Philoxenia
September 9, 2012
23 Sunday of Ordinary Time
Recovenanting Sunday
University Congregational Church
United Church of Christ
Rev. Amy M. Carter
Hello all, here's the lastest sermon from Rev. Amy Carter. We will try and post sermons on this blog.
Last weekend I officiated a wedding at Snow Bowl ski area. I was called into doing this wedding at the last minute because the officiant they had originally asked to preside at the wedding backed out. So I had only met the couple once; a lovely couple, really down to earth and beautiful people. The challenge for me, as a minister, never comes during the wedding ceremony; it always comes during the reception. As is true in most cases, couples are always very appreciative and I always get an invitation to the wedding reception. The reality though is that because most of the weddings I do are for couples that are not part of this church, the only people I know at the reception are the bride and groom. This was true this past weekend, and I hardly knew them at all.
So it is always a painfully awkward situation for me, especially since I am an introvert. I try hard to mingle with the other guests. Putting myself out there, asking other guests lots of other questions. But most of these people have been friends for a long time, and so I often feel like I am inserting myself into a situation where I don’t really belong. What also happens is that when people know you are a minister, they will either avoid you or they will begin to confess all their sins to you. And you end up hearing things that you really didn’t want to hear from someone you don’t even know at a party where everyone is supposed to be having a good time. Often too, when the small talk runs out, there is this awkwardness about it all, and I am beginning to think, how can I leave this reception with some measure of grace, how long is a long enough time to stay at this reception, when is it polite to leave? How does one make a graceful exit?
Last week, as the guests were all sitting down to eat, and as I filled my plate at the buffet table, a man came up to me and said, my wife and I would love it if you joined us at our table. It was a welcome life raft in a sea of awkwardness. The conversation was pleasant, fun, and interesting. And once again, I was a recipient of gracious hospitality. We’ve all been in situations like that, where we have been the recipient of great hospitality. And we have been in situations too where we have felt excluded, unwanted, uncared for. And that’s what I would like you to tap into today. Open your memory banks and think of the people or situations where you have been extended radical and gracious welcome. How did that feel, Think too of the times when that has not been the case.
I want you to think about this because today’s scripture is a bad example of extravagant welcome. And some people find this a difficult story to read exactly because of that. In this gospel reading Jesus acts like a jerk. Jesus is caught with his compassion down. Jesus has spent a lot of time among the Hebrew people, and decides to get away for a little while and goes into the region of Tyre. Maybe he wants a bit of a retreat. He goes into a house and doesn’t want anyone to know he is there, or who he is.
But word has spread before him and he is accosted by this Gentile woman, of Syrophoenician origins. Her daughter is ill, and she has heard of how Jesus heals people, and so she begs him to heal her daughter. Now this woman has broken all kinds of relationship codes. She has crossed the boundaries of what is done in polite company. As a woman, she is not supposed to approach a man. As a Syrophoenician, she is not supposed to approach a Jew. She has entered into a house that is not her own, and disturbed Jesus, when he wanted to be alone. This woman is bold, and demanding. And Jesus treats her horribly by calling her a dog. Claiming his ministry is only to the Jews, and not to Gentile dogs like her.
“Stand in line and take your turn, Jesus says to her. The children get fed first; if there’s any leftover then the dogs will get it.”
She is cunning, smart and quick with a comeback. Saying “Of course, Master, But even the dogs under the table get the scraps dropped by the children.”
With her quick wit, her quick come back, Jesus changes his mind. And heals her daughter. Something happened in that moment, in that conversation to Jesus. And this conversation changes the entire course of Jesus’ ministry. Through this woman, Jesus who once thought his ministry was only to the Jewish people begins expanding his ministry. He sets out next into the region of Sidon, and heals a deaf man. And from there he feeds four thousand people in the region of Sidon. The ministry of Jesus continues to expand.
If you read the gospel of Mark carefully, you will notice that there are two feedings of masses of people. First the feeding of the 5,000, and then the feeding of the 4,000. On first reading we might just think that it was important to Jesus to feed lots of people – to make sure that no one went hungry. And that is true.
But on a more careful reading, we now begin to understand that the first feeding of the 5,000 was a feeding of 5,000 Jews. The second takes place in Gentile territory and marks the beginning of an expanded ministry, an expanded understanding of who is included in God’s realm. Jesus began his ministry to the Jews, and then extended it to the Gentiles and the pivotal point of that radical hospitality came through this conversation with this nameless Syrophoenician woman.
From here we begin to understand that the realm of God, the love of God, the grace of God is always expanding and it is ever inclusive.
This is the wondrous belief that we hold dear in this congregation. That God’s love is an inclusive love, that God’s joy extends to all, that God’s community is one of radical welcome. We hold that belief dear. But faith is not only about belief. It is about how we live out that belief. Like the Epistle of James admonishes us by saying “Faith by itself, it if has no works, is dead.”
In steps the radical and amazing notion of hospitality. Hospitality was a crucial practice among the early Christians, and it is a practice that can always be lived out. Ana Maria Pineda Catholic nun and professor Santa Clara University, claims that hospitality – extending it and receiving it, is participating in the redemptive practice of God.
Think of a time when you felt wonderfully welcomed. Think too of a time when you felt excluded. These are the experiences that are central to our faith and root us in our own calling toward hospitality.
This week as I was reading about the practice of hospitality, I came across this wonderful Greek word “Philoxenia.” We’ve all heard of the English word with the same root, xenophobia, which is a description of our fear of strangers, or fear of people who are different from ourselves. In our world’s history, and in our nations, we have many examples of xenophobia, and we all have our own individual stories of xenophobia too. The need to feel as if we belong at the expense of others feeling excluded is a strong impulse within us all.
Turn this word, xenophobia, around and make a little change, and you get the New Testament word for hospitality,”Philoxenia.” Philo – being one of the many Greek words used to describe “love.” Xenia means stranger, so philoxenia means love of stranger or the love of guest. I love this word. I think it is a great word. Ana Maria Pineda takes this word to a whole new level when she writes “Philoxenia can also mean love of the whole atmosphere of hospitality and the whole activity of guesting and hosting. Indeed, with a philoxenic circle of mutuality, unexpected transformations can occur.”
I loved this statement because it accurately described for me one of the most important things that we practices every week as we gather for worship. Our whole experience here is in creating a philoxenic circle of mutuality. We are here to be hospitable to each other, to open ourselves to the other people in this room, whether we know them or not. We are here to be hospitable to God, to invite God into this room, into our hearts, to practice being a host and a guest in God’s presence.
So, when James, our volunteer coordinator calls you or sends you an email asking you to be an usher, you can say “here’s my opportunity to practice philoxenia! “ It seems like such a small task, doesn’t it? To stand at the door and greet people – but it is one of the most important functions of a church – to welcome friends and strangers.
When you are called upon to host the Fireside café, making coffee and setting out treats for everyone to enjoy, you can say, here’s my opportunity to practice philoxenia!” When Sarah Hallgrimson asks you to teach or accompany our children in church school, you can say, “Here’s my opportunity to practice philoxenia!”
When you’re standing in the coffee hour and you see someone across the room, you don’t know, take a deep breath and think, “Here’s my opportunity to practice philoxenia!” And go and introduce yourself.
When the signup sheet to help out at the Poverello Center to feed the homeless comes up, sign up and think “here’s an opportunity to practice philoxenia!”
Or when you are invited to write a letter to your congressperson in regard to some environmental concern, you can think “here’s an opportunity to practice philoxenia!” And I say this in particular because I think our sense of being guests and being hosts extends not just to other human beings, but it extends to how we interact with other species on the planet and how we interact with the earth as a whole. Does my life show a practice of being hospitable to the earth?
There is always in inherent risk in practicing philoxenia. Sometimes we insult each other by asking a long time member who’s been part of the church for 50 years if they are new to the church. Once I went up to a woman to offer her condolences on the death of her sister, and she said, I think my sister’s ok, I just talked to her this morning, I have no idea what you are talking about. Or we hesitate in talking to someone because we have met them 10 times already, but we can’t remember their names.
It’s ok. Let’s give each other the room to be honest, the room to make mistakes, the room to practice this art of philoxenia. Let’s set out a blanket of forgiveness right now for all the blunders and all the feet we are going to put into our mouths as we practice philoxenia. But let’s practice this! Philoxenia is one of the most important gifts we can offer each other and everyone who walks into our doors. Wal-Mart even knows how important this practice is! That’s why they have greeters at the door! Surely we can do better than Wal-Mart!
It is a hope of mine, that this church which prides itself on being a place of extravagant welcome would practice philoxenia in so many ways- that there be this atmosphere of hospitality in all of our hosting of each other, that the practice of philoxenia becomes a strong part of our identity.
As you practice philoxenia here in these small ways it will begin to seep into your life. Philoxenia will become a part of your day, as you interact with that co-worker who just drives you nuts, as you drive around the city with annoying drivers. Philoxenia will begin to inform your interactions with your annoying in-laws, or your out of touch parents. Philoxenia can become part of the fabric of being with your enemies and with those who despise you.
Today is recovenanting Sunday. This is the Sunday we welcome each other back to church after the long days of summer. But more than that, this is the day when we look each other in the eye, and make claim to each other. This is the day when we make covenant with each other and with God, to tie our journey of faith with this group of people, in the context of this community. So take a moment to look around you. There are people in this room you may know well, and there are people in this room you hardly know at all. Through this covenant, you are being given an opportunity to practice the wondrous art of philoxenia, to welcome a stranger and to welcome a friend, and through that act, to welcome God into our midst. May God bless us in this endeavor. Amen.
