A Crowded Table - Sermon Transcript
A sermon preached by Rev. Anna Bundy Hagler at First UMC, Dallas on June 30, 2024
A couple of years ago, my spiritual director and I were working something out when they asked me to participate in an exercise. Now, some of you know me very well, and some of you do not, but I can promise you that I am not into theoretical exercises. They seem like a waste of time. But something told me I should keep my mouth shut and let the spiritual director do what I pay them to do: direct me. Remembering not to roll my eyes, I agree that I will be up for an exercise. So they invited me to close my eyes. Famous last words, you know. “Picture a house,” they said, and the first thing I picture is a classic white two-story farmhouse with a wraparound porch that sits on a few acres of land. I can picture it today because it's the house I've envied for years. We passed it every year on the way to the annual family beach trip. “Walk in the door and think about what's inside,” my spiritual director guided me. While I'm not usually a fan of playing pretend scenarios, I was very comfortable pretending I owned this house. So, I settled in a little bit to the exercise. In my mind, I walk up to the door, turn the knob, and look inside, and I see an open floor plan, a huge kitchen for hosting, and a dinner table bigger than anything I could picture in real life.
“Who's inside?” they asked. Well, everyone. Like, literally everyone: friends I've made in Dallas, friends from home in North Carolina, people who raised me in my home church, great grandparents who have already passed away, family members, and so many more. There were so many people in this dream that it should have felt crowded or claustrophobic, but it didn't. Everyone was there comfortably. “What's the main object in front of you?” The dining room table was the only piece of furniture in the room, and it was beautifully set: perfect name cards, cloth napkins, and flower arrangements - the works - and everyone had a seat at the table, everyone. Everyone I know and love or loved was at a crowded table. As a gal from the South who loves a dinner party and hosting a crowded table, it was a literal dream.
I'm going to tell y'all a secret, but I don't want it to leave this space, so I'm trusting you. Here it is: I'm weirdly obsessed with Southern hospitality, and not in a cute way. When I was a 22-year-old, I tied Southern hospitality to the task at hand for any college project. So I was 22 and hosting workshops on how to be a good dinner party host, be a good dinner party attendee, and set a table. That's weird, right? What 22-year-old is telling other 22-year-olds how to set a table? Just me. Years later, I have calmed down on shoving hospitality onto people, and I'm happy to report that I have not hosted a workshop in a long time, but I'm open for business if you'd like to call me. I haven't talked to a crowd about hospitality in a long time, so consider yourselves lucky.
Of course, we're wrapping up this “Sacred Glow” series, reminding ourselves that we, too, have innate characteristics of God to share with the world, and I'm thrilled that we're talking about hospitality. I want us to be intentional with our hospitality. I love a crowded table more than anybody I know. But also, hospitality is much more than just offering seats at a table or setting it, like how hosting a dinner party is more than just setting the table and sending invitations. You can ask my husband, Kyler, about that one. And we're in luck. Our scripture today is going to guide us in intentional hospitality.
Romans 14:13-22, 15:2-7 (NRSVUE)
Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother or sister. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who considers it unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be slandered. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong to make someone stumble by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. Hold the conviction that you have as your own before God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves because of what they approve.
Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor. For Christ did not please himself, but, as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
These scripture verses feel like those signs you might see in Hobby Lobby or, in my case, my mother's house. I'm sorry, Mom; I know you're watching. I’m talking about those signs that tell you what you do as a family. The one in my mom's house says, “In this house, we do family. We make mistakes. We do hugs and kisses. We have fun. We are grateful.” It goes on and on. My brother and I pick on her all the time for it. It feels self-explanatory that we do all those things, but she really likes this sign. As I read this scripture, I think I could probably make a sign I would put up in my house.
If I wrote my own sign, it would say something like this: “In this house, we don't judge. We work for peace. We build each other up. We keep our opinions to ourselves and make others feel welcome.” Sometimes, with scripture, we have to study the parable repeatedly to figure out what Christ is saying, or we have to do some deep exegetical work to figure out the context in which it was written. However, these verses are simple, practical applications of how Christ's love in us can heal us and unify us as Christians, and there's nothing I love more than concrete, easy-to-apply examples.
Right now, these points feel controversial. We live in a world where anyone can type on a keyboard anytime. Whether in an email, a Facebook post, a tweet, or a text message, you can type whatever you want and send it off instantly. We build friendships and affinity groups off of judging other people. We rarely keep our opinions to ourselves. Unless we're ready to welcome someone, it is much easier to look down or look to somebody else we know to engage in a conversation to avoid it. I think our world could use a little bit more hospitality. And if our world could use it, then I think we as the church have to start being more intentional about incorporating it into our own lives. As we aim to embody this kind of hospitality, remember that our main goal is to reflect Christ's love. When we welcome others as Christ welcomed us, we show the world the transformative love and power of God's grace. Our actions can bring people together. They can heal wounds we didn't know that they could. We can build a community that reflects the inclusive, loving nature of the kingdom of God.
So, how do we make this real in our everyday lives? Well, if you're a note-taker, I have five points. The first one is to listen more and judge less. This is an active thing we have to do. It's in our nature to want to form an opinion based on what somebody is doing or thinking, but let's try to listen to others without jumping to conclusions. We can foster respect and understanding. Let's promote peace and reconciliation. Let's look for ways to be a peacekeeper. Instead of pretending that it's not our business, sometimes it is. Sometimes, it's ours to remember what brings us together to resolve conflicts. Let's encourage and support each other. Find ways to lift people up. Offer words of encouragement. Lend a hand and be there for those that need it.
This will be my hardest one this week: keep my opinions in perspective. Remember that not every opinion needs to be voiced, especially if it might cause division or hurt. Let's focus on what brings us together instead of separating us. Then, let's create welcoming spaces. Whether in your home, workplace, or church, let's strive to make all people feel welcome and included through small gestures of kindness and hospitality that can make a difference. By living out these principles from Romans, we can create a community where everyone is welcomed and valued. This is what intentional hospitality is all about: a hospitality that mirrors God's boundless love and grace. I believe that our table will become increasingly crowded if we apply these.
We've talked about tables a lot here at FirstChurch. If you remember, we had the turquoise tables outside where we encouraged people to come and have conversations. We've branded stewardship campaigns around a table saying that you - member, friend, or guest - have a seat at this table. But these days, First Church, we are a growing community. Our children's programming is booming. Our youth program has doubled in size. Young adults are flocking to our community. Our online community is tripling. We are welcoming new members and baptizing babies almost all the time. Y'all, we've already sent the invitations and set the table. Now, it's our turn to be intentional about our hospitality when new friends and guests show up.
It's a different time in the life of our church, and it's a different time in the life of the church universally. I deeply believe there is a lot of good for us here at the corner of Ross and Harwood to offer to the world, which means that new opportunities will present themselves. If you don't know me well, I'm the Associate Minister of Communications and Community, and recently, my team, with the help of the archives, decided to post the 1950s nationally televised show, “The Pastor Calls,” on YouTube. The show was hosted by FirstChurch's own senior minister at the time, Dr. Bob Goodrich, who was dedicated to spreading the gospel through modern mediums (at the time, national TV) and answering people's real-life questions.
So, when we opened the vault, I wondered, “What's the equivalent of ‘The Pastor Calls’ today?” Because you already set the table and sent the invitations, which means that you've already been welcoming and encouraging, we created an online community for people who want an affirming and progressive church, connecting them to Jesus in a fun and weird way. Pastor Roy and I host the community we call Studio 3A. We dream that this adventure we're on helps to make FirstChurch's table even more crowded. I feel this way about the podcasts we produce and other projects my team is working on. How can we make FirstChurch the party of all parties to attend - the church of all churches? I know this because some of you watch it and have been very kind to me. You must apply some of our practical steps as you watch Studio 3A. We would never do most of what we do online in this particular worship service in this sanctuary. Unless you invite us, Roy and I will not sit on this dais in our casual clothes on a Sunday, testing and eating different snacks and drinks in front of you and telling you our opinions. I don't think that's your vibe. But that's the beauty of it, right? Different spaces are for different expressions of our faith. Here, we gather at 11 a.m. for worship. We enjoy incredible music from our Chancel Choir and other musicians and dive into scripture together. Online, we create community, laugh, and explore new ways to connect to God and each other.
I think that there's more out there for us to explore. So, as we move forward, let's carry that spirit of hospitality with us. Let's continue to create spaces where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and loved. Let's be the kind of community that reflects Christ's inclusive, transformative love in everything we do. Whether setting a literal table or opening up a virtual space, let's be intentional about our hospitality, ensuring there's always room for one more. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.