Several Years ago, Barbara and I visited one of our favorite American cities: New Orleans. The Big Easy is an incredible place. One night we ate in the famous Galatoire’s Restaurant. Like other elegant restaurants, Galatoire’s has a dress code. Men are required to wear a jacket.

We were seated at a table near the door and I noticed that one man came in without a jacket. No problem. The Maître d’ took a jacket off a coat rack for him to wear. There were several jackets kept there for that purpose.

Some of you are old enough to remember that years ago churches had an unwritten dress code. It was expected that men would wear suits and ties when they came to worship. Women were expected to wear dresses and even hats and white gloves. If someone came to church improperly dressed nothing may have been said but the strongly disapproving looks from church members gave a clear message: “If you can’t dress properly, then don’t come here to worship.” I hope most of you would agree with me that nothing important has been lost because we no longer have that unwritten dress code. Church really ought to be a “Come As You Wish” affair. Decent dress, yes; dress code, no.

Then I came to this strange parable, the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, our scripture lesson this morning. Some poor fellow shows up at a banquet without being properly dressed. I guess that would be like going to a formal dinner dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. A social faux pas certainly, but one that hardly justifies what happens to him. By order of the king he gets bound hand and foot and tossed out of the door into utter darkness. Why couldn’t one of the king’s servants have rummaged around in the palace and found him a wedding robe to wear? Shouldn’t the palace be as well-equipped as Galatoire’s?!

Besides, this poor fellow had just been dragged in off the streets. Because none of the expected guests would attend, the king’s servants went out in the streets and invited anyone they could find. “If you want to attend the wedding banquet in honor of the king's son, come in … now!” So he came as he was and the king throws him out. This seems very excessive and over-reactive to me. It certainly doesn’t seem much like Jesus who is telling this story, the one who never turned anyone away.

What’s going on here? What got into Jesus? Since this parable comes late in his ministry, perhaps, Jesus was frustrated and angry with people’s lack of response to what he was teaching. Somehow I don’t think so. So I checked out the context in which Jesus spoke. It was fascinating to me.

Before this parable, Jesus told the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. A landowner leases his farm to some tenants before he goes on a long trip. When he comes back and tries to collect his property, the tenants kill the messengers he sends to them and, in a final outrage, kill the landowner’s son. The wicked tenants are put to death.

Before this parable, Jesus told the Parable of the Two Sons. A father of two sons sends his eldest son into the family vineyard to work. The son says he will go but changes his mind and doesn’t show up for work. When the father asks his younger son to go work in the vineyard, he first refuses but changes his mind and goes to work after all.

To me, all these parables have a common theme: will we do the right thing when the king, the landowner, the father calls us. Fair enough. But what is the right thing? Let’s begin by understanding that any parable Jesus told about a father, a king, or a landowner is always about God. And a son in these stories, well, we know who he is, don’t we? And the rest of the people in these stories, the good, the bad, and the ugly, that’s us.

Let’s agree that God wants something from us in order to be part of God’s kingdom here on earth. Let me first say what I believe it is not. It is not about appearance – the outward self we show to others. God has no interest whatsoever in clothing. Why in the Genesis story God didn’t even give clothing to Adam and Eve! God is also not impressed by what we say we will do. God looks at our actions, not our words. God is also not impressed by the religious group to which we belong. The rehearsal hall is in here; the performance space is out there (in the world). What service does the church inspire?

I suspect most of you agree with what I have just said, but now I have to risk a bit more. God doesn’t care about our beliefs, however worthy or unworthy they may be. And, forgive me, God doesn’t care whether we profess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Mouthing some religious formula supposedly to get God’s love and forgiveness is nonsense. God loves and forgives us now, loves all of us, and, by the way, not just Christians! The only value beliefs have is how they motivate, guide, encourage, inspire us to do what God really wants from all of us.

And what is that? You know the answer as well as I do. Jesus taught us we are to love God and our human sisters and brothers. We are to love them as much as we love ourselves. In God’s kingdom on earth there is no room for hatred, cruelty, bigotry, prejudice. As the old hymn that we will sing in a few moments puts it: “By deeds of love and mercy, the heavenly kingdom comes.”

Were you as impressed as I was by the story of Chris and Cookie Rolle in David Cook’s column this past Tuesday? These wonderful people give food and love to 70 or 80 kids every school day as they wait for the school bus. These kids are hungry many are living in poverty and violence. What a truly noble example of love in action. I assume the Rolle’s are Christian but it wouldn’t matter if they were members of any faith group or no group at all. They are doing what God wants from each of us. Each of us needs to find a place, a project, a program that helps to meet the terrible needs in our community, country and world today. If we open our eyes and ears and hearts we will find ways to be the people God intends us to be. And let me be clear: many Pilgrims are doing that already. The rest of us need to follow their example. When we do, God will smile and say, “Well done, my good and faithful child. You have helped to make the heavenly kingdom come.”

Amen.Several Years ago, Barbara and I visited one of our favorite American cities: New Orleans. The Big Easy is an incredible place. One night we ate in the famous Galatoire’s Restaurant. Like other elegant restaurants, Galatoire’s has a dress code. Men are required to wear a jacket.

We were seated at a table near the door and I noticed that one man came in without a jacket. No problem. The Maître d’ took a jacket off a coat rack for him to wear. There were several jackets kept there for that purpose.

Some of you are old enough to remember that years ago churches had an unwritten dress code. It was expected that men would wear suits and ties when they came to worship. Women were expected to wear dresses and even hats and white gloves. If someone came to church improperly dressed nothing may have been said but the strongly disapproving looks from church members gave a clear message: “If you can’t dress properly, then don’t come here to worship.” I hope most of you would agree with me that nothing important has been lost because we no longer have that unwritten dress code. Church really ought to be a “Come As You Wish” affair. Decent dress, yes; dress code, no.

Then I came to this strange parable, the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, our scripture lesson this morning. Some poor fellow shows up at a banquet without being properly dressed. I guess that would be like going to a formal dinner dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. A social faux pas certainly, but one that hardly justifies what happens to him. By order of the king he gets bound hand and foot and tossed out of the door into utter darkness. Why couldn’t one of the king’s servants have rummaged around in the palace and found him a wedding robe to wear? Shouldn’t the palace be as well-equipped as Galatoire’s?!

Besides, this poor fellow had just been dragged in off the streets. Because none of the expected guests would attend, the king’s servants went out in the streets and invited anyone they could find. “If you want to attend the wedding banquet in honor of the king's son, come in … now!” So he came as he was and the king throws him out. This seems very excessive and over-reactive to me. It certainly doesn’t seem much like Jesus who is telling this story, the one who never turned anyone away.

What’s going on here? What got into Jesus? Since this parable comes late in his ministry, perhaps, Jesus was frustrated and angry with people’s lack of response to what he was teaching. Somehow I don’t think so. So I checked out the context in which Jesus spoke. It was fascinating to me.

Before this parable, Jesus told the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. A landowner leases his farm to some tenants before he goes on a long trip. When he comes back and tries to collect his property, the tenants kill the messengers he sends to them and, in a final outrage, kill the landowner’s son. The wicked tenants are put to death.

Before this parable, Jesus told the Parable of the Two Sons. A father of two sons sends his eldest son into the family vineyard to work. The son says he will go but changes his mind and doesn’t show up for work. When the father asks his younger son to go work in the vineyard, he first refuses but changes his mind and goes to work after all.

To me, all these parables have a common theme: will we do the right thing when the king, the landowner, the father calls us. Fair enough. But what is the right thing? Let’s begin by understanding that any parable Jesus told about a father, a king, or a landowner is always about God. And a son in these stories, well, we know who he is, don’t we? And the rest of the people in these stories, the good, the bad, and the ugly, that’s us.

Let’s agree that God wants something from us in order to be part of God’s kingdom here on earth. Let me first say what I believe it is not. It is not about appearance – the outward self we show to others. God has no interest whatsoever in clothing. Why in the Genesis story God didn’t even give clothing to Adam and Eve! God is also not impressed by what we say we will do. God looks at our actions, not our words. God is also not impressed by the religious group to which we belong. The rehearsal hall is in here; the performance space is out there (in the world). What service does the church inspire?

I suspect most of you agree with what I have just said, but now I have to risk a bit more. God doesn’t care about our beliefs, however worthy or unworthy they may be. And, forgive me, God doesn’t care whether we profess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Mouthing some religious formula supposedly to get God’s love and forgiveness is nonsense. God loves and forgives us now, loves all of us, and, by the way, not just Christians! The only value beliefs have is how they motivate, guide, encourage, inspire us to do what God really wants from all of us.

And what is that? You know the answer as well as I do. Jesus taught us we are to love God and our human sisters and brothers. We are to love them as much as we love ourselves. In God’s kingdom on earth there is no room for hatred, cruelty, bigotry, prejudice. As the old hymn that we will sing in a few moments puts it: “By deeds of love and mercy, the heavenly kingdom comes.”

Were you as impressed as I was by the story of Chris and Cookie Rolle in David Cook’s column this past Tuesday? These wonderful people give food and love to 70 or 80 kids every school day as they wait for the school bus. These kids are hungry many are living in poverty and violence. What a truly noble example of love in action. I assume the Rolle’s are Christian but it wouldn’t matter if they were members of any faith group or no group at all. They are doing what God wants from each of us. Each of us needs to find a place, a project, a program that helps to meet the terrible needs in our community, country and world today. If we open our eyes and ears and hearts we will find ways to be the people God intends us to be. And let me be clear: many Pilgrims are doing that already. The rest of us need to follow their example. When we do, God will smile and say, “Well done, my good and faithful child. You have helped to make the heavenly kingdom come.”

Amen.