Our choir has led us through a musical journey of the final week of Jesus’ life. They sang: “Hosanna! He comes in the name of the Lord! For the kingdom of David is now at hand! Spread the news throughout the land!” But they also sang: “Crucify him! Crucify him! A schemer, blasphemer, this man must die!”

When Jesus enters Jerusalem on that final week, crowds are waiting. They shout! They celebrate! This is our king, the one we’ve been waiting for! But then, the next day, Jesus enters the temple. There, he finds money changers and people dealing out goods to take advantage of the poor worshippers. He fashions a whip, and turns over tables and drives the money-changers out.

“My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations!” Jesus shouts. “But you have made it a den of thieves.” And we are told that “when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him.” By Friday, they got their wish. The same crowds who had on Sunday yelled “Hosanna” were now bloodthirsty, yelling on Friday, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” It’s amazing what change a week can bring!

This week, our denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) made national news. This doesn’t happen often for us. The cause: Our General Minister and President Sharon Watkins, along with other Disciples ministry leaders, penned a letter to the Governor of Indiana, Mike Pence. Now, Disciples and Indiana go way, way back. Our denominational offices have been located in Indianapolis for almost 100 years, and we plan on having our 2017 General Assembly in Indianapolis, like we have done many times before. But now that Assembly location may change.

In their letter, Disciples leaders wrote to ask the Indiana Governor to veto a law that he has, since, signed, called the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” or they would have to reconsider having our 2017 General Assembly in Indianapolis. 

Sounds weird, doesn’t it, a bunch of Christians asking their governor to veto a “Religious Freedom” bill. But this law, they write, “Purportedly a matter of religious freedom, we find RFRA contrary to the values of our faith.”

So what’s going on? This law makes it legal for business owners to discriminate against people who are gay, lesbian, transexual or bisexual on the basis of religious reasons. Many fear that this bill, which is now the law, will allow businesses, a restaurant or a clothing store, for instance, to refuse basic service to someone who is gay.

As their letter reads,“We are particularly distressed at the thought that, should RFRA be signed into law, some of our members and friends might not be welcome in Indiana businesses – might experience legally sanctioned bias and rejection once so common on the basis of race.”

“As a Christian church, we are particularly sensitive to the values of the One we follow – one who sat at table with people from all walks of life, and loved them all. Our church is diverse in point of view, but we share a value for an open Lord’s Table. Our members and assembly-goers are of different races and ethnicities, ages, genders and sexual orientations. They have in common that they love Jesus and seek to follow him.”

This is a controversial move. I know. But it reminds us of the weight of what we mean when we say every week, at this table, that “All are welcome.”

When Jesus left the loud, triumphant crowds of Palm Sunday, and entered the temple on Monday, there he found a place that discriminated. He turned over the tables of those who stood in the way of people and their God, and ran them out of the temple. “My house will be called a house of prayer, for all people!”

All people.

Jesus’ own religious leaders couldn’t stomach this action, and so they carried out their plot to kill him. Why do we fear others so much? Why are we scared of those who are different? Why do we build walls, and pass laws, and fight for our right to segregate and discrimination and hate?

In the last song, our Choir sang: “For God so loved the world.”

The world.

The whole world.

Jesus came for all people. And Jesus has prepared this table for all people. No matter who you are, or what you’ve done, or where you are on faith’s journey: Jesus welcomes you at this table.

This is house of prayer for all nations! This is a table for all people!

Hosanna! Blessed are all who come in the name of the Lord!

All are welcome here.