Coffee Pots, Crumbs, and the Kingdom of God

In the congregation I serve we have established a very meaningful ministry and relationship with Alcoholics Anonymous. This is not an uncommon relationship and in many ways is a very natural one. Local AA groups often meet within the walls of churches regardless of denomination.

This relationship is very meaningful for several reasons. First, our congregation provides sanctuary in its purest form – a safe shelter and respite for men and women of various ages, occupations and social status. We host three groups which total about 15 meetings each week.

Our largest group, which meets 7 evenings per week, might have as many as 65-70 people at each meeting. Over the course of the last 18 months this group has grown tremendously as a direct result of our church having a quality meeting place. Among the three groups you could easily say that 400-450 people come through our doors each week – lawyers, doctors, politicians, homeless, and store clerks – each one receiving sanctuary, healing, and wholeness. This is more people in one week than who come four Sundays per month combined. Some who attend AA in our church have even claimed to receive salvation – were it not for AA and our support, their lives would not exist.

Secondly, and I do not think I am violating any pastoral confidence here, we have in our congregation members who are very active in AA, and while some may choose to attend meetings in other locations to protect anonymity, that we host these three groups in our church in many ways affirms their own dignity and identity as beloved children of God in spite of or even because of their addiction.

Lastly, this is an important ministry for our congregation because for so long the doors of our church [and even some hearts] have remained locked to the community out of fear. We are located in a downtown college community. We consider ourselves “urban” in some ways but also residential as our church literally sits on the border of a historic neighborhood.

The neighborhood is an eclectic mix of renters and homeowners, students and young professionals; very progressive in their politics and commitment to issues of justice. It is often assumed our neighbors are apathetic and cynical towards issues of faith and the church {that is another posting for another time}. It is this last issue which often draws and drains my focus and attention as a pastor and preacher.

How we have used [or not used] our church building in the last three decades and how we have been called to use this building in the present often live in holy tension; a tension which often brings a flood of emotions well beyond the surface of the individual.

We Christians are a very territorial bunch of folk – we have lines in the sand and boundaries we dare anyone else to cross. I have come to believe, both through my own experience and through the experiences of my colleagues, the most powerful political body within a congregation is NOT the group who controls the money (finance, stewardship) but the group who controls the keys and access to the building (most often called a property committee).

The property committee in my congregation is headed by a dear, kind and humble servant of God. He is truly a saint, because not only does he give of his time and energy to help maintain a 93 year old building, he must also deal with certain personalities who I know have aged him tremendously over the course of our relationship and ministry with AA.

I have learned over the years that AA consumes a LOT of coffee and by “a lot” I DO mean, A LOT!!! I have often heard it is rather common as a person is attempting to overcome one addiction to move towards another; in this case, from alcohol to caffeine. As an aside, I am a huge Eric Clapton fan and I remember as he was overcoming his addiction to heroin decades ago, he says that is when he started smoking (thus the lighted cigarette kept in the neck of his guitar as he plays) and consuming mass quantities of coffee – hence the album, Coffee and Cigarettes.

So as a way of saying “thank you” to the church for offering sanctuary and space, our largest AA group donated to the church a very nice, professional-grade Bunn coffee maker. The coffee maker requires a permanent water line to be installed so to provide a constant supply of water. I have been assured this installation is not difficult at all by Saint Property Chair. Not only would it provide coffee for AA meetings but also for church meals, gatherings, etc. What a GREAT gift, right????

Well …

It seems the coffee pot has become somewhat of a symbol around our place, possessing different meanings to different groups. To some it is a hindrance and nuisance; a permanent reminder of a group some never wanted in the church to begin with.

“Those people are using our electricity and water. They use our toilet paper and paper towels.”

Those people? That’s nice. Forget the ministry being provided. Forget the Gospel. Forget the fact we receive a monetary donation from each AA group every month which more than offsets their use of power, water and paper products. Disregard what I consider to be one of the most beautiful passive-aggressive acts in all of Christianity … an anonymous church member who literally snuck down to the church in the cover of darkness as not to be seen … and delivered a case each of Charmin toilet paper and Bounty paper towels. If you know anything about the kind of toilet paper most churches keep in their bathrooms, then you realize how wonderful a gift Charmin can be (I put three rolls back for personal use).

Those people.

So the coffee pot is a negative symbol and reminder of those people.

For others, the coffee pot is a symbol of triumph, hope, inclusion, salvation, openness, and ministry. To some in this group, we might as well serve communion from it each Sunday in worship – it has become that powerful. We have discovered the location of the Holy Grail!!

The exact location of the coffee pot has yet to be decided. The fearful group has asked it be put in the boiler room next to the trash can and cleaning supplies…

Let me allow that to settle in for a moment.

In the end it will gloriously sit on the counter right next to the ice machine, a beacon of hope for all who enter our facility!

When I sit at board meetings and have other conversations at which the coffee pot is discussed, I often ask, “And Jesus died for this?” [Let’s not debate the simplicity or theological nuances of THAT statement at the moment.]

For the record, let me be very clear that the fearful group represents a very small, but very vocal part of our congregation. But as you know, fear begets fear … anxiety begets anxiety …

But hope also begets hope, faith also begets faith, love also begets love. I think Springsteen said that once.

In both Matthew (15:21-28) and Mark (7:24-30) we hear of a Gentile woman coming to Jesus asking that her daughter be set free of a demon or unclean spirit. This text has often bothered me deeply, not because of her request or need, but in the way Jesus first responds. Essentially, he calls her a dog; and not in a “family pet” kind of way. He degrades and demeans her in front of others.

Now I am sure if a biblical scholar [real or imagined] were to read this post, he or she would give me a deeper explanation of what is going on here – the nuances of the text and such. But what really bothers me is just before entering this woman’s home, Jesus has just told the Pharisees that it is not what goes into a person’s both thru the mouth which defiles them, but rather what comes OUT of their body, through their mouth; for these things come from the heart.

What I do love is the way in which the woman pushes back against Jesus and holds him accountable.

“Even the dogs,” she says, “desire to eat the crumbs which fall from the master’s table.” In that moment, faith overcomes fear and everything else. We are told that immediately, the woman’s daughter is made well.

I do not think this woman was asking for all that much. Nor do I think AA groups ask too much of their hosts. We all want healing and wholeness for ourselves or our loved ones. We all want a place to provide sanctuary. We all need doors to remain open and not closed to us … the same for hearts as well.

So yeah, Jesus DID die for this … for coffee pots and crumbs … for AA and for those who struggle with their very presence in our midst. That is the strange thing about the Kingdom of God, I suppose. Sometimes the least of these are those people … and sometimes they are me.

“Barriers”

For the last several weeks the lectionary has taken me carefully, slowly, and at times painfully through first chapter of Mark’s gospel. Mark is not that long of a gospel, and yet there is so much found just in the first chapter alone to make the reader, the preacher, and the listener of the sermon squirm and anxious.

A constant found just in the first chapter (and carried on throughout the entire Gospel) is the theme of “barriers.” We find a Jesus who is constantly overcoming the institutional and systemic barriers of his time and culture. Of course these barriers were not originally intended to BE barriers, but over time their application and abuse led to their creation as such

It matters not if he is teaching in the synagogue, performing exorcisms, healing on the Sabbath, touching and pronouncing clean the unclean, Jesus is not only crossing barriers, but smashing them and one could easily suggest, I think, condemning them. You should take a look some time at the first chapter of Mark through this lens. I tell you, there is most certainly a word here in need of being spoken not only to the culture of today, but most importantly to faith communities (especially those who call themselves “Christian” faith communities).

I was recently having a conversation with a young adult – and by “young adult” I am referring to someone who is under the age of 40 (in my current congregation, that would make you VERY young). This person is very familiar with our congregation – our strengths and weaknesses; the kind of person I keep hearing others say, “we want/need more of in order grow (or survive).”

“Why does church need so many rules,” she asked.

“Define rules,” I responded. “You could make a rule, ‘we need to love one another.’ That is a rule, and I think it is a pretty good and fundamental rule.”

“Well,” she continued, “if want to live out my calling and use my gifts [in this particular congregation], I have to be considered “a member” of the church. What if I don’t want to be a member? WHY DO I HAVE TO BE A MEMBER? Why can’t I just come and live out my faith and my calling without ‘membership?’ It’s because of these rules.”

Not only was she right, but she was articulating something which has been bothering me for years – something congregations must be willing to address should they wish to remain viable, relevant, or at the very least, OPEN over the course of the next 20 years.

I said to her, “What I think you are really talking about are not rules, but the ‘barriers’ we have in place which keep you [or any person] from being the person God has created and called them to be. Those barriers need to be removed.”

When “rules” become “barriers” we become sinful – we are guilty of idolatry – and we not only deny the presence of grace but we shut out the potential of God to be revealed in and through another person.

What are the systemic and institutional barriers we have either intentionally or unintentionally created within our communities of faith? The can be formal or informal – they can go spoken or unspoken. They can be written down in a Constitution and By Laws or they can be instituted orally or by “tradition.”

Like many of the “rules” Jesus challenged, the rules we enact in our churches were {perhaps} not intended to BE barriers, but have become so down through the years by their interpretation and application.

In some congregations and denominations women are not allowed to serve in formal or vocational roles within the life of the church. Women cannot serve as a part of the Diaconate, serve as Elders, or be ordained clergy. I am thankful I do not belong to a Church who has created such a barrier. The reasoning some use to enforce this barrier is an [mis]understanding and [mis]interpretation of Scripture. Of course, these same churches have no problem allowing women the wonderful and powerful responsibility of teaching our children in Sunday school.

A very real and dreadful barrier existing today within many Christian denominations and faith communities (including my own) centers around the inclusion of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and trans-gendered persons of faith. The barriers range from the issue of ordination and vocational call to whether a GLBT person can serve as an elder, deacon, or even be welcomed to sit in the pew each Sunday and worship without fear of persecution or being ostracized.

I am very clear where I stand on this issue. Jesus’ example breaks down all of the barriers we have created out of our various “rules” and traditions. I believe deep down and with every ounce of faith and love I possess in my being that just as God and Jesus have welcomed and embraced the GLBT community, so should I and so should the Church in all aspects of life.

I realize this is a very complex issue. It is complex, but it is not complicated.

In my congregation we have on our marquee the statement, “All are Welcome Here.” In my mind, that is a bold theological statement which reflects the Kingdom of God. How we have historically applied that statement would probably raise some eyebrows, cause cynical chuckles, and even induce anger.

As a part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) we, of course, celebrate the Lord’s Supper every week as a part of our worship service. It is an open table, we say. This means [to ME] that ALL people are welcomed to join us in this act of remembrance and receiving of God’s grace.

Sometimes when our Elders offer the invitation to the table, you will hear it stated, “Anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is welcomed to the table.”

Fifty years ago that was a bold and inclusive statement when some denominations and churches would not allow you to receive communion were you a part of a different Christian faith tradition or even congregation. Today, as one of my church members recently pointed out, this statement creates a huge barrier in front of the table, keeping some from joining us in the Great Feast. For some Elders it is a matter of repeating something they heard growing up without really giving it much thought; for others it is an intentional theological statement and barrier.

My oldest son is 7 years old and every week he joins me in worship, he comes forward and takes communion from me. He has never made his “profession of faith” and he has not yet entered into the waters of baptism, yet I know he is welcomed at the table by God.

To some his act of taking communion is an offense. To me it is the Kingdom of God revealed in a small child – it is a barrier to faith and church being broken down.

I love the Church and I have great hope for the Church, but I love God more. The Church is killing itself by creating barriers and it pains me deeply. I pray we will one day find the courage and a way to break down these barriers we have created. They are not of God, but rather of our own arrogance and ignorance.

In Mark 1:40-45 (this week’s Gospel reading in the Lectionary) a leper comes to Jesus and asks not to be healed, but rather to be made clean. By asking to be cleansed, the leper is asking for more than his physical health.

Jesus, responds according to Mark, with “pity.” It seems some translations of the Greek suggest the word “pity” should actually be “anger” … Jesus responded to the request of the leper with ANGER.

Was he angry at the leper? I think not. I think he was angry at the culture and the system which forced the leper to ask Jesus to be made clean. He was angry because someone was forced to ask to be treated with dignity and respect.

The leper was asking to regain his dignity and to be recognized as a person of worth and value within the community.

I do not think that is too much for anyone to ask, do you?