Those who are on the edge of our churches

Here's the sermon that I had originally planned to preach this morning at St Andrew’s Wickford:

“I’m not religious.” I wonder how many people you’ve encountered locally who use that phrase when they come into this building or learn that you go to church. It’s a phrase that I’ve heard quite frequently as I’ve been out and about locally getting to know the communities of Wickford and Runwell and those who are linked to our church communities.

Those that we encounter who use that phrase, “I’m not religious,” are among those who are on the edge of our churches. They might come to one of the groups that use our facilities or be a friend of someone who does come to our services, maybe your friend, or may just be someone in the wider community who is well disposed towards the church, but doesn’t actually attend regularly.

Jesus spent time – considerable time – with those on the edge. We learn at the beginning of today’s Gospel passage (Luke 15.1-10) that he was criticised by the Pharisees and the scribes – the religious leaders of his day, those who were at the centre of the religious community – for welcoming and eating with tax collectors and sinners.

Notice that phrase that is used about this, “the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.” That means they weren’t near originally – they were on the edge – but they were coming near because they wanted to hear what Jesus had to say.

The tax collectors and sinners were those who were excluded from either the life of the community or the worship life in Israel in Jesus’ day. The tax collectors were collaborators with the hated Roman invaders and often exploited the people in order to make money for themselves, while those labelled here as ‘the sinners’ were a mixed group of people excluded from worship either because of behaviour that was considered immoral, such as prostitution, or because of disease, that because it couldn’t be cured and might be contagious, was considered a threat to the community.

That’s the context for the two parables of Jesus that we’re thinking about this morning – the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin. As we’ve just thought, it’s a context that is relevant to us, as we think about those who are on the edge of church in Wickford and Runwell.

Jesus was criticised by the religious leaders of his day for drawing those on the edge to him but, in response, he told a story about leaving those at the centre to go to the edge. In the story of the lost sheep, the shepherd leaves the 99 sheep that are with him in order to seek out and find the one sheep that is on the edge and lost from the flock.

Jesus told several parables about sheep and shepherds and, in another of those parables, he tells us about the sheepfold. The sheepfold was the enclosure in which the sheep were gathered at night so they were all together and safe in one place. The shepherd would lie down across the entrance to the sheepfold and sleep there in order that his body acted as a gate preventing the sheep from leaving and preventing others from getting in. When the shepherd leaves the 99 behind in order to search for the lost sheep, the sheepfold is where he would have left the 99. So, it was not that they had been abandoned and were free to roam wherever they liked, but the shepherd in the story does care so much about the sheep that got lost that he is prepared to leave those at the centre in order to find the one that is on the edge.

The religious leaders were not prepared to do that and were even critical of Jesus for attracting those on the edge to the centre. By contrast, the parable tells us that God is concerned about all people everywhere – those already at the centre and those who are on the edge. That’s also what we see God doing himself, through Jesus. Jesus left the centre of the universe – being at the side of God the Father – in order to come to the edge by becoming human himself. He wasn’t content simply to become a human being, he was born into poverty, lived among ordinary people, went to those who were excluded, made himself the servant of others, and laid down his own life on the cross for the sake of every one of us.

That’s the example given to us by our Lord and Saviour and that’s the pattern of mission and ministry that he shares with us; all predicated on the basis of love for all people, especially those on the edge.

The stories don’t stop there, however, because Jesus also tells a story – the story of the lost coin – about something lost in a home. This is not a story about leaving the centre to go to the edge, this is a story about something being lost at the centre – in a home - and searching there until it is found. Those who are part of the community of faith and therefore at the centre of the church, inevitably have a wide range of different and sometimes challenging experiences. Many of us know something of that at present, having come through the pandemic only to now face a cost-of-living crisis. In such circumstances, some may find it difficult to maintain their church involvement and begin to drop off the radar. Jesus’ parables are encouraging us to notice such people too and to do all we can to support and encourage and maintain them in their faith and church commitment. These parables, then, are stories encouraging care for those on the edge and those at the centre, however those two spaces are defined.

In the Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry we are going to be trying several new initiatives through the Autumn that look to engage with those on the edge of our church communities. Unveiled is a Friday night arts and performance event aiming to connect with people who enjoy the arts but don’t necessarily want to come to church. Flyers are available at the back of church, please take some away with you to give the friends and family. Saturday Solace will provide 10-minute reflections on a Saturday morning for those who are shopping in Wickford Town Centre. People will be able to drop in any time between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon and be sure that a reflection will either be underway or just about to begin. Again, posters are up about this. Please do advertise it to others. Contemplative Commuters will be a group offering reflections to those commuting from Wickford Station during the week. The group will be given a reflection and prayer at the beginning of each week to use throughout the week and, hopefully, the opportunity to meet people from the church just outside the station once a week. We hope that group will begin shortly.

For those within our church community struggling at present for whatever reason we have a pastoral visitors group who, together with the clergy and LLMs, visit people in the congregation for prayer and often to take communion to them at home. We would love to know of anyone that would value receiving that ministry but, also, anyone that might be interested to join our group of pastoral visitors.

These are initiatives which are contemporary equivalents to the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. They are ways to connect more closely with those on the edge, whilst also offering care and support to those in our congregations and there at the centre. Please do support these initiatives and those involved in them in prayer, by your continued financial giving to the church which enables us to develop such initiatives, and by joining in with these initiatives if you are able. Do let me or any of our ministry team know if you would be interested in doing so.

Jesus came for all people everywhere – those on the edge as well as those at the centre. He has a special concern for those on the edge, being prepared to sacrifice himself in order to be with those there and rejoicing when those who have been lost are found. He calls us to have a similar care and to be involved in similar action. How will you respond to that call?

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The Innocence Mission - Christ Is My Hope.