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.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
October 19, 2008 Message
Isaiah 6:1-8; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 4:14-30
“Passionate Worship”
A number of years ago, the Smothers Brothers did a routine on TV that went something like this.
Dick asked, “What’s wrong, Tommy? You look unhappy.”
Tom replied, “I am! I’m worried about what’s happening in America.
Dick said, “Well, what bothers you about it? Are you worried about poverty and hunger?”
“Oh, no, that really doesn’t bother me.”
“I see. Well, are you concerned about the war?”
“No, that’s not a worry of mine.”
“Are you upset over the use of drugs by the youth?”
“No, that doesn’t bother me very much.”
Looking puzzled, Dick asked, “Well, Tom, if you’re not bothered by poverty and hunger, war and drugs, what are you worried about?”
Tommy replied, “I’m worried about apathy.”
There may be good reason for us to worry about people’s apathy or lack of interest, but there is definitely no lack of passion for some things.
The passion we have for sports in our society is evident almost everywhere. There are few things more important in this country than the World Series or the Super Bowl or March Madness. People will go crazy and do some strange things when their team is playing. They jump up and down, they scream and yell, they dress up in weird clothes on game day, and they paint themselves in team colors. They will drive hours to get to a game and then walk more than mile to the stadium where they will sit and stand for three hours in an open-air stadium in sub-zero temperatures to watch and cheer their team. We are passionate about our sports teams!
And beyond sports, as a society, we are passionate in our romantic relationships, about our hobbies, and certainly about “making money.” Political activists are passionate about this year’s candidates. And young people are passionate about the music they listen to or about “texting” their friends. We are surrounded by passion in every part of daily life. People are passionate about things that are really important to them.
So what does it mean when we add the word passionate in front of the term worship? Does it mean a high energy, emotional, loud, “over-the-top” kind of worship or one in which the people are simply excited and enthusiastic about being there? Of course it is the latter, a worship defined by those who are there. We could question whether United Methodist, or mainline Christians in general, are known for being passionate on Sunday mornings. We could even question whether we are that kind of church!
Yet when we look at our history, why aren’t we? After all, John Wesley, founder of “Methodism in the 1700’s,” was a passionate preacher. He led worship services full of excitement and enthusiasm, the kind people wanted to go to and take their friends. People believed God was present in those services, working to make their lives better. They looked forward to being there, ready to hear a word from the Lord, and prepared for the Spirit to move in unexpected ways. During worship then, they sang with great joy, they prayed earnestly, and they proclaimed passionately the Gospel.
Most Christians of the early Protestant movement were passionate worshipers, but something happened along the way. Perhaps we began believing it didn’t make all that much difference where we were at or what we were doing, we could still worship God. Or perhaps we thought why limit God to a certain place on Sunday morning - we can take God with us. And little by little, we lost our passion for worship. Wouldn’t it be great if we recovered the passionate worship of earlier years of our denominations history?
Passionate worship is alive, authentic, fresh, and engaging. Worship without passion becomes routine, boring, and predictable; it can lack the spirit, especially when persons come out of obligation rather than joy. Authentic worship is found in the experience of God’s presence, the desire for God’s Word; and in the seeking of a changed heart. Those participating, in Bishop Schnase’s words, “are actively engaged, genuinely connected, personally addressed, and deeply challenged.” There is a definite sense of community where people are welcomed and supported. And there is a real sense of belonging - even for the newcomer.
In our reading from Colossians, the apostle Paul connects God’s work on our behalf first to how we are to live our lives and then to how we are to worship when he writes, “Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives... With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” In gratitude for the work God has done in our lives, we live a faithful and moral life before Christ, all of which leads us to worship “with thankful hearts.” An important ingredient in passionate worship is genuine gratitude.
There is little passion in worship when people gather, not in gratitude to God, but in anticipation of receiving something from God. Worship is not about us; it is about God. Because of who God is we can show our gratitude and give glory to God – by our worship. Therefore we come to worship to give, not to receive.
And yet, we do receive something. An ever-generous God provides us with the word of help we need. But still that is not why we worship. It is never a matter of what we will get for our time on Sunday morning, rather that we come anticipating the same kind of experience as the psalmist who writes in Psalm 100: “Shout praises to the LORD, everyone on this earth. Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the LORD!” We worship so that we might give thanks to God.
Our worship, whatever it looks like, is to always be filled with joy and gratitude toward God. When it is not, then it runs the risk of being about us. And worship about us soon becomes routine, boring, and predictable. However, worship is never any of those things when it is about the God who makes all things new and who transforms all of life.
Christianity offers good news; our worship should offer the good news of Jesus Christ as well. In Jesus Christ, God has entered into our sorrows and takes us beyond our pain and hurt. That is why our response in worship is a joyous one. Worship helps remind us every week that the bad news of this world is not the end of the story; Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday. Our worship reflects the good news we have been given, and in those God-given moments, we express our deepest gratitude toward God.
Bishop Schnase also says, “God in Christ can change people’s lives through Passionate Worship. Worship stirs people’s souls, inspires them, and strengthens them. People are so impacted by passionate worship they cannot help but talk about it during the week.” Remember the “big” play in the game this past week – it could be any game, it doesn’t matter? Some of us will be talking about it for days. But will any of us be talking about today’s worship service a day or two from now or even this afternoon? Maybe - if you have been touched or moved or changed by what you have found here.
Our worship is crucial in “making disciples of Jesus Christ.” What this church has to offer in worship every Sunday cannot be gotten anywhere else – not from drinking coffee on Sunday morning while reading the newspaper, not from playing a perfect round of golf at Tara Hills, not even while hunting or fishing in the colorful setting of God’s creation. The good news of Jesus Christ found here makes all the difference in the world. Our offering ourselves completely to God during our worship does as well. That’s why people come - not the type of service we offer or the music we sing.
We come because God loves us… and for that, we are grateful. In our worship people will see those who love the Lord with all their heart soul, strength, and mind; and who love their neighbors as much as they love themselves. That’s how we are to worship God… in a way that no one will ever leave our sanctuary wondering, “So what?”
Such grateful worship is indeed passionate!
Based on a sermon by Allan R. Bevere, First United Methodist Church, Cambridge, Ohio.
“Passionate Worship”
A number of years ago, the Smothers Brothers did a routine on TV that went something like this.
Dick asked, “What’s wrong, Tommy? You look unhappy.”
Tom replied, “I am! I’m worried about what’s happening in America.
Dick said, “Well, what bothers you about it? Are you worried about poverty and hunger?”
“Oh, no, that really doesn’t bother me.”
“I see. Well, are you concerned about the war?”
“No, that’s not a worry of mine.”
“Are you upset over the use of drugs by the youth?”
“No, that doesn’t bother me very much.”
Looking puzzled, Dick asked, “Well, Tom, if you’re not bothered by poverty and hunger, war and drugs, what are you worried about?”
Tommy replied, “I’m worried about apathy.”
There may be good reason for us to worry about people’s apathy or lack of interest, but there is definitely no lack of passion for some things.
The passion we have for sports in our society is evident almost everywhere. There are few things more important in this country than the World Series or the Super Bowl or March Madness. People will go crazy and do some strange things when their team is playing. They jump up and down, they scream and yell, they dress up in weird clothes on game day, and they paint themselves in team colors. They will drive hours to get to a game and then walk more than mile to the stadium where they will sit and stand for three hours in an open-air stadium in sub-zero temperatures to watch and cheer their team. We are passionate about our sports teams!
And beyond sports, as a society, we are passionate in our romantic relationships, about our hobbies, and certainly about “making money.” Political activists are passionate about this year’s candidates. And young people are passionate about the music they listen to or about “texting” their friends. We are surrounded by passion in every part of daily life. People are passionate about things that are really important to them.
So what does it mean when we add the word passionate in front of the term worship? Does it mean a high energy, emotional, loud, “over-the-top” kind of worship or one in which the people are simply excited and enthusiastic about being there? Of course it is the latter, a worship defined by those who are there. We could question whether United Methodist, or mainline Christians in general, are known for being passionate on Sunday mornings. We could even question whether we are that kind of church!
Yet when we look at our history, why aren’t we? After all, John Wesley, founder of “Methodism in the 1700’s,” was a passionate preacher. He led worship services full of excitement and enthusiasm, the kind people wanted to go to and take their friends. People believed God was present in those services, working to make their lives better. They looked forward to being there, ready to hear a word from the Lord, and prepared for the Spirit to move in unexpected ways. During worship then, they sang with great joy, they prayed earnestly, and they proclaimed passionately the Gospel.
Most Christians of the early Protestant movement were passionate worshipers, but something happened along the way. Perhaps we began believing it didn’t make all that much difference where we were at or what we were doing, we could still worship God. Or perhaps we thought why limit God to a certain place on Sunday morning - we can take God with us. And little by little, we lost our passion for worship. Wouldn’t it be great if we recovered the passionate worship of earlier years of our denominations history?
Passionate worship is alive, authentic, fresh, and engaging. Worship without passion becomes routine, boring, and predictable; it can lack the spirit, especially when persons come out of obligation rather than joy. Authentic worship is found in the experience of God’s presence, the desire for God’s Word; and in the seeking of a changed heart. Those participating, in Bishop Schnase’s words, “are actively engaged, genuinely connected, personally addressed, and deeply challenged.” There is a definite sense of community where people are welcomed and supported. And there is a real sense of belonging - even for the newcomer.
In our reading from Colossians, the apostle Paul connects God’s work on our behalf first to how we are to live our lives and then to how we are to worship when he writes, “Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives... With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” In gratitude for the work God has done in our lives, we live a faithful and moral life before Christ, all of which leads us to worship “with thankful hearts.” An important ingredient in passionate worship is genuine gratitude.
There is little passion in worship when people gather, not in gratitude to God, but in anticipation of receiving something from God. Worship is not about us; it is about God. Because of who God is we can show our gratitude and give glory to God – by our worship. Therefore we come to worship to give, not to receive.
And yet, we do receive something. An ever-generous God provides us with the word of help we need. But still that is not why we worship. It is never a matter of what we will get for our time on Sunday morning, rather that we come anticipating the same kind of experience as the psalmist who writes in Psalm 100: “Shout praises to the LORD, everyone on this earth. Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the LORD!” We worship so that we might give thanks to God.
Our worship, whatever it looks like, is to always be filled with joy and gratitude toward God. When it is not, then it runs the risk of being about us. And worship about us soon becomes routine, boring, and predictable. However, worship is never any of those things when it is about the God who makes all things new and who transforms all of life.
Christianity offers good news; our worship should offer the good news of Jesus Christ as well. In Jesus Christ, God has entered into our sorrows and takes us beyond our pain and hurt. That is why our response in worship is a joyous one. Worship helps remind us every week that the bad news of this world is not the end of the story; Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday. Our worship reflects the good news we have been given, and in those God-given moments, we express our deepest gratitude toward God.
Bishop Schnase also says, “God in Christ can change people’s lives through Passionate Worship. Worship stirs people’s souls, inspires them, and strengthens them. People are so impacted by passionate worship they cannot help but talk about it during the week.” Remember the “big” play in the game this past week – it could be any game, it doesn’t matter? Some of us will be talking about it for days. But will any of us be talking about today’s worship service a day or two from now or even this afternoon? Maybe - if you have been touched or moved or changed by what you have found here.
Our worship is crucial in “making disciples of Jesus Christ.” What this church has to offer in worship every Sunday cannot be gotten anywhere else – not from drinking coffee on Sunday morning while reading the newspaper, not from playing a perfect round of golf at Tara Hills, not even while hunting or fishing in the colorful setting of God’s creation. The good news of Jesus Christ found here makes all the difference in the world. Our offering ourselves completely to God during our worship does as well. That’s why people come - not the type of service we offer or the music we sing.
We come because God loves us… and for that, we are grateful. In our worship people will see those who love the Lord with all their heart soul, strength, and mind; and who love their neighbors as much as they love themselves. That’s how we are to worship God… in a way that no one will ever leave our sanctuary wondering, “So what?”
Such grateful worship is indeed passionate!
Based on a sermon by Allan R. Bevere, First United Methodist Church, Cambridge, Ohio.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
October 12, 2008 Message
Genesis 18:1-8; Romans 15:7; Luke 7:36-47
“Radical Hospitality”
This morning marks the seventh day of our 35-day church-wide initiative based on The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. And this is the first of five weekly sermons focusing on each of those practices. If you haven’t already done so, you can pick up a copy of the devotional booklet Cultivating Fruitfulness after the service. Read it with your family each day; be part of a study group this week to discuss the five practices; or simply be here each Sunday morning to hear the sermon. These are definite ways you can participate in response to God’s call to be an active member in the body of Christ.
We believe that, as a church, we are created by God to be the body of Christ in this community and in the world. We have everything we need to participate in the mission of the church: to make disciples of Jesus Christ, helping people connect with God in ways that change individual hearts and relationships – even change groups of people.
We believe that God has created this church to participate in this mission of discipleship and transformation in distinct ways. We are not exactly like other churches. We are unique in our gifts and graces needed to fulfill this mission. Our vision is that we will live our individual and communal lives the way Jesus would live them if he were here.
We believe that this season of church-wide study and worship is absolutely vital for our congregational vision and life. It provides an opportunity for us to learn a common language and to consider how God continues to call and equip us for ministry beyond these walls into our communities and even the world.
In his book, Robert Schnase identifies five characteristics that are consistently and persistently practiced in congregations that are vibrant, fruitful, and growing: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking Mission & Service, and Extravagant Generosity. As we learn more about these practices each week, we will want to remember that our practice of each one emerges from our understanding of who we are and the particular time and place in which we live.
In fact, that is our question for today: Given who we are as a unique congregation, how can we demonstrate radical hospitality?
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Bishop Schnase says we demonstrate hospitality by our “active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ.” For this hospitality to be radical, we are called beyond a warm friendliness to a willingness to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of others. Melissa Bailey-Kirk, United Methodist pastor of Chesterfield, Missouri tells this story:
A teenager entered the sanctuary of a church. His parents were members of the church, in fact, they were there every time the doors opened! In his mind, they were there too much. As he slumped down in the very back pew, as far away from the altar as possible, he pulled his ball cap down over his eyes, dropped his head into his hands and settled in for a nap. He thought to himself, “Why am I here? I’d rather be anywhere than here. Church was such a drag—to his way of thinking, only focused on its own survival and uninterested in people like him.
Just as he was about to go to sleep, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at the face of a woman he did not know. Great, he thought, I must be in her seat. She can have it! I’m going home.
But she didn’t ask him to move. She simply placed a bag of butterscotch candies in his hand and said, “I’m so glad you’re here this morning. I bought this for you because I heard that you really like butterscotch. I do, too! There aren’t many of us around.”
He didn’t open that bag of butterscotch for a long time. In fact, he hung it on the wall of his bedroom right beside his heavy metal posters, his guitar, and his poems of emptiness and longing. For him, a reminder of grace and a sign of Radical Hospitality.
Years later, and in his early twenties, that same young man entered a different church. He was okay with being there, although he wasn’t there for the sermon or the music. He was there because a close friend had asked him to come for a special day. He had got up early, showered, put on his blue jeans and a T-shirt, and pulled back his long hair, anchoring it with a ball cap.
As he stood outside the sanctuary, waiting for his friend before going in, he heard someone say. “Young man.”
He turned and extended his hand in greeting, but was surprised when his hand was ignored.
In fact, he was speechless when the person behind the voice continued. “Young man, you either need to take off your hat or leave the building.”
The truth of our humanity is that we each have the capacity to be the butterscotch lady or the hat man, to be hospitable or not. Within us, we have the ability to be warm and open to those for whom church is a foreign and strange land, even when their values or thoughts about church are different from our own. Yet sadly, we also have inside us the ability to withhold hospitality in order to protect what we incorrectly imagine to be “our own”—our own church, our own class, our own place.
During the First Century, the apostle Paul wrote to the Christian Church in Rome about various aspects of church life through the lens of this basic truth: Our salvation—the possibility of our living liberated lives—is tied to our faithful response to God’s prior act of grace. At the end of his letter to the Church in Rome, Paul addresses the issue of hospitality, particularly as it relates to the inclusion of those who come with different backgrounds, stories, beliefs and practices. What does Paul tell them? He writes:
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7).
What would it mean for our congregation to welcome the stranger in the same way that Christ welcomes us? What would it mean for us to tie our acts of hospitality to our response to God’s gracious activity in our daily lives and in the world?
Chances are it would mean we are to be radically invitational in every part of church life. Radical hospitality means we invite others to what we do in our church. There are amazing, life-giving and life-changing things going on in our church. Maybe you have experienced them for yourself in this congregation and your life has been enriched, your faith deepened. How then will those who are strangers experience those things unless someone, like you, invites them to what our community of faith is doing here?
Have you ever invited someone who is not part of a congregation somewhere to a service, ministry, or activity of this church? If so, how did it feel? If not, what kept you from inviting them?
You are here this morning because someone at some time or another invited you to experience some part of church life. Perhaps, you came for the first time with your parents, as many of us do, but even then someone invited you later on to become more involved. Praise God for that person! Give thanks for their courage and hospitality, and pray that God shows you how to extend the same genuine invitation to someone else.
Radical Hospitality involves extending an invitation. And when those invitations are accepted, welcome to what we do in our church follows. Welcome can be found in a lot of things - such as fellowship time, in our greeters, when we introduce ourselves to newcomers, and in answering their questions, just to mention a few.
Do you remember walking into this congregation for the very first time? What was it like? Who was it that reached out and welcomed you?
The ministry of welcome is something that belongs to all of us, and it belongs in every room and corner this building—as well as in every gathering, every activity and every service project of this church that move us beyond these walls. Radical hospitality means we welcome others to what we do in our church.
Radical Hospitality includes invitation and welcome, which are so important. And yet, some of us can remember times, perhaps during a worship service or a Sunday school class, maybe during a service project or mission - when we have felt totally excluded or ignored or at best tolerated. We were definitely the outsider. Who wants to go back after that? How can we explore faith in God, how can we become a disciple of Christ, when the community representing God is closed and there seems no room for anyone else?
Bishop Schnase points out there are times when a church’s greatest strength can in fact be an obstacle to radical hospitality. The very things we celebrate - friendship, intimacy, and love for one another – can often get in the way of including others. He says people get so comfortable, form such close relationships, in the group they are in at church that there may not be room for others. If that is the case, we will need to mix things up a bit. Maybe even change our behaviors and attitudes so the circle can be opened up to make room for others. Radical hospitality means we include others in what we do in our church.
Radical Hospitality calls us to be invitational, welcoming, and inclusive in every area of spiritual life. Radical Hospitality also calls us to support others, perhaps in new ways, as they explore a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Pastor Bailey-Kirk uses the phrase “tummy-time” to illustrate this point in a similar message. Tummy time, she says, allows babies who are put to sleep on their backs adequate time during the day to help them find their heads, to use different muscles, to develop awareness and muscles that aren’t developed when they are on their backs. She went on to say, “As persons discover a safe faith community, they need to be supported in their unique faith development. People need safe and open spaces for spiritual exploration. Some newcomers will need tummy-time. Others will need to practice back-time. Some will simply need to be held for a bit.” Radical hospitality means we support others by what we do in our church.
As a fruitful congregation, we can demonstrate Radical Hospitality by our invitation, welcome, inclusion, and support. Ours would be an invitation that is more than sincere, a welcome that goes beyond a smile, inclusion that exceeds filling vacant seats, and support that extends beyond emergencies and crisis.
Becoming a fruitful, vibrant, and growing congregation may require nothing less than adaptive change – a change of attitudes, practices, and values. Our growing expression of Radical Hospitality will call for a change in our behaviors in order to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of others - not only on Sunday morning but throughout the week as we engage in the making of disciples for Jesus Christ. What then might those things be… and how are we going to do them? Those are the questions we must answer if…
We are to welcome others as radically as Jesus the Christ welcomes us.
Based on a sermon, “Opening the Circle” by Melissa Bailey-Kirk, United Methodist Church of Green Trails, Chesterfield, Missouri
“Radical Hospitality”
This morning marks the seventh day of our 35-day church-wide initiative based on The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. And this is the first of five weekly sermons focusing on each of those practices. If you haven’t already done so, you can pick up a copy of the devotional booklet Cultivating Fruitfulness after the service. Read it with your family each day; be part of a study group this week to discuss the five practices; or simply be here each Sunday morning to hear the sermon. These are definite ways you can participate in response to God’s call to be an active member in the body of Christ.
We believe that, as a church, we are created by God to be the body of Christ in this community and in the world. We have everything we need to participate in the mission of the church: to make disciples of Jesus Christ, helping people connect with God in ways that change individual hearts and relationships – even change groups of people.
We believe that God has created this church to participate in this mission of discipleship and transformation in distinct ways. We are not exactly like other churches. We are unique in our gifts and graces needed to fulfill this mission. Our vision is that we will live our individual and communal lives the way Jesus would live them if he were here.
We believe that this season of church-wide study and worship is absolutely vital for our congregational vision and life. It provides an opportunity for us to learn a common language and to consider how God continues to call and equip us for ministry beyond these walls into our communities and even the world.
In his book, Robert Schnase identifies five characteristics that are consistently and persistently practiced in congregations that are vibrant, fruitful, and growing: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking Mission & Service, and Extravagant Generosity. As we learn more about these practices each week, we will want to remember that our practice of each one emerges from our understanding of who we are and the particular time and place in which we live.
In fact, that is our question for today: Given who we are as a unique congregation, how can we demonstrate radical hospitality?
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Bishop Schnase says we demonstrate hospitality by our “active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ.” For this hospitality to be radical, we are called beyond a warm friendliness to a willingness to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of others. Melissa Bailey-Kirk, United Methodist pastor of Chesterfield, Missouri tells this story:
A teenager entered the sanctuary of a church. His parents were members of the church, in fact, they were there every time the doors opened! In his mind, they were there too much. As he slumped down in the very back pew, as far away from the altar as possible, he pulled his ball cap down over his eyes, dropped his head into his hands and settled in for a nap. He thought to himself, “Why am I here? I’d rather be anywhere than here. Church was such a drag—to his way of thinking, only focused on its own survival and uninterested in people like him.
Just as he was about to go to sleep, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at the face of a woman he did not know. Great, he thought, I must be in her seat. She can have it! I’m going home.
But she didn’t ask him to move. She simply placed a bag of butterscotch candies in his hand and said, “I’m so glad you’re here this morning. I bought this for you because I heard that you really like butterscotch. I do, too! There aren’t many of us around.”
He didn’t open that bag of butterscotch for a long time. In fact, he hung it on the wall of his bedroom right beside his heavy metal posters, his guitar, and his poems of emptiness and longing. For him, a reminder of grace and a sign of Radical Hospitality.
Years later, and in his early twenties, that same young man entered a different church. He was okay with being there, although he wasn’t there for the sermon or the music. He was there because a close friend had asked him to come for a special day. He had got up early, showered, put on his blue jeans and a T-shirt, and pulled back his long hair, anchoring it with a ball cap.
As he stood outside the sanctuary, waiting for his friend before going in, he heard someone say. “Young man.”
He turned and extended his hand in greeting, but was surprised when his hand was ignored.
In fact, he was speechless when the person behind the voice continued. “Young man, you either need to take off your hat or leave the building.”
The truth of our humanity is that we each have the capacity to be the butterscotch lady or the hat man, to be hospitable or not. Within us, we have the ability to be warm and open to those for whom church is a foreign and strange land, even when their values or thoughts about church are different from our own. Yet sadly, we also have inside us the ability to withhold hospitality in order to protect what we incorrectly imagine to be “our own”—our own church, our own class, our own place.
During the First Century, the apostle Paul wrote to the Christian Church in Rome about various aspects of church life through the lens of this basic truth: Our salvation—the possibility of our living liberated lives—is tied to our faithful response to God’s prior act of grace. At the end of his letter to the Church in Rome, Paul addresses the issue of hospitality, particularly as it relates to the inclusion of those who come with different backgrounds, stories, beliefs and practices. What does Paul tell them? He writes:
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7).
What would it mean for our congregation to welcome the stranger in the same way that Christ welcomes us? What would it mean for us to tie our acts of hospitality to our response to God’s gracious activity in our daily lives and in the world?
Chances are it would mean we are to be radically invitational in every part of church life. Radical hospitality means we invite others to what we do in our church. There are amazing, life-giving and life-changing things going on in our church. Maybe you have experienced them for yourself in this congregation and your life has been enriched, your faith deepened. How then will those who are strangers experience those things unless someone, like you, invites them to what our community of faith is doing here?
Have you ever invited someone who is not part of a congregation somewhere to a service, ministry, or activity of this church? If so, how did it feel? If not, what kept you from inviting them?
You are here this morning because someone at some time or another invited you to experience some part of church life. Perhaps, you came for the first time with your parents, as many of us do, but even then someone invited you later on to become more involved. Praise God for that person! Give thanks for their courage and hospitality, and pray that God shows you how to extend the same genuine invitation to someone else.
Radical Hospitality involves extending an invitation. And when those invitations are accepted, welcome to what we do in our church follows. Welcome can be found in a lot of things - such as fellowship time, in our greeters, when we introduce ourselves to newcomers, and in answering their questions, just to mention a few.
Do you remember walking into this congregation for the very first time? What was it like? Who was it that reached out and welcomed you?
The ministry of welcome is something that belongs to all of us, and it belongs in every room and corner this building—as well as in every gathering, every activity and every service project of this church that move us beyond these walls. Radical hospitality means we welcome others to what we do in our church.
Radical Hospitality includes invitation and welcome, which are so important. And yet, some of us can remember times, perhaps during a worship service or a Sunday school class, maybe during a service project or mission - when we have felt totally excluded or ignored or at best tolerated. We were definitely the outsider. Who wants to go back after that? How can we explore faith in God, how can we become a disciple of Christ, when the community representing God is closed and there seems no room for anyone else?
Bishop Schnase points out there are times when a church’s greatest strength can in fact be an obstacle to radical hospitality. The very things we celebrate - friendship, intimacy, and love for one another – can often get in the way of including others. He says people get so comfortable, form such close relationships, in the group they are in at church that there may not be room for others. If that is the case, we will need to mix things up a bit. Maybe even change our behaviors and attitudes so the circle can be opened up to make room for others. Radical hospitality means we include others in what we do in our church.
Radical Hospitality calls us to be invitational, welcoming, and inclusive in every area of spiritual life. Radical Hospitality also calls us to support others, perhaps in new ways, as they explore a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Pastor Bailey-Kirk uses the phrase “tummy-time” to illustrate this point in a similar message. Tummy time, she says, allows babies who are put to sleep on their backs adequate time during the day to help them find their heads, to use different muscles, to develop awareness and muscles that aren’t developed when they are on their backs. She went on to say, “As persons discover a safe faith community, they need to be supported in their unique faith development. People need safe and open spaces for spiritual exploration. Some newcomers will need tummy-time. Others will need to practice back-time. Some will simply need to be held for a bit.” Radical hospitality means we support others by what we do in our church.
As a fruitful congregation, we can demonstrate Radical Hospitality by our invitation, welcome, inclusion, and support. Ours would be an invitation that is more than sincere, a welcome that goes beyond a smile, inclusion that exceeds filling vacant seats, and support that extends beyond emergencies and crisis.
Becoming a fruitful, vibrant, and growing congregation may require nothing less than adaptive change – a change of attitudes, practices, and values. Our growing expression of Radical Hospitality will call for a change in our behaviors in order to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of others - not only on Sunday morning but throughout the week as we engage in the making of disciples for Jesus Christ. What then might those things be… and how are we going to do them? Those are the questions we must answer if…
We are to welcome others as radically as Jesus the Christ welcomes us.
Based on a sermon, “Opening the Circle” by Melissa Bailey-Kirk, United Methodist Church of Green Trails, Chesterfield, Missouri
Sunday, October 5, 2008
October 5, 2008 Message
Colossians 3:15-16a; John 15:5-8
“Cultivating Fruitfulness”
This morning we have started something out of the ordinary. Perhaps you have noticed we are doing a few things differently – not a lot, but enough so people might fill a different sort of energy or spirit during our worship time together. A few things that we’ve grown accustomed to are in different places or are missing altogether. The altar has been arranged differently – with different items to remind us of the essential things we do as a congregation. There may be songs that are not familiar, or prayers we haven’t prayed for a while, or even a different way of presenting the message – at least for me – with a bulletin now that is interactive, allowing you to “fill in the blanks” as I move from point to point. So, take out a pen or pencil and fill in the first blank – we have started today “something out of the ordinary.” All this is to help emphasize that today we are introducing the series, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.
Over the next five weeks, plus one day, our focus will be on learning more about the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations: Radical Hospitality (the bread), Passionate Worship (the musical instruments), Intentional Faith Development (the Bible), Risk-Taking Mission and Service (the apron, tools, school bags), and Extravagant Generosity (the bushel baskets). Robert Schnase, Bishop of the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church, says, “These five practices capture the core ministries in our congregations… and help us understand our purpose and mission as disciples of Christ in the world.” He says, “people are looking for churches shaped and sustained by these qualities.”
We know, at least we should know, that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, but sometimes we struggle with the question of how to fit this larger mission into the life of the local church in a practical way? How are we to make disciples here? Well, let me assure you this church has made disciples. You are that proof. So the series we’re going to be focusing on over the next few weeks isn’t about all new things, it’s about practicing the things people around here have always done so that we can become better at them.
Bishop Schnase writes (and I concer),
• “God uses congregations to make disciples when they offer the gracious invitation, welcome, and hospitality of Christ so people experience a sense of belonging;
• God shapes souls and changes minds through worship, creating a desire to grow closer to Christ;
• God’s Spirit nurtures people and matures faith through learning in community;
• with increased spiritual maturity, people discern God’s call to help others through mission and service; and
• God inspires people to be generous in giving of themselves so that others can receive the grace they have known.”
Practice of these fundamental qualities CAN bring revitalization and growth. It is through these activities God works to draw people into relationship and growth in personal discipleship. All of us want to grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of God, don’t we? We do so by repeating, learning, and deepening our personal practice of gracious hospitality, by placing ourselves regularly under the influence of God’s Spirit in worship, by intentionally seeking to grow in Christ-likeness through learning in community, and by practicing compassion and generosity in concrete ways. In these simple practices of Christian discipleship, the prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace of God become real and life changing. Bishop Schnase says, “Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregation are those that naturally practice these qualities and constantly seek ways to develop them further.”
These next thirty-five days will be about our “cultivating fruitfulness” – of being disciples or followers of Jesus the Christ. Jesus said, “Those who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit.” And he went on to say, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” It sounds to me that our fruitfulness is a mark of our discipleship.
And with our fruitfulness comes a deeper relationship with God. This is good stuff. After all, isn’t this why many of us come to church every week and are involved in its programs – so we might enter into a deeper relationship with God?
Your involvement during this time of “cultivating fruitfulness” will require your thoughtful reading, along with everyone else, of each days Scripture verse and devotion, along with questions for reflection, a prayer the entire congregation will be praying, and a ‘challenge’ for the day. It will also require your presence here each Sunday morning to hear more about that week’s highlighted practice, which this coming week is hospitality.
Paul, in his instructions to the church at Colossus, essentially said, “each of us is part of the body of Christ; each of us has been chosen to “live” together in this place; and each of our lives is to be filled with the message of Christ as we wisely teach and instruct each other.” Then he added, “and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” Paul is encouraging the Colossians and us to a life of discipleship and, with these words today, defines what that life will mean.
Consider the imagery Jesus uses in John when he says to his followers, “I am the vine, you are the branches.”
Perhaps our focus on the five practices over the next 35 days plus one will cause us to ask some challenging questions about our own congregational practices. Effective congregations change, improve, learn, and adapt to fulfill their mission – they don’t do things as they did fifty years or even fifteen ago. Maybe it will even make us rethink our way of doing things.
Would you agree, we want the best for this church? We do want to accomplish our mission of making disciples, we really do! And yet we know we don’t change people to form them into the Body of Christ, God does.
There are people out there who hunger for someone to receive them graciously and invite them in, that connect them to God through authentic worship, that deepen their faith, and that stretch them to make a difference in the lives of others through service and generosity. We can do that! But it may require our full participation in learning how over these next 35 plus days and beyond.
Start reading “Cultivating Fruitfulness” today or tomorrow, join a study group this week, and come back next Sunday to find out more about “radical hospitality” and what we might do as a congregation. This is an exciting time for our church. I pray you will be a part of it.
In ending, let me share something our new Bishop Julius C. Trimble said to a gathering of United Methodist clergy in Des Moines ten days ago, when asked about his hope for the churches of the Iowa Annual Conference. He said, “We shall be at our best when the people on the inside can’t wait to get out, and those on the outside can’t wait to get in.” May the things we can’t wait to get outside to do be the very things needed to help those on the outside to want to come in.
“Cultivating Fruitfulness”
This morning we have started something out of the ordinary. Perhaps you have noticed we are doing a few things differently – not a lot, but enough so people might fill a different sort of energy or spirit during our worship time together. A few things that we’ve grown accustomed to are in different places or are missing altogether. The altar has been arranged differently – with different items to remind us of the essential things we do as a congregation. There may be songs that are not familiar, or prayers we haven’t prayed for a while, or even a different way of presenting the message – at least for me – with a bulletin now that is interactive, allowing you to “fill in the blanks” as I move from point to point. So, take out a pen or pencil and fill in the first blank – we have started today “something out of the ordinary.” All this is to help emphasize that today we are introducing the series, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.
Over the next five weeks, plus one day, our focus will be on learning more about the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations: Radical Hospitality (the bread), Passionate Worship (the musical instruments), Intentional Faith Development (the Bible), Risk-Taking Mission and Service (the apron, tools, school bags), and Extravagant Generosity (the bushel baskets). Robert Schnase, Bishop of the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church, says, “These five practices capture the core ministries in our congregations… and help us understand our purpose and mission as disciples of Christ in the world.” He says, “people are looking for churches shaped and sustained by these qualities.”
We know, at least we should know, that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, but sometimes we struggle with the question of how to fit this larger mission into the life of the local church in a practical way? How are we to make disciples here? Well, let me assure you this church has made disciples. You are that proof. So the series we’re going to be focusing on over the next few weeks isn’t about all new things, it’s about practicing the things people around here have always done so that we can become better at them.
Bishop Schnase writes (and I concer),
• “God uses congregations to make disciples when they offer the gracious invitation, welcome, and hospitality of Christ so people experience a sense of belonging;
• God shapes souls and changes minds through worship, creating a desire to grow closer to Christ;
• God’s Spirit nurtures people and matures faith through learning in community;
• with increased spiritual maturity, people discern God’s call to help others through mission and service; and
• God inspires people to be generous in giving of themselves so that others can receive the grace they have known.”
Practice of these fundamental qualities CAN bring revitalization and growth. It is through these activities God works to draw people into relationship and growth in personal discipleship. All of us want to grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of God, don’t we? We do so by repeating, learning, and deepening our personal practice of gracious hospitality, by placing ourselves regularly under the influence of God’s Spirit in worship, by intentionally seeking to grow in Christ-likeness through learning in community, and by practicing compassion and generosity in concrete ways. In these simple practices of Christian discipleship, the prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace of God become real and life changing. Bishop Schnase says, “Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregation are those that naturally practice these qualities and constantly seek ways to develop them further.”
These next thirty-five days will be about our “cultivating fruitfulness” – of being disciples or followers of Jesus the Christ. Jesus said, “Those who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit.” And he went on to say, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” It sounds to me that our fruitfulness is a mark of our discipleship.
And with our fruitfulness comes a deeper relationship with God. This is good stuff. After all, isn’t this why many of us come to church every week and are involved in its programs – so we might enter into a deeper relationship with God?
Your involvement during this time of “cultivating fruitfulness” will require your thoughtful reading, along with everyone else, of each days Scripture verse and devotion, along with questions for reflection, a prayer the entire congregation will be praying, and a ‘challenge’ for the day. It will also require your presence here each Sunday morning to hear more about that week’s highlighted practice, which this coming week is hospitality.
Paul, in his instructions to the church at Colossus, essentially said, “each of us is part of the body of Christ; each of us has been chosen to “live” together in this place; and each of our lives is to be filled with the message of Christ as we wisely teach and instruct each other.” Then he added, “and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” Paul is encouraging the Colossians and us to a life of discipleship and, with these words today, defines what that life will mean.
Consider the imagery Jesus uses in John when he says to his followers, “I am the vine, you are the branches.”
Perhaps our focus on the five practices over the next 35 days plus one will cause us to ask some challenging questions about our own congregational practices. Effective congregations change, improve, learn, and adapt to fulfill their mission – they don’t do things as they did fifty years or even fifteen ago. Maybe it will even make us rethink our way of doing things.
Would you agree, we want the best for this church? We do want to accomplish our mission of making disciples, we really do! And yet we know we don’t change people to form them into the Body of Christ, God does.
There are people out there who hunger for someone to receive them graciously and invite them in, that connect them to God through authentic worship, that deepen their faith, and that stretch them to make a difference in the lives of others through service and generosity. We can do that! But it may require our full participation in learning how over these next 35 plus days and beyond.
Start reading “Cultivating Fruitfulness” today or tomorrow, join a study group this week, and come back next Sunday to find out more about “radical hospitality” and what we might do as a congregation. This is an exciting time for our church. I pray you will be a part of it.
In ending, let me share something our new Bishop Julius C. Trimble said to a gathering of United Methodist clergy in Des Moines ten days ago, when asked about his hope for the churches of the Iowa Annual Conference. He said, “We shall be at our best when the people on the inside can’t wait to get out, and those on the outside can’t wait to get in.” May the things we can’t wait to get outside to do be the very things needed to help those on the outside to want to come in.
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