A New Church School Year -- The First and most important lesson

Matthew 18:15-17

[Jesus said]: 'If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanor, the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector.'

We've planned...we've prayed...we've dreamed...we've talked...we've listened...we've prepared...and now this Sunday, Rally Day...we begin a new CRLC Church School Year....
a new year for Christian Education and Faith Formation for all ages....for all of God's Children of any generation...any level of education and experience.

We have so much to learn about what God would have us know. So much about the church, so much about Jesus...so much about ourselves...so much about each other!

Many, many, things will go right (wonderfully right) during the upcoming year. Yet we would be unrealistic to ignore the very real possibility that there will be waves on the water...bumps on the road...wrinkles in the fabric. Whatever image speaks to you, it boils down to one reality: As long as we are people gathering together, working together and trying to collaborate with a variety of efforts, the possibility will always be there for somebody to offend or to be offended. That is the simple truth about human beings. We can't possibly please everybody all of the time...we can't possibly accurately meet everybody's needs or desires.....and Jesus' words in this week's gospel lesson are right there in front of our noses telling us how to proceed when we hit a bump!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if each of us began the year promising to listen lovingly and caringly to anybody of any age who says to us....I don't fully understand what just happened (especially when that lack of understanding feels like "hurt" ). The love of Christ that meanders through our community invites us to start with that one to one conversation about bumps and bruises...confusion...knitted brows. When we address all of that one to one, the ripple of emotion won't become a tidal wave!

Jesus simply will not let us off the hook, either.... even if we go through the prescribed process and meet directly, with two others or with the entire community for conversation about an offense, the final action is to treat the offender like a gentile or a tax collector.

Hmmmmmmm..... how did Jesus treat gentiles or tax collectors? He pursued them with love and hope.... he invited them to eat with him, drink with him, serve as his followers......

Hmmmmm..... this is be about truthful, and unconditional love....abiding forgiveness.... an attitude that characterizes and guides relationships whether they are one to one relationships or community relationships. It doesn't mean that we ignore or bury offenses or wounds....it means that we face misunderstandings, confusion, even "wrongs" directly...with Christ at our center and at our side.

Living and working with a community of dynamic, varied, and changing personalities is not always "easy".... But the church is not meant to be "easy" -- it is meant to be faithful and hopful, yearning for peace, justice, truth and love for ALL.

Christ at our center calls us very specifically to this clear course of action. What a difference that makes....doesn't it? That is the first lesson of this school year....