I don't know if you've ever thought of it this way, but today's a day which will really bring people to their knees. And why not: it's Sunday! Christians from New York to New Delhi and all stops in between, are receiving the gift of Jesus in fresh baked bread and fine wine. Well, some Christians are receiving bread and grape juice. Others are partaking wafers and wine. And others, wafers and grape juice. And still others receive only the wine. We Christians sure have varied the menu a bit from that first Last Supper! And not just the menu - but the meaning of it all. It is really Jesus in the bread and wine? Or do we do this only in memory of that first last supper? And Christians are all over the map.

Nevertheless - Christians the world over will be breaking bread together on their knees. Some practicing what we call, "Open Communion," inviting one an all to the table. Others, feeling that if you don't do it like we do it and believe it like we believe it, well, the table is set, but only those in our "in" group are invited.

I wonder how the John of our Gospel text would look on all this? John is an "in" group type of guy, one who likes conformity and uniformity among the followers of Jesus. and he takes it to this extreme. A man, not one of the disciples, healed a person in the Name of Jesus." John was all over it like white on rice! John complains. John whines. John has a tantrum. The Yiddish word for persistent complaining is kvetch. Here's an example: "So my tests came back," said my Mom. "The doctor says I have the organs of a young woman. I'll probably live to a hundred and twenty." "That's great!" I said. "What's great about it? said Mom. "Like I have the money to live to a hundred and twenty?"

We all do it from time to time, complain, kvetch. Today is Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. I certainly would say nothing stereotypical about the Jewish people, and especially on this day, But the Jewish people themselves proudly admit, they have raised kvetching to an art form. We see it in our First Reading this morning, as the Hebrews in the desert are whining about having left Egypt in the first place. Life was horrendous for the Israelites in Egypt, but now they wish they were back there. "Nostalgia," someone has said, "ain't what it used to be."

In our Gospel, I picture one of the disciples saying to John, "Isn't this great? That fellow, the one over there with the bushy beard. He just healed a sickly child - and did so in the name of Jesus." And John kvetches. "Oh yeah. How's it gonna look to when we don't do our own healing and folks think we have to outsource? Healer or not, he's not one of our gang! If he's not one of us he must be one of them (whatever, for John, them happens to mean)." In other words, an Outsider. What a powerful label: outsider! Us against them and John, you might guess, considers himself an insider! Today is a day I'm glad our congregation is not named, "St. John Lutheran Church," although it seems John would be pleased by the title.

We're in the process of trying to get the go-ahead from the town to put a four-foot-by-six foot sign on our property - a relatively small sign for a relatively large church. Last Thursday, we failed in our attempt before the Zoning Board, but we're thinking it will be approved next time around. What if I told you that on the sign would be our name: "Grace Church." That's it. No "Lutheran," merely Grace Church. Would you be offended? The Lutheran label - no longer there? Would that make a difference, really, about who we are, for Christ's sake?

Actually, a good reason for the Lutheran Label on the sign would be truth in advertising. If people come into worship and start shouting, "Amen," or "say it louder preacher," they're apt to feel out of place, and they'd certainly scare me half to death. For that reason alone, we'll keep the word "Lutheran" on our sign. Recognizing that denominational pride can be a dangerous thing. Can you imagine if the person who wears the label of "Lutheran" or "Methodist" or "Roman Catholic" allows that label to overshadow their true identity as a follower of Jesus Christ? Surely there are demons at work when the label begins to outshine the Lord.

In reality, the sign of a true Christian community is not about labels, but ladles. Jesus was big into ladles. "For truly I say to you, whoever gives a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose their reward." The label of Christ is the one that's important; and it goes hand-in-hand with a ladle of water! And the real "insider" is that follower of Jesus Christ who gets off the knees and goes out to the neighbor - perhaps lugging only the ladles of Christian concern!

Maybe you're aware that those who go out on a Midnight Run, taking food and clothing to the homeless in Manhattan, are forbidden to talk about their faith. This is a good thing. People want soup, not a sermon. People want warmth, not a witness. But the recipients of the good will of strangers, no doubt surely recognize that the good will comes from people with a good God. They don't need to hear a sermon, they are seeing a sermon in action. "Ma'am - care for another cup of water?" True followers of Jesus are those who spend time on their knees in prayer ... and more time on their feet in serving, moving from Creeds with their deeds! Eventually, the disciple John got the message ... perhaps as he stood at the foot of the cross.

It's really too bad, this label thing - things that divide us as we kvetch about those who are not like us. As if we're somehow better than the Methodists and the Roman Catholics, and the Baptists ... and so on. Labeling and complaining are all too much a part of what it is to be human. But, whatever the label, we kneel at God's table. And through God's grace, in a bite of bread and a small ladle of wine, we all receive God's forgiveness.

That being said, it's a great day to be the pastor of a church named Grace (for me, it always is). It's just too bad I didn't have the foresight to select this marvelous hymn as emphasis, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a kvetch like me!"