easier path than the way of Jesus…if we even think about it much at all.  That’s kinda been our M.O. since the Garden of Eden. 

I’m pretty sure Jesus is expecting that we’ll mess up in fact he’s certain of it, otherwise we wouldn’t need a messiah.  At the same time, accepting that Jesus is the messiah, the Son of God, is meant to be a game changer for us.  Like Peter, we’re going to mess up, a lot, and we’re also meant to constantly learn from  Jesus, learn from our mistakes, and assume Jesus really did know what he was talking about. 

We’re not going to be perfect.  We’re going to mess up, a lot, and that’s why grace is so fantastic.  Grace to say, I love you and you are forgiven.  Again, our need for grace is why need a messiah in the first place.  Our challenge is to take seriously our need for a messiah and to take seriously the way and teachings of that messiah, and when we don’t follow his ways, we should claim that as our failing, not twist his teachings to suit our ways. 

Killing another, for example, should not be considered the way of Jesus, but rather a failing on our part to follow in Jesus’ way.  We may be justified in killing someone to protect the lives of others.  I still don’t believe killing another is the way of Jesus.  That’s when we repent, lay our sins at his feet, and ask forgiveness, rather than twist Jesus’ teachings to say we were following him well.

There’s been a lot of debate over the last decade about who is acceptable in the church and who is acceptable in the leadership of the church.  Folks on all sides of these questions have been looking to the teachings of Jesus to guide their beliefs and have come to different conclusions.  That’s part of our life together as we muddle through as best we can.  That’s part of the way of Jesus, that we strive together.  Unfortunately, some have decided to push out those who they feel are wrong.  Some have decided to push out those whose beliefs of lifestyles they deem to be wrong.  Such forcing out of the other is not the way of Jesus, and if we’re truly going to believe that Jesus is the messiah, we need to repent of these actions, lay our sins at his feet, and ask forgiveness, rather than twist Jesus’ teachings to say we were following him well.

Everyone needs grace.  Everyone needs forgiveness.  Everyone needs to be able to come to Jesus, learn from him, and be in communion with him.  Everyone needs the messiah, the Son of God.  Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the messiah, the Son of God tells us that we are also God’s children.  Jesus was human, brother to us all, and we were all made in God’s image, made as his children.  Like children who are sometimes not all that great at listening to our parents, we are all brothers and sisters together, and we are all at times not that great at listening to Jesus.  We often say, “Sure, you’re the messiah, but…”

“Sure, you’re the messiah, Jesus, but”… that’s why we need a messiah.  “Sure, you’re the messiah, Jesus, but”…that’s why God gave us a messiah .  Despite our many protestations to the contrary, God loves us like any good parent loves their children.  Despite our many instances of assuming God has no idea what he’s doing, God looks at us and says, “my beloved.”  Despite the many times that we refuse to love and forgive each other, God looks as us in our weakness and gives us grace, gives us forgiveness, gives us a messiah, his Son, Jesus.

Only Love Can Honor Her

In response to the anger, hatred, violence, and murder at a White Supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA, in which Heather Heyer became a martyr for peace and love, there has been an enormous amount of anger and hatred.  Mr. Trump was criticized for saying there was blame on many sides.  Then he condemned Nazis, White Supremacists, and the KKK.  Later, he again stated that there was violence on both sides of the confrontation at the rally. 

The Nazis, White Supremacists, and KKK were responsible for the violence, anger, and hatred.  I do not believe there should be a platform for their rhetoric.  I do not believe they should be given a pulpit, park, or public place of any kind to spew their venom.  With the freedoms of speech granted in this country, however, they will be granted such platforms.  It is going to happen.  Period.  I further believe, therefore, that when they meet to spew their venom, they should not be met with violence. 

I will write that again.  These groups should not be met with violence. 

Counter-protestors gathered in Charlottesville to let these groups know that they were not welcome, that their hatred will not stand.  I am glad they did.  If such a demonstration happens near me, I will join the counter-protestors, in peaceful, prayerful protest.

From what I have read, most of the counter protestors were peaceful.  From what I have also read, some of the counter-protestors were not peaceful, and some initiated physical violence.  Violence tends to beget more violence.  Anyone who physically assaults another should expect that the violence begun will continue and grow.

In fact, violence merely increases hate.

So it goes.

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness:   only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate:  only love can do that.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

By responding to the white supremacists with violence, people only cemented the beliefs of the white supremacists.  President Trump said there was blame for the violence on all sides.  From all I have read, and as much as I feel rather ill saying/writing it, Mr. Trump was right.  There were reportedly counter-protestors who initiated violence.  There is blame for violence on both sides. 

Saying so makes me feel rather ill.  I want to blame only the white supremacists, and doing so certainly makes me feel better for any and all ways that I have contributed to violence, anger, and hatred in my own life.  Doing so is also rather disingenuous.  I do not believe physically attacking the other is the right thing to do, no matter how much the other pisses me off. 

As a disciple of Jesus, I keep looking to his teachings and his way.  His way says to “pray for your enemies,” “bless those who curse you,” and even “love your enemies.”  Jesus’ way did not say, “punch a Nazi.”  I’d like to do so.  Part of me would like to find a Nazi and beat him near to death, but that would do no good.  I would not be innocent of violence simply because the person was a Nazi.  I would rather be guilty of violence and guilty of spreading hate…my own hate.  Hatred would remain, and even be multiplied by such an act.  Showing such a person love, however, especially from the very people he hates, just might change his heart.  Love could help drive out the hate.

By saying there is blame for the violence on both sides, Mr. Trump is correct.  I do not support Mr. Trump.  I believe he bears much of the responsibility for the violence in Charlottesville and elsewhere because of his violent rhetoric.  Through his words, he played on the very worst of our humanity in order to get himself elected President.  He used our hatred and our fears (which is not to say that everyone who voted for him did so out of hatred or fear).  He fanned the flames of racism and stoked the fires of anger, and then said we should all come together.  He can’t have it both ways.  I do not trust, believe in, or support him.  I will not, however, ignore a true statement when it is made simply because I dislike the speaker. 

There was, unfortunately violence begun on both sides, even if it was only done by a small minority of the counter-protestors.  If all of the counter-protestors had been peaceful, then the White Supremacists, the Nazis, and the KKK would not have a leg to stand on.  Unfortunately, those on the side of the counter-protestors who led with violence gave credence to the “blame on both sides” argument .  I wish the argument couldn’t be made that there was blame on both sides, but because of

the violence of a few, that argument can be made. 

If we are truly going to come together as a people of peace, then we all have to own our own violence.  That is something else that Jesus taught, that if we are going to call out the sins of another, we have to acknowledge and own our sins first.  Truth be told, none of us is innocent.  None of us can claim not to be a part of the violence all around us.  That is why I believe Jesus came to redeem all people, not just "those people over there."

What am I to do then with my anger, hatred, and desire for violence against White Supremacists, Nazis, and the KKK?  I am to offer in prayer that anger, hatred, and desire for violence to Jesus.  I am literally to pray that Jesus will enact the violence against them which I would like to enact.  Yes.  You read that right.

The reason for asking Jesus to harm those whom I would like to harm, however, is not because I believe he will do so, but rather precisely because I believe he will not do so.  Jesus, God, is the only place my anger, hatred, and desire for violence can be safely left.  Jesus is the only person who can deal with my darkness appropriately, the only person I can truly trust with my anger, hatred, and desire for violence. 

I do not believe God is going to enact terrible violence on someone simply because I’m pissed off and want him to.  Rather, God will take my anger, hatred, and desire for violence and transform my heart so that I will instead have love, compassion, and empathy.  Then, my heart will be in the right place to be able to oppose the anger, hatred, and violence of others.

This usually takes time, and it is not an easy path.  It is, however, the way of Jesus who said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.” 

When I heard about the death and martyrdom of Heather Heyer, I wanted to respond with violence.  I wanted to unleash the full torrent of my anger, hatred, and fear on anyone who could be considered guilty of the anger and hatred which led to her death.  Doing so, however, is not the way of Jesus.  As much as I want to give in to my anger, hatred, and fear, I cannot do so and also follow the way of Jesus.  When I do give in to such darkness, I have to do all in my power to make amends…which is also the way of Jesus. 

Regarding then our President and his assertion that there is blame for violence on both sides.  I don’t want to admit that he is right, because I find him reprehensible.  I don’t want to admit that he is right, but I must.  There is blame on both sides.  There was anger, hatred, and violence by at least some on both sides. 

If we are going to heal and move ahead towards peace, then we must admit to these truths.  Violence and fear towards those whom we fear brings greater violence, not peace.  Violence and anger towards those who anger us brings greater violence, not peace.  Violence and hatred toward those whom we hate brings greater violence, not peace.  We cannot drive out violence and hatred with violence and hatred.  We cannot ignore or excuse some violence and hatred and expect peace to reign.  If we truly want peace, we must denounce all violence and hatred. 

If we truly want peace, we must according to my belief in Jesus, place our anger, hatred, and desire for violence at Jesus’ feet and ask him to transform it into love, compassion, and empathy.  Only then will our hearts be ready to confront the anger, hatred, and violence of others.  Only then will we be ready to risk injury and even death for the cause of love and peace. 

Heather Heyer died for the cause of love and peace.  We cannot honor her with anger and hatred.  We cannot honor her with violence.  Only love can honor her.

Walking On Water: The Martyr of Charlottesville

Brad Sullivan

Proper 14, Year A

August 13, 2017

Emmanuel, Houston

Matthew 14:22-33

Walking On Water:  The Martyr of Charlottesville

Jesus was the Word of God which spoke all of creation into existence.  On some level, even subconsciously, I’d guess Jesus began to have some inkling of who he was.  I wonder if in his encounter with his disciples on the boat, Jesus just forgot for a minute that humans can’t walk on water.  He was tired; it had been a long day.   He’d gone away to be by himself to pray for a while after learning that his cousin, John the Baptist had been beheaded, and instead of getting a break, Jesus ended up teaching and multiplying food some somewhere around 10,000 people (including the women and children).  Finally, after all that, he sends his disciples across the sea in their boat while he gets to spend some time alone in prayer.

So, worn out, dog tired, Jesus spent time alone in prayer, and I think he might have been so caught up in his time with his Father, that he just totally forgot that people aren’t really that adept at walking on things that aren’t solid.  So, like Superman forgetting to put his glasses back on before going to the office, Jesus just starts walking on the sea out to his disciples.  Why not?  Why shouldn’t he walk on the sea?  He made the sea, after all.

So, he’s walking out onto the water, lost in thought, barely aware of his surroundings.  Eventually a storm comes, and he’s thinking, “eh, not too bad, I’ve made worse,” and then the disciples see him.  They’re terrified, and he realizes what’s going on.  He covers as best he can, saying, “Ok, guys, I know this looks weird, but it’s not what you’re thinking.  I’m not a ghost.  It’s just I; It’s just Jesus.”  That calms them a little, and then Peter’s like, “Hey cool, Jesus, can I come out and play?”  Perfect, Jesus thinks.   “You bet, Pete!  Come on!”

Then we all know what happens.  Peter walks on the water for a while, until he notices the wind and waves, and like Wiley Coyote walking off a cliff and staying aloft until he looks down, Peter starts to sink.  So, Jesus picks him up, gets them both into the boat and decides he’s had enough of his little wind storm, dials that down a bit, and tries to pass the whole thing off, real nonchalant,  “so what’s been going on, fellas?”

They start to get the idea pretty quickly that Jesus is more than a prophet, but the Lord of all creation, the one who actually made all of creation.  I’m guessing they got pretty excited at that point, excited and amazed at the wonder of it all.    

I get really excited when I think of the Word of God who spoke creation into existence becoming human and walking on this earth.  I love that God was human and walked on this very earth.  Whenever I start to take the world for granted, that very idea of God walking on this earth makes the whole creation hallowed again.

Then we get people treating creation like garbage.  We get people like the angry mob in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend deciding that only some parts of creation are hallowed, only some types of people are hallowed.  All people are made in God’s image.  All  of creation is hallowed, and yet, despite the beauty and sacredness of people and all creation, people will all too often de-sanctify creation by driving a car into a group of people, killing someone for thinking that racism isn’t a particularly good idea.

Imagine those folks holding a rally within these walls, declaring most of humanity damned.  Imagine people coming in here with shields and sticks and guns, ready and willing to physically harm anyone who disagreed with them.  Imagine that folks who disagreed with them did come in here and were beaten and killed.  That is exactly what happened in Charlottesville, because in God’s eyes, all of creation is hallowed.  Every place is a place of worship.  Everywhere Jesus looks and says, “This place is great; I remember making this place.  I remember speaking this place into existence, and I love this place.”  The same goes for every person on earth, yes, even the angry mob of people who assume that God hates most of the people he created.

Hatred and violence.  Shame and anger.  Assuming one type of person is better than another type of person.  Jesus was pretty darn clear that we are all the same in God’s eyes.  Jesus was pretty darn clear that he loves all people and he loves all of this beautiful Earth which he created.  He was also pretty darn clear that as much as he loves all people, there is no place in his kingdom for the kinds of thoughts and actions demonstrated by the angry white supremacist mob in Charlottesville.

Now, if we’re honest with ourselves, we all have hatred, anger, and violence within us too.  Everyone does.  The question is, what are we going to do with it, and what Jesus calls us to do, what he teaches us to do with our hatred, anger, and violence is not to act it out, not to act upon it, but rather to give it to him, to place it at the foot of the cross so that he can transform it into love.

That is often not done, however, and we have a world that is full of anger, hatred, and violence (as well as love).  So, what are we to do amidst such anger, hatred, and violence?  Well, let’s call the anger, hatred, and violence of the world storms and waves.  Then, let’s do what Peter did.  Amidst the storms and the waves, we look up and see Jesus coming to us, not where we expect, not in the quiet sanctuary, but right in the middle of the storms and waves, right in the middle of the hatred, anger, and violence.  Then, rather than waiting for Jesus to come to us in the safety of the boat, the sanctuary, we ask Jesus to summon us out into the storms and waves.  Rumor has it, he’ll say yes.  Then, like Peter did, we step out of the sanctuary and risk drowning in order to go and be with Jesus amidst the storms and waves.  We risk drowning, going out into the anger, hatred, and violence to be the light of Jesus within the storm.

Sometimes we’re not even entirely sure what we’re going to do there.  We want to bring the light of Jesus with us.  We want to live out the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus amidst the storms and waves, and it is darn scary.  We just may be killed if we go out amidst the storms and waves.  A 32 year old woman was killed in Charlottesville by a man who drove his car into a group of people who stepped out of the boat amidst the storm of anger, hatred, and violence to declare that anger, hatred, and violence have no place in this world.  This woman risked and gave her life to give witness to love rather than hatred.  That’s what we call a martyr, a witness.  I don’t even know if she was Christian, but I know she was amidst the storm, declaring the light of love for all, not just some.  She gave her life for that witness, and that is martyrdom.

Stepping out amidst the storms and waves of anger, hatred, and violence, we too will risk drowning.  We’ll risk our lives and well-being to live out and be the light of Jesus amidst the darkness of hatred, anger, and violence.  When Peter stared to sink, Jesus reached down and picked him up.  I’d like to say that his doing so is a guarantee that so long as we ask Jesus for help, we won’t be harmed, but that simply isn’t true.  Peter began sinking because he became overcome with fear of the storm and waves.  The call to Jesus keeps us from being overcome with fear, keeps us from succumbing to the anger, hatred, and violence ourselves.  The call to Jesus doesn’t guarantee that we won’t be harmed.  The call to Jesus keeps our hearts from falling into hatred, anger, and violence.  The call to Jesus keeps the darkness from overcoming the light of Jesus within us.

Truly to  be the light of Jesus amidst the darkness of anger, hatred, and violence, we truly do need to risk drowning, to risk not only our lives and well-being, but also to risk being overcome by the darkness.  In all likelihood, we will be overcome by the darkness at times, and in those times, we call out to Jesus to save us, to reach his hand out, pull us out of the storm and waves and put us back into the boat, the sanctuary.  Then, once we’ve recovered, we step out of the boat, amidst the storm and waves once again to risk our lives and well-being, to be the light of Jesus amidst the darkness of hatred, anger, and violence once again.

Risk is part of the deal to live as Jesus’ disciples.  We’ve got to risk drowning to walk out on the water with Jesus.  We also need to be able to see the beauty and sacredness of the people and creation all around us, even amidst the storm and waves.  We realize the waves are there, but don’t get too daunted by the waves.  Keep your eyes on Jesus.  Imagine the magic, the possibility, the wonder of seeing him walking to you on the water.  Imagine the magic, the possibility, the wonder of asking him if you can come out and play too, and Jesus saying ,”yes.”

A Woman Made Bread, and Jesus Said, "This Is My Body"

Brad Sullivan

Proper 12, Year A

July 30, 2017

Emmanuel, Houston

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

A Woman Made Bread, and Jesus Said, “This Is My Body”

Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to “yeast that a woman took and mixed in with tree measures of flower until all of it was leavened.”   Bread.  The kingdom of heaven is like bread, the yeast mixing with the flour, helping it all grow together, the hands of God working to knead the dough and bake it, transforming it from something gooey and inedible, to something delicious and life-giving.  God gives life and forms people in the Kingdom of Heaven, transforming us from one thing into another.  Like God took clay and formed it into Adam’s body and transformed it into a living being, so did a woman knead and shape dough to make bread, which Jesus took, and broke, and gave to his friends and said, “this is my body.”

We are called the Body of Christ live here on earth, as we believe in Jesus, recognize him moving in our lives, and as we seek to live out his Kingdom here on earth.  We’re called to be bread, our separate lives transformed into something greater and life-giving, yeast mixed with flower and water, kneaded, shaped, and leavened into a large loaf of fresh baked bread.   Think for a second about the smell of fresh baked bread; it smells so good, makes you hungry, even if you’re not, you smell that bread, and you want some.  That’s what the Kingdom of God is like.  When we see or hear about the Kingdom of God really being lived out here on earth, we want to go there, we want to be a part of it.

Really living out the kingdom of God here on earth takes time and effort, just like it takes time to and effort to make bread.  It takes time and effort to mix the ingredients together, to knead the dough, and then it takes God’s transformation, the ingredients literally becoming something else as they are baked together.  That’s life in God’s Kingdom:  time, effort, mixing, and God’s transformation.

Life in God’s kingdom, truly living our God’s kingdom takes time.  It takes time for people to form relationships with others, time to get to know our neighbors.  Life in God’s kingdom takes effort.  It takes effort for people to join with others in their communities to serve others, to pray together, to strive together for justice and peace: seeking and serving Christ in all people, respecting the dignity of every human being, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. 

Life in God’s kingdom also takes mixing.  For the kingdom of Heaven to work, the yeast doesn’t just sit on the counter and watch the woman make the bread.   The yeast moves in and  around and interacts with the flour, the yeast and flour joining together with each other, changing each other, becoming something different than the two were separately.  In the kingdom of God, we take time and effort mixing our lives with the lives of others.  We work.  We strive.  We meet people, and we see where Jesus is moving in their lives.  We join with them:  the movement of Jesus in our lives joined with the movement of Jesus in their lives.  When we take this time and effort to mix our lives together, Jesus works to knead the dough, like a woman who kneaded and shaped dough to make bread, which Jesus took, and broke, and gave to his friends and said, “this is my body.”

I read an article last week which was about this kind of Kingdom work, people mixing together and forming bread.  The article from gravityleadership.com, was titled “How to Shift Small Groups to Missional Communities”  For those unfamiliar with the term, mission communities are groups of people within a larger body of the church who “are committed to growing closer to Jesus, doing life together, and joining God’s work in the world.  In other words, missional communities embrace worship, community, and mission as a holistic life of discipleship.” 

The thrust of the article was that missional communities are different from small groups and that in order to live God’s kingdom, we need to shift some of our small groups into missional communities.  The article points out that many churches have done pretty well at gathering their large worshipping communities into smaller groups which pray together, and study scripture, and get to know each other more deeply through their faith.  The small groups take a large community in which some people know hardly anyone, and they give places where people can grow together in deep relationships with one another.  The article went on to say, however, that often these small groups grow stale, continually looking for the next book or next study, and the mission and work of Jesus gets left undone.  Even with a good focus on formation and sharing faith together, reaching out to others beyond themselves is often left out of these small groups.  The yeast remains on the counter, watching the flour from a distance, not mixing and allowing the woman’s hands to form them into bread.

To be fair, the yeast is always ready for the flour to come to it.  We, the church, want people to come here.  We have become a largely attractional community, waiting for folks to come through the doors of the church building and join us in worship.  While we do outreach here and have mission trips which are all good things, those efforts are not usually part of our daily lives and the communities in which we live.  Rather, much of our life in the church is a part of this attractional model:  come to church to be a part of these outreach efforts here. 

With the attractional model of church, we’ve also done Sunday school pretty well for those who are here.  If you come to church on Sunday, you can be formed in the stories of scripture and the faith of Jesus.  If you can’t come to church on Sunday, you’re kinda left on your own.  Folks can watch Joel Osteen on TV, but there’s not actual interaction, actually community with real people, watching something on TV.  We have not been really faithful to Jesus’ calling for us to go out into our communities and form disciples of Jesus there.

Now, that sounds like evangelism, which the Episcopal church has not historically been overly well known for.  We can share our faith within communities within the church, but going out?  That sounds like less than happy street corner people.  Let me be very clear:  a faithful, yet less than happy person on a street corner, threatening strangers to believe in Jesus isn’t yeast mixing with flour; it’s rat poison.  Truly being yeast that gets up off the counter to mix with the flour means mixing with others in our communities, living life together, and thereby allowing Jesus to transform us into bread.  Evangelism is not generally done with strangers.  Evangelism is done with people we know and people we have gotten to know.  Evangelism is done in community, not by ourselves.  Becoming bread, becoming the kingdom of God means we live out our faith in community with others, going out together in our communities to serve others and likely to be served by them as well.  That is what missional communities are, what the church was always intended to be.

The article, “How to Shift Small Groups to Missional Communities”,  gave three steps toward transforming a small group into a missional community which has an outward mission:

• Start a conversation with your existing small group about joining God’s work in your community. If you are not currently part of a small group, prayerfully make a list of people you can invite in on the conversation.
• Discern mission as a group by making a list of areas in the community that God might be inviting you to step into. This could be a place like your neighborhood, [joining with others to regularly and consistently help at a non-profit or community home], or a people group that you feel especially called to serve and love.
• Develop some rhythms to support your life together that includes regularly seeking God, connecting in community with one another, and engaging your shared mission together.

Prayer, Worship, Service.

[Finally], as you step into mission as a community, think presence more than projects. How can you be intentional and consistent in being present among a group of people as a community? Then simply keep noticing where God is at work and join him there!

Now, I’d love to give an exact, step by step process for becoming a missional community with a simple beginning, middle, and end, but the Kingdom of God doesn’t work like that.  What exactly a community is going to look like, what exactly the community mission work will be depends on what needs there are in each of our communities.  What are our passions, and were do the needs of our communities meet the passions of our hearts?  A missional community could join together to serve together, regularly, at a non-profit or a community home/shelter.  A missional community could join together and get to know their neighbors and serve them when in need.  Then that person might join the missional community and serve with them when someone else is in need. 

A missional community, like the Body of Christ, like the Kingdom of God, is not a project that can be easily drawn up, pre-formed, modeled, and packaged for easy assembly.  Missional communities, the way of the kingdom of God, requires work, effort, mixing together, dreaming and praying together with guidance from Jesus.  Missional communities are going to be different everywhere because the needs and the people are different in each community. 

Our part is to be formed as bread, to be yeast, to mix with our communities, to really get to know the communities in which we live, to notice what the needs are, to notice where Jesus is already at work, and then to be willing to be changed by mixing our lives and the work of Jesus with the lives and work of Jesus within others in our communities.  Then we become the Kingdoms of God. 

When we take this time and effort to mix our lives together, Jesus works to knead the dough, like a woman who kneaded and shaped dough to make bread, which Jesus took, and broke, and gave to his friends and said, “this is my body.”

https://gravityleadership.com/small-groups-missional-communities/