For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

This week during our adult formation class we talked about “Episcopal 101,” and I gave my elevator pitch* for the Episcopal Church. I’m repeating it here for everyone to hear.

There are many books and articles that talk about the three B’s of faith: Believe, Behave, and Belong. What makes me excited about our church, for me the most important special gift that defines us, is how we prioritize those three.

There are many kinds of churches where Belief has to come first–you have to believe exactly the right things, signing on the dotted line essentially, before you can belong.

There are also many kinds of churches where Behavior has to come first–you have to behave in exactly the right way, or not behave in certain other ways, before you can belong.

This is NOT what the Gospel tells us Jesus did. Jesus welcomed everyone–not just those who already believed and who already behaved. There was no test of behavior or belief before Jesus healed people–his healing touch came first. In fact, this is part of what the religious leaders hated about Jesus: The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick.” (Luke 5:30-31)

The gift of our Episcopal faith is that we, like Jesus, put Belonging first. We say to everyone: “You are a beloved child of God. You belong to God, and you belong in our community. Come and join us.” We teach that it is our life of common prayer, our worship and song, that bind us together as the people of God. As we come together week after week, as we hear the Word of God together, we mature in belief behavior.

We prioritize Belonging over Belief and Behavior because through belonging we learn to become more Christ-like.

Wherever you are on your faith journey, know that you do belong–you are God’s beloved child and you belong to God first and foremost. Nothing can separate you from God’s love in Christ Jesus. I am blessed to belong, with you all, in this community as we learn every day how to better be God’s people in the world.

Blessings and Peace,

Fr. Keith+

*Elevator Pitch: A short description of an idea that explains the concept in a way such that any listener can understand it in a short period of time (like the time span of an elevator ride). The goal is simply to convey the overall concept or topic in an exciting way.