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"Unlock our Hearts, our Minds and our Doors" George Barna, a pollster who uses data to help Christian congregations was asked to find out what young families who do not go to church wanted most in a church. He polled 24 to 54 year olds who did not attend church, asking them a variety of questions. And this is what he found: They most wanted a church that: (1) Aimed to help hurting people in their communities (2) cared for all people because they believed God cared for all people (3) And demonstrated affection for one another—that is…churches that were filled with people who genuinely liked one another. Several years ago, The UM church used Barna’s research to develop a catch phrase, a slogan that has become our mantra, and our vision. “Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors, the people of the United Methodist church.” Our hearts, our minds and our doors are always open. Hearts open with mercy and compassion for others. Minds open to acceptance, tolerance, and growth. Doors open that any and all might be welcome and embraced. I shared this information recently in our training for ushers and greeters. And I asked, “how do we ensure there is truth in our advertising?” That those who arrive here find our hearts open, flowing with compassion. Our minds open, reserving judgment only for our own walk of faith, our doors open, and hospitality ready for any who might come to us? We must be ready to examine ourselves honestly and with an openness to God’s spirit reflect upon anywhere we might still have locks on our hearts, our minds, our doors. A church with locked hearts sees people in need and pulls back, afraid of the resources and time it might require to truly be compassionate. A church with locked minds divide people into groups--the acceptable and the unacceptable. It might be obvious or subtle. Those who “belong,” and those who do not. Words of welcome might be spoken, but behaviors that signal exclusion can be louder still. A church with locked doors rush to throw open the locks when the acceptable arrive. But do not hear the knocking of the unacceptable. To truly live up to the claim of being a church of open hearts, open mind and open doors, we must not only be willing to unlock them, but hold vigil to make sure they remain open. I am reminded that the Jesus of the gospels did not pull back from showing mercy and compassion to the sick, the sinful, the impaired, and the poor. Jesus’ heart was an open heart. The Jesus of the gospels again and again broke down barriers between the acceptable and the unacceptable. His lot was the lot of sinners, outcasts, tax collectors, adulterers and even those whose race and religious practice was deemed despicable. His only qualification? That they accept the abundant life he has come to offer them. Jesus’ mind was an open mind. And Jesus of the gospels threw the doors of the kingdom wide open—the Pharisees and the religious leaders of the day thought they knew who belonged and who did not, who to let in and who to keep out. Sometimes even, who to “throw out.” Jesus invitation was to all. And his hospitality was extended to any, ANY who responded to that invitation. The sinner, the sick and the poor. Our goal then, to become more Christ—like. To be the church Christ established that day as he handed Peter the keys to the kingdom. Ah—keys. Maybe that’s what we need. To open a lock, one needs a key! If we are in danger of our hearts being locked up, our minds locked down, and our doors locked shut, then we need three keys--one each to open locked up hearts, locked down minds and locked shut doors. And here, I think is some good news is. It seems to me, that the keys we need are keys that we have already been given, that we might in turn use to open the locks on our hearts, our minds and our doors. Locked up hearts are unlocked by the key of compassion. As we have received—been loved and shown compassion and mercy, we have been given a key—a key that will unlock our own hearts to love and show mercy to others. Jesus in the sermon on the mount said, “Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. We are to be merciful as our Father in Heaven has been merciful to us. That’s the key. To remember the mercy we’ve been shown, and in an attitude of gratefulness, unlock our hearts that we might be compassionate and merciful to others, trusting God to provide all that we need to do so. Our minds are unlocked by the key of acceptance. As we have been accepted and shown tolerance, we have been handed a key that might unlock our own minds to be more open and accepting of others. Jesus spoke to the religious leaders of his day saying, “do not judge lest you be judged….why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye?” We must trust that sinful natures and sinful behaviors change when met with grace, when instructed by God’s holy word. Ours is not to judge who is worthy and who is not, but to offer Christ’s grace and mercy to all that all might be made new in Christ. Finally, our doors are unlocked with a key of hospitality. As we have been shown hospitality in a new and strange setting, we are given a key to be more hospitable to others. This involves seeing those we do not know or do not know well not as strangers, but as guests who are worthy of our attention. Worthy of our hospitality. We can do this in two specific ways. Befriending guests in our midst, and offering our help when we see a need. A year ago, we talked a bit about two rules our congregation could employ that might make a difference in our hospitality. The rule of 2 and the rule of 10? The ushers and greeters were reminded of these last week, but they are terrific rules for the rest of us. Do you remember them? The rule of 10 is this: From where you are sitting, look ten feet around you. Two to three pews in front of you, behind you, and the length of five or six people to your left and right. Do that right now. Do you see anyone you do not know, or do not know well? The rule of ten is to simply be aware of those who are in a ten foot radius around us, and if there is someone we do not know or do not know well…to speak to them. To introduce ourselves, and get to know them in a brief conversation. It’s what any one of us would like someone else to do for us… a kind word. A name to associate with a face. The beginning of a new friendship. The rule of three is similar. For the first three minutes after worship…the first three minutes after the benediction—seek out someone you do not know or do not know well and talk with them. For three minutes. About the length of the postlude. (About the length of time it takes to introduce yourself, learn the other person’s name, and to find out a thing or two—where they live, work, the service they normally attend, the name of their spouse or children.) As I said, we have already been given these keys—compassion, acceptance and hospitality, that we might use them to unlock our hearts, our mind and our doors. Who among us has not been shown mercy? Who among us has not been accepted when we were honestly unacceptable? Who among us has not been shown hospitality when we entered a new and foreign place? We have the keys, church! We have the keys! Unlock the locks. Unchain the chains. Free our hearts to love, our minds to grow and our doors that all may enter in! Open hearts, open minds, open doors. The people of First United Methodist Church! Amen.
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