E Komo Mai – All Are Welcome
A new altar guild member couldn’t open the combination lock for the safe in which the parish stored its altar silver. So, she asked the rector for help. The rector started turning the dial of the combination lock, but stopped after the first two numbers, looked up serenely toward heaven, began moving her lips silently, then turned to the final number, and opened the lock. The altar guild member gasped, “I’m in awe of your faith.” “Really,” the priest said, “it’s nothing. The combination is taped to the ceiling.” [1] Analogously, outsiders can find Christianity incomprehensible or intimidating. However, in today’s gospel reading [2] Jesus throws the door to our community wide open. If he had been the first Episcopalian, he would have declared, “All are welcome!” And had he been Hawaiian, he would have said, “ E komo mai !” Jesus delineated four welcomes, four paths into the one community of God’s people. The first welcome or path depicts individuals who seek to connect with Go