Sermons

“Church Under Construction”

Galatians 5:1, 13-15, 22-25; Luke 9:51-62 – Rev. Rebecca Littlejohn

Vista La Mesa Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), La Mesa, California – June 30, 2019

 Holy God, bless the speaking and the hearing of these words that we might always seek your love in the face of suffering and live in hope.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

I have a confession to make: I did not come up with the title of this sermon after studying the scriptures in my study this week. I was in here, trying to figure out what we would need to work around and what could happen pretty much as usual. I hadn’t had time to look through the lectionary scriptures yet, but I figured this is a pretty singular moment, what with the state of this room and our installation service today.  So if I needed to find something else upon which to build a “Church Under Construction” sermon, that would be okay.  The metaphor seemed solid, biblical even; maybe I could use Ephesians 4.

Then I went back to my office to prepare the bulletin, and I figured I should at least take a look at the lectionary offerings. So I read the passage we just heard from Luke, and I thought, “Well, that’s intense.  I guess it could work!”  So here we are, on the day that our lay leaders make commitments to the various responsibilities they have agreed to take on, and Jesus wants me to tell you you shouldn’t take any time off, even for a funeral.

It’s not often that we think of Jesus as the hardcore, demanding one, and Paul as the gentle, loving one, but our scripture readings offer us the chance to do just that today.  On the other hand, I had us skip some of the more unpleasant parts of the Galatians reading, so as to create more contrast between the two readings. In the end, if we’re honest, Paul gets all his gentle compassion and his intense severity from Jesus.  We know that Jesus is loving; we talk about it a lot. We’re much less likely to focus on the clear demands for all-in commitment Jesus makes in passages like the one I just read.  So just what is going on here?  And how does it relate to the work of building up the church that we celebrate today?

First of all, it’s important to remember that no Bible passage should be read in isolation.  We may read Luke 9:51-62 and be tempted to give up immediately.  Very few people are going to give up all other commitments, including those of family obligations, in order to follow Jesus.  It’s vital to remember that just because we will continually fall short of the gospel’s requirements, that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to meet them.  Did you catch what happened with James and John in the first part of the story? They were two of Jesus’ most prominent disciples.  They saw how the Samaritan village rejected him, because he was already starting to show signs of the sacrificial nature of his ministry, and rather than responding in a Christ-like, sacrificial way, they asked for permission to rain fire down from heaven on the village.  Right there in the middle of a major turning point, two of the most involved disciples are still not getting it.  And they get rebuked, and then they keep following.

Can you imagine being in a leadership position in this church and messing up that badly, and then staying engaged after being rebuked?  I find that hard to picture.  We are so much more likely to get offended and take our toys and go home.  And most of our mistakes aren’t nearly as high stakes as James’ and John’s.  It would be fascinating to know what Jesus said when he rebuked them.  How did he say it?  Was he mad, or was he just really disappointed?  What was it about the way he did it that made it possible for them to continue following, rather than walking away in angry shame?

This is where the balance of the freedom and the fruit of the Spirit that Paul was talking about is helpful.  We can keep following Jesus even when we fail to meet his standards because we know him to be loving and gentle and kind.  His patience and generosity make possible our joyful, peaceful faithfulness and our capacity for self-control.  The freedom to be found within that is real.  It’s worth committing to.  But seriously, on this day when baptized Christians make promises of service, it’s important to recognize that this is not an empty ritual. When we ask you to commit to your own spiritual growth, for your own sake and as an example to others, we mean it. When we name the basic Christian disciplines of worship, prayer, study and stewardship, we are laying out minimal expectations, not aspirations.  When Jesus says “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head,” he’s warning us that discipleship often requires us to move out of our comfort zones and be willing to sacrifice for the good of others.  And sometimes we’ll do that willingly, and sometimes we will fail.  Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.  And just because we fail doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying.

“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God,” Jesus said.  But do you know what else he said?  He said “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”  We don’t make ourselves fit for the kingdom of God any more than we make ourselves qualified for leadership in Christ’s church.  God fits us for the realm of joy and peace. God equips the called to carry out the work of the gospel.  That is why we ask our leaders to commit to worship, prayer, study and stewardship, because without staying in touch with God, this whole thing is fruitless.

When a church is under construction – whether literally as we are at the moment, or metaphorically as we also are in this season of cultivating vitality – everyone has a role to play.  Each of us is called into the ministry that God is doing through this congregation.  And our commitment levels will waver and vary, but together, we will aim to follow Jesus as faithfully as we can.  When we’re under construction, there will be hazards all around us, things that can trip us up if we’re not paying close attention to where we’re going.  So we gather for worship to renew our focus on the Divine each week.  If we’re not reading the signs and instructions God puts up for us, we could easily fall into trouble.  So we commit to prayer and study.  If we don’t plan for the costs of building the tower Jesus told the story about, we will end up without the resources to follow through on where God is leading. So we pledge our gifts and tithes to support the ministry of the congregation.

The standards for leadership in the church of Jesus Christ are high.  But none of us is expected to be able to meet them on our own.  None of you are asked to come up here and say “I do.”  Rather you are invited to say, “With God’s help, I do.”  And what a difference that makes!  It won’t be easy, but it will be rewarding.  It won’t be without irritation, but it will also be full of joy.  It will require sacrifice, but it will bring blessing. We will be under construction for a long time, for the transforming work of the Spirit never ends.  Let us find our place in the journey and move forward together, rejoicing!  Alleluia and Amen!