A Time to Throw Away

Jesus told a rich young man that he should sell everything that he had, and then follow after Jesus. Was Jesus telling us that we must be poor to get into heaven? I think that, instead, he was telling us that we should get rid of anything that comes between us and God -- and that might just be the vast number of possessions that we have! This sermon considers that possibility, and offers a few suggestions for simplifying your life.

If there was ever a scripture passage that makes us uncomfortable, surely it’s this one (Mark 10:17-27). When we hear Jesus say to the rich young man, “Sell everything you have and give it to the poor,” we cringe. After all, Mark tells us that the young man had “great possessions” – and so do we. Are we actually supposed to follow this radical command that Jesus gives? What do we do with it, anyway? If the truth be told, mostly we ignore it. We really don’t believe that Jesus meant what he said. If we did, we’d all be living on the streets and eating at soup kitchens. Besides, Jesus didn’t come to us in order to make new laws. Jesus came to liberate us from everything that was holding us captive. He exorcised evil spirits, healed people from debilitating medical conditions, and even overthrew social customs that kept some people permanently second-class. So what is this story doing right in the middle of the gospel?

Maybe – just maybe – this story points to a very sneaky way that we are all captives. That captivity doesn’t involve a jail cell or a prison sentence or even a curfew! No, it involves something that we value greatly – our possessions. We have lots of possessions, just like that rich young man. And those possessions hold us captive just as tightly as any pair of handcuffs. Think about it for a minute. If you live in a house, you have to clean it. If you have a big yard, you have to mow it. If you drive a car, you have to maintain it. If you have a walk-in closet full of clothing, you have to wash and mend those clothes. I could go on, but you get the idea. Our possessions dictate how we spend much of our time. That was as true for the rich young man as it is for us. Is it possible that Jesus told that young man to get rid of his possessions so that they no longer would be able to come between him and his relationship with God?

That brings me to the practice of simplicity. Simplicity is a Christian practice that is as important as the prayer that I preached about two weeks ago or the Bible study that I preached about last week. Simplicity helps us to put our priorities in order, and to ask ourselves whether we really put God first. When we practice simplicity, we look at what we have and what we do, and we decide what is really important. Maybe we decide to get rid of a few things to make room in our life for something that we don’t have right now. We don’t have to give up everything that we have in order to practice simplicity. But it does mean that we might need to throw out a few things.

Our culture isn’t very good at practicing simplicity. On the contrary, it tells us that the more “stuff” we have, the better off we are! There’s always something new being offered that claims to make our lives even easier than ever before! I went to the website of a major retailer yesterday, and I searched for “small appliances” just to see what they offer. Here are just a few things that you can buy, if you’re inclined to do so. They offered blenders; juicers; bread makers; waffle irons; coffee makers that brew one cup, 12 cups, and 30 cups; deep fryers; electric skillets; electric can openers; pizza ovens; food processors (in a variety of sizes); ice cream makers; mixers (both large and small); roasters; crock-pots; rice steamers; toasters; toaster ovens; and gadgets that shrink-wrap our food because we have so many leftovers we don’t know what to do with them all. And that is just for the kitchen! I know that we’ve moved on since Leave It to Beaver was on TV, but my mother could put a great meal together using a pot, a frying pan, and a couple of well-chosen utensils. She never needed an oven just to cook pizza!

“Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and then come, follow me,” says Jesus. Maybe that’s not such a bad idea. And Jesus isn’t alone in his opinion. The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Of course, there is a time for gathering possessions! That’s why we host wedding showers, and baby showers, and housewarming parties. But at some point, there is a time to throw away, too. Simplicity was the very reason that some of our fathers and mothers in the faith chose to move away from civilization and live in the solitude of the desert. They traded ornate cathedrals with gold statues and silver baptismal fonts for the simplicity of a sunrise. They left the social rat race for the simplicity of daily prayers. They rejected the acquisition of wealth, and accepted the simplicity of hospitality, charity, and service. They took Jesus seriously when he said, “Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and then come, follow me.”

It’s a little bit more difficult for us today to find that kind of simplicity. There aren’t many places where we could go to leave the world behind. Besides, entering a monastery is foreign to our tradition. We Protestants believe that it is important to engage the world, not withdraw from it. But there are some things that we can do in order to begin to simplify our lives and make more room for God. In his classic book Celebration of Discipline (1978, Harper San Francisco), Richard J. Foster makes a few suggestions to help us simplify our lives.

First, let’s be clear about the difference between wants and needs. We really need very few things; and God knows what they are. Do you remember what Jesus said to his disciples about that? “Why are you worrying so much, asking ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ The pagans run after all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” We really only need enough food to keep us healthy, and enough clothing and shelter to keep us warm. Everything else is just icing on the cake. It is not our needs but our “wants” that hold us captive. Dr. Foster even suggests that we can become addicted to some of our “wants.” Because his book was written over 30 years ago, his examples of common addictions are newspapers, television, and chocolate. Nowadays, our addictions are more likely to be Starbucks coffee, email, or Facebook. But the principle is the same. If you can’t go even a day without a cup of Starbucks coffee, checking your email, or posting on your Facebook page, maybe it’s time to get rid of it for a while. Are you in charge of it – or is it in charge of you?

Second, don’t buy into our culture of accumulation. That’s a very hard thing to do. We’re surrounded by ads that urge us to “Buy, buy, buy!” In another week the political commercials will disappear, and they will be replaced by Christmas advertising. We’ll hear, “Give this diamond necklace, that updated computer, or maybe even a new car!” The trouble is that love can’t be measured by the amount of stuff you give someone. Maybe it’s time to remember that Jesus didn’t give us any “stuff” at all. He gave us his life.

Finally, develop a habit of giving things away. If you buy a new appliance, a new tool, or a new piece of clothing, donate the old one to a charity. Glance around your house. Are there things that you haven’t used in years? Give them away to someone who needs them. Even knick-knacks can be donated to Goodwill so that a someone with limited means can purchase something pretty to brighten up the house!

“Sell everything you have and give it to the poor.” No, that’s not a new rule that we have to follow in order to get into heaven. But it is one way to get out of the captivity of possessions. The practice of simplicity may not be as well-known to most Christians as prayer or Bible study; but it is an important practice to learn. After all, don’t we all want to have the time to develop a deeper relationship with God? And if we’re obsessed with our possessions, we’re not likely to take time to do that. There is, indeed, a time for everything, even a time to throw away. What time is it now?

"...and I approved this message."

It occurred to me this week that churches send messages just like politicians do -- and the messages are just as diverse! So my sermon this week focuses on how to evaluate what different churches say. Hint -- it has to do with Bible interpretation. If you choose to read the sermon, I'd like to know if this was helpful to you.

“…and I approved this message.”

Are you as tired of hearing this as I am? I’m sure you know that I’m referring to the tagline that accompanies many of the political advertisements that appear on television. “I’m John Q. Politician, and I approved this message.” If I had a nickel for every time I have heard that line during the last several months, I could retire comfortably right now.

It’s interesting, isn’t it, how the two presidential candidates can analyze the situation of our country so differently. Both Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama live here in the United States; both are educated, intelligent men; and I believe that both of them have the best interests of the country at heart. But they present vastly different messages. They can’t agree on what is wrong with our country, why our country is in trouble, or how to best correct the situation. Why, if a little green man from Mars were to hear their two messages taken out of context, he might think that they were talking about two different countries!

We can say the very same thing about the messages that churches proclaim. Churches aren’t talking about politics, of course, but about what the Bible says. But churches differ in their messages about the Bible just like politicians differ about their view of our country. Churches don’t agree on what is wrong with the world, why the world is in trouble, or how to best correct the situation. Some churches say one thing, and some churches say something else. It all rests on their interpretation of what the Bible says. If you consider the variety of messages that churches proclaim, you might wonder if we’re all reading the same Bible!

Most churches proclaim that God calls us to freedom, growth, and a deepening of compassion for our fellow humans. They might differ in the details, but their core message is the same. My own congregation proclaims that “whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here” – and we mean it! We base our faith on our belief that God is loving, merciful, and forgiving. But not all churches feel that way. Some are rigid and exclusive. They warn that eternal punishment from a God of wrath awaits those who don’t believe exactly the way that they do. Their message of hellfire and damnation sometimes seems to be more suited to a Halloween house of horror than it is to a house of God.

The most infamous example is probably the Westboro Baptist Church. Members of this congregation protest regularly at the funerals of military men and women who were killed in the line of duty. They claim that God is punishing our nation for its culture of tolerance and diversity. They base their beliefs on a handful of passages from the Old Testament claiming that certain practices are “abominations” that are offensive to God. They warn that unless our country changes its ways, God will continue to slaughter our men and women who are defending us.

Some social analysts are concerned that this kind of message might be promoting a subculture of hate in our country. According to Marilyn Sewell’s online blog in the October 19 Huffington Post, there were 6,628 hate crimes reported in 2010. 47% of these were race-related, 20% were religious in nature, 19% targeted sexual orientation, and 13% involved ethnicity or national origin. We can’t blame these crimes on any one type of Christian message or style of Bible interpretation. But no one can deny that some Christians are so sure that their own Bible interpretation is the right one, that they become unloving at the least and downright destructive at worst. And like the members of Westboro Church, they base their actions on what they read in the Bible. But it’s worth remembering that the Bible has been used to justify all kinds of social practices that we now condemn as unjust. Slavery, child abuse, and the belief that women are somehow less than human have all been justified by focusing on a few verses in scripture, and ignoring many others.

So, what’s my point? My point is that all Christians need to know how to read and interpret the Bible for themselves. Otherwise, we can easily be led astray by churches whose interpretation of the Bible is narrow and exclusive. Unfortunately, though, many Christians don’t even read the Bible, let alone know how to interpret what they read! So this morning, I offer you three principles of how to interpret what you read in the Bible. They’re very basic principles, and they’re not difficult at all. You don’t have to be a pastor to use them.

The first principle is that Jesus is the “lens” through which we interpret scripture. We all believe that Jesus is God’s Word made flesh. If that is really the case, then we should interpret scripture based on the teaching and example of Jesus. This morning, you heard Luke’s account of what Jesus said in the synagogue at the beginning of his ministry: “This morning, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:14-21) In other words, “Listen up, folks! Isaiah was talking about me!” Jesus is the fulfillment of all Old Testament scripture, the Word (capital W) to which all the other words (small w) point.  And Jesus reinterpreted Old Testament teaching to focus not on the letter of the law, but on its spirit. Do you remember what Jesus said is the heart of the law? Love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves. That’s the central message of scripture, both the Old and the New Testament.

And that brings me to the next principle of Bible interpretation. We have to be able to tell the difference between a representative text and a proof-text. A representative text is a verse (or verses) that represent much of what is in the Bible. For example, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” is echoed over and over and over again in scripture. So is “God is love,” and “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.” God’s love and care for us is a theme that threads its way through all the pages of scripture, from the first days of creation in Genesis to the appearance of the New Jerusalem in Revelation. A proof-text is something completely different. A proof-text is a text that is used to prove a particular belief, even if that belief never shows up again in the rest of scripture! Here’s an example of a proof-text. This text is from Deuteronomy. “If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father and mother, who does not heed them when they discipline him, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the gate of that place. They shall say to the elders of his town, ‘This son of mine is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. So you shall purge the evil from your midst; and all Israel will hear and be afraid.” Should we follow that law? Of course not! How did Jesus treat children? Jesus loved children! And the most notorious stubborn, rebellious child of all – the Prodigal Son – wasn’t stoned, but welcomed home with open arms! But someone could easily start a cult that teaches that children should be stoned if they misbehave. After all – it’s in the Bible!

Finally – and this is the most difficult of the three principles – we need to know what the Bible actually says. After all, that’s really the only way to know whether a Bible text is a representative text or a proof-text. And knowing what the Bible says requires lots of reading and lots of thinking. It requires that we understand that the Bible speaks not with one voice but with many. We have to be ready to read what’s really there, not what we expect to find. The Bible can be comforting and reassuring, but it can also be very challenging. But in-depth Bible study just might turn out to be the most rewarding work you’ll ever do. After all, if we’re going to base our Christian message on the Bible, maybe we should know what we’re talking about!

In the end, our goal in studying the Bible isn’t to be more “right” than the church next door. It isn’t to be able to answer all the questions in the Bible category of Jeopardy. It isn’t even to brag about how much we learned at the last Bible study lesson. Our goal is simply to be able to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our goal is to proclaim the good news, not the bad news. Our goal is to share God’s love, not God’s wrath; to proclaim God’s forgiveness, not God’s punishment; to rejoice in God’s salvation, not threaten God’s condemnation. Our goal is to be so true to the gospel of Jesus Christ that God listens to what we are saying and responds proudly and joyfully, “I approve that message!”

Prayer through the Ages

Every now and then, I think it's a good idea to evaluate our Chrstian practices. What are they; and are we doing them as well as we could?(Sometimes the question is, Are we doing them at all?) This sermon begins a seven-week series that will center on classic Christian practices. I begin with prayer, since it is central to our lives as Christians. If you choose to read my sermon, I'll be interested to find out if it was helpful to you.

Of all the Christian practices, prayer is certainly one of the most important. Prayer allows us to connect to God. Prayer recharges our batteries. Prayer takes us beyond ourselves. Jesus’ ministry was steeped in prayer. This morning, you heard a story that took place early in Jesus’ ministry. (Mark 1:32-39) He has ministered to needy people all evening, and he is probably bone-weary. But instead of sleeping in and getting some extra rest, he gets up early in the morning and goes out by himself to pray. Mark didn’t need to add that detail to his story. But he’s careful to put it in, because it’s important. Prayer wasn’t an optional activity in Jesus’ life; it was central. And it is for us, too.

My sermon today is titled, “Prayer through the Ages.” That might lead you to believe that I’ll be doing a historical survey of prayer. I might be starting with prayers of the early Christians, moving on to structured daily prayer patterns of medieval monasteries, and then finishing with types of contemporary prayer. I might well be doing that. But I’m not. The “ages” that I’m considering this morning are our ages – yours and mine. They’re the times in our lives that we’ve experienced already, the times that we’re encountering right now, and the times that we’re looking forward to some day in the future. I’m going to focus on some of the questions that many of us have about prayer as we move through our ages. We do have questions about prayer, don’t we? But we usually don’t ask those questions. Maybe that’s because we’re afraid to ask them. After all, if we ask a question about prayer, someone might think that we don’t understand the Christian faith as well as we ought to. That would be embarrassing! So we don’t ask anything at all – and our prayer life sometimes suffers because of it. So, this morning, I’ve made up questions from five imaginary people. They aren’t real people. I wasn’t thinking of anyone in my congregation when I dreamed them up. But the questions they will ask about prayer are very real. Maybe you already know the answers to all of them. If that’s the case, then Bravo! You’re a real expert in prayer – and you could probably teach me a thing or two! But if you don’t know all the answers… well, maybe you’ll discover something useful in my sermon this morning.

We’ll start with Gary, who’s just 7 years old. Gary’s Sunday school class has been talking about prayer; but he’s missed something important. Gary’s question is, “What is prayer, anyway?” What is prayer? What a good question! That’s getting down to the basics! Prayer is nothing more than having a conversation with God. We can say all the things to God that we might say to one of our earthly loved ones. I would tell Gary that prayer is kind of like talking to his mom or dad. Sometimes we tell God about the great day we’ve just had; sometimes we ask God a question; sometimes we want to share hurts or frustrations; sometimes we ask for things we need; and sometimes we tell God ‘Thank you.’ It’s as simple as that.

Now we’ll move on to Matilda, a lovely young lady of 18. Matilda has been thinking a lot about prayer, especially since her mother takes her to a Methodist church one Sunday, and her father takes her to a Pentecostal church the next. She is bothered by the difference in prayer in the two churches. So she asks, “Is there one right way to pray?” No, Matilda, there is no ‘right way’ to pray. There are certainly differences in church traditions. For some Christians, prayer is quiet and reflective; while for others, it’s much more active. In ancient times, people stood while they prayed (and that’s still the case for Orthodox Jews). The important part of prayer is not how we do it, but that we do it. I would advise Matilda to join each congregation in their own style of prayer; and to decide which style suits her best for her own personal prayers. After all, we can talk with our friends while sitting at the dinner table, taking a stroll around the block, or exercising at the Y. Our conversations with God are no different.

Larry is in his mid 30s and has a young family. He works long hours to provide for his family; and on the weekends, he’s busy with the activities of his children. Larry says, “I just don’t have time to pray. My family and work obligations keep me really busy. How can I make time for prayer?” Many of us have Larry’s problem, don’t we? If we don’t get the fields harvested, our family might not eat next year. If we miss our daily prayers… well, God loves us anyway. But it’s important for Larry to realize that we don’t have to take an hour off and sit quietly in a chair to pray. We can pray wherever we are and whatever we’re doing. Are you in line at the grocery store? You can pray there. Maybe a frazzled-looking woman with a couple of active toddlers is in line in front of you. Pray silently for her. After you’ve done this a couple of times, it will become automatic. It helps many people to choose a short, one-line prayer, and pray it frequently during the day. You might pray, “Lord, have mercy,” or “Jesus, be near me.” Soon it will be second nature to come to God when you get up in the morning, when you go to bed at night, and lots of times in between.

Teresa is in her late 50s. She’s attended church all her life; but recently, she’s run into a problem. “I’m stuck,” she says. “My prayers don’t seem to go any farther than the roof. Is God even listening to me?” Teresa, many Christians have experienced what you’re describing. Although you’re coming to God, it doesn’t feel like God is there any more. The medieval mystic St. John of the Cross gave it a name, calling it ‘the Dark Night of the Soul.’ It can be experienced by Christians who have prayed for years, and who have always felt the presence of God. But one day, God seems to have taken the phone off the hook. We pray and pray, but don’t hear anything from God in response. No less a spiritual giant than Mother Teresa experienced this. Read her autobiography some time. She was in the Dark Night of the Soul for much of her life. But she continued to pray anyway. At one point, she said, “It is only when you realize your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself.” When we experience the Dark Night of the Soul, perhaps we, too, are preparing to be filled by God.

Finally, we meet Grace. Grace is in her 80s and has been a praying Christian through all those years. She doesn’t do much formal praying these days, and for an interesting reason. She tells us, “I’ve prayed for so many years that I don’t have much to say to God anymore. God knows what I need; and he knows that I appreciate all the blessings in my life. Do I have to put my prayers into words?” Actually, Grace, wordless prayers are some of the deepest prayers that we can pray. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We don’t know what we ought to pray for, so the Spirit intercedes for us in prayers that words can’t express. And God who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” When we pray without words, our relationship with God is like that of a couple who have been happily married for a long time. All the words have long since been said. They are content to sit silently on the front porch in each other’s company. When they hear a bullfrog croaking down by the pond, they catch each other’s eye. They smile, knowing that the wife loves to hear a bullfrog in the summer. But they don’t have to talk about it in words.

Isn’t that what we long for, in the end: a relationship with God so deep that words aren’t necessary any more. But we can only attain that kind of relationship by constant prayer. So, however you pray, and whenever you pray, and whatever you pray about, pray! Share your joys and your sorrows with God. Ask God to enlighten you when you have questions. Be thankful for all the good things in your life. Complain when you need to. God’s a big boy; God can handle it! And if you can’t feel God’s presence, pray anyway! God hasn’t gone anywhere.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul has some advice for us about prayer. “Do not worry about anything,” he says, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God that passes all understanding. That’s what prayer can give us. Regardless of the circumstances of our lives, prayer can give us God’s peace, and keep us safely in the arms of Jesus. What more could we possibly want?

Not Like Us

This past Sunday was World Communion Sunday, the day when Chrisitans all around the world join in sharing the sacrament of Holy Communion. My sermon considered how we react to people who are "not like us," and how easy it is to discount -- and even villify -- them. Do you see yourself anywhere in my sermon?

I’m going to start my sermon this morning with something a little bit different – a word association quiz. Don’t worry – there aren’t any right or wrong answers. I just want you to pay attention to the image that flashes into your mind when I say a word. Ready?
The first word is “inventor.” What kind of person springs to mind when I say that word?
The next word is “musician.” Do all of you have an image in your mind?
The last word is “Christian.” That one should be easy.

Now, I’m going to hazard a guess that the image that came to mind when I said each word – for some of you, anyway – was that of a white, middle-class person who looks a lot like we do. When I said “inventor,” you probably thought of Thomas Edison or Alexander Graham Bell. But you might have pictured George Washington Carver, the African-American genius who found so many uses for the peanut. How about “musician”? Who came to your mind for that word? Was it Randy Travis or one of the Beatles? I wonder if anyone thought of Yo Yo Ma, the Asian-American cellist who makes his instrument sing like the angels themselves.  And “Christian.” Who did you think of for that? Did you picture somebody who looks pretty much like we all do here? I thought so.

The point that I’m trying to make is that when we talk about categories of people – categories like “inventor,” “musician,” or “Christian” – we tend to think of people who look, talk, and act just like we do; and we exclude those who don’t. The images of white, middle-class people just spring into our minds automatically, even though we all know perfectly well that there are lots of people around the world who aren’t like us. It is human nature to divide people into those who are “like us” and those who are “not like us.” But when we divide people into “like us” and “not like us,” it’s only a small step to believing that “not like us” means “not as good as us.” That kind of thinking puts us on a pedestal where we don’t belong – and it doesn’t give other people the credit that they deserve.

“Not like us” can take many disguises. Sometimes, “not like us” is obvious – a different skin color, a different language, or different customs. But other times, “not like us” is sneakier. “Not like us” can be people who speak with a different accent, who belong to a different Christian denomination, or who worship differently than we do. “Not like us” can be people use praise bands to lead worship, and sit on folding chairs in gymnasiums instead of in church pews. Why, some of those “not like us” people even worship on Saturday night!

Can you see how “not like us” can drive a wedge between us and people who are our brothers and sisters? We start to get suspicious of people who are “not like us.” We wonder: why do they do things differently than we do? Are they hiding something? Are they really good people after all? If we’re not careful, we end up tumbling down a slippery slope, and we might end up all the way at the bottom thinking that the people who are “not like us” are absolute good-for-nothings with no good features whatsoever!

Even Jesus’ disciples fell into this kind of trap. The gospel of Mark tells us that one day, they came running to Jesus with a story about someone who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. The trouble was, he wasn’t an official disciple. He hadn’t been with Jesus and the twelve as they journeyed through Galilee. He hadn’t sat at Jesus’ feet as to hear his teachings. Why, he probably didn’t even know the words to the Lord’s Prayer! And so, the Twelve had told him to stop – stop casting out demons! Stop liberating unfortunate people from the grip of madness. Stop restoring their minds to sanity. Stop giving them a chance to live normal lives again. After all – he wasn’t one of them! Can’t you just see Jesus shaking his head in despair? The disciples didn’t get the praise that they expected. Oh, no, quite the contrary. “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “If you’re not against us, you’re for us!” He could have added, “If anyone is doing the works that I do, then that person is one of my followers, even if he is ‘not like us.’”

I’m guessing that the disciples were confused. After all, we spend lots of time talking about how other people are different from us, and not all that much time talking about how they are the same. We still do that today. But this morning is different. This morning is the one day in the Christian year that we agree to focus on how we are alike instead of on how we are different. This morning, instead of concentrating on how other Christians are “not like us,” we focus on how Christians around the world are “like us” as we all join in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. This morning, Christians of all nationalities are remembering the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on our behalf. They are celebrating the Bread of Life that we share here – the Bread that consoles us, supports us, and nourishes us. And they are looking forward to the great banquet at the end of time, when all of us will sit down at God’s table in glory, and all our differences won’t matter any more.

Oh, the practices of those other Christians may be very different from ours. They may be sharing rye bread, pita bread, or rice cakes. They may be drinking wine, grape juice, or even milk. They may be distributing the elements on plates and in little cups as they sit in church pews; or they may be eating from a common loaf and drinking from a common cup as they kneel at the altar. But all of them are praising the same God, following the same Christ, and filled with the same Spirit. And even though many of them are “not like us,” we are all living our lives for Jesus Christ.

“Not like us”? Actually, they are just like us! We are all sinners in need of forgiveness, lost sheep in need of salvation, wretches in need of God’s amazing grace – the grace that we find right here at the table of Jesus Christ. So, everyone, come to the table! Come, take your place amidst people of all languages, cultures, and customs. Come, because we are all God’s people who have found salvation through the grace of Jesus Christ. Come, and join with our brothers and sisters around the world. Come – and, with them, be thankful.