Proper 23a 2026; 11 Oct.
Ex. 32:1-14; Ps. 106:1-6,19-23
Matt. 22:1-14; Jack Hardaway
SHOWING UP FOR EACH OTHER
Moses and God.
God and Moses.
They argued. A lot. Like an old married couple.
They argue about us, their children.
To whom do we belong?
“Look what your people are doing!” they each said pointing at each other.
Your people! No, your people!
The Golden Calf. What to do? Moses talks the Almighty down and the family drama is allowed to continue.
Moses and God always showed up for each other, they were better together than apart. They didn’t agree with each other, but that wasn’t the point. They showed up for each other. That is the covenant, that is love. Like an old married couple so in love with each other that they could hardly stand each other.
That is the road out of Egypt, that is the road out of the house of bondage, showing up for each other. Idolatry always ends up with just more slavery, no longer showing up for each other, for one reason or the other. We forget that reason doesn’t matter, all the games we play with ideas and words, what matters is showing up for each other.
Like God and Moses, Moses and God, better together than apart.
That crazy wedding parable that we hear from Jesus today is about showing up for each other during absolute insanity.
An absolute insane wedding, no one shows up, everyone gets killed, the town burns down, and someone gets cast out into outer darkness, with weeping and gnashing of teeth. Fun was had by all. Ever been to a wedding like that?
Show up for each other and honor each other by dressing for the occasion, seems to be the bottom line. Showing up and honoring.
God and humanity. Humanity and God.
Better together than apart.
Jesus is that wedding, the communion of humanity and divinity in a world that has gone insane.
The showing-up-ness of God in a world that no longer shows up for each other.
Part of the fun of the Grace BBQ, especially with the Family Promise connection, is that we get a tangible experience of showing up for each other, of showing up for the world that has gone insane.
The season of creation liturgy that we begin today will continue through the harvest festival of Thanksgiving, our national feast day. We show up for the rest of creation, for our fellow creatures, created by divine will and goodness. The earth is hurting, how can we show up for our fellow creatures? The humanity of the body of Christ is part of creation. We forget that sometimes.
God and creation. Creation and God. Better together than apart.
Our country no longer shows up for each other. There are always reasons, and words and ideas explaining and blaming. But we forget, that is isn’t the point of our country, the point of our country is showing up for each other, that the family drama continues.
When the world goes insane there is a still point in the storm, that love that God and Moses show us in their showing up for each other no matter what, that the body of Jesus shows us by carrying our burden, that creation shows us in its vast intertwined relationships that Saint Francis called our brothers and sisters.
The bottom line, if we don’t know what to do or to say, then simply show up for each other, it is the road home.
You and Grace. Grace and you. Better together than apart.