15 Erica ...
First Baptist Church, West Hartford; off lectionary; 9/27/15 Erica Wimber Avena Psalm 124 I Corinthians 1: 18 – 25 In Benediction Prayer: We rejoice, loving God, that you receive sinners and that no matter how far from you we think we have wandered, you are with us still. Thank you for valuing us, even when we feel we are without value. We turn our attention now to you, that we may know your word and live it… One of my favorite quotes about the last phase of Interim work is from William Bridges: “Just because everything is different, doesn’t mean that anything has changed.” There is a world of difference between changing things that matter, and changing things that do not. And the beginning of wisdom is discerning which is which. When Jesus asks us to repent and change…we need to be wise enough to know what to change. Wise enough to know how to fill in the time after we have finished with the repentance. The gospels are all about change – Jesus asks everyone to change, with the exception of children… We need to be self-aware enough to recognize what needs changing, and when changing things is really just the same old, same old. As Baptists we are committed to letting those decisions be in the hands of the people they most effect. In the lingua franca (common vernacular) of today: “you do you.” That is, you are the best judge of the necessary change in your life. Many of us have been reading about the Pope’s visit this week, his excellent message, the breath of fresh air he is for ecumenical relationships, the crowds… He is the highest authority in his church of what needs to change. As Baptists we take that pyramid and place it upside down, the people in the pews here, are the highest moral authority on their own lives, if you are willing to take that challenge seriously. Jesus’ challenge is for us as a church and for us as individuals. As a congregation we have used this interim time to focus on strategic change and to prepare ourselves for successful future ministry.
2
Because of the length of the tenure of Reverend Tom Carr’s ministry here, the church has been given an opportunity, in the interim, to collectively give thanks for that ministry, catch its breath, and without pressure, to reconsider our ministries and mission, and to give thought to the nature of our calling in this community. Not that everyone has, not that those are questions you can ever completely finish, mind you, but opportunities have been offered, and much of our leadership has spent time working through these questions. John the Baptist was the one who preached a repentance of sins. Jesus asked his followers to live into the time – Sabbath time -- after their sins had been forgiven. How full of blessing will your life be? Do you remember the opportunities that come after you’ve been healed? Will you remember what has been done for you? Jesus’ own ministry lasted only 3 years, most of us have had a lot longer to reflect on his forgiveness and invitation. It is always new. It is always for today and for our future. The gospels focus forward. The Psalmist says, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The Psalmist takes a moment to wonder, if it had not been the Lord who was on our side…” how would this all have gone… what has really been at stake, what hollow victory would we be claiming, as we struggled for a time? “Just because everything is different, doesn’t mean that anything has changed.” One of the illusions about church leadership is that you are in charge of something. When, what is really true when something works well, “the Lord was on our side” As the psalmist says. And as much as this is a human institution, it has always been about God, dedicated from its founding, to give glory to God’s love and presence in this community…which is an interior commitment, strengthened by gathering with others of similar commitment. It’s a commitment every person has to make again every day, a commitment this church will need to make in every age, beginning next week. Stacy will not do this for you, she will do this with you. The work we have done together is like a reflection in a mirror, or a shadow on the ground, caused by the son’s greater light, an echo of God’s great works and graciousness. We have worked together because God loved us first.
3
And now I need to take a few moments to say thank you, because my ministry and presence here will very shortly be part of the past. You as a church, and me and my family will need to focus forward in different directions after today. First I want to say that for me it has been an honor to be entrusted with this work. This has long been a church that I have long admired. I feel that I’ve been taken seriously, but not so much so that we were no longer having fun. It has been a pleasure to work with the staff here at First Baptist over these last two years. It was new for me to no longer be one of the junior members of a church staff, and I’ve been delighted to work with so many people who are up and coming in their fields, and whom I will expect to hear great things about in the future. My children have made friends here and our youngest was baptized here just two weeks ago. When I arrived here I was just completing treatment for Breast Cancer which occupied me for most of 2013. I get asked from time to time about what it was like working through treatment, as I did. My Doctor told me that I could work through it and, honestly, looking back, I don’t know how I could have done it without the church. It has helped me, been part of my own healing process, to remain focused on important things, good work, and grounded in strategic change. “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” May God’s blessing rest upon you as you continue into your next chapter of ministry. It has been my blessing to walk with you on this spiritual journey for these two years. If I were to write my own benediction I’d say it this way: “Keep your hearts open, care for one another; listen longer than you speak, in your words give glory to God, do not weary of stepping out on faith again and again, and bless the Lord...today, next week, and forever.” Amen.
2
Because of the length of the tenure of Reverend Tom Carr’s ministry here, the church has been given an opportunity, in the interim, to collectively give thanks for that ministry, catch its breath, and without pressure, to reconsider our ministries and mission, and to give thought to the nature of our calling in this community. Not that everyone has, not that those are questions you can ever completely finish, mind you, but opportunities have been offered, and much of our leadership has spent time working through these questions. John the Baptist was the one who preached a repentance of sins. Jesus asked his followers to live into the time – Sabbath time -- after their sins had been forgiven. How full of blessing will your life be? Do you remember the opportunities that come after you’ve been healed? Will you remember what has been done for you? Jesus’ own ministry lasted only 3 years, most of us have had a lot longer to reflect on his forgiveness and invitation. It is always new. It is always for today and for our future. The gospels focus forward. The Psalmist says, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The Psalmist takes a moment to wonder, if it had not been the Lord who was on our side…” how would this all have gone… what has really been at stake, what hollow victory would we be claiming, as we struggled for a time? “Just because everything is different, doesn’t mean that anything has changed.” One of the illusions about church leadership is that you are in charge of something. When, what is really true when something works well, “the Lord was on our side” As the psalmist says. And as much as this is a human institution, it has always been about God, dedicated from its founding, to give glory to God’s love and presence in this community…which is an interior commitment, strengthened by gathering with others of similar commitment. It’s a commitment every person has to make again every day, a commitment this church will need to make in every age, beginning next week. Stacy will not do this for you, she will do this with you. The work we have done together is like a reflection in a mirror, or a shadow on the ground, caused by the son’s greater light, an echo of God’s great works and graciousness. We have worked together because God loved us first.
3
And now I need to take a few moments to say thank you, because my ministry and presence here will very shortly be part of the past. You as a church, and me and my family will need to focus forward in different directions after today. First I want to say that for me it has been an honor to be entrusted with this work. This has long been a church that I have long admired. I feel that I’ve been taken seriously, but not so much so that we were no longer having fun. It has been a pleasure to work with the staff here at First Baptist over these last two years. It was new for me to no longer be one of the junior members of a church staff, and I’ve been delighted to work with so many people who are up and coming in their fields, and whom I will expect to hear great things about in the future. My children have made friends here and our youngest was baptized here just two weeks ago. When I arrived here I was just completing treatment for Breast Cancer which occupied me for most of 2013. I get asked from time to time about what it was like working through treatment, as I did. My Doctor told me that I could work through it and, honestly, looking back, I don’t know how I could have done it without the church. It has helped me, been part of my own healing process, to remain focused on important things, good work, and grounded in strategic change. “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” May God’s blessing rest upon you as you continue into your next chapter of ministry. It has been my blessing to walk with you on this spiritual journey for these two years. If I were to write my own benediction I’d say it this way: “Keep your hearts open, care for one another; listen longer than you speak, in your words give glory to God, do not weary of stepping out on faith again and again, and bless the Lord...today, next week, and forever.” Amen.
