08-26-2012 Sermon by The Rev. Larry Peters

 

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE A CHURCH?

Rev. Larry Peters

August 26, 2012

Ephesians 4:7-16

  In 1972, an Episcopal priest by the name of Terry Fullam, was teaching at a college in Rhode Island when he received an unexpected phone call from St. Paul’s Church in Darien, Connecticut.  The vestry of that church asked the college professor to consider becoming their pastor.  He met with their search committee a few days later.  He told the committee that he had several questions for them.  But, after a long pause, the one question he did ask was:  “If this church were to disappear tomorrow, would anyone miss it?”

  A startling question it is, but also a good one to consider.  As the church, is our ministry of such importance that anyone would miss it if it were no longer available?  Someone once told me that if you want to find out about the effectiveness of a church’s mission and ministry, ask the people of the community.  They will either tell you, or they will have no idea what you are talking about.  If the response is the latter, then the church has some work to do.

  So when the question was asked; “If this church were to disappear tomorrow, would anyone miss it – a ton of silence fell on the room.  No one breathed; all looked straight ahead for several seconds.  Then they began to look at one another.  Finally someone said, “Probably not much.”  They had come to a moment of truth, and were caught in their embarrassment.  Fullam pressed on with another question: “Do you really want to be a church, or are you actually looking for a chaplain for your club?”

  What is the church?  The definition that we have in our scripture readings today is that the church is the body of Christ.  Christ our Lord is the head of the body.  And the people who want to follow Christ the Lord make up the members of the body.  We come together because we love God and we love other people.  God loves us and gives us special gifts to prepare us for the work of service in Christ’s name.   In service to other people we build up the body of Christ, the church.  We come together with one purpose in mind.  We grow up in every way to Christ.  Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together.  When each part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love.  This kind of love is what we are created for.  Our Lord God says; “I created you – you are mine.  I know you; I have called you by name.  You are precious to me.  I give you honor, and I love you.  You are created to be my people – to love me, and to bring me glory.”

  This is what God expects us to be.  This is what is required of us.  If we really want to be a church, then we will do our best to meet these standards.  We will not accept that the church should degenerate into something less.  Our modern American culture undermines the definition of a Christian, watering down the Christian faith until people tend to perceive the church as some kind of social club where not too much is expected of us or from us.  The problem is that in such churches you will find little of the joy and deep satisfaction God created us to experience.

  I would like to take this opportunity now to tell you about the joy I experienced while attending a Leadership Training Course for Stephen Leaders that was held at Pittsburgh just a little over three weeks ago.  I am very thankful that you provided me the opportunity to go to this training.  Before I left, I understood very little about what Stephen Ministry is.  Now, I am very excited to be part of it!  I believe that the Stephen Ministry here is established and well received within our church and community.  I believe that your Stephen Leaders and Stephen Ministers are very good care givers; and I know them to be very encouraging.  Also, we are blessed to have the strong support of our church staff and our Pastor, which I have come to understand is very important.  And certainly all of us, at some point in our lives, could benefit from the type of care that Stephen Ministry provides.

  Part of what I would like to do, as I have the opportunity to preach and to visit with people, is to build awareness and ownership of Stephen Ministries within our church and community.  I would like to be able to understand the situations that people face, the kind of needs that they have, and to tell them of the help they may find through Stephen Ministry.  And I want to be able to support our Stephen Leaders and Stephen Ministers in the great work that they do.

  The definition of a Stephen Series, which is a name given to the steps involved  for managing a congregation’s Stephen Ministry, is a complete system for training and organizing laypeople to provide Christian care.  It is important to understand what Stephen Ministers are and what they are not.  They are trained Christian caregivers.  Stephen Ministers are not counselors and they should not be referred to as such.  Their role is to listen and care – but not to counsel or advise.  Stephen Ministers do not call on anyone abruptly or without their consent.  They are assigned only to people who agree to receive the care of a Stephen Minister.

  Stephen Ministry is a confidential ministry.  What a care receiver tells a Stephen Minister remains confidential.  Name of care receivers and details of discussions are never revealed.  Stephen Ministry is carefully supervised.  Stephen Ministers engage in regular supervision to ensure that they are able to provide the best-quality Christian care.

  You may have seen the Stephen Ministry logo.  By describing what it means, we may further understand the type of ministry this is.  This logo consists if a cross and circle, together with a broken person and a whole person.  The broken person stands behind the cross, symbolizing the brokenness in our lives as a result of our sin.  The whole person stands in front of the cross because it is through the cross of Jesus that we again are made whole.  The circle symbolizes both the wholeness we receive through Christ and God’s unending love for us.  Also around this circle are the words that describe this ministry as “Christ caring for people through people.”

  The name “Stephen” refers to Stephen in the Bible who was the first layperson commissioned by the Apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need.  We can read in Acts chapter six how ministry was becoming too much for one person or a few to handle with full effectiveness.  So the Apostles saw the need to recruit and train others to be ministers in a specific way using the gifts God gave them.  And the church continued to grow, as the Apostle Paul says; “Christ did this to prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ.”

  So there is the earliest beginning of Stephen Ministry.  People who are the body of Christ, and who really want to be a church, have ever since sought to find ways to use their gifts for service and for the benefit of all.

  In 1974, Kenneth Haugk, a pastor and clinical psychologist, was pastor of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri.  He would begin and in time become known as the Founder and Executive Director of Stephen Ministries.  His strengths and heart were in caregiving ministry, and he was looking forward to making a positive impact on his congregation and community by providing pastoral care to all those experiencing divorce, grief, hospitalization, discouragement, and other life difficulties.

  Very quickly, though, he found that the needs for care by far exceeded that which he alone could provide.  He faced one of a pastor’s greatest frustrations: seeing people slipping through the cracks because their urgent needs were going unmet.  In November of 1974, he discussed the situation with two seminary friends over a cup of coffee.  The conversation turned to Ephesians 4 and “equipping the saints for the work of ministry.”  Haugk realized that God did not intend for pastors to monopolize ministry.  Rather, God gave all his people gifts in ministry and one of his roles as pastor was to equip others to use their gifts in ministry.

  Haugk returned to St. Stephen’s with a plan.  In the coming months he recruited nine lay people who had the gifts and heart to do caring ministry.  He then used his combined backgrounds in theology and psychology to develop a training program in Christian caregiving.  By March 1975 the nine were commissioned as “Stephen Ministers.”  Their first care receivers included a widower, a blind person, a young woman with cancer, a truck driver forced to retire early, and an inactive member struggling with faith issues.

  The impact was immediate.  People began receiving the focused Christian care they needed.  Fewer people were slipping through the cracks, and Haugk found he had more time to perform his other pastoral duties.  The Stephen Ministers were surprised by the spiritual growth they encountered as they saw God working through them to bring love and healing to others.

  The story would have ended there, had not two of the Stephen Ministers cornered Haugk on a hot May morning after worship services.  “This is good stuff,” they said to him.  “We are not going to let you go until you promise to bring this ministry to other churches!”  Still wearing his vestments and perspiring from the heat, Haugk gave in and agreed to find a way to bring Stephen Ministry to other churches. 

  In November 1975 Haugk and his wife, Joan, founded the not-for-profit Stephen Ministries organization and began bringing Stephen Ministry to other congregations.  And so this ministry has spread!  Meadville First Presbyterian Church is one of more than 11,000 congregations from more than 160 Christian denominations that now have Stephen Ministry.  More than half a million people have been trained as Stephen Ministers.  These numbers grow each year, along with the number of people who have been touched by God’s love through a Stephen Minister.

  The session that I attended in Pittsburgh was the 189^th Leadership Training Course thus far.  Our group had 381 participants representing 35 Christian denominations from 41 states and 2 Canadian provinces.

  I brought back more than my 35 pound box of materials could hold.  At first, all of it seems a bit overwhelming.  But really it is about loving and caring for people as Jesus loves and cares for us.  It is Christ caring for people through people.  Jesus makes it very simple, really.  In the way that we can, we are to be Jesus to someone else.

  After 189 training courses, there are a lot of good stories that are told – one of which I remember and want to share with you.  An American soldier in World War II, serving in the European Theater of Operations, had experienced much of combat and had seen much suffering.  But he was not prepared for the extent of man’s inhumanity to man as when his army unit entered and liberated a Nazi concentration camp.

  He saw the dead and dying.  He saw the emaciated bodies and the look of utter hopelessness.  Not only were they starving physically – they were starving spiritually.  They had absolutely nothing and the American soldier wanted to help.  But how could he help?  What could he give?  There was so much suffering, what could one person do?

  With heart-felt compassion he went over to one of those held captive under such cruelty and hugged him.  When the soldier looked up, he was surprised to see that a line had formed.  He did not think that he would be able to help in any significant way.  He did not know the value of what he was able to give.  But he had exactly what the people hungered for and needed.  He had and was able to give what they had been deprived of for so long – the love, care and concern of one person to another.

  Whether you are a Stephen Leader or a Stephen Minister, a care receiver or one who supports this or any number of ministries that we do; whether you are an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher; whether you are a secretary, custodian, musician or youth leader; whether you serve on the trustees, deacons, on session or in the kitchen, on mission outreach or in children’s school or day care; whether you are a liturgist, choir member, greeter, usher, audio or video technician – we do what we do together!  If I forgot to mention anyone, I apologize.

  We are in this together with one purpose in mind.  We are the church.  We are here because we love God and we love one another.  We love or community and we want to see it a better place to live, work and worship.  We know that God has made each of us unique and given us different gifts that we can use for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ.

  Let us thank God for the ministry that we are privileged to experience and be part of.  Let us work hard together and pray that our mission and ministry will have such far-reaching effectiveness that if one were to ask a question like Terry Fullam did: “If this church were to disappear tomorrow would anyone miss it”, we, and others would be able to say: “Yes, indeed!”  And to the question; “Do you really want to be a church?, we shall be able to say: “We do!, and with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ – we are!”

 

 

 

 

 

08-19-2012 Sermon by The Rev. Dr. Brian K. Jensen

 

LIVING THIS SIDE OF THE CROSS: PART XII

  Many years ago, a couple in my church came to see me because they were having problems in their marriage.  Let’s just call them John and Jane Doe.  It seems Jane had struck up an internet friendship with a man she once dated in college…and she wanted to take a trip down to Mississippi to see him.  John was upset by this, and Jane couldn’t understand why.  That’s when they came to see me.

  Now I don’t ordinarily tell people what to do in a counseling situation.  But in this case I strongly advised that – for the sake of their marriage – Jane should not go down to Mississippi, and she should cease all communication with her ex immediately.  Believe it or not, Jane was not pleased by my counsel.  She ended up going to Mississippi anyway and as John and I both suspected, this rendezvous was not as innocent as Jane let on.  John and Jane Doe ended up getting divorced.  And as it turned out, the ex in Mississippi was still married when he and Jane got together, and he had no intention of leaving his wife.  Jane was left out in the cold: no husband, no boyfriend, and ultimately…no home.

  Jane came to see me one more time.  She was clearly a wounded soul.  In the course of our conversation, she actually said to me, “Where was God in all of this?  I just can’t believe God let this happen to me.”  I’m afraid that, yet a second time, I was not very consoling to Jane.  I told her that God has given us free will.  And sometimes, God allows us to suffer the consequences of our actions.  Are there consequences to our actions, or should God perpetually get us off the hook when we claim to profess the Christian faith?  Keep that thought in mind as we move on. 

  This is the twelfth in a series of sermons entitled, “Living This Side of the Cross.”  The thesis of the series is pretty much summed up in verses 14 and 15 in the 4^th chapter of the book of Ephesians.  There the Apostle Paul writes, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and blown about by every wind of doctrine.  But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head…into Christ Jesus, our Lord.”  In other words, this is a sermon series on growing up in Christ.

  We talked about how the church is meant to represent the kingdom of God on earth.  We said that the kingdom is here, but not fully here.  Thus, could it be that the church we have is exactly what God intended when he created the church?  Could it be that the church we have provides the very conditions necessary for growing up in Christ?  While we live in a throw-away society these days, perhaps there are some things we should not throw away.  After all, the providence of God means that wherever we have gotten to – whatever we have done – that is precisely where the road to heaven begins.

  We talked about living a worthy life.  A worthy life – a life that is truly growing up in Christ – is a life formed in community.  Christian maturity develops as we form friendships with the friends of God…not just the friends we prefer.  You see, God chooses to act and intervene in the world through us.  We see God acting in the world today when we witness the heartfelt convictions of those who serve him.

  We encountered what we called Paul’s roadmap through the cosmos.  He tells us who we are and where we are going as Christians.  We are blessed by God, chosen in Christ, destined for adoption, bestowed grace, lavished forgiveness, made to know the will of God through Christ, and gathered up to God in the end.  We are precious children of God – created in the image of God – and destined for eternal life.  Do not let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

  We noted how Paul refers to us as saints.  Paul deliberately chooses a word that identifies us not by what we do for God, but rather, by what God does for us.  He is retraining our imaginations to understand ourselves not in terms of how we feel about ourselves – and certainly not in terms of how others might feel about us – but rather, he is retraining our imaginations to understand how God feels about us.  In God’s eyes, we are saints.  In God’s eyes…we are holy.

  We discovered that God bestows grace to sinners like us.  Yet the grace of God is a lot like water to a swimmer.  It seems as though there is no possible way it could support us.  So like the swimmer, we have to lean forward, lift up our legs, and let ourselves go.  To coin a phrase, we need to learn to let go…and let God.

  We learned that the church is the gift of Christ to the world.  Yet there is more to the church than meets the eye.  The church is not just bricks and mortar.  The church is not just a collection of faithful people.  The church is the body of Christ in the world.  And it is through the church – and only through the church – that Christ bestows his peace upon us.

  We observed what Jesus Christ came to earth to accomplish.  He established the church and gave it a commission.  That commission is to make God’s wisdom known to the world.  What is God’s wisdom?  We see God’s wisdom when we possess inscape.  Inscape is the capacity to see the God in everything.  Inscape is the ability to put on the eyes of God and see the world as God sees the world.

  We noted how we describe Jesus Christ as being fully human and fully divine.  As the church is referred to as the body of Christ in the world, it follows that the church must also be both human and divine.  Thus, while we come to the church to encounter the word of God, we also come to the church to build kingdom relationships.

  We heard Paul beg us to lead a life worthy of the calling to which we have been called.  We do so by way of paraclesis – which has to do with the Holy Spirit.  In other words, we strive to get the words of Jesus Christ inside of us so that they become us.  We condition ourselves to look at the world through the eyes of love.

  And finally, we learned that because we are Christian, there should be something different about the way we live our lives.  As Cardinal Suhard put it some one hundred years ago, “It means to live in such a way that one’s life would not make sense if God did not exist.”  In other words, we are called to put off the ways of the world…and put on the way of God.

  In the passage I read this morning, Paul indicates what happens when we do not put off the ways of the world and put on the way of God.  Addressing the Pagan culture of Ephesus, Paul writes, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient.”  Hmmm…the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient.  Let’s talk a little bit about the wrath of God and disobedience.

  The Greek words translated “wrath of God” are orge tou Theou.  The wrath of God refers not to some child-like vengeance God plans to take out on his people.  It refers more to the fact that God despises sin.  Thus, the term “wrath of God” seems to imply that God simply gives people over to the folly of their choices.  In other words…sin has its consequences.  Why, it’s almost as if God is saying, “You want to live a life of sin?  Fine.  Have it your way.”

  Let’s go back to the story with which I introduced this sermon.  A woman took part in an act of adultery.  She lost her husband, she lost her boyfriend, and she lost her happy home.  “How could God let this happen to me?” she cried.  The question was, “Are there consequences to our actions, or should God perpetually get us off the hook when we claim to profess the Christian faith?”  I think you know the answer now.  Sin…has its consequences.

  Perhaps C.S. Lewis put it best in his book, The Screwtape Letters.  He wrote, “There are two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘Thy will be done.’”  Which kind of person are you?

  Paul said that the wrath of God comes to those who are disobedient.  We’ve seen that the wrath of God is essentially God saying to us, “Thy will be done.”  Yet it comes upon those who are disobedient.  What does it mean to be disobedient?  The Greek word translated “disobedient” is a-pei-theia.  Can anyone think of a similar word in English?  How about the word, “apathy?”  The word “apathy” means a lack of interest or concern.  So perhaps we could say that the wrath of God comes to those who blatantly disregard the will of God, AND to those who could simply care less. 

  Paul gives us the secret to avoiding such calamity.  In verse 15 he writes, “Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people, but as wise.”  In verses 18 through 20 he adds, “Be filled with the Spirit as you sing psalms and hymns among yourselves…giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Any clue as to how that might be done? 

  Perhaps the secret Paul has in mind…is worship.  For it is only in worship that we tend to put ourselves in a position to listen for God.  It is only in worship that we tend to put ourselves in a position for the wind of the Holy Spirit to blow upon us.  As Jesus himself said in the gospel according to John, “The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you know not whence it comes or whither it goes.  So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

  Nobody knows where the wind comes from – and nobody knows where it’s going – but everybody knows when it’s there.  It’s alive.  Stand in it, sail in it, and you’re alive too.  With the wind at your back, it’s full steam ahead.  You’re confident; you can do anything…until the wind dies.  And you can’t do anything about it.  What then?

  Some years ago, the sails of our churches seemed to be filled with the wind of the Holy Spirit.  The pews in mainline denomination churches were full to overflowing.  Programs were robust and volunteerism was contagious.  But then the demographics shifted…and the culture began to change.  Some began to wonder, “Is the church a thing of the past?”

  So, we got busy and tried to fix things.  We formed committees; we dreamed up programs, we crunched numbers.  Somehow we felt it was completely on our shoulders to make things right.    But there was always that fear in the back of our minds: “What if we can’t fix it?  It’s hard to recreate the wind.”

  Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, speaks of a similar fear successful artists have when they sit down with a blank piece of canvas to create their next masterpiece.  The burden to repeat past success can be terrifying.  Gilbert proposes that artists feel this pressure because somehow – over the course of the last 400 years – they’ve gotten the idea that genius comes from them, instead of beyond them.  The Renaissance and the birth of rational thought put human beings at the center of the universe.

  But in classical times, the Greeks and the Romans felt that genius came to them from someplace else…from some divine, unknowable place.  While artists still had to roll up their sleeves and do the work, it was believed that their outside genius was behind their success or failure.  All that changed with the Renaissance.  For the first time in history, a person was referred to as being a genius, not having a genius.  With this intellectual shift, Elizabeth Gilbert feels that we humans have missed the mark in understanding the relationship between our own creative acts and the divine. 

  Perhaps she’s on to something here.  We try to restore the church to her former glory by working hard to muster up our past genius – recycling approaches that worked once – but that no longer do.  Personally, we try to make ourselves perfect by the sheer determination of our will and the strength of our own intestinal fortitude.  We forget about the realm of the Holy Spirit, and we end up exhausted and disheartened. 

  What if catching a new vision of what the church could be was placed in the hands of the Holy Spirit?  What if catching a new vision of what WE could be was placed in the hands of the Holy Spirit?  What if we could just show up at worship with open hands and open hearts and say, “We’re ready, God, whenever you are.  We promise to do our part, but we also need you to do your part.  Let the wind of your Holy Spirit blow where it will.  At long, long last…we’re ready to sail.”  Amen.

 

07-29-2012 Sermon by The Rev. Dr. Brian K. Jensen

 

LIVING THIS SIDE OF THE CROSS: PART X

  Francisco Stork is the author of a book entitled, Marcelo in the Real World.  In it we meet Marcelo Sandoval, a 17-year-old boy who’s looking forward to his senior year of high school.  Living with something akin to Asperger’s syndrome, Marcelo has spent his entire life learning how to do things that many people take for granted: how to read facial expressions, how to interpret sarcasm, and how to imagine how another person might be feeling.  He’s good with animals, he feels most comfortable adhering to a predictable schedule, and – like many on the autism spectrum – he nurtures a special interest.  Marcelo’s special interest…is God.

  Marcelo pursues his interest by praying, studying, worshipping, and meeting with a spiritual mentor by the name of Rabbi Heschel.  His father, however, worries that Marcelo is not being prepared for “the real world.”  The real world is competitive; it has rules by which success is measured.  Thus, Marcelo’s father makes a deal with him.  If Marcelo will spend the summer working at his father’s law firm – and successfully follow the rules of the real world – he can choose where he will spend his senior year of high school.  If he doesn’t, he will have to attend the local high school, a place in which he has encountered problems in the past.

  Marcelo takes the deal.  At his father’s office he is quickly assigned to the mailroom under the supervision of Jasmine, a no-nonsense young woman who is also an aspiring jazz musician.  She’s not happy about having the boss’s son foisted upon her, but she trains Marcelo in the ways of the mailroom just the same.  Before long another partner’s son, a lawyer named Wendell, asks Marcelo to work with him on a special project.  It involves the firm’s defense of a manufacturer accused of knowingly making unsafe windshields for automobiles.

  While working on the project, Marcelo comes across a photo of a young girl in a box in the mailroom labeled “trash.”  The girl’s face was badly disfigured in a car accident when the windshield she hit did not shatter as it should have.  Once Marcelo takes the photo out of the envelope, he cannot turn away.  The girl’s eyes look into his eyes, and he seems to sense her begging him for help.

  This plunges Marcelo into turmoil.  He wonders if he is overreacting the way he has seen other autistic kids overreact to things that others did not find nearly so troubling.  Obviously, people at the law firm had seen the photo and were not affected by it.  Even his father had seen it and had remained unmoved.

  Marcelo is in uncharted waters here, for there is no schedule he can devise to solve this problem, and there is no rule book to tell him what to do.  Still, he senses that he must fight for the girl in the picture.  When he turns to Jasmine for help, she urges him to listen carefully, in every choice he makes, for what the next note should be.  “But how do I know the next note is the right one?” he asks.  She replies, “The right note sounds right, and the wrong note sounds wrong.”

  Even his spiritual advisor, Rabbi Heschel, makes an argument for improvisation.  She reminds Marcelo that discerning God’s will is messy business.  “What else can we do,” she asks, “but trust that God is at the source of what we feel and hope, and that he is at the end of what we want to do?  Faith,” she adds, “is following the music, even when we don’t hear it.”  Faith is following the music…even when we don’t hear it.  Keep that thought in mind as we move on. 

  This is the tenth in a series of sermons entitled, Living This Side of the Cross.  The thesis of the series is pretty much summed up in verses 14 and 15 in the 4^th chapter of the book of Ephesians. There the Apostle Paul writes, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and blown about by every wind of doctrine.  But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head…into Christ Jesus, our Lord.”  In other words, this is a sermon series on growing up in Christ.

  We talked about how the church is meant to represent the kingdom of God on earth.  We said that the kingdom is here, but not fully here.  Thus, could it be that the church we have is exactly what God intended when he created the church?  Could it be that the church we have provides the very conditions necessary for growing up in Christ?  While we live in a throw-away society these days, perhaps there are some things we should not throw away.  After all, the providence of God means that wherever we have gotten to – whatever we have done – that is precisely where the road to heaven begins.

  We talked about living a worthy life.  A worthy life – a life that is truly growing up in Christ – is a life formed in community.  Christian maturity develops as we form friendships with the friends of God…not just the friends we prefer.  You see, God chooses to act and intervene in the world through us.  We see God acting in the world today when we witness the heartfelt convictions of those who serve him.

  We encountered what we called Paul’s roadmap through the cosmos.  He tells us who we are and where we are going as Christians.  We are blessed by God, chosen in Christ, destined for adoption, bestowed grace, lavished forgiveness, made to know the will of God through Christ, and gathered up to God in the end.  We are precious children of God – created in the image of God – and destined for eternal life.  Do not let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

  We noted how Paul refers to us as saints.  Paul deliberately chooses a word that identifies us not by what we do for God, but rather, by what God does for us.  He is retraining our imaginations to understand ourselves not in terms of how we feel about ourselves, and certainly not in terms of how others feel about us, but rather, he is retraining our imaginations to understand how God feels about us.  In God’s eyes, we are saints.  In God’s eyes…we are holy.

  We discovered that God bestows grace to sinners like us.  Yet the grace of God is a lot like water to a swimmer.  It seems as though there is no possible way it could support us.  So like the swimmer, we have to lean forward, lift up our legs, and let ourselves go.  To coin a phrase, we need to learn to let go…and let God.

  We learned that the church is the gift of Christ to the world.  Yet there is more to the church than meets the eye.  The church is not just bricks and mortar.  The church is not just a collection of faithful people.  The church is the body of Christ in the world.  And it is through the church – and only through the church – that Christ bestows his peace upon us.

  We observed what Jesus Christ came to earth to accomplish.  He established the church and gave it a commission.  That commission is to make God’s wisdom known to the world.  What is God’s wisdom?  We see God’s wisdom when we possess inscape.  Inscape is the capacity to see the God in everything.  Inscape is the ability to put on the eyes of God and see the world as God sees the world.

  Last week we noted that we refer to Jesus Christ as being fully human and fully divine.  As the church is known as the body of Christ in the world, it follows that the church must also be both human and divine.  Thus, while we come to church to encounter the word of God, we also come to church to build kingdom relationships.

  Paul has spent the first three chapters of the book of Ephesians giving us a detailed account of who God is and the way God works.  Now, with one simple word – the word “therefore” – Paul aims to transition us into a detailed account of who we are and the way we work.  He writes, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”  Paul begs us to lead a life worthy of the calling to which we have been called.  The question now is, “How do we do that?”

  In our culture today, we want simple, clear-cut answers.  We want our sit-coms to wrap up a complicated family problem in the course of 30 minutes.  We want our dramas to resolve a mysterious murder case in the course of 60 minutes.  We want to lose weight without dieting, build muscle mass without exercising, and accumulate wealth without sacrificing our creature comforts.  And we spend billions of dollars on books that promise to tell us how.  Why, we’re a little like Dorothy going off to see the wonderful Wizard of Oz.  How do we get there?  Follow the yellow brick road.

  Then we come across situations in life that don’t seem to have pat answers…like Marcelo in the story I told you earlier.  There was no clear path on how he should decide.  There was no rule book to tell him what to do.  He had to figure out for himself what it was that he should do.  He had to learn to follow the music, even when he could not hear it.  Perhaps there are times when we need to learn to do the same.

  The church is a good place to learn how to follow the music, even when we cannot hear it.  The church is a good place to learn right from wrong in the eyes of God.  There are two kinds of language that are commonly used in the church...what we call kerygmatic and what we call didactic.  Kerygmatic language has to do with preaching.  It’s the word of God we hear from the pulpit.  Didactic language has to do with teaching.  It’s the word of God we hear in Sunday school. 

  Sometimes, however, the gospel message that seemed so clear in the sanctuary on Sunday morning seems inapplicable when we enter the workplace on Monday morning.  Sometimes the Bible lesson that seemed so clear in the classroom on Sunday morning seems inapplicable when we deal with our families on Monday morning.  Since there does not seem to be a guidebook to lead us through all the issues we have in life, perhaps what we need is the gift of discernment.

  Gerhard von Rad was one of the most brilliant Old Testament scholars of the 20^th century.  He called such a gift of discernment, “paraclesis.”  The word paraclesis comes from the word Paraclete, which is the Greek word translated, “Holy Spirit.”  In a book called Old Testament Theology, von Rad wrote, “Paraclesis is the language used with men and women who already have received the word of preached salvation, and have been instructed in the teaching of the law, but who are in need of comfort or encouragement or discernment in the mudded details of dailiness.”  In other words, paraclesis is the language of the Holy Spirit – a language of relationship and intimacy – a way of speaking and listening that gets the words of Jesus Christ inside of us so that they become us.  That’s how you learn to follow the music, even when you cannot hear it.  That’s how you learn to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.  We try to become one with Jesus Christ.

  I think it’s a little bit like marriage.  Someone recently said to me, “Do you know what the three rings of marriage are?  There’s the engagement ring, the wedding ring, and the suffering.”  Now, in all honesty, the first few years of marriage are indeed the hardest.  I heard a comedian address that recently.  He said, “When my wife and I first got married, she was always nagging me about something.  For example, I’d always leave my underwear on the bedroom floor.  I knew that if there were five on the floor, there were two in the drawer.  One day, she confronted me about it.  She said, ‘Is that your underwear on the floor?’  He replied, ‘I think so.  But if it’s not, I’ve got a few questions of my own!’”

  After years and years of marriage, those kinds of issues just seem to go away.  You learn how to get along; you learn how to give and take; you learn how to grow together.  It doesn’t happen overnight.  It takes years and years and years of love, hard work, and sacrifice.  That’s how the two become one in marriage.  Maybe that’s how a person becomes one with Christ as well.  Amen.

 

07-22-2012 Sermon by The Rev. Dr. Brian K. Jensen

 

LIVING THIS SIDE OF THE CROSS: PART IX

  Chuck Colson rose to fame when he became Special Counsel to President Richard M. Nixon in 1969.  He fell from grace when he was named one of the Watergate Seven in 1973.  He went to prison for that, yet while he was there, he became a Christian.  He rose to become one of the most influential Christians of his generation.  He founded a ministry called Prison Fellowship, and came to host a radio program called Break Point.  He died this past April.

  Many years ago, Chuck Colson told a story on his radio program that I’ve never forgotten.  It went something like this.  Once upon a time, there was a Baptist church that really wanted to grow.  The research indicated that in order to grow, they needed a prime location.  So they built a great big, brand-new building right next to an exit ramp on an interstate…and they began to grow.  The research indicated that in order to grow, they needed a new name because a lot of people had preconceived notions about the Baptist denomination.  So they changed their name from The First Baptist Church to The First Community Church…and they grew a little more.

  The research indicated that in order to grow, they needed to change some of the words they used.  A lot of people were uncomfortable with words like sin and confession, justification and sanctification.  So they eliminated those words from the pulpit vernacular, and they grew a little more.  In the end, they had a great big church that was filled to the rafters every Sunday morning…and not a single transformed soul.  Keep that thought in mind as we move on.

  This is the ninth in a series of sermons entitled, Living This Side of the Cross.  The thesis of the series is pretty much summed up in verses 14 and 15 in the 4^th chapter of the book of Ephesians.  There the Apostle Paul writes, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and blown about by every wind of doctrine.  But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head…into Christ Jesus, our Lord.”  In other words, this is a sermon series on growing up in Christ.

  We talked about how the church is meant to represent the kingdom of God on earth.  We said that the kingdom is here…but not fully here.  Thus, could it be that the church we have is exactly what God intended when he created the church?  Could it be that the church we have provides the very conditions necessary for growing up in Christ?  While we live in a throw-away society these days, perhaps there are some things we should not throw away.  After all, the providence of God means that wherever we have gotten to – whatever we have done – that is precisely where the road to heaven begins.

  We talked about living a worthy life.  A worthy life – a life that is truly growing up in Christ – is a life formed in community.  Christian maturity develops as we form friendships with the friends of God…not just the friends we prefer.  You see, God chooses to act and intervene in the world through us.  We see God acting in the world today when we witness the heartfelt convictions of those who serve him.

  We encountered what we called Paul’s roadmap through the cosmos.  He tells us who we are and where we are going as Christians.  We are blessed by God, chosen in Christ, destined for adoption, bestowed grace, lavished forgiveness, made to know the will of God through Christ, and gathered up to God in the end.  We are precious children of God – created in the image of God – and destined for eternal life.  Do not let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

  We noted how Paul refers to us as saints.  Paul deliberately chooses a word that identifies us not by what we do for God, but rather, by what God does for us.  He is retraining our imaginations to understand ourselves not in terms of how we feel about ourselves, and certainly not in terms of how others feel about us, but rather, he is retraining our imaginations to understand how God feels about us.  In God’s eyes, we are saints.  In God’s eyes…we are holy.

  We discovered that God bestows grace to sinners like us.  Yet the grace of God is a lot like water to a swimmer.  It seems as though there is no way it could possibly support us.  So like the swimmer, we have to lean forward, lift up our legs, and let ourselves go.  To coin a phrase, we need to learn to let go…and let God.

  We learned that the church is the gift of Christ to the world.  Yet there is more to the church than meets the eye.  The church is not just bricks and mortar.  The church is not just a collection of faithful people.  The church is the body of Christ in the world.  And it is through the church – and only through the church – that Christ bestows his peace upon us. 

  Last week we discussed what Jesus Christ came to earth to accomplish.  He established the church and gave it a commission.  That commission is to make God’s wisdom known to the world.  What is God’s wisdom?  We see God’s wisdom when we possess inscape.  Inscape is the capacity to see the God in everything.  Inscape is the ability to put on the eyes of God and see the world as God sees the world.

  I talked earlier about a Baptist church that wanted to grow.  One of the things they did was to eliminate words from the pulpit vernacular that made people uncomfortable…words like sin and confession, justification and sanctification.  And in the end, they had a great big church that was filled to the rafters every Sunday morning…and not a single transformed soul. 

  Why are people uncomfortable with words like sin, confession, justification and sanctification?  Take the time to actually listen to the language we use on a daily basis.  Language can be used in a variety of ways: to name things, to describe actions, to provide information, to command specific behaviors, to tell the truth, and to tell lies.  Language can be used to curse, and language can be used to bless.  Language is incredibly and endlessly versatile.  But in our technological, consumer-oriented world, most of the words we say and use have little or no relational depth to them at all.  Our language typically deals with a world of things, activities, machines and ideas.

  More often than not, the words we use are in the context of the roles we are given to play: students, consumers, employers, workers, competitors…all of whom could just as well be – and often are – nameless.  Gradually our instinct for intimacy erodes, and along with it the very capacity for intimacy.  As language becomes impersonal, the world becomes depersonalized.  And by the time we decide to get married, we hardly even know how to say, “I love you,” so we go out and buy a Hallmark card to do it for us.

  Listen to this.  I recently heard a comedian talk about buying a Hallmark card for his wife on their 10^th wedding anniversary.  The card started off quite well: “Roses are red, violets are blue.  Sugar is sweet, and so are you.”  But he didn’t read the rest of the card.  When he gave the card to his wife, she read it…and then she began to laugh.  He said to her, “What’s the problem?”  She showed him that at the end of the card it read, “I will love you forever; the rest of my life.  I am so very glad, you made me your wife.”  The lesson here is clear.  If you’re going to express yourself by way of a Hallmark card, read the whole card!  Or, do what you can to learn the language of intimacy yourself.

  Paul is doing his level best to teach the Ephesians the language of intimacy.  The way he does so is by praying for them.  Yet listen to how Eugene Peterson describes the kind of prayer Paul tries to teach.  He writes:

Prayer is not getting in touch with your true self, as is so often said.  It is the practice of shifting preoccupation away from yourself toward attentiveness and responsiveness to God.  It is a deliberate walking away from a me-centered way of life to a Christ-centered way of life.  It is certainly true that in weakness and thirst and desperation we reach out to God, but the larger and more encompassing reality is that God is already reaching out to us.  Prayer has its origin in the movement of God toward us.

  Let me try to simplify.  Imagine you’re stranded in a raft at sea.  You come across an island, and with the rope you fortunately have at your disposal, you lasso a large rock on that island.  You pull on the rope and quickly find yourself on shore.  The question is: Did you use the rope to pull the island toward you, or did you use the rope to pull yourself toward the island?  The answer is…you used the rope to pull yourself toward the island.

  Prayer is a lot like that.  The more we pray, the more we pull ourselves toward God.  As someone once said, “Prayer does not change God.  Prayer changes us.”  And it is through prayer that Paul tries to teach the Ephesians the language of intimacy. Truth be told, we all love to be prayed for.  The question is: Do we know how to pray?  I think Paul would be comfortable with me telling you that if you want to learn how to pray, read the book of Psalms.  The Psalms are the church’s textbook on prayer.  Read them…and you will learn how to pray.

  Now let me back up for a second here.  Paul is not addressing the individual in the book of Ephesians.  Paul is addressing the church in the book of Ephesians.  He is trying to teach them how to grow up in Christ through the church.  For it is only through the church that one can begin to grow up in Christ.  And in order to understand church, we must immerse ourselves in the God-revealing vocabulary – and the prayer-saturated language – that Paul gives us.

  Paul concludes our passage using these words: “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations.”  “In the church” and “in Christ Jesus” are synonymous.  Why?  Because the church, Paul says, is the BODY of Christ.

  Think about this.  How do we refer to Jesus Christ from a theological standpoint?  We say that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. We say that Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine.  We call the church the body of Christ.  Can we not thus infer – from a theological standpoint – that the church must also be both human and divine?

  When the church fails to embrace the divinity of Christ as its own imputed divinity – that it has God’s forgiveness and justification, love and sanctification – it betrays its core identity as Christ’s body.  And when the church fails to embrace the humanity of Christ as its own humanity – personal, local, earthy and humble – it betrays its core identity as the dwelling place of God.  In other words, when the divinity of the church is slighted, the “human” fills the vacuum.  We get a religion of splendid music, dazzling architecture, and intellectually competent – but prayerless –   theology.  The movement of God is ignored.

  When the humanity of the church is slighted, a fake divinity replaces it and we get a spirituality that is mostly about us…with eternal souls to save and spiritual tasks to perform.  We get a church full of Bible studies and programs and dreams and visions.  But we also get a church that is curiously void of human relationships and intimacy.  

  The church is the body of Christ in the world.  And like Jesus Christ, Paul is telling us that the church is both human and divine.  The church is not where we come to get our needs met, it is where we come to encounter God.  And the church is not where we come just to hear about God, it is where we come to build kingdom relationships.  That’s what it means to grow up in Christ.

  Many years ago, I served a church in Luverne, Minnesota.  There I had a mentor – a minister who was quite a bit older than I was – by the name of Gordon Bloomendaal.  How’s that for a good Dutch name?  He’s the one who taught me the phrase, “If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much!”  Gordon Bloomendaal was the minister in the American Reformed Church just up the street from me.

  Gordon’s wife, Barb, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when she was in her mid-fifties.  She died at the age of 60.  At the calling hours at the funeral home – a time when people generally come to support the bereaved – it was Gordon who ended up propping up the members of his congregation.  One man, going through the line, actually said to Gordon, “You know, I think God gave Barb this disease to teach us how to love.” 

  When Gordon told me that, I found it a bit offensive.  Gordon said, “No.  He’s right.  It did teach the congregation how to love.”  In any case, that congregation wrapped its arms around its minister, and wrapped its arms around one another, in a way that was truly both human and divine.  In that event, I saw a congregation proclaim the resurrection and proclaim their love for one another.  In that event, I saw a congregation that was truly both human and divine…if only for a while.

  The question now is, “Why does it take a tragedy for us to grasp who we were meant to be?”  Well, the church isn’t perfect.  Like I said before, “The kingdom is here, but not fully here.”  Perhaps we should do what we can to grasp both the human and the divine elements of the church.  Perhaps we should do what we can to heed the word of God and to build relationships with one another.  And, perhaps we should try to do so…even when we’re not in the throes of grief.  Amen. 

 

07-15-2012 Sermon by The Rev. Dr. Brian K. Jensen

 

LIVING THIS SIDE OF THE CROSS: PART VIII

  Recently, a Catholic priest was invited to attend a party at the home of one of his parishioners.  Being a traditional Catholic priest, he attended the party wearing a black shirt and a white clerical collar.  While he was there, he noticed a little boy staring at him, so the priest asked the boy why he was staring.  The little boy immediately pointed at his clerical collar.  So the priest said to the boy, “Do you know why I’m wearing that?”  The little boy bobbed his head up and down and said, “Sure I do.  It kills fleas and ticks for up to three months, right?”

  There are many traditions of the church that are a mystery to the outside world.  And the more we enter into what we call the age of Postmodernism, the more that tends to be true.  For example, a Catholic friend of mine recently attended a worship service at noon on an Ash Wednesday.  He received what we call the imposition of ashes, which is essentially a cross of ash marked on one’s forehead.  When he went back to work in the afternoon, at least a dozen people said to him, “You have dirt on your forehead.”  When he told them it was the Lenten tradition of the imposition of ashes, every single one of them said to him, “The what?”  They had no idea why he did it or what it meant.

  There are many traditions of the church that are a mystery to the outside world.  And the more we enter into what we call the age of Postmodernism, the more that tends to be true.  This is the world to which we are called to bear witness to Jesus Christ.  While the world may not understand why we do the things we do, it is imperative that we understand why we do the things we do.  Keep that thought in mind as we move on.    

  This is the eighth in a series of sermons entitled, Living This Side of the Cross.  The thesis of the series is pretty much summed up in verses 14 and 15 in the 4^th chapter of the book of Ephesians.  There the Apostle Paul writes, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and blown about by every wind of doctrine.  But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head…into Christ Jesus, our Lord.”  In other words, this is a sermon series on growing up in Christ.

  We talked about how the church is meant to represent the kingdom of God on earth.  We said that the kingdom is here…but not fully here.  Thus, could it be that the church we have is exactly what God intended when he created the church?  Could it be that the church we have provides the very conditions necessary for growing up in Christ?  While we live in a throw-away society these days, perhaps there are some things we should not throw away.  After all, the providence of God means that wherever we have gotten to – whatever we have done – that is precisely where the road to heaven begins.

  We talked about living a worthy life.  A worthy life – a life that is truly growing up in Christ – is a life formed in community.  Christian maturity develops as we form friendships with the friends of God…not just the friends we prefer.  You see, God chooses to act and intervene in the world through us.  We see God acting in the world today when we witness the heartfelt convictions of those who serve him.

  We encountered what we called Paul’s roadmap through the cosmos.  He tells us who we are and where we are going as Christians.  We are blessed by God, chosen in Christ, destined for adoption, bestowed grace, lavished redemption and forgiveness, made to know the will of God through Christ, and gathered up to God in the end.  We are precious children of God – created in the image of God – and destined for eternal life.  Do not let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

  We noted how Paul refers to us as saints.  Paul deliberately chooses a word that identifies us not by what we do for God, but rather, by what God does for us.  He is retraining our imaginations to understand ourselves not in terms of how we feel about ourselves, and certainly not in terms of how others feel about us, but rather, he is retraining our imaginations to understand how God feels about us.  In God’s eyes we are saints.  In God’s eyes…we are holy.

  We discovered that God bestows grace to sinners like us.  Yet the grace of God is a lot like water to a swimmer.  It seems as though there is no possible way it could support us.  So like the swimmer, we have to lean forward, lift up our legs, and let ourselves go.  To coin a phrase, we need to learn to let go…and let God.

  Finally, we learned that the church is the gift of Christ to the world.  Yet there is more to the church than meets the eye.  The church is not just bricks and mortar.  The church is not just a collection of faithful people.  The church is the body of Christ in the world.  And it is through the church – and only through the church – that Christ bestows his peace upon us.

  I introduced this sermon by saying that there are many traditions of the church that are a mystery to the outside world.  And the more we enter into what we call the age of Postmodernism, the more that tends to be true.  Perhaps I could even go so far as to say that the meaning of life is a mystery to the outside world, and the more we enter into what we call the age of Postmodernism, the more that tends to be true.  Could we not say that the outside world sees life as a succession of problems to be solved or overcome?  Could we not say that the outside world sees life in terms of the commodities people can get for themselves?  Could we not say that the motto of life for the outside world is, “He who dies with the most toys wins?”  Perhaps the meaning of life itself is a mystery to the outside world.

  In the passage we read from the book of Ephesians, Paul addresses the meaning of life through what he calls the mystery of Christ.  The mystery of Christ – in other words, that which Christ came to reveal – in Paul’s mind is twofold.  Number one, the Gentiles are included among God’s chosen people.  And number two, the church is called to make God’s wisdom known to the world. 

  Now this first mystery of Christ is hardly impactful to us. Paul says that the Gentiles are included among God’s chosen people.  Since we are Gentiles, that means that we are included.  We knew that.  Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here today.  Yet the second mystery of Christ is terribly impactful to us.  The church is called to make God’s wisdom known to the world.  Thus, there is more to life than the motto: “He who dies with the most toys wins.”  The question now is, “How do we make God’s wisdom known to the world?”  Or perhaps even more basic still: “What is God’s wisdom that we might make it known?”

  Have you ever studied a gifted artist’s painting?  A gifted artist can bring to our attention what has always been right before our eyes, but that somehow, we have failed to see.  Once upon a time, there was a king who offered a prize to the artist who could paint the best picture of peace.  Many artists tried.  The king looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.

  One was a picture of a magnificent mountain lake.  The lake formed a perfect mirror for all that surrounded it.  Towering mountains stretched up beside it.  Overhead was a bright blue sky with billowy white clouds.  All who saw this picture thought that it was the perfect picture of peace.

  The other picture had mountains, too, but they were rugged and bare.  Above was an angry sky from which lightning flashed and rain pummeled.  Down the side of one of the mountains tumbled a foaming waterfall.  To the untrained eye, this picture did not look peaceful at all.

  But if one looked more closely, one could see that behind the waterfall there was a tiny bush growing in a crack in a rock.  And in that bush a mother bird had built her nest.  There in the midst of the rush of angry water, a mother bird rested serenely in her nest…the perfect picture of peace.  The king chose the second picture because, after all, perfect peace does not mean an absence of turmoil.  Perfect peace means to be in the midst of turmoil…and to still be calm in your heart.

  Gerard Manley Hopkins, a 19^th century Jesuit priest, called this sort of thing, “inscape.” The artist helps us to see what we have always seen, but never really seen.  The artist helps us to hear what we have always heard, but never really heard.  The artist helps us to feel what we have always touched, but never really been touched by.  That, my friends, is inscape.

  Perhaps inscape can apply to God as well.  For example, about 10 years ago, my family and I lived in Salem, Ohio.  One summer, my wife was taking a class at Youngstown State University.  Now if you’ve never been to Youngstown, Ohio, let me tell you…it can be a scary place.  Youngstown has actually held the distinction of having the highest murder rate in the country.

  One sunny summer afternoon, my wife was driving home from class when a tire blew out on her car in one of the worst areas of Youngstown.  She called me at the church in Salem, and I immediately began racing the 35 miles to where she was stranded.  As she waited, she saw a car full of young thugs slow down and begin to circle back.  Just then, a young man in a pickup truck pulled up behind her and offered to change her tire.  When he finished the job, she offered to pay him.  The young man said, “No, ma’am.  I won’t accept any money for this.  I only hope that if the same thing happened to my wife, someone would stop and help her as well.”  And then he drove off.  We never found out who he was.

  A coincidence is something that happens purely by accident.  Providence is something that we believe occurs by the hand of God.  Was this incident merely coincidence, or was it providence?  Inscape tells us that this incident was providence.  Inscape tells us that this incident was clearly the hand of God.

  Ladies and gentlemen, this is the wisdom of God that Paul wants us to share with the world.  Life is not just about solving problems and acquiring all that we can.  Life is about fulfilling the purpose of God.  God is all around us.  We see that if we possess inscape.  The task is to see everything in relation to God – to see all the shadows and colors and tones working together – to bring God’s great purposes to pass. 

  Inscape is seeing the trials and tribulations of our lives leading us to a brighter tomorrow.  Inscape is seeing the person on the street begging for a handout as an angel in disguise.  Inscape is seeing that person everyone pokes fun at in the hallways at school as a child of God who could use a friend.  Inscape is putting on the eyes of God and seeing the world as God sees the world.

  As Paul says, the church is called to make God’s wisdom known to the world.  We see the wisdom of God when we possess inscape.  We see the wisdom of God when we learn to see the world as God sees the world.  And God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.  Amen.

 

07-08-2012 Sermon by The Rev. Larry Peters

 

SOME OF LIFE’S INSTRUCTIONS

Rev. Larry Peters

July 8, 2012

 

Mark 6: 1-13

 

  I want to begin by thanking God, and thanking you for allowing me to preach in this great church.  I am truly thankful for the opportunity that has been given me to worship and to serve among you.  Who would have thought that a United Methodist minister from West Virginia would be here?  I want to tell you that I appreciate Meadville, the First Presbyterian Church of Meadville, and you who are important to both the life of this community and to the life of this church.

  I appreciate the wonderful Staff, and Pastor Brian and Pastor Kate.  I am aware that I am here at a difficult time following her unexpected death.  I think it would be right for me to say that I am not here to replace Pastor Kate.  No one can do that.  Her unique gifts and graces for ministry and in service to this church and community will always be remembered and cherished.  I hope to be able to add what I can bring, to participate and in some ways help to lead in the wonderful ministry that you are already doing, and that together we will continue to do.  I am excited about walking with you along the faith journey that God has prepared for us!

  Our Gospel lesson today tells of how we are on a spiritual journey, and also of a homecoming.  Where we pick up in the Gospels is at a place when Jesus left a certain place and went back to his hometown.  We are following Jesus on this journey.  As the Scripture say: (v.1) “He went back to his hometown, followed by his disciples.”  We follow Jesus because we want to learn from him.  A disciple is a student.  Jesus is our Teacher.  Later on in our lesson we will see how disciples become apostles.  An apostle is one who is sent forth in Jesus’ name and is given authority and is equipped in every way to do the work of the church.  As disciples we follow Jesus and learn from the Teacher.  We have gained certain instruction.  Then comes the time when Jesus sends us forth.  We become apostles.  Now is the time to live what we have learned.

  This sermon is about some of life’s instructions.  Upon building this sermon, I was at a loss of some of my favorite tools.  Last year at this time, my family and I had just left a certain place to come back to my hometown.  All our belongings followed on the bed of a U-Haul truck.  Our things are still mostly in storage.  So, the tools that I like - my notes, my books sermon starters and helps, were not to be found.  But, I do have the Bible - God’s instruction book for our life; and something else that seemed to draw my attention - a small paperback called: Life’s Little Instruction Book.  So while I was thinking of what to say, LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 695 says: DON’T WASTE TIME WAITING FOR INSPIRATION.  BEGIN, AND INSPIRATION WILL FIND YOU.

  Jesus returned to his hometown, the place where he grew up, and one day began to teach in the local church.  There were many people there - but it is not certain what they expected to hear; or who, exactly, they expected to see.  “They were all amazed” (v.2); but it was not the kind of amazement upon which they would build their faith and confidence.  Their amazement led to questions and doubts, and they rejected him and what he had to say.  Why?

  If I may refer to an article in the Meadville Tribune about a week ago with the title and question:  Does Quitting Church Make Sense?, the writer addresses some problems facing the church.  We are reminded that church attendance has declined, as the writer says, “to the point of shock and disbelief.”  Many are turning away from the church.  But is there a good reason to give up on church?  Does quitting church make sense?  Has church become too boring?  Will it cost us too much to go? - too much of our time, too much of our money, too much effort?  Should we expect to be entertained at church?  Should we expect that church not ask anything of us?

  What will it take for people to want to come, and want to stay, and want to be part of church?  Jesus himself could not satisfy the people.  And what’s more, the church finds itself in a position where nothing can be done.  The Gospel message is not received; prophets, preachers, Sunday School teachers, all those who witness to the Word of God are not respected.  Religion and faith values are not found in most homes and families, not welcome in our communities; there is little healing of health related sickness, social, emotional and spiritual sickness.  Then is it any wonder, we are amazed that no great miracles are able to be performed?!

  Jesus was not able to perform any miracles in such a place - and not because of any lack of power on his part to do mighty works, but because the people would not believe.  They rejected Jesus; they gave up on church.  They would not participate in the work the church does - because it’s not entertainment.  They would not participate in the life and ministries of the church - because it costs too much.  The truth is, we cannot afford to let go of what is really important!  The point the writer makes in this newspaper article of last week is that we can go on making all the excuses we want - but nothing justifies the abandonment of the closeness to God that church makes real to us; for to do so would be to deprive ourselves of eternal joy and happiness.  Not happy now? - wait until you’ve given up on God.

  But the Gospel is good news; and the good news is that God does not give up on us!  Even when we turn away, God’s love remains steadfast!  LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 43: NEVER GIVE UP ON ANYBODY.  MIRACLES HAPPEN EVERYDAY.

  While Jesus was greatly surprised because the people did not have faith (v.6), he does not give up - in fact this leads to a great new revelation of what our Lord God intends to do.  Where he was teaching in church, and there he was rejected - he would go to the villages around there (v.6) still teaching the people.  He would make disciples of people; people who would be devoted to following him; people who would trust, have faith and believe - people who would be the church.  It is interesting that Jesus could not do this work in the church - he would bring his message to others, and this work he would not do alone.  LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 368: BE QUICK TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE WHO HELP YOU.

  Jesus called the original twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two.  We should know that we are never in this alone.  There are others of like-faith who will stand beside us, those who will go with us and do a great work.  This is the beginning of a great apostolic movement.  Something is happening now.  Disciples are being sent out.  They are now apostles sent by Jesus.  In fact, Jesus goes with us.  Remember as he says: (Matt. 18:20) “When two or more come together in my name, I am there with them.”

  Jesus is with us!  We have his promise!  We have his blessing!  We are sent, which means Jesus commissions us to do a specific work and in a specific way.  Notice how specific Jesus is when instructing those disciples to go and not take anything with them.  It is enough that we have Jesus Christ!  We are to be identified by others as a people totally reliant on our Lord God.  Our God gives us what is needed for the journey, and for our witness and work.  And what is that work? - to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

  We are disciples making disciples.  We are to tell others of the Good News of Jesus Christ; that he is our only hope, our only means of salvation.  We are to preach and to teach how people are to repent and turn from their sins and return to God.  This is our spiritual healing.  We are to lift up, comfort and reassure one another in Christ; and in Christ’s name we are to beat the Devil!  This is what Jesus authorizes us to do!  Jesus gives us the authority!  If anyone should ask by what authority we do these things - it is by the authority that Christ gives us!  LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 346: BE BOLD AND COURAGEOUS.  AND NO. 183: LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT YOU STAND FOR - AND WHAT YOU WON’T STAND FOR.

  And witness in a way that lets people know that you and the Lord God who sent you are for real.  As disciples making disciples, we are helping others to build a relationship with God, and with other believers.  So LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 83 is: IN ALL RELATIONSHIPS, REMEMBER THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TRUST.  Let God help you to learn ways to build trust among people and to break down the barriers that separate one from another.

  Here are some more of life’s instructions.  LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 20: BE FORGIVING OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS.  What causes people to stumble before they even really get started on their walk of faith is that they have not really come to understand or accept that they are forgiven.  If we do not proclaim the truth, as it is written in our bulletins every Sunday, that in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven - then we are powerless to forgive anyone else.  We don’t know what forgiveness is.  So the place to start is to ask God to show you how much you are loved, how much you are forgiven - and then you can love and forgive others.

  Remember, God does not call us to be perfect before we engage in mission and ministry, but by doing it - the more perfect we become.  Put all things in perspective.  LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 267: LIE ON YOUR BACK AND LOOK AT THE STARS.  I plan on doing this with my children this summer.

  LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 68: BE BRAVE.  EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT, PRETEND TO BE.  NO ONE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE.  You are headed into new territory.  Boldly go where no one has gone before!  I’ve always wanted to say that like Captain Kirk!  God is saying; “Behold, I make all things new;” and our message is that “God is making all human beings his friends through Christ” (2 Cor. 5:18-19).  Friends, when meeting someone LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 16 says BE THE FIRST TO SAY, “HELLO.”  And NO. 717 says REMOVE YOUR SUNGLASSES WHEN YOU TALK TO SOMEONE.  Remember, you are removing barriers.  You want to build trust.  You are letting people see the real you.  You are bringing them into relationship.  Look them in the eye, and let them be able to do the same with you.

  LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 396: NEVER GIVE ANYONE FRUITCAKE.  Give them the very best of yourself.  Once, I remember, my aunt sent me a fruitcake when I was in the Air Force.  She had good intentions, of course, but after tasting it I tried giving it away - but there were no takers.  Friends, what we have to share with others is God’s Word.  We have the testimony of the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  God has given the very best.  We’ve tasted it.  We know it to be very good; and there are others who are hungry for it.  Jesus says, “You feed them.”

  And while there is no end to God’s goodness and what can be said about it, in the words of a former professor of preaching at seminary - “one should leave some for another sermon”, or as LIFE INSTRUCTION NO. 362 says: KNOW WHEN TO STOP TALKING.

 

06-24-2012 Camp Sunday Message by Stephanie Claspy

 

 

CHANGE…BUT YET STILL THE SAME

                        By Stephanie Claspy

   How many of you remember what a milkman was?  For those of you who don’t this is 100% true, I am not making this stuff up.   A man actually used to show up at your house (sometimes in the middle of the night) and leave milk for your family in something called a milkbox that sat on your front porch!!!!

  Does anyone remember life before cell phones?   Houses used to have 1 telephone and families often had something called a party line.  I am told this was a line shared by up to 5 other families and you had to wait for the line to be free before you could use it.  You could even listen in on their calls without them knowing it!!!!!  Does anyone here remember those days?

  I know we all remember the days of gas prices being much lower but how many of you actually remember when you could fill your tank for $5???? 

  Television I am told consisted of usually 3 or 4 channels and was only in black and white and you actually had to get up and walk over to the TV to turn it on and off and change the channel.  There was no cable or internet and most houses had some type of antenna on top of their house.

  We have all adapted to the way we get our milk, buy our gasoline, watch television and God help us, what would we do if we couldn’t locate our cell phones????

  So, are you a person who invites change and adapts to it?  Or are you one who resists change and despises it?   Change is inevitable and how we deal with it can often define us.   Sometimes we adjust to change very easily and after a short while we can’t even remember what it was like prior to the change taking place.

  Every family faces changes as the years go by.  For example, I am only 20 years old but not so many years ago, I was peddling my bicycle as fast as I could trying to keep up with my 2 big brothers and be just like them (this included playing ice hockey).    Today my brother Chris lives in Pittsburgh and Manages a bank.   Ryan who used to terrorize every teacher he had from elementary school, to middle school, to high school, just finished Grad school and believe it or not, is looking for a job as a teacher…..   My dad a few short years ago had hair…. And it was dark.   Today?  Well let’s just say his hair is thinning.   My mom never dreamed she would have to battle breast cancer while raising her children.   Thank God, that is a battle she has been winning for the last 10+ years.  And my Grandma Claspy a few short years ago was full of life and laughter.   When I was young she would gladly hang my drawings on her refrigerator and tell all her friends who the drawings were from.    A few years ago she developed Alzheimer’s and soon stopped speaking and for that matter didn’t even know I was her grand-daughter.  In January God took my Grandma home. 

   My stories are not that much different probably from most families.   Everyone deals with the changes life has in store for them.  It is part of who we are as a people.   So why am I up here in front of you today talking about change?   Yes today is camp Sunday.   Traditionally the Sunday following the conclusion of camp, the Staff takes part in the service.  This year it only seems appropriate to make change part of our discussion.   So where do I begin?   Since the conclusion of camp last Summer the following changes were front and center of our Summer Youth Camp.   First, my brother Ryan stepped down as Director.   Yes I am a bit biased since he is my brother, but he was an amazing Director.  He had a passion for this camp and would not take no for an answer when it came to camp.  He left some incredibly large shoes to fill.   In addition, we had a large turnover with Staff.  Over 70% of this years’ staff was either new or in a new position. If you don’t think that created some challenges, I can tell you it did.   Another change was that of changing the name of the camp.  After several years of discussion it was agreed that the word Evolution may not have been the best choice when deciding on the name for Camp a few years back.   So a new name / “Experience the Journey” was born.   So let’s recap…. We had to find a new Director to fill very large shoes,  had almost entirely new Staff to lead the campers, and hope our name recognition wouldn’t suffer with a new name for camp….  Oh, I forgot one other minor change….. Our budget was cut by more than 50%.  

  So where do you start with all these changes square in your face?   There is only one place to start.  GOD.   No matter how drastic the changes are that we are faced with, God doesn’t change.  He is the one constant in all of this.  Sometimes when you look around and nothing seems to look familiar, that is the best time to remember the most steadfast friend we have and who is always there.  He never gives us more than we can handle as people.   It isn’t always easy and it isn’t always clear to us but that is the beauty of how we grow as Christians.  So let’s take a look at how God has been a constant this year for Experience the Journey.  

  Yes, I am a new Director, but I had a huge advantage of seeing first-hand how Ryan did certain things / as well as all the behind the scene work he did prior to camp.   Much of the staff may have been new or in new positions this year, but even Brian Jensen was a rookie Preacher once upon a time.   This year’s Staff was amazing and no doubt had the Holy Spirit working through them with these kids.  Sometimes when so many are new, a group can bond together towards a common goal.  This year the staff came together in amazing ways.   The name change????  Well the name may have changed, but the message remained the same.   Jesus is front and center in all that we do and HE gets the Glory.  Our mission continues to be introducing these kids to more and more about Jesus.  

  That brings us to the budget.  The CE Committee had some rather difficult discussions and decisions to make, and our purse strings were tied somewhat.   We were facing turning campers away and cutting back to one week and eliminating programs as a potential budget solution.  In the end, we were forced to cut a few corners and look for some ways to cut some costs or do things a little different.     The economy has been tough on a lot of people so I decided I did not want to get up in front of you and do a minute for mission asking for money.  Instead I asked Mary to just put a note in the bulletins each week letting you know if you were able to sponsor camp in anyway, we would be greatly appreciative.   Well....the response was amazing.  Without a pressured sales pitch, you supported camp financially at a record level.   No camp programs were cut, the camp remained a two week event, and to these kids, they probably had no idea anything changed…. (except I am a little shorter than my brother and a lot better looking).   The best part though was that every family that applied for a scholarship received one.  On behalf of all the campers, the CE Committee, the Staff, and myself…. Thank-you!!!! 

  But before I give you all the credit, I truly believe God (that one constant) was hard at work here.   He continues to do some of his best work through all of you here at First Presbyterian. 

Finally, as I was preparing this message and thinking about change, I thought back to two years ago when Ryan stood up here and asked all the kids under 21 to stand.  He told all of us that these kids (including myself) were the future of the Church.   That same message has been and will continue to be delivered to every generation of youth.  Yes the names and faces of our youth change as time goes by, but this church has been very blessed over the years with how some of our youth have grown into adults. It has been the commitment to them that all of you have shown as you have nurtured them.  Not so many years ago many of you remember when Miles O’Shea and Pete Hosick were roaming these halls heading to Sunday School?   Times change… Sort of!!!  Miles is still roaming the halls of education but now that is at MASH where he is using his talents to teach the youth.  I understand Pete Hosick is working on his Doctorate and planning to teach our youth at a University level.  Having strong Christian Men in teaching positions, sounds pretty good to me. 

  And how about Mike Kilburn?  Has he experienced change in his life?  Not so many years ago he was in an orphanage in Russia.   God brought him to Meadville PA and the Kilburns and to First Presbyterian, and now he pays back his good fortune by serving in the Armed Forces of our Country.  No make that HIS Country…..

   And let’s not forget Joel DiAngi who was just a big kid himself when just a few years ago he was assisting our youth group.  Today you can walk across town and listen to him preach to his own Congregation.  

  There are so many more success stories of our youth here at First Presbyterian.  They all experienced changes growing up here but they too found God to be a constant in their lives and he continues to be that today for them as they work to make the world a better place.

  And for me…. Yes my brothers and I have grown up and our lives have changed.  But we are still family and remain close.  My Mom may have gone through the toughest battle of her life a few years back, but I now know where my strength will come from when I need it.   And yes my Grandma Claspy may be gone, but God promises she is now at peace and I will see her again.  

With so much change in the world it is such a comfort to know that God will always be that one constant. 

  Thank you for helping all of us at Experience the Journey deliver the love of Jesus Christ to these children.   AMEN.