MONDAY, May 17

Ephesians 3:1-13. The Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

What dynamite this verse contained for the early church. For Judaism, the Gentile was the outsider. The Christian church, says Paul, is for everyone who needs it and wants it.

How is the church necessary as a way of making Christ known? Why can't we demonstrate the trans-forming power of Christ in human relations within our families, our communities, our nation? Because in the church Christ demonstrates the radical inclusiveness of his purpose. He wants all people to come into fellowship through him. A family is tied together by blood, a community by common responsibilities and interests, a nation by similar political outlooks and physical territory. What holds the church together? Only Christ. We open the doors of the church and anyone can come in who wants to--no entrance tests, no subscription fee, no claim to superior morality or spirituality. In just such a strange and motley group of people Christ proves his real power to create fellowship. That is why the church is his Body as no other society can be. (1959)

PRAY for the Diocese of Connecticut (Province I, USA)

Ps 89:1-18 * 89:19-52; Joshua 1:1-9; Matthew 8:5-17

View the daily Lectionary Readings at Satucket.com.
Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com.

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Motley Crew

May 17, 2010 at 8:45 am

Written by Stephen,

This 1959 meditation sounds as fresh to me today. Of the many traditions of our Episcolopian Church (a mutation I heard from a Southern Californian Priest), is the tradition of inclusion. Jesus was radical in this love. I, like many hear all kinds of swipes at other churches and religious groups including our own. I always appreciate it when I go to another church denominations service and I hear words of inclusion. Likewise I don't appreciate when I hear uneducated swipes at my own or other church persuasions. I believe the only thing unacceptable is religious and any other kind of prejudice. As far as heaven, only God knows who's in or who's out. I know for certain there are at least parts of my character that won't make it. Sometimes I look at people my own age and see them as fellow children much like the ones I played with at recess. Maybe that is God speaking.

...

May 17, 2010 at 8:52 am

Written by Steve Doutt,

Stephen. Thank you. I'm proud of our language of inclusion; but, I still see, throughout Christianity, something that I will call "conditional inclusion. "

It goes something like this, "Everyone is welcome....to change and be like me. "

Administrator

May 17, 2010 at 9:33 am

Written by Marco of San Francisco,

Steve, you are correct. There is an Episcopal Church here in San Francisco that
recently told a member to leave and not return for two years. If the member sets
foot on the church property the police will be called and they will be arrested. This
senior, who is a care giver, is accused of misuse of funds of another senior member of the church. This church always brags in the media of how "inclusive" their church is...
"inclusive if you change and be like me", just as Steve said. May God forgive this priest, vestry and members of this parish. They truly know what they did.

Inclusion

May 17, 2010 at 12:19 pm

Written by Jean Erwin,

I don't think God will ask us whether we're Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Baptists or any other religion. I believe he will ask us: "Do you love Me?"

...

May 17, 2010 at 8:49 pm

Written by CDL,

I read Marco's comment, and as a person who had a family member suffer financial abuse from a "trusted" advisor, I can understand the church's anger. But wouldn't it have been better for them to let the police handle the criminal portion of this incident? Perhaps it wasn't provable, and if this member was likely to prey on other vulnerable/senior members of the church, what should the church have done with this predator?

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