September 10, Ordinary 23A (Matt. 18:15–20)
At a #decolonizeLutheranism forum, I thought of Matthew 18.
In Matthew 18, Jesus describes a step-by-step process that guides the church in the holy work of reconciliation. Step one: point out, in private, the fault of the one who has sinned against you. If that doesn’t lead to repentance and change, move to step two: bring two or three witnesses so that the words you speak can be confirmed. If the lost member persists in refusing to listen, bring it to the body of Christ. Speak and the body will listen.
Finally, if these steps fail, return to the preparatory work of hospitality and approach the lost one as an outsider to the community before repeating the three-step process. Creative means may be demanded, because the body of Christ longs for no one to be lost.
I was reminded of Christ’s call to the work of reconciliation as I sat on the floor at the #decolonizeLutheranism forum held as part of our 2017 Central/Southern Illinois Synod Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. There weren’t enough chairs for those who gathered for the forum. I marveled at the crowd.
