Hot Dogs in the Kingdom

They called it Hot Dogs in the Kingdom.

One Friday night a month, Pr Herrick would fire up the grill and the people of the Northside of Syracuse would enjoy some hot dogs together.  In all kinds of weather; the sweet glow of a Syracuse summer or the frigid cold of a Syracuse winter, folks had a place to go, share some conversation, some fellowship and some hot dogs.

Although this is a very different picture than the huge crowd who gathered on the green grass of some hillside, it was still a statement of solidarity with neighbors.  That sweet smell of charcoal fire formed community where relationships could develop.  This was no fancy talk about community, it was the act of being community around some hot dogs and condiments.  The People of First English Lutheran made community once a month on the corner of James and Townsend and the people of the northside had one less meal to worry about.

It was an example of ordinary food becoming God’s grace, meeting the universal need to be known, to belong, to have value and certainly not least of all, to be fed.  There on the corner of James and Townsend unfolded one scene in God’s great drama of grace for the world.

Yet, just like our story today in the gospel of John – just like any meeting at any of our congregations, the people of First English had their own disciples named Philip and Andrew.  Philip who always asks “Do you know how much this will cost?” and Andrew who insists we have too little.

 

Hot Dogs in the Kingdom cost about $50 a month, and Pr. Craig would gently encourage disciples from more affluent lives to offer up their 5 loaves and 2 fish, like the young boy in the story.  In the end, there was too little for First English to continue, but at the same time, to the end, hot dogs were served once a month at the corner of James and Townsend.

We are familiar with the story of a miraculous feeding of 5000.  Every gospel has a version and, in each one, Jesus not only feeds the thousands in front of him, he instructs his disciples to gather up the leftovers.  Gather them up so nothing goes to waste. 

Gather them up because even if there are 5000 people reclining on the grass and being fed until they are full - there are others who aren’t here: outsiders: who need to be fed as well.  There is a larger community to be formed.  There is to be No wasted bread; no wasted people.  This is God’s mission in Jesus and God’s mission for God’s church.

And yet, that’s not how we count our ministry successful. In our minds, to be successful we need our own pastor, a beautiful sanctuary, pews and programs filled with people.    It is success by the numbers: easily reported, easily graphed, satisfying to hear. And when the numbers begin to soften, the pews are emptier year by year, our own Philip and Andrew pipe up with “How much will this cost?” and “We have too little”

Jesus, however, is looking to the horizon, looking for the hungry and lost ones, for the outsiders, the strangers. For Jesus there is to be no waste: neither bread nor people shall be lost.

Throughout Gods story, people are being fed.  Who doesn’t connect Moses in the wilderness with the manna from heaven? But we need to look beyond Moses feeding just the children of Israel, or Elijah feeding just the widow of Zarapheth and her family and see Jesus, the Christ who searches for those who need to belong, to be known, to be valued, and not least of all, to be fed.

This is where we come in.  It is our mission: to gather up the leftovers and go into the streets and seek the ones who never heard about Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the nations. To make a new community; develop  relationships centered on the life-giving good news of Jesus.

In the weeks ahead you will hear the call to take up your cross, about being a servant and putting aside riches in order to follow Jesus.  These powerful passages will call you to confession as you evaluate your own discipleship.

But I think none has the capacity to move you to confession more than our story today because this scene of a community gathered around a meal lies right within your grasp.

 

The truth is that too often we say How much? And claim that we have Too Little and our central concern is the future of what we have and not the hunger of our neighbors.  Then, like the Israelites in the desert, we pressure our leaders to make it all right, to bring us manna from heaven. We turn the story on its head, wanting for ourselves and paying no attention to the outsiders.

Today we are being asked some fundamental questions. 

Who is this Jesus whom you confess, to whom you have given your life? What do you expect from this Jesus who feeds thousands and hangs on a cross dying?

Do you truly believe that in Jesus we experience the fullness of life that we call eternal?  Do you believe that God’s bounty is intended to be blessing to all of creation?

Isn’t it time to stop asking How much and claiming that we have Too Little?

And time instead to ask Who is hungry?  Who is lost?

Lord, bless the work that we do in your name for the sake of your people.  AMEN