Inclusive Church

Gospel
Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

St Martin Sermon

The disciples said “we saw a man who is not one of us”

Jesus said “anyone not against us is for us”

Are we an exclusive or an inclusive church?

You often see printed on church notices the words ‘All Welcome’ but that is not how everyone experiences church when they do turn up.

Today’s ‘Back to Church’ Sunday is an attempt to let everyone know we are sorry if we often appear an exclusive and not an inclusive church. This week Bishop Stephen Cotterill, commending the day, said “we need to be less a M&S and more a Tesco kind of church”. We need to let it be known that irrespective of age, sex, class or race all are welcome whether as doubters, enquirers, partially or fully committed. We want all to feel welcome not just to boost numbers and income but because the church wants to faithfully represent the all inclusive love of God our heavenly Father, in the name of his son Jesus, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

As an Anglican priest in the 18^th century John Wesley found the gospel too restricted in his day by the state of the established church and so he became a field preacher taking the gospel to where the multitudes lived and worked. They wanted all to know that the gospel was not simply for middle and upper class conformists. It was for working class non conformists too. William and Mary Booth had the same call out of the Wesleys Methodism just a century later when they established the Salvation Army with its slogan ‘go for sinners and go for the worst’ Wesley said the gospel was for all because all have sinned, all need to be saved, Jesus died for all, all may be sanctified, and all are called to serve.

Today’s gospel goes on to warn those of us in the church of the dangers to our own souls of become any kind of obstacle those outside or ‘little ones in the faith.

Some years ago a craze swept Australia for what became known as ‘Come as you are’ parties. Guests were instructed not to dress up or bring presents but simply come to the part as the invitation found them when they received it. The film version of the musical ‘Godspell’ begins with a contemporary Jesus calling his disciples just as they are as garage mechanic or ballet dancer or whatever. However, towards the end of today’s gospel, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that though we are invited to join him just as we are he is inviting us to a life changing friendship. He wants us to deal ruthlessly with any cause of sin in our lives. Whatever change is required by gospel standards we are to be ready to make in order to enter the kingdom. If you think of those first disciples Jesus called to share his life and mission with him you will soon see they didn’t end up how they began. Sinners were transformed into Saints and this is the journey he invites you and me to join too when he says, and the church at its best echoes:

“Come in, everyone’s welcome”.