C&E
Excerpt from Matthew 21:28-32
A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not:” but later he changed his mind and went.
Reflection by Quinn G. Caldwell
By now, you’ve noticed the pews in your church beginning to fill up. If your church is like mine, attendance will continue to grow right up through Christmas Eve, when your sanctuary will be fuller than any time except maybe Easter. Regular worshipers will rejoice in this plenitude; they also might be tempted to look cynically at the C&E (Christmas & Easter) Christians with whom they suddenly find themselves sharing their pews.
Against any who would be too hard on those who only manage to make it to church on the big days, Jesus tells this parable. One son says he won’t go work in the vineyard when their father asks, but then does it. Another son says he’ll go, but then doesn’t. Even Jesus’ adversaries have to admit that it’s the first son that does the father’s will.
C&E Christians may not make it to church much, but Jesus points out that God cares more about what we do out in the vineyard than about what we do when the authorities are looking. Who knows what miracles of grace were born this year through that guy sitting next to you that you haven’t seen since last April?
This year, let’s give C&E Christians a break. Let’s welcome them without cynicism. Let’s thank God for bringing us together. Then let’s be sure to invite them back.
Prayer
God, remind me that I am not perfect in faith. Grant that I might welcome with humility any who would do the same. Amen.
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