Be the Church

Proverbs 22: 1-2, 8-9, 22-23; James 2: 1-10
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
September 6, 2015

My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please’, while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit at my feet’, have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. - James 2: 1-10


Most everyone knows the Golden Rule. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In other words, treat others the way you want to be treated. Many of us were taught this from a young age and it is a lesson that continues to be passed down. We try to share well (children and adults) and we give generously at special times of the year. It is what our faith teaches us to do.

The very beginning of James’ letter frames some overall wisdom for the church, “To be doers of the word and not merely hearers” (James 1:22). But as soon as we step into chapter 2 as we are today, it presses us into some uncomfortable places.

James enters into a conversation some are hesitant to talk about. It was not a favorite subject in James’ time, nor is it today. He sets up the socioeconomic categories of rich and poor. What James is getting at is the subject of privilege. Some may think of privilege like the saying of a person being born with a silver spoon in his or her mouth. But I like the way one of my colleagues in ministry describes privilege. He says it is the ability to choose the burdens we carry. That has stuck in my mind for quite a while. And I have to be honest with you about something. To think about our privilege – for me to think about my privilege – it is hard.

I have been struggling with my sense of privilege for the past 10 years. Yes, my family has been through difficult times. During my childhood my father worked three jobs so that our family’s needs were met. As an adult in the early years of marriage, Doug and I lived paycheck to paycheck. We learned what it meant to be on a shoestring budget. Those early lessons of becoming an adult stay with all of us and shape our work ethics. But I have more so struggled with my privilege since serving in ministry. Sometimes I catch myself taking the opportunities I have received for granted.

Coming alongside sisters and brothers in faith to serve at homeless shelters and food pantries is a humbling experience. And I am not just talking about the simple opportunities to serve food or bag groceries for neighbors in need. I am talking about meeting the people who are guests of the homeless shelter or receiving assistance at the pantry. Learning their names and inviting them to share their story.

About three years ago I walked into the church office on a Sunday morning. It was a cold January morning. A note had been left for the pastors of the church. The note revealed a man named Curtis was sleeping outside of the church, in a covered walkway. He asked permission to stay there a few nights for shelter. My colleague and I met Curtis. And soon a number of elders came together to help us work out a plan to assist Curtis in finding a temporary home and work. Curtis was a painter by trade and he was interested in finding odd jobs. His situation of homelessness was preventing him from finding opportunities.

One morning Curtis came to the church office and wanted to talk with me. Over the course of about 40 minutes, Curtis shared his life story with me and the hardships that led to his current situation of homelessness. He shared with me how nothing compared to knowing the ways that God provided for him daily. Curtis said even as God was working in his life, he was setting small goals to get back on his feet again. And then he said something that I could not stop thinking about. It was something so simple yet completely profound. He said he only wanted two things in his life: to know he was loved and to know he was respected.

At the core of being human, isn’t this the greatest need for every one of us? Isn’t the Golden Rule all about extending love and respect to others?

In so many ways, the Golden Rule that James implies means to recognize our privilege and the opportunities we have been afforded. What do you and I take for granted? How does our position in society regarding our work or education influence our decision making and compassion towards others? Do you and I have opportunities that move us towards an attitude of indifference to those in need? The subject of privilege does not merely intersect our faith ethics when we think about categories of rich and poor.

Privilege also intersects our faith ethics when we think about race relations and gender equality. The past year alone our country has been thinking a lot about race relations. The greater church universal is in deep reflection on ways to bring forth healing, love, and respect to honor our diversity. I am deeply reminded about the tragedy our sisters and brothers of Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC experienced. It has certainly weighed upon my heart these past months.

Privilege is a major conviction even the Apostle Paul takes in his letters, for if we do not humble ourselves like Jesus did then we compromise the integrity of the gospel. When we begin to center our Christian ethics from a place of humility it frees us to share with those who are just as broken as we are. To share our Christian love and respect for another person fulfills human needs on so many levels. But our sharing of Christian love and respect does more than fulfill human needs. It works towards fulfilling God’s need and desire to reconcile our brokenness to God’s wholeness. When we love our neighbor as ourselves we are actually sharing a glimpse of God’s coming kingdom which was first revealed in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s most genuine self-giving love. And just think of it; Jesus was privileged with the ultimate power of being the Son of God and claimed none of it as he was born into a family with meager provisions. Jesus recognized his privilege and laid it down to come alongside the poor in spirit, for they shall inherit the kingdom of God.

I am not sure how many of you have read the Book of Confessions. Some who grew up in the Presbyterian Church years ago remember not just learning the Golden Rule but memorizing catechisms as part of church lessons. The Book of Confessions is the first part of our Constitution. It is like a family photo album which shows pictures of what the greater church has believed through our shared history that dates back to the early church.

One of my favorite confessions is the Confession of 1967. The snap shot of the church was during a divisive time when our country was struggling with the Civil Rights movement and Women’s Rights. The church crafted words to encourage unity and reconciliation between nations, races, gender, and economic classes.

God has created the peoples of the earth to be one universal family. In his reconciling love, [God] overcomes the barriers between brothers [and sisters] and breaks down every form of discrimination based on racial or ethnic difference, real or imaginary. The church is called to bring all men (and women) to receive and uphold one another as persons in all relationships of life: in employment, housing, education, leisure, marriage, family, church, and the exercise of political rights….A church that is indifferent to poverty, or evades responsibility in economic affairs, or is open to one social class only, or expects gratitude for its beneficence makes a mockery of reconciliation and offers no acceptable worship to God. (Confession of 1967: 9.44, 9.46)

Those words remind me of James’ words this morning. They encourage us to be the church. We are called to experience the hope of the gospel. And that hope is the reconciliation that God is bringing about through Jesus Christ. While we see a lot of brokenness in the world, in the community, and even in our homes, we trust that God is mending our physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds. We trust that God is building bridges to restore personal and communal relationships that have been strained. We trust that God will help us to chip away the walls of indifference and help us see one another as a child of God who needs love and mutual respect.

For the first time our church is forming a mission committee. It will gather together Tuesday evening at 7pm. The task of this body will be to enter a time of discernment to prayerfully consider where God is leading us to put our faith into action. It is an exciting time to think about where the spiritual gifts of this church intersect the needs of our community and world.

Let’s be doers of the word. I pray that you and I will ask God to open our eyes to look for the gaps in the community. I pray that you and I might think about those among us who are longing to feel the restoration of our Christian love and respect…like my friend Curtis. I pray that we will work towards real ways – even small ways – to faithfully bring about reconciliation to those who need a hand up, to those who are oppressed by racial or economic tensions, to those who have been hurt by the church. I pray that you and I will ask for the courage to enter into the uncomfortable spaces that faith dares to take us so that we might be the church.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.