Second Sunday in Lent – March 15, 2025

In Paul’s letter to the church in Phillipi today, we read, “Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us” (Phil 3:17).

“Join in imitating me.” Jesus invites us to be like him. He invites us in to observe, and in observing, we are called (most especially in our Baptismal Covenant) to proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ. Every time we repeat the Baptismal Covenant, we answer that we WILL proclaim the good news of God in Christ – with God’s help.

So why do we find it so difficult to say the word evangelism, much less talk about our faith or invite someone to church? Over the years, we’ve gotten away from using the E word – evangelism – because of its negative associations with evangelistic preachers and ministries.

Last summer, Brian and I got an invitation in the mail. He opened the mail, and told me. And of course, I stopped what I was doing and said “To what?!” Don’t the words “You are invited” bring a sense of excitement and curiosity to us?

There is something primal about us – our deepest part of our hearts and souls – that yearns for and craves connection. We especially, in this age of increased isolation and polarity, yearn for places where we can form authentic connections with others. Until we make these connections, we remain cut off, isolated. We try to become self-sustaining in a world in which self-sustenance is unsustainable.

There’s also something primal about our desire to be welcomed. People just want to feel accepted and needed, which happens (at least in part) when others make them feel welcome. Reflect on weddings where the toast says, “Welcome to the family.” If we don’t feel genuinely welcomed, we remain outsiders, regardless of our participation.

We are aware – innately – of these deeply human needs to be connected and welcomed. But we often don’t give enough attention to our just-as-important needs to be invited and to invite. Maybe it’s because that’s secondary to our need to be connected or welcomed. Perhaps it’s part of the reason that Jesus – who always wanted to move us from a mentality of “us” – survival – to “we” – abundance – spends so much time inviting others and accepting invitations.

Last week, I mentioned Matthew’s Gospel imperative to “follow me, and I will make you fish for people” (Mt 4:19). Is this a command? Or are we (and those fishermen) being invited to step out of our comfort zone to discover Jesus’ promises?

The primary objective today is to help all of us overcome our reservations about evangelism, about inviting. It’s about inviting people not just into relationship with us and others in our congregation, but also inviting them into a relationship with God through Jesus. Raise your hand if over the past year, you’ve heard people say that they don’t need to go to church to be Christians. <pause> But as Episcopalians, we proclaim each week our belief in the importance of coming together to learn, pray, question, and explore. Notice that I don’t say in person – we can gather digitally as well – but it’s important that it’s not a solo process. We believe that our relationship with Christ is strengthened by our involvement with others.

THIS is why Inviting is so important. Many people are hungry for an invitation, hungry to be part of a community of faith. Inviting someone to church through a personal invitation is the most effective and essential act of reaching out.

Former Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said, “Evangelism is not what other people say that it is. Evangelism is sharing the faith that is in you and listening and learning from the faith that’s in somebody else. It’s not just about you talking—it’s about listening and sharing; it’s about a relationship where God can get in the midst.”

The deep truth about evangelism, about invitation, is that it takes courage. It’s not about us, and truthfully it’s not about our church in some ways. See, evangelism isn’t about inviting people to “my” church. There’s no way to control what people will think of us when we invite them. There’s no way to control what will happen during the service that day. (TRUST ME – I’VE TRIED!) There’s no way to control whether the people we invite are even open to starting a new journey.

We always think of invitation as an action of words – written or spoken. But our invitation can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Sharing our faith with actions can be as stirring as words. How many times have you said a little prayer when passing a particularly awful accident on the freeway? Why couldn’t you do the same when you hear an ambulance passing? Or how many of you wear a cross on a necklace tucked under your clothing? Why *couldn’t* you wear that outside for a day.

Of course, sharing our faith with words is critical too. Our stories are important not because they are ours, but because of the high chances that someone to whom we tell it will recognize it is also theirs in many ways. It is through our stories that God is revealed to each of us most powerfully and personally.

I want to show you how easy it can be to share a story. I have in my hands a “Sharing Faith” deck of cards. There are at least 60 different questions on the cards. What if I were to ask you a question and tell you to turn to a neighbor and let them tell you their answer. Don’t interrupt. Don’t ask questions. Just listen. And then in 2 minutes, I’ll ask you to switch places. Here’s the question: Share a story about a time that a Scripture passage really “came to life” for you.

The deep truth today was courage. It takes courage to invite someone to church. It takes a willingness to set aside fear and to take a chance. But it isn’t so much about offering something that’s ours to others. It’s more about extending the invitation and getting out of the way. The immediate effect may not be known – at least to us – and we may not know how, when, or if the person will respond. But that’s God’s work, not ours. We are simply called to summon the courage to invite and let God be God.

Let us pray. Gracious God, who has not given us a spirit of fear, but the power of love: grant us courage to step out of our comfort zones, to invite someone to church, to see and welcome the other, and to be willing to discern the gifts that God has placed within us. Help us to open our hearts and minds with holy listening and loving souls and give us the courage to think outside the box, to imagine the possibilities for this congregation, a beloved community of God. Amen.