On Being the Kingdom

Some of you know that I met with Bishop Susan Goff of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia on Thursday.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the future of Graves Chapel. Our council hopes that we can continue as a place of worship with the blessing and support of the Diocese.  Knowing that bishops are very wise, I expected the meeting to be a challenge, and it was indeed. While being supportive and encouraging of our mission, Bishop Goff asked me several probing and meaningful questions.  The most important one was this: "Do the folks at Graves Chapel want to HAVE a church or BE a church?"  It is up to us to ponder what those words mean--and in which direction we are heading.

            In Jesus's words to the Pharisees in today's lesson from Matthew, I believe we have an answer to what it means to BE a church.  These words of Jesus have come to be called "the Great Commandment," and what he says is straightforward. "`You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

If what we do doesn’t look like LOVE for God and for our neighbor, then we are not being a church.  Members of the Alcoholics Anonymous group, or AA, say that theirs is a simple program for complicated people. When we consider the words of the Great Commandment, the same can be said of Christianity.  Our faith is simple enough for a child to understand, but often we grownups make it complicated. I am as guilty of that as anyone.  If I put my energy behind my own personal agenda and neglect God and the people around me, the only love I'm demonstrating is love for myself. A little humility is called for!  Bishop Goff asked me a question that impelled me to think about how much of a role my own self-interest may have played in my ministry here at the chapel. I know my ego has gotten in the way at times, but by the grace of God, this community of faith has grown in love in spite of my failures.

            What is happening here among us at the chapel? Are we being Christ-like in our treatment of one another? Is our love for God apparent? In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul describes the kind of behavior we ought to emulate: As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Humble. Gentle. Tender. Dear. These words describe Paul’s love for his fellow Christians.  May they describe ours as well.  

            So, do we have a church here, or will we BE a church?  That was the bishop’s question. At the Graves Chapel council’s first meeting, we adopted a motto and a mission statement.  Let me share those with you now. Our motto is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah:

"All who keep the sabbath and hold fast my covenant,

these will I bring to my holy mountain

and make them joyful in my house of prayer.

For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people."

Our mission statement reflects the sentiment of the motto and expresses our hope that everyone will feel welcome here. The mission of Graves Chapel is to serve as a welcoming place of worship for all and as a community center for the Graves Mill area.

Yes, this is an Episcopal mission.  But if you are open to the love of Christ and willing to pray with us, we are delighted to have you here. Our council is made up of people from a variety of denominations: Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, and, yes, Episcopalian. I believe our willingness to set aside any differences that might separate us is a true demonstration of Christ-like love. Christ comes first here.

            The second half of our mission statement has to do with what the chapel means to Graves Mill.  This chapel is indeed a community center. Since the flood, it is the only place where the community can gather. In a rural area, where many of us cannot even see the houses of our nearest neighbors, having somewhere to come together is really important.  My memories of this chapel from my own childhood are of families and neighbors praying and sharing meals together. Thank God such community fellowship still happens today under this roof. Yes, we do HAVE a chapel, and keeping its doors open is important to us. The question really is what will we do with it?

            As we ponder our purpose here, Bishop Goff also asked me to put before you another question. What mission is needed in this local area that only we can accomplish in the name of and for the sake of Christ?  Before we meet again, consider this question. I welcome any suggestions you have for defining our mission.

What is a community?  My dictionary says “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”  A community is not necessarily geographic. Some of us have driven to Graves Chapel from outside this beautiful valley. In Christian terms, we are in communion with one another simply because we choose to worship together. We create a community in this chapel. Love opens the doors! Let us BE the church we are meant to be.                     Amen.