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I missed all of you this past Sunday; I watched some of the Spanish Service and it was fantastic! I wish I could have cloned myself and been in two places at once. Sunday, I was what is called a supply priest. For those of you in education, it is a bit like being a substitute teacher at a one room schoolhouse. I went, I preached, I celebrated and had COVID not interfered, I would have had the blessing of baptizing.

There is nothing I could do to repay this blessing. I was chosen because I am a curate in the same convocation as the church. A convocation is a ministry area within the Episcopal Church. Of course, it did not hurt that I was married to the priest. Still, I cannot reciprocate the blessing of serving. I also cannot repay St. Dunstan’s for allowing me the privilege of going to Christ the King; I did not recruit new members for our church. In our tradition as Episcopalians I cannot say to them, yes, please come next Thursday and or Sunday and celebrate Eucharist. I would not invite them to come be members of St. Dunstan’s; that would be sheep stealing. They would, of course, be welcome, however, I am married to the priest who served at that church and stealing his members would be awkward. He would miss all of them. As such, I remained, nothing but a guest. This gave me a connection to the parable Jesus told us on Sunday known as the Parable of the Wedding Feast.

This parable always reminds me of an episode of the Bachelor or Bachelorette. Perhaps a more PG or G version, and still, an episode. The guests on Bachelor and Bachelorettes compete for the roses - which are a lot like the honored seats. Sometimes, those who are the most egotistical end up being humbled and going home. Oftentimes, the ones exalted are the prettiest or most handsome.^[1]

What would the modern day Bachelor look like if we applied the principles of Jesus’? I would imagine the contestants would not be model images of beauty. There have been a few single parents over the years, however, for it to be a true equivalent of the contestants looking for someone who is seriously disfigured by burns, for example.^[2] These contestants would come out in their rose ceremony gowns and stun everyone with their beauty, their inner beauty. Their kindness would be the focus rather than their figure. It would also be filled with people with those who are unhoused.^[3] Perhaps the show would be less fashion focused and more focused on serving God and others. This show would, of course, be funded by the generous members of the ABC executives that would not expect a dime in return.

Does this all sound a bit far fetched for you? It does for me as well. The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise is all built on fun and I am not actually criticizing. What I am saying is that the reimagined world of feasting Jesus puts before us is to make us uncomfortable. Occasionally, when I read the parable, I feel a bit too comfortable. If I try to reimagine it in modern eyes, I become more engaged and empathetic to the lesson. Jesus’ lesson on Sunday was one of hospitality and openness.. I hope it is one that you can embrace in your life.

^[1] Sharp, C. J. (2022).

^[2] I know there have been contestants with disabilities, however, they are

^[3] Most of the contestants spend money on their own new clothes, makeup, and shoes.