8-15-21 “Open Mind and Open Door”
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1 Corinthians 12:12-27
“Open Mind and Open Door”
I want to start with a funny story. I heard about this old nun who was living in a convent next to a construction site. She noticed the coarse language the workers used and decided to spend some time with them to correct their ways. She decided she would take her lunch, sit with the workers and talk with them. She put her sandwich in a brown bag and walked over to the spot where the men were eating. Sporting a big smile, she walked up to the group and asked, “Do you men know Jesus Christ?” They shook their heads and looked at each other, somewhat confused. Then one of the workers looked up into the steelworks and yelled out, “Is anybody up there who knows Jesus Christ?” One of the steelworkers yelled down, “Why?” The worker yelled back, “Cause his wife’s here with his lunch.”
As I mentioned last Sunday, I want to talk about “United Methodism” throughout the month of August. Today, for the second time, I want to say that “United Methodists are the people of inclusive mindset.” The inclusive mind, in other words, means “open hearts, open minds, and open doors.” Do you think that you are people of an inclusive mindset?
When I attended a Sunday service for the first time, it was a communion Sunday. Even though I followed my mother to the church, I felt I was a stranger. I didn’t know about any Christian rite, any hymn, and I didn’t even know when I should stand or sit. When communion time came, the pastor invited people to go to the front of the altar to receive a piece of bread and a cup of wine. However, I was excluded because I was not baptized yet. I felt that they invited me to a party and didn’t allow me to eat any food. It seemed to me I wasn’t welcome. Two years later, I was baptized and became a seminarian. My father converted to become a Christian. All my family members went to church together. When it came time for communion, my father was excluded because he was not yet baptized. I felt sorry for my father because I remembered what it felt like when I experienced the same situation. I said to my father, “I’m sorry, daddy, you cannot receive the communion.” My father said, “It’s fine because I drank wine a lot before I became a Christian.”
The good thing about United Methodists is “inclusiveness” and “openness.” United Methodists welcome everyone to the communion table regardless of age, gender, ethnicities, social and cultural backgrounds, even whether someone has been baptized or not, whether they are church members or guests. United Methodists believe that the communion table belongs to the Lord, not to the individual church. When we share a piece of bread and a cup of the wine during communion it means that we share Jesus’ love and grace. Therefore, an open communion table means a lot. Sharing the bread and the wine during communion symbolizes that we share one body in Christ, which means we are a family in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, it is a rite to confess that we are equal before God. God loves everyone and embraces everyone who comes to Him. To break a loaf of bread symbolizes Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins, and to receive the bread and wine symbolizes the forgiveness of our sins. We encourage people to come and join communion to remember how Jesus loved us through his ministry, death, and resurrection and to recall that we are sinners who are forgiven. Coming to the front by ourselves to receive the bread and the wine is a rite to express our willingness to come to God. What the wonderful gift from the United Methodists!
United Methodists believe that we belong to the global and diverse living body of Jesus Christ. All Christians, regardless of denominations, are parts of the body of Christ, which means we are one family in Jesus Christ because we believe in one God, are baptized by the name of the father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and are saved by the same God’s grace. Each United Methodist follower of Jesus is one with other United Methodists and also one with followers of Jesus of every age and land.
Some of you might have experienced other denominational churches. Perhaps, those experiences nurtured you with diverse beliefs and worship styles. United Methodists more clearly belong to the Protestant family of communions. A number of Protestant denominations, including the Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Presbyterians, share our belief in two sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, salvation by grace through faith, and Scripture as our final authority while the Roman Catholics differ from us in that it has seven sacraments, and the pope in Rome is the final authority (p.36., Living as United Methodist Christians). Of course, there are differences among the Protestant Churches. For example, Baptists, who come out of a European reform movement, emphasize adult baptism by immersion and the independence of local congregations. Episcopal congregations, out of the Church of England’s Anglican faith (which John Wesley belonged to), have a strong loyalty to their Book of Common Prayer and hire their own pastors, while bishops appoint our pastors. Lutherans, who follow the traditions of the German reformer Martin Luther, focus on salvation by faith and permit local congregations to call their own pastors. Pentecostals share Wesley’s enthusiasm for the work of the Holy Spirit, but unlike United Methodists, they emphasize practicing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues in worship. Finally, Presbyterians, who trace their roots to John Calvin, are governed by lay boards and emphasize God’s sovereign plan for all of creation. In spite of differences, United Methodists celebrate our connections with these differing Protestant groups (p. 37, Living as United Methodist Christians).
A variety of Christian traditions are found within our own congregation. We are a theologically diverse denomination. Perhaps, some of you are suffering because of the people who feel exclusive. Some of you feel hurt looking at people who left the church because they have different opinions. Some of you don’t feel good because you couldn’t support them. I do too. A month ago, I received a text. It said, “Until all are openly welcome in all ways, I do not feel welcome either.” It came to me with a heavy burden. I’m still praying for this person. However, remember that nowhere all are openly welcome in all ways unless we open our hearts, minds, and doors. I told you that United Methodists welcome everyone. But, I wonder if you do as well. I wonder if you are open your hearts, minds, and doors to everyone without any bias. Please try to put on the other’s shoes, as if your brother or sister has the issue that bothers you to accept, or if your daughter or son is in the same situation you cannot welcome. Throughout human history, there were exclusive or marginalized people socially, politically, and economically. However, Jesus came to the world to be friends with them. Jesus is a friend of us as well as of them. Jesus died for them as well as for us.
I encourage you to read today’s scripture carefully. One body doesn’t have the same parts. One body has diverse parts such as eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, and legs. There are no useless parts among many parts of the body. God creates all things, and human beings. “There are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”(Vs. 20-21) “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (Vs. 26-27). Thanks be to God. Amen!