By Mother Rebecca

“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”  John 10:16

This Sunday, Fr. Casey will conclude our month-long preaching series on belonging, the theme of this year’s stewardship campaign.
Throughout October, we’ve oriented ourselves around three little words, packed with meaning:

You belong here, as in – you belong on this earth. You are an adam, an earth creature, fashioned by God and animated by God’s own breath. God made you and put on this earth to till it and keep it or, as Fr. Casey explained in his message last week, to tend, keep, serve, and preserve it. You were created to dwell here on earth.

You belong here, as in – you belong in community with other human beings. Having fashioned the first adam, God remarked, “It is not good for the earth creature to be alone.” So God created “every animal of the field and every bird of the air” and, when the perfect companion was not found among them, God created other human beings. You were created to dwell here on earth in community with others.

You belong here, as in – you belong to the body of Christ, the Church catholic. In baptism, you became a member of God’s holy family. You made promises to

Proclaim the gospel by word and example

Seek and serve Christ in all persons

Love our neighbor as ourselves

Strive for justice and peace and

Respect the dignity of every human being

These promises are impossible to keep on our own; but here – among the body of Christ – we pray, connect, serve, worship, grow, and love our way into a life that honors these commitments. You were created to dwell here on earth in community with others, your brothers and sisters in Christ.

You belong here, as in – you belong here at Church of the Transfiguration. Before the pandemic, we gathered here regularly – weekly or even more often – and shared life together, face-to-face through worship, formation, fellowship, music, and so much more. During our lock-down, we gathered virtually, knowing that our lives depend upon one another and craving community, connection, and belonging. As we now emerge from lock-down, we’ve been reflecting on how important it is to gather together as we are able to retie the bonds of belonging that have become stretched in the last year and half. You were created to dwell here on earth in community with others, your brothers and sisters in Christ, most especially those with whom you share life here at Transfiguration.

You belong here.

And, yet, as we draw near the end of this month and the conclusion of our season of reflecting on belonging, let us not forget the words of our Savior from the Gospel of John. “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

William Tyndale, the English theologian who became involved in the Reformation in England through his translation of the Bible into the English language, once said: “the Church is the one institution that exists for those outside it.” A good friend reminded me this week that “human nature and habit can easily lead us to the idea that belonging is an end in itself.” This was true in the earliest days of Christianity, as evidenced in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians writes:

It has been reported to me … that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul”, or “I belong to Apollos”, or “I belong to Cephas”, or “I belong to Christ.” 1 Cor 1:11-12

Belonging, Paul insisted, is not an end in itself – is not our vocation. Rather, we are called, as Paul was called, to “proclaim Christ crucified.” Our vocation is to share the good news that God so loved the world that God became human for our sake, walked with us, touched us, called us to belong to God’s very body, and promises us that we belong to something bigger than ourselves. We belong to something bigger than Transfiguration and bigger than this earth. We belong to God and in God, our restless hearts find their home. And so does everyone on this earth. We belong so that we can help others come to understand their own belonging.

Join us this weekend at Transfiguration. Come worship with us, pray with us, sing with us, and be filled with God’s life-giving love and belonging. Come in a costume, stay for Fig Fest as we celebrate our successful Transfiguring our Foundations campaign and the conclusion of this annual stewardship season. And then go forth with us and carry God’s message of belonging to the world.

Peace be with you, friends.