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Ursula Arnold
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M An Inclusive Church Is Not For Everyone

They were only letting some people in ~ a

acceptable types, while refusing entrance

It was good that he had an empty stomach.

1 M An Inclusive Church Is Not For Everyone Dr. D. Jay Losher 16 October United Christian Parish Isaiah 25:6-9 + Acts 10:9-16, = Inclusion ore than a decade ago, the United Churchh of Christ produced a commercial for television. It showed two bouncers standing in the front of a church as if it were a nightclub. They were only letting some people in ~ a white straight family, and other socially acceptable types, while refusing entrance to a person of color, someone handicapped and an obviously gay couple. Sounds like a positive ad, but here is where the controversy takes an absurd turn: ABC, NBC and CBS all refused thee ads ~ which proves that an inclusive church, one that welcomes everyone, is more offensive than the hit show Desperate Housewives. One of the premier paradoxes of our times: an inclusive church is not for everyone. eter had a unsettling vision. Three times he was ordered Pto kill, slaughter and eat animals which are expressly forbidden in the Torah. Peter, a devote Jew all his life, found this more than unsettling. It was good that he had an empty stomach. Each time his nausea got the best of him and he refused, the voice from heaven responded: What God has made clean, you must not call profane. As he was meditating on this strange vision, an invitation broke in from the Roman officer Cornelius. Peter s first reaction was to refuse. As a Jew Peter could have no social interaction whatsoeve r with a Gentile,, much less enter a Gentile house. The law expressly forbids it. Yet under compulsion from that inexplicable vision, the Holy Spirit led Peter to share the Gospel with Cornelius and his family. 1

Peter s memorable words for the crossing of this forbidden

in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is

The tiny movement of the Way is at an inclusive church moment ~

as God is calling to become a world-class religion inclusive of

criticize him for eating with and ministering to a Gentile

According to Jewish law, Peter was now polluted, corrupted.

church is not for everyone ~ not a church for those folks over

Thus again paradoxica ally, an inclusive church is not for

All are welcome. All are W welcome in this place.

However, when the CAT expert Karen Chamis interpreted the CAT for

that we are theologically quite Progressiv e. That s no surprise.

everyone, nevertheless: would a more Conservative Christian

Not that we would consciously exclude, but would they be relaxed

2 Peter s memorable words for the crossing of this forbidden barrier, I truly understan nd that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God. We have just crossed a monumental divide. The tiny movement of the Way is at an inclusive church moment ~ whether to remain within Judaism as a meree sect or to break out as God is calling to become a world-class religion inclusive of Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female and much more. The stakes couldn t be higher. Later when Peter rejoins the other Apostles, they harshly criticize him for eating with and ministering to a Gentile household. According to Jewish law, Peter was now polluted, corrupted. For these other Apostles and for many today, such an inclusive church is not for everyone ~ not a church for those folks over there, however we choose to define those folks. Thus again paradoxica ally, an inclusive church is not for everyone. e sang just last week. All are welcome. All are welcome. All are W welcome in this place. #301 in the hymnal if you don t believe me. However, when the CAT expert Karen Chamis interpreted the CAT for our Board, she pointed out that the data shows beyond a doubt that we are theologically quite Progressiv e. That s no surprise. Then she observed that while we at UCP do believe we welcome everyone, nevertheless: would a more Conservative Christian really be that comfortable here? Not that we would consciously exclude, but would they be relaxed and feel safe? Would they feel their views were accepted, themselves s respected, their perspectives affirmed? As a progressive congregation we do put a high premium on tolerance and inclusion. We aspire to welcome everyone. Wee do a good job of welcoming folks who don t look like us, don tt dress like us. Yet we 2

don t do such a good job with folks who don t think like us, don t believe the

How about someone who isn t quite on the same page as our stands for LGBTQI

Believe it there are indeed folks at UCP of a more traditional Christian

A church for everyone is not necessarily for everyone.

Justice Church. As important as that is, justice can be exclusive.

identity, but let s be honest, justice fails at inclusion when it draws lines,

marginalized, but as we do that, we sometimes get too wound up in calling out and

It is not very attractive when we get judgmental and angry, falsely thinking we

However, a Peace and Justice Church is about including more than excluding.

3 don t do such a good job with folks who don t think like us, don t believe the way we do, don t interprett Scripture the samee as we do. How about someone who isn t quite on the same page as our stands for LGBTQI issues, or interfaith dialogue, or gun control, or racism? We do have them in the congregation. How about someone who supports the other person than the one we support for President? Being progressivee on all kinds of social issues is not actually being inclusive. Believe it there are indeed folks at UCP of a more traditional Christian perspective who are not always made to feel affirmed and accepted. A church for everyone is not necessarily for everyone. e think of ourselves as an ncluding church, W but in reality we are more a Justice Church. As important as that is, justice can be exclusive. Don t get me wrong, justice work is critically important and central to our identity, but let s be honest, justice fails at inclusion when it draws lines, separates the sheep from the goats, demarcates with bold strokes right from wrong, good from evil. As a Justice Church we strive hard to include the unincluded and reach out to the marginalized, but as we do that, we sometimes get too wound up in calling out and excluding the excluders. It is not very attractive when we get judgmental and angry, falsely thinking we represent God. However, a Peace and Justice Church is about including more than excluding. God s Shalom does not separatee justice from peace and reconciliation. The Civil Rights movement succeeded precisely because it was not exclusive ~ it conscientio ously invited in, affirmed and cultivated those in the broad middle into committed allies. eing good soldiers in the culture wars is actually B the opposite of welcoming and inclusive. Being prophetic we can unfortunately end up instead with a real streak of judgmentalism, just as there is likely to be an equally strong tendency for becoming judgmental among 3

Any who are more concerned with who is in and who is out are probably to be

An Inclusive Church cannot draw lines, doesn t discriminate, does not

Richard Jensen, in a liberal commentary on the Gospel of Mark says rightly:

.whenever you draw a line which helps to tell you who is in and who is out

1 If you look at thriving churches in the 21 st Century, they tend to be

They no longerr fight the culture wars nor the worship wars, are not

left, right and middle persuasions, persons who don t all think the same,

n inclusive churchh is not for everyone.

A truth church is not for everyone. A kingdom church is not for everyone.

Are we going to be so devoted to interfaith that we are going to exclude

Are we goingg to be so US racially focused that that we miss the global

4 Right Wing Christians. Honestly neither side can be particularly inclusive nor tolerant. Any who are more concerned with who is in and who is out are probably to be found among the intolerant and the exclusive. An Inclusive Church cannot draw lines, doesn t discriminate, does not differentiate in these ways. Richard Jensen, in a liberal commentary on the Gospel of Mark says rightly: Be careful when you draw lines..whenever you draw a line which helps to tell you who is in and who is out of God s people ~ remember ~ Jesus is always on the other side of the line! 1 If you look at thriving churches in the 21 st Century, they tend to be inclusive. They no longerr fight the culture wars nor the worship wars, are not conflicted but rather have opted to move beyond to a more authentica ally inclusive vision. They go out of their way to welcome, include, affirm and accept persons of left, right and middle persuasions, persons who don t all think the same, believee the same, interpret the same. n inclusive churchh is not for everyone. A 2 You might as well say: A New Testament Church is not for everyone. A truth church is not for everyone. A kingdom church is not for everyone. A transforming church is nott for everyone. Are we going to be so devoted to interfaith that we are going to exclude folks who are uncomfortable about interfaith? Are we goingg to be so US racially focused that that we miss the global melting pot of inter-culturalism which far exceeds the narrow US context and is all around us. This is why the discernment process we are in is so absolutely necessary. We are at a critical crossroads of what kind of congregation we aspire to be. o in Acts 10, the encounter between Peter and Cornelius, we see S the infant Christian movement at a crossroads. The Holy Spirit is never domesticated by our narrow understanding of our own chosenness. 3 God is always doing new things outside our boxed-in ideas of who is in and who is outside God s realm. 4

1 Richard Jensen, Preaching Mark s Gospel,

Festival of Homiletics in Atlanta, GA on 19

compelling word than: God indeed showss no

God calls, includes diverse persons, from

rich, poor, good, bad, men, women, every

5 1 Richard Jensen, Preaching Mark s Gospel, pp one of the central concepts from Robert Chestnut, Transforming the Mainline Church 3 Walter Brueggemann at the Festival of Homiletics in Atlanta, GA on 19 May 2016 Peter never spoke a more compelling word than: God indeed showss no partiality. God calls, includes diverse persons, from every nation, every class, every race, rich, poor, good, bad, men, women, every gender orientation ~ alll who seek God with sincerity and faithfulness are welcomed with open arms into God s kindred community. All who seek God s realm and its righteousness. God showss no partiality. So we don t need any bouncers here, no gate- but keepers need apply. A Justice Church, yes, more an inclusive Justice and Peace, a Reconciling Church, a Shalom church which truly, honestly and authentically is: An inclusive church forr everyone. 5

at a Presbyterian ohn Buchanan retired Long on the The her son missed e think we W minister to

at a Presbyterian ohn Buchanan retired Long on the The her son missed e think we W minister to J An Inclusive Church Is Not For Everyone Dr. D. Jay Losher 4 March 2018 + Gaithersburg Presbyterian Churchh Acts 11:1-18 = Inclusion in God s kingdom ohn Buchanan retired some years ago as pastor of Chicago