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Sermons from the clergy of the Church of the Redeemer, and Episcopal Church in Hyde Park, Cincinnati, OH.
Today's Gospel is in the middle of that whole chapter of disruption, where Jesus critiques the seating chart and the guest list. Now imagine the scene: appetizers are being passed around the room, and with his cocktail in hand, Jesus watches as people try to find their seats for dinner.
Oh, the choreography of it all. The subtle dance of elbows and eyes as guests angle for the best seats in the house. You know how it works. The closer you sit to the host, the more important you appear, the better the seat, the better your reputation. Everyone knows the rules and everyone knows where they fit.
And then our favorite dinner guest pipes up. "Don't do that, he says, don't scramble for the seat that makes you look good. Don't assume that you belong in the place of honor. Instead, leave room. Make space." You can almost feel the air go still in the room. Forks frozen in mid air, someone coughing into a napkin and the host wishing that he had invited really anyone else.
Sermons from the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer
Sermons from the clergy of the Church of the Redeemer, and Episcopal Church in Hyde Park, Cincinnati, OH.