October 26, 2008 Message

Psalm 42:1-3; Ephesians 3:14-21; Matthew 4:18-22
“Intentional Faith Development”

Today we continue our series on the central mission of the church - making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world - based upon the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, a book by United Methodist Bishop Robert Schnase. The first two points of this series has been: 1) Christ’s gracious invitation through Radical Hospitality invites and welcomes us, and 2) God’s transforming presence in Passionate Worship opens our hearts to Christ’s pardon, love, and grace, creating in us a desire to follow. But being a follower of Christ involves growth. A sign in a gift shop reads, “Aging is inevitable, maturing is optional.” The same is true of our faith. Growing to be more like Christ requires more than weekly worship. This then brings us to the third point: Through Intentional Faith Development God’s Spirit works in us, over time, perfecting us in the practice of love as we grow each day in the knowledge and love of God.

Vibrant, fruitful congregations practice Intentional Faith Development.

Learning in a small group of people imitates the way Jesus deliberately taught his disciples. Isn’t that how Jesus did it? Didn’t his followers grow in their understanding of God and mature in their awareness of God’s will for their lives by listening to his stories, his instructions, and his lessons, while gathering around dinner tables, on hill sides, and at the Temple? Jesus modeled for his disciples, the early church, and all of us how faith should be developed. It is done in community, where two or more are gathered.

Paul encourages the followers of Christ to learn, grow, teach, and mature. He writes to the church at Ephesus saying, “I pray all of you will have the “power to comprehend… what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. It is important to Paul that they understand the scope of Christ’s love that is learned together in community. Later on (Ephesians 4:22,24) he tells them, faith isn’t something to “have” – something to possess – but rather something to grow into and strive toward. Put away your “former way of life, the old self and clothe yourself “with the new self.” We are changed and grow into this “new self” through the work of the Spirit. All this makes possible a deeper awareness of God’s presence and God’s will for our lives, and leads to an increasing desire to serve God and neighbor.

As we mature in Christ, God cultivates in us the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23), all of which are radically relational. That means they can only be learned in the presence of others. That is how Jesus revealed his self to the disciples and how he taught - in community, so we would learn to discover his presence in others, as well.

This growth in Christ spans a lifetime as our faith grows, changes and matures. And during this time our relationship with God is deepened. The notion of growing is central to Methodist practice. John Wesley called it sanctification – the maturing of our faith by the Spirit as we grow in Christ-likeness, moving closer to perfection and holiness. That is our destination, the goal we strive for – having the same mind in us that is in Christ.

The song “Day by Day” from the musical Godspell expresses the Christian disciple’s desire to grow in the grace of Christ and to grow daily in the knowledge and love of God. In this musical, Robin is the first of the group to commit to following Jesus when she sings, “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly day by day.” (Godspell, Stephen Schwartz, 1973) Isn’t that our desire as well?

But faith development doesn’t come easily or without effort. Wesley and the early Methodists realized that. Growth in faith requires placing ourselves in community to learn the faith with others. The early Methodists formed small covenant groups to study the Bible and grow their faith. They didn’t do it to make themselves better but rather to place themselves where God could shape and “perfect” them. It was in their small faith communities, they intentionally opened themselves to God’s Word and call to change.

Learning in community gives us a network of support, encouragement, and direction as we seek to grow in Christ. Wesley and the early Methodists knew that even before we did. They knew, as should we, that members of such groups are able to give and receive the care of Christ by praying for one another, supporting one another through periods of grief and difficulty, and celebrating one another’s joys and hopes.

The learning in community provides accountability for our faith journeys. We all have good intentions. We may even have good plans. But on our own, what we plan to do seldom works out. Therefore to be successful, it is critical that we covenant with others who share our same interests and goals. Other Christians, also growing in their faith, are a definite help in our own journey of discipleship. That’s why ministries of Christian education and formation, Bible study, and small groups are so important and why they are absolutely critical to the mission of our church to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

I really do think people are looking for occasions to fellowship and opportunities to learn about God, but they have trouble squeezing it into their lives. Because of that, churches may need to be more about adaptation and “thinking outside the box.” We need to be patient and not give up. As we consider what will be done, we will need to keep in mind that faith development is about relationships, that people are different - one size doesn’t fit all, and that what worked ‘then’ may not work ‘now’. How we do Intentional Faith Development may take different forms to include everyone.

Bible study changes churches. Bishop Schnase says, “When church leaders take their own spiritual growth seriously and immerse themselves in the study of scripture, in prayer, and in fellowship, they understand the purpose of the church and the point of ministry differently.” It’s critical that those in leadership positions are involved in a study group, either on Sunday morning or sometime during the week, so God’s Spirit can mold them into the leaders they need to be for this church and they have the proper grounding in faith necessary for making good deceisions.

As a church, we should be offering high quality adult Sunday School classes for learning and fellowship. We should also initiate and support during the week other opportunities for study and fellowship at varying times and places to make them as accessible and convenient as possible. Bishop Schnase says our goal should be to involve more than fifty percent of our weekly worship attendance in such groups.

Fruitful congregations not only provide new and varied small group ministries of learning and fellowship for long-term members, they also start new groups for new members, visitors and people not yet attending. Continually offering new opportunities for learning in community helps to assimilate people into the life of the church.

Fruitful congregations look to incorporate new technologies. They initiate e-mail, Listservs, IMs, blogs, Facebook and Twitter to communicate. They make sermons and special lessons available or downloadable on the Internet so that members, friends, and guests can read or listen to them on their own time.

Faith is formed through educational and task oriented small groups. Prayer, mutual care, and support of its members characterize such groups, formed around common interests. A culture of hospitality to welcome new people to the group is developed by its trained lay leadership and fellowship is a key component. It’s important to note also that these groups, regardless of their focus, are not limited to meeting in the church building. The mission of the church is to make disciples for the transformation of the world. For that to happen there must be small groups that actively engage those who take part.

When it comes to Christ, we all want “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.” The gracious welcome of Christ deepens our sense of belonging through our practice of Radical Hospitality. God turns our hearts and minds toward Christ through Passionate Worship, gracing us with the desire to follow Christ more nearly. The practice of Intentional Faith Development matures our understanding and experience of Christ so that we might “see Christ more clearly” and “love Christ more dearly.”

The good news for us today is that when we join a Bible study or task-oriented group in our church we place ourselves in a position for our hearts and minds to be transformed by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ, not Christ but like Christ. Learning with other Christians draws us closer together into the body of Christ and becomes a means of grace by which God touches us and calls us to action. Interior spiritual renewal and growth changes outward behaviors as following Christ becomes a way of life. The growing desire to serve Christ by loving our neighbor calls us to works of mercy, compassion, and justice. But that’s for another time.

Today we rejoice in knowing that intentional faith development helps us to “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.”

Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Robert Schnase, Abingdon Press, 2007, pp 59-78.