Attributes of A New Church: 3 Vision-ary

As I look around, it seems to me that we so desperately need a loud, effective, articulate voice for a world where all share in living life to the fullest.

You and I have an important part to play in this idea of keeping Jesus’ vision alive.

A faithful Christian church is uniquely situated to bring a vision of a different way of seeing and doing to the world around us.


Attributes of A New Church:
    #1.  Christ-ian
    #2.  Faith-full
    #3.  Visionary   


Last week we celebrated 85 years of ministry in Christ’s name here in Drexel Hill. 

When I look at the history of this church I am taken back by the witness of tremendous faith by so many over the years.

And, over the church’s history it’s mission and it’s congregation changed several times.
And, through the years, often when things began to look the bleakest – 
for the world around them, as well as for their church – 
the believers here re-thought what their church should be and do, 
and rededicated themselves to bring the new reality into being.

At this point in our church history we have an opportunity to look ahead and come up with a redesign – a new plan – as to what our church might be and do in the years ahead,

So, for the first few weeks of this new year, I have putting together some thoughts on just what the  “attributes” of a new church might be.

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke about the first and foremost attribute that should be considered – that a church should be Christian.
(Not as obvious as it may sound since there are actually not many churches around that exhibit the qualities and ministry of the Christ that is given to us in our Holy Writings.)

[By the way, if you missed that first week’s sermon, or if you miss any in this series, you can access it from our website on the internet!]

So, the first attribute of a new church, I believe is that it should be Christ-ian.
And the second attribute should be that it be Faith-full.

I say that a primary church attribute is that it should be faithful, because all around us we see huge signs – billboard signs – that indicate that our culture is experiencing a crisis in faith –
that indicators are that we live in what could be called a faith-less society.

Since we (and all churches, really) are in the faith business, I think we need to address the issue of faith-lessness head on.

It seems to me that in a faith-less world, there is a need, more than ever, for a Faith-full church.
That is a church of faith-full people,
doing faith-full things.

So, it seems to me that a church in today’s world  should be both Christian and Faith-full –
and . . . . Visionary.

A faithful Christian church is uniquely situated to bring a vision of a different way of seeing and doing to the world around us.

Let me ask you, who would you identify as true “visionaries” in today’s culture?
Who would you say has had great influence on our lives –
     on the way we do things –
     on the way we see things –
     on the what we value –
     and don’t.

I think that most of us would be hard-pressed to come up the names of many people we would call truly visionary.

When Steve Jobs died many people (including me) called him a true visionary – a person who affected  the way most people in today’s world interact –
with I-phones, and I-pods, and I-pads, and I-books, I-whatevers.

I think the story of Bill Gates is the story another real visionary – one who saw an opportunity and came up with a way to make the new emerging field of personal computing accessible to every man, woman and child in this country and the world over.

Of course, within certain aspects of our society, there are certain people who have had a vision of what could be done and went on to develop the means to accomplish the task at hand.

But were are the visionaries from our faith?
Time was there are many people of vision who strove to make the world a better place –
we remember some of them:
the Presbyterian layman, John Wanamaker – who saw the need to bring faith stories to Philadelphia street urchins in the mid-19th century – starting a whole string of “Sunday schools” throughout West Philadelphia –
(As well as a unique market for merchandise - the first department store.)

There were the folks who envisioned a string of railroads crossing the country connecting centers of commerce to move goods and people efficiently and safely.
There were the folks who envisioned ways to communicate with newspapers, radio, television, and satellite services.

And before that there were the visionaries that provided the framework and design of our very country itself:
Benjamin Franklin
John Witherspoon
Thomas Jefferson
John Adams
And, even before that, people like William Penn and his vision of a peaceable kingdom –
a place where people of many races and religions could live together – 
all making a contribution to the common welfare of all.

But, were are the visionaries today?

Of course, I think the number one visionary of all time is the one we call Jesus of Nazareth.

Of course there were many visionaries in the faith prior to Jesus:
     there were the stories of Moses,
     and David,
     and Jeremiah,
     and Isaiah,
     and Ezekiel,
     and so many others.

Jesus acknowledged the vision of all of these people who had gone before.
In fact, the Gospel of Luke relates that at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry he placed himself squarely in the tradition of the visionaries of the faith, by reading from the Isaiah scroll in the synagogue of Nazareth:

(18)  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed
(19)  and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people."
And, then, the account is given that
Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and said to them, "This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read."

Jesus spent three years spreading throughout the land a vision of a different way of life,
     a different way of seeing things,
     a different way of valuing what is important and what is not:
     where neighbors are treated as family,
     where the last will be first,
     where the down-trodden get a break,
     where the poor have enough,
     where the sufferers will find consolation,
     where compassion is the basis for human interaction,
     where a person’s welfare takes precedent over laws and regulations and rules.

And, of course, the vision Jesus promulgated struck a chord and spread throughout the known world in pretty short order.
People in all cultures,
in all sorts of circumstances,
resonated with Jesus’ vision of what life could be.

Jesus’ vision inspired believers throughout the years to work for  – and establish –
a better, fuller, life and way of living.

All over our country – and all over the world – believers established centers of learning,
hospitals,
benevolent communities, 
governments, 
and work-places.

Today, were is the vision of a better way to live coming from?

Sadly, I don’t see it coming from the church in any meaningful way.

We followers of Jesus,
we progeny of Jesus,
we decedents of Jesus,
are doing a pretty poor job of articulating
and promulgating
and demonstrating,
and enacting a vision of a different world in which the least are valued more than the haves,
where peace is valued more than war,
where neighbor is valued more than self.

We are an era now where it has been fashionable for our politicians to talk about their faith.
But, alas, to a person, whatever vision they see from their faith is one from the past –
not a vision of the future:
how things might be
rather than how things used to be.

I remember listening the radio as a child.
The stories of the Lone Ranger always began with the words:
“Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear . . .”
And, that’s I hear today from the politicians who talk about faith.
“Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear . . .”

Where is the person of vision who proclaims “move ahead with us now, to even more thrilling times to come?”

I have come to conclusion that Jesus really wouldn’t recognize much about the church as it is today,  as it has come to be.

The vision of the world promulgated by most Christians today,
and most churches,
has little to do with the vision of Jesus,
     where neighbors are treated as family,
     where the last will be first,
     where the down-trodden get a break,
     where the poor have enough,
     where the sufferers will find consolation,
     where compassion is the basis for human interaction,
     where a person’s welfare takes precedent over laws and regulations and rules.

And, as I look around, it seems to me that we so desperately need a loud, effective, articulate voice for a world where all share in living life to the fullest.

You and I have an important part to play in this idea of keeping Jesus’ vision alive.
You and can keep telling the stories of our faith to all who will listen.
You and I can keep treating other people we meet with the same respect we would expect –
and offer the same kind of help we would hope to receive from another when we are in need.
You and I can pray for a way that the church we know and love can put flesh on some of these notions of what a church could and should be in today’s world.
You and I can think of ways of designing and supporting the implementation and promulgation of Jesus vision – here and now.

Because we are here,  you and I are visionary people.
You and I strive to be faith-full people.
You and I are Christian people.

The world around us so desperately needs people like us,
the world around us so desperately needs a church like this,
I sincerely hope that we can figure out a way of effectively keeping the vision alive.

Amen.

The congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, experienced this sermon during a worship service February 19, 2012.

You Can Live Your Life to the Fullest:

Take Time for A Time Out - today and everyday from now until Easter.

It can be anytime - morning, noon, or night. 

It doesn't have to be along time - 2 minutes is enough.

But, it's important to take the time.

Jesus did.

Elijah did.

Countless numbers of people have in days past.

And it works.

It doesn't really matter what you do during the time out.

It is just important to take the time to take a time out.

To be still.

Be still and know that I am God, the Psalmist says.

Try it.

And give a listen to the Lenten song.

Celebrating 85 Years of Ministry in Christ's Name

The faith of the Presbyterians drove them to the new world.
The faith of the Presbyterians sustained them in their struggles with life in the new world.
The faith of the Presbyterians instructed them in leading the revolt against the King of England.
The faith of the Presbyterians led them to start a new endeavor in Drexel Hill that continues to this day.

Quite simply, we come here today to drink from the well dug by Presbyterians throughout the years. 


The story of their faith begins in Scotland at the beginning of the 18th century . . .


Isaiah 58:11-12
I Peter 2:3-9

On this very Sunday, 85 years ago – the first Sunday in February, 1927 – some 42 people gathered in the newly constructed “Chapel” –
yes, they called it the Chapel even then –
and were officially recognized and organized as a church by the Presbytery of Philadelphia of the United Presbyterian Church in North America.
It was the “birthday” of our church!

As we sit here, eighty-five years on, as the British say,
I find myself often thinking about those folks. 
They include people like Nason Clark’s parents:
A.J. and Catherine Clark.
Tom and Daphne Sharp
The Yeagers’
Tom and Melissa Dunlap
The Davidsons’
The McCombers’
and others.

These 42  people decided to keep the “charter roll” open until the end of the “church year”, April 6, the time of their annual congregational meeting.
And, by the end of those two months, a total of some 73  people had joined on to this new Christian endeavor in Drexel Hill.

Curiously, or maybe not, most of those folks – those pioneers – those first members of our church – had no Presbyterian background.
The pastor at the time, was constantly reminding the Session that the members had to be “trained in how to be a Presbyterian.”

For sure, those 42 people that first gathered this day 85 years ago had no idea what lay ahead for them.

In less than three years the bottom fell out of the economy and the whole country plunged into what we now call The Great Depression.

And, after a decade of depression, when most folks thought things could not get any worse, the country engaged in a world war fighting formidable foes on two fronts, draining the country and its people of the little resources on hand.

For those who did not live through the Great Depression and World War 2, it is hard to imagine what that was like. 
The public mood was affected so profoundly.
The mood, the attitude, the way you looked at life,
affected every household in the country.
And Drexel Hill was no different.

Construction of new homes halted soon after the new church was organized.
People had a difficult time subscribing to the church operating budget.
But, Session minutes and other documents of the time show that the prevailing attitude among the church-folks was there are so many homes yet to be built,
there are so many families yet to move in,
we need to hang on and to be here when they do.

And, just when things were looking up, [after 13/14 years]
new homes were started,
the church membership grew,
plans were made to better provide for the 453 members,
the cornerstone of the sanctuary was laid and construction started in the summer of 1941.

And, then the war came.
Construction stopped –
as it did all over the country –
as materials and skilled craftsmen and all available dollars were diverted to the war effort.

Again, the prevailing attitude around this church at the time was, we have to go on so we can be here when the boys come home –
so there will be a place they can bring families to as lives start anew.

To me, those folks displayed tremendous faith –
a faith that may be uniquely Presbyterian,
a faith that no doubt was taught here during those early years –
the first 20 or so years of this church’s life,
a faith that we need to know about,
a faith that we need to acknowledge and hold up and remember all our days –
because we can learn from it
and we can apply it to our lives as well,
and we can use it as they did.

The story of their faith begins in Scotland at the beginning of the 18th century.
For practical reasons,
for political reasons,
the Scottsmen took their faith very seriously –
far more seriously than, I dare say, any one in this room today.
For the Scotts at the beginning of the 18th century, their faith was a life-or-death matter.
To a person, they appeared ready to die to be able to express what they considered the “correct faith:”
a faith the Scotts bought in to – hook line and sinker.

When the British re-established the Anglican Church of England with the Monarch as the head of the church, the head-strong Presbyterians in Scotland rebelled. 
Wars were declared, battles were fought.
And, ultimately a treaty was drawn up to establish a Presbyterian place where they could live in peace and not have to cow-tow to the King of England in matters of faith.  

This place was in northern Ireland.
Hundreds of thousands of Presbyterians moved to northern Ireland to find a place where they could practice what they deemed to be their  God-given faith.

But, alas, there were other people in Northern Ireland. 
They had lived there for a couple hundred years,
and they were Roman Catholic.

As an example of the newly empowered Church of England’s hold over the monarchy,
laws were passed that required all officer holders – military and civilian – to be a part of the Anglican church. 
In all civil matters such as marriages and burials, the laws would no longer recognize the work of Presbyterian ministers.

Presbyterians were chided for living in sin,
and children labeled as illegitimate in the eyes of the law.

Presbyterian ministers began to promote emigration to American to be free from a state-run, or a papal-run, church.

In the single year of 1717, Presbyterian ministers led congregations numbering about 5000 to the new world.

Driven by drought, disease, and discrimination, waves of emigrants followed their example over the next 70 years.
Some 200,000 moved in short order.
The first U.S. census in 1790 identified the Scotch-Irish as the second largest white nationality group, after the English, in the country. 

And, most of them were Presbyterian.
And, most of them moved to Pennsylvania.
Compared to what they came from, life was good in Pennsylvania.
William Penn had insured religious guarantees in the Charter.
As part of a master plan, Penn’s secretary James Logan actively encouraged these new arrivals to move to the west and south of Philadelphia to establish a “buffer zone” between the city and the Tuscarora Indians to the West and the Maryland Catholics to the south. 

So, they came by the thousands and established homes and farms and businesses throughout Chester county.

So many of these Scotch-Irish Presbyterians came that there were simply not enough ministers.
A band of folks out near Oxford petitioned the Presbyteries back home in Scotland to send ministers. 

After twelve years of requests, two missionaries were finally sent.

The year was 1753 – 23 years before the declaration of Independence –
The Reverends Alexander Gellatly and Andrew Arnot were commissioned by the Presbytery of Kinross in Scotland to go to the new world and establish new churches among the emigrants.
And, that they did.

They organized the Presbyterian Church in Oxford in 1754 – one of the very first Presbyterian churches in the colonies.

This church prospered and gave witness and ministry in Christ’s name to the people of nearby communities for some 172 years!

By 1926 there were other Presbyterian churches in the area – including another one in Oxford – and the church realized their work was done.
They closed their doors, sold their property,
and the Presbytery bought land in the newly developing community of Drexel Hill. 

They built a building (this building) and called a pastor to come to Drexel Hill to organize a new church.

Like those folks that organized this church 85 years ago, those Presbyterians who migrated to this country in the early 1700's demonstrated a tremendous faith.

For them, their faith was a life-or-death matter.
They knew that God was the God all of life –
and each person had within them the innate ability to communicate with God directly –
that God was the Lord of the individual’s conscience –
and the sole revelation of things spiritual is found in the written word as promulgated as the Holy Bible.

Their whole understanding of church was organized around these principles. 
There were no bishops.
There were no popes.
There was no monarch that could interpret
matters of faith to them.

The faith of the Presbyterians drove them to the new world.
The faith of the Presbyterians sustained them in their struggles with life in the new world.
The faith of the Presbyterians instructed them in leading the revolt against the King of England.
The faith of the Presbyterians led them to start a new endeavor in Drexel Hill that continues to this day.

Quite simply, we come here today to drink from the well dug by Presbyterians throughout the years. 

But, every single Presbyterian in the past would be quick to remind us,
it was not the work of the Presbyterians –
it was the work of God.
Presbyterians were used by God in God’s work. 
It is not about us. 
It never was about us.

As you and I gather around the Lord’s Table today, let us remember the souls of all those who have gone before us. 
And let us pray that the same Spirit that was with them and guided them in their endeavors,
be with us and guide us to further give witness to the presence of Christ in the world around us today – in our days and times. 

Amen.

The congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, experienced this sermon during a worship service celebrating communion with the perfecter of our faith, Jesus, and with the saints of all the ages, February 5, 2012.

Attribute for A New Church: Faith-full

 I say that a primary church attribute is that it should be faithful, because all around us we see huge signs – billboard signs – that indicate that our culture is experiencing a crisis in faith –
that indicators are that we live in what could be called a faith-less society.

I would think that a church striving to be faith-full and Christian would be on the road to uniqueness in the world in which we live.
And, just perhaps, have impact among the folks around us.

Isaiah 44:21-26
2 Timothy 3:10-11a,14-15,4:7-8


So, I am convinced that every once in a while it does us good to go through an exercise of dreaming – in this case, dreaming about what it may look like if we could have an ideal church.
Over the past two or three years I have done of thinking and researching and, yes, dreaming of what our congregation might [could] look like in a few years if we were to embark on a plan to bring something new into being.

So, I thought it apropos to share some of these thoughts with you during these first weeks of the new year.
I am dwelling on what I think should be “attributes” of a new church.

Last week I spoke about the first and foremost attribute that should be considered – that a church should be Christian
(Not as obvious as it may sound since there are actually not many churches around that exhibit the qualities and ministry of the Christ that is given to us in our Holy Writings.)

[By the way, if you missed last week’s sermon, or if you miss any in this series, you can access it from our website on the internet!]

So, the first attribute of a new church, I believe is that it should be Christ-ian.
And the second attribute should be that it be Faith-full.

I say that a primary church attribute is that it should be faithful, because all around us we see huge signs – billboard signs – that indicate that our culture is experiencing a crisis in faith –
that indicators are that we live in what could be called a faith-less society.

It seems that everywhere we look we hear of folks who have lost faith in what I would call the organized church:

●    Just this weekend about 2000 Presbyterian ministers and laypeople from about 500 churches all over the country, met in Florida to hear a proposal to start a new Presbyterian denomination – separate and apart from the Presbyterian Church, USA – the church that we are a part of.
    There are a lot of people these days who have lost faith in the Presbyterian Church and think things would be better for them if they just started another Presbyterian Church.
   
●    Just this week we read that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia report that it in the last ten year period, they have experienced a loss of 33% in their school enrolment. 
    Church attendance is a fraction of what it was just ten years ago.
    There are fewer and fewer priests to serve the existing churches. 
    (St. Charles Seminary at City Line and Lancaster Avenues was built to house and train over 1,000 students to be priests.  And there are fewer than 70 there right now.)
    Clearer the catholic church is experiencing a crisis of faith. 
    More and more people have lost faith in their church.

●    It seems that somebody is publishing results of new studies almost every week that research the question “Why aren’t there more young adults in church?”
    This is a universal question that almost every denomination is experiencing these days. 
    There is a whole generation of 20 an 30-year olds who find the church irrelevant to their lives and they have nothing do to with church.  They have lost faith in the organized church.

A crisis of faith seems to be a universal experience in the culture around us.

Now, since we (and all churches, really) are in the faith business, I think we need to address the issue of faith-lessness head on.)

Long, long ago, The Kingston Trio sang a song called “Desert Pete”. 
It was a ballad that told the story of a traveler going through a desert when the sun became unbearable for him.
So he stopped to rest.
When he stopped, he noticed an old water-pump sticking up out of the desolate ground.

They sang:
I took it to be a mirage at first.
It'll fool a thirsty man.
Then I saw a note stuck in a bakin' powder can.
"This pump is old," the note began, "but she works. So give 'er a try.
I put a new sucker washer in 'er.
You may find the leather dry.

Chorus:
You've got to prime the pump.
You must have faith and believe.
You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive.
Drink all the water you can hold.
Wash your face, cool your feet.
But leave the bottle full for others.
Thank you kindly, Desert Pete.

Yeah, you'll have to prime the pump,
work that handle like there's a fire.
Under that rock you'll find some water I left in a bitters jar.
Now there's just enough to prime it with, so don't you go drinkin' first.
You just pour it in and pump like mad,
buddy, you'll quench your thirst.

Chorus

Well, I found that jar, and I tell you, nothin' was ever prettier to my eye
and I was tempted strong to drink it 'cause that pump looked mighty dry,
but the note went on,
"Have faith, my friend, there's water down below.
You've got to give until you get.
I'm the one who ought to know.

So I poured in the jar and started pumpin' 

and I heard a beautiful sound of water bubblin' 'n' splashin' up out of that hole in the ground.
I took off my shoes and I drunk my fill of that cool refreshin' treat.
I thanked the Lord,
and I thanked the pump,
and I thanked old Desert Pete.

The song was widely popular in the 60's and was understood by all to be a call to faith in an increasingly faith-less world.

Some twenty years ago, I heard a church referred to as “A Center of Faith.”
That description struck a chord in me, and for some 20 years now, I have referred to this church as “A Center of Faith in Drexel Hill.”

I am really not thinking of our church as a center of activities of faithful people – as it once was. 
I rather doubt that we will ever see the day when the local church functions as the center of a family’s life as it once did.

No, I think of A Center of Faith – as a place where folks can go to experience things of faith.
For me, to think of our church as A Center of Faith is to think of it as
    a place to talk about things of faith,
    a place to question one’s understanding of faith,
    a place to plan how one’s faith affects one’s actions,
    a place to act on one’s faith,
    a place to exercise faith,
    a place to hear the stories of our faith,
    and a place to be educated about faith and how it can impact our life.

A primary purpose of a church is that it is the keeper of stories of faith,
and a teller of stories of faith,
an encourager of personal stories of faith,
an, obviously, as an advocate of faith –
    an advocate for the underdog,
    an advocate for the underprivileged,
    an advocate for those without power or voice,
    an advocate for the hurting.

I have this cartoon that I have put on my facebook page.
It is a picture of little Calvin and his stuffed tiger friend, Hobbes, standing in a field.
And it’s a wide picture so we can see the horizon and they are standing there looking up at a dark blue sky emblazened with millions of stars.
It is clearly a moment of awe.
And there is a quote:
“I may not have ended up where I intended to go,
but I am sure I am where I am supposed to be.”

Now, for me, that is a statement of faith.
It shows a faith that everything is alright now.
Where I am now may not have been what I expected, but this is where I need to be.

It seems to me that in a faith-less world, there is a need, more than ever, for a Faith-full church.
That is a church of faith-full people,
doing faith-full things.

Seeing our church as A Center of Faith,
perhaps we begin to see different ways we can develop faith-full people.

And we become a faith-full church of faith-full people. 

I see a faith-full church telling the stories of our faith.
I see a faith-full church helping folks through difficult life-decisions.
I see a faith-full church focusing on needs of others.
I see a faith-full church giving visible forceful witness to justice and peace and caring issues as they occur in the world around us.
I see a faith-full church unafraid of what the future might bring – sure that it is doing what it needs to do.

I see people attending a faith-full church to meet with other faithful people,
to gain insight and strength and courage to be more faith-full.

Thinking about being a faith-full church in a faith-less culture can only be a healthy thing, it seems to me.
After all, isn’t that what Jesus called for. 
Didn’t Jesus encourage people to become for faith-full?
Isn’t that really what the parable about the mustard seed is about?
Isn’t that really what the story about moving mountains is really about?

The stories Jesus told seemed to resonate with the people he met.
The stories we have in the Bible seemed to have resonated with countless numbers of people through the ages.

But, if we seek to be a faith-full church of faith-full people, just maybe we need to come up with some new stores to resonate with the folks we meet.

Just maybe a church seeking to be known as a faith-full church of faith-full people would invite people to come up with new stories that would speak to the situation and needs of our culture.

You and I have internalized certain stories of faith that have spoken to us in the past,
and perhaps help us get through the difficulties we face,
and inform how we act with people around us.
Our faith is an important part of our lives.

What we have known,
what we do here,
is just too important to let go of.

Paul could write to his good friend Timothy:
continue in the truths that you were taught and firmly believe.
You know who your teachers were,
and you remember that ever since you were a child,
you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to a fuller life – fuller than you ever thought possible – a fuller life through the faith you profess.

A faith-full life.
A faith-full church.
A mission to develop faith-full people.
A witness to a faith-less culture.

So, perhaps we could be known as the place a person could go when they have questions about their faith,
when they have faith issues,
when they question the meaning of it all.

We all know someone who is known for their enthusiasm, don’t we?
While we tend to use the word to describe a person a little over the top, enthusiasm is a very good thing.
The literal meaning of enthusiasm is “God filled”.
An enthusiastic person exhibits the presence of God.

By extension, I suppose it could be said that
an enthusiastic person is a faith-full person.

Perhaps each of us could strive to be more faith-full
and work out just how we can exhibit more faith-full behavior.

That could only be a good thing right?

I would think that a church striving to be faith-full and Christian would be on the road to uniqueness in the world in which we live.
And, just perhaps, have impact among the folks around us.

Amen.

The congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, experienced this sermon during a worship service, January 29, 2012.