The first speaker at this year's Trisynodical Theological Conference was Dr... or rather, was the Reverend Dr. Roger A. Paynter. Believe it or not, he's the senior pastor at First Baptist Church, a self-described "moderate, progressive-minded congregation in downtown Austin!" Dr. Paynter, also, teaches preaching at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest. And he teaches Lutheran pastors-to-be attending the Lutheran Seminary Program of the Southwest located on the same campus. Born and raised in Oklahoma. Bachelor degree from Baylor. He earned his Master of Divinity from the Southern Baptist seminary in Louisville, Kentucky and a Doctor of Ministry from Brite Divinity at T.C.U. But, at the time, I knew none of that. Just that he was preacher for opening worship.

Well, when his time came, he got up, went to the podium, and said, "Before I begin, I'd just like to say, ‘Thank you!' Thank you all for your witness to grace!" He said it not just once or twice. But he said it a few times. "Thank you for your witness to grace!"

"You, probably, don't realize how special... how unique... you are," said Dr. Paynter. "You, probably, don't realize how special... how unique... you all are! But that is how the rest of the church sees you. As witnesses to grace!"

Witness. To god's free, unearned, undeserved, unconditional love... Not just for the chosen few! But god's free, unearned, undeserved, unconditional love... for all of creation! He went on to say that there weren't very many groups like us. With our faithfulness. With our integrity. With our message or mission. "Thank you! For being witnesses of grace!" And from there, he began his sermon...

But those words stayed with me. For the rest of the sermon. For his lecture later in the day. For the rest of the week. You see, over the years, I've come to the same conclusion. We are speci8al! Unique! But it's different to hear someone else say it! Someone who doesn't have to! Someone who doesn't have a vested interest! "Thank you for being witnesses of grace! Pointing out god's amazing love... for all to see... to hear... to experience..."

Take a look around... Baptism... the Supper... the Sermon... the Liturgy... to us, it's all about grace! It's all about charity! It's all about love! From start to finish! From beginning to end! And that's what we Lutherans look for in the bible, as well! With an eye... an ear... a heart... and a mind... for god's love!

"Now concerning food sacrificed to idols..." I have to confess, when I, first, read those words, I was thrown for a loop. After all, we here in Midland haven't really had a problem, lately, with food offered to idols! But, then, I remembered Dr. Paynter's sermon. "Thank you for being witnesses to grace!" And I realized that this passage isn't about food. It's about love! God's love for us! Our love for each other! "Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.' Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."

We know, says Paul, that there is only one god! We know that idols don't really exist! And, so, we know that eating food offered to something that doesn't exist isn't really a problem! However... However, not all of us know that! Not everyone understands! For a few... for the weak... for the unknowing... our knowledge is a stumbling block! For a few... for the weak... for the unknowing... our knowledge is a problem! Paul's conclusion: "Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall." "Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat..."

The passage isn't about what we eat. And it's not about what we don't eat... won't eat... It's about the way we treat each other! It's the way we treat each other... especially the lowest among us... especially the least... It's as simple as that! In the name of love... In the name of love... we make sacrifices! We make sacrifices for those around us JUST AS god... JUST AS god has made sacrifices for us! Doing what's in their own best interests!

Plain! Simple! Or is it? The advice works fine as long as we're talking about food offered to idols. Or drinking alcohol at church functions. Or moving around the altar and pews. Or the hymns we sing - or don't sing - on any given Sunday morning. It's easy. It's simple. It makes sense. Because, bottom line, we all know that none of that really, truly matters. Do it! Don't do it! Nothing really changes! So, out of love for each other, why not NOT do it!?! For the sake of the weak... the struggling... why not just say, "No!"!?! "Thank you for being witnesses to grace!" But what if...

What if there's a greater love involved? What if there's more at stake than just hurt feelings and ruffled feathers? After all, there are always people on both sides of every issue... always have been... always will be! And if the church is constantly... if the church is always and forever... deferring to the weak... well, what then?
Forty years ago, there were people who were opposed to the ordination of women. Does that mean, following Paul's advice, that women should never have been ordained?

One hundred fifty years ago, there were people - people even here in the Lutheran Church - who saw nothing wrong with slavery. Does that mean nothing should have changed?

We have to be careful. Most of the time, it's proper to abstain from things that can cause the weak to stumble and fall. But we have to be sure that it's not merely an excuse... a justification... to maintain the status quo. Often... Many times... there may be an even greater love involved. One that demands we speak... and act... in contradiction to the weak and unknowing... Paul might have shunned the eating of food to idols. But he didn't hesitate... even for a moment... to speak the gospel to the uncircumcised... Even though his love for the "other" was contrary to the wishes and the wants of his "own" people. We can read about Paul's sacrifice of meat. But we need to remember... in the end... Paul was imprisoned... and executed... for his witness to grace! Somewhere along the line, he threatened the weak! Somewhere along the way, he wounded their conscience! All for the sake of a greater... of a greater love! It is all well and good to be sensitive to the struggles of the weak. But the knowledge... rather, the ignorance... of the weak must not become the conscience... the standard... of the community.

The truth is that sometimes... sometimes grace offends! Sometimes grace frightens! Sometimes grace, even, causes people to stumble! And there's nothing we can do to change that! Not if we still want to remain witnesses! Sometimes because of grace, the church - like the church's god - must suffer! Sometimes, we must break... and bleed... and die... all for the sake of the very ones we offend! The weak! The needy! The poor! Sometimes, like Christ, we must deny ourselves... take up our cross... and follow after...

"So, thank you! Thank you," said the preacher. "Thank you for what you do! Thank you for who you are! Thank you for being witnesses of... witnesses to... grace! But, even more, he might have said... Even more, thank you for your willingness... for your ability... to pay the price!"