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.