Scripture reading: 1 Peter 4:8-9

⁸ Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without complaining. ¹⁰ Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. ¹¹ Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies.

I love our artists’ interpretation of our new worship theme, The Not-So-Secret Garden. Bringing the garden inside the sanctuary is such a joyous image of a church without walls which is how we see our mission. To go outside and into the world and to live in a just, compassionate, and peaceful way means that the world must always be on our minds when we are in here at prayer and education and fellowship and planning and working on the welcome. The interior spiritual life is incomplete without the awareness of the gardens on the exterior and our connections to them —care of Earth, the creatures, and all the people. All means all. And new member Sunday is the people version of what the artists have done with the sanctuary. When new members join us, what you bring, in a metaphorical way is an important reminder of the garden outside—that out and in are one. And when we remember that truth, it invites us all anew to push back the circle and to make room for one another at a giant family garden party—to feast at the tables of bounty, love, compassion, and communion—no matter who we are or where we are on life’s journey.

Every time when we have communion I include in the bulletin and verbally a clear and unequivocal invitation to everyone to participate. Almost every time, someone asks me why?  Almost every church I can think of would say almost as a quip or throwaway that “everyone is welcome.” So why do we feel like we need to have repeated so many ways to welcome? Why?

–We have a clear, not that short, unequivocal open and affirming statement on our website with details about that truth that we welcome and include and celebrate people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions in every aspect of church life and leadership.

—And then, of course, people of all races are welcome here. But why do we feel like we need to have a Racial Justice Committee consistently pressing and relentlessly inviting us to anti- racism education and the study of unconscious bias and white privilege?

–Why do we have this Compact we read over and over and insist upon as our statement of faith. And why do we have signs by the sidewalk and another at the entrance to this sanctuary that says, “We will always welcome all races, all religions, all countries of origin, all sexual orientations, all genders. We stand with you. You are safe here. Why?

Because of the past and because of the present–the garden gates that are slamming shut…I remember them–the students I knew from another denomination, marched in front of the church they loved and publicly shamed and then kicked out for “living the sinful lesbian lifestyle.” For my friend who was not welcomed in a church because she was trans. Because today there will be those cruelly separated from their children at the borders, and sisters and brothers who live in brown and black bodies in danger, and justice will be denied and truth perverted. We need to state and restate to ourselves and the garden outside our care and concern for one another in that Compact because so many of us are struggling along with margination and separation and aging and illness and problems. We repeat the invitation to communion, print our open and affirming statement, wear the T shirts when we do our spiritual gardening out in the world (ALL MEANS ALL, Black Lives Matter), and repeat the same vows– new members and long-time members because this garden inside here—where no matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey or how bad it gets out there—this garden inside here, cannot be secret. Not ever. This is not a garden of secrets and shame and exclusion. No. Not here.

We have to cultivate it though, we do, because at every turn, life’s garden is both Genesis and Gethsemane, creation and betrayal, dawn and midnight in the garden of good and evil. And when we are filled with the most joyous celebratory days of life, or when we are up against the fences and the walls and over our heads in insects, disease, and weeds, noise, violence, and problems, we need the reminders–we live in the sunshine and shade and rainy times along with the companions growing up around us and together, we scatter and harvest what grows from the seeds of distrust or from the seeds of faith. God-willing, and with fabulous new members joining up all the time, we have growing opportunities to become even more who we aspire to be– fresh, flowery, fruity, and majestic, like powerful trees. All of us, sharing our good produce of our lives for the benefit of all. We remind ourselves and sing to the world, come on in: to this not-so-secret garden, and welcome, welcome.  An organic garden, and not walled, cloistered, or fenced.

When I was planning this service, Kristen Stone sent me a song and said, “This reminds me of church.” Yes. Me, too. It reminds me of new members and communion and how our garden grows here. My deepest thanks to Kristen for introducing me to it, to the Mountain Goats for writing it, and to Lizzi, Jasmine, and Judy for sharing it with us now. “Color in Your Cheeks.”

The last verse… wow…

They came in by the dozens, walking or crawling
Some were bright-eyed, some were dead on their feet
And they came from Zimbabwe or from Soviet Georgia
East St. Louis or from Paris or they lived across the street

But they came, and when they finally made it here
It was the least we could do to make our welcome clear

So, nuetra casa es tu casa, new members, and long time folks, too.  Welcome to the not-so-secret garden of belonging. Let’s plant new seeds of justice and peace and throw open the garden gate and invite in the world. Amen.