There is no audio today, but the video will be posted tomorrow. Sermon text is below.Acts 5:27-32; John 20:19-23
Impressive Congregations
Most of you know that I am not originally from central
Congregations often suffer from a similar inferiority problem. I have heard church experts say that most churches underestimate their size and capabilities. My own experience certainly bears this out. I’ve heard numerous folks in this congregation and in my previous one speak of being a small congregation. But in fact, we are bigger than roughly three quarters of all Presbyterian congregations.
Not too long ago we began an Appreciative Inquiry process here leading to the formation of our Dream Team. They are seeking to hear where God is calling us as a congregation. And in the early part of this process, as we catalogued the many activities and programs already going on at Boulevard, I heard a number of people express their surprise at how busy a place this actually is. That didn’t quite fit with the small image some of us have.
As I said, this seems to be normal. I’m not sure why. Perhaps because there is always some congregation that is bigger and more impressive, we tend to underestimate ourselves. Regardless, our tendency to minimize our own gifts and abilities does limit us, does sometimes keep us from doing all that we might do. But I actually think this is a rather minor problem.
I say that because there is a bigger problem afflicting many congregations, no matter how accurately they view their gifts, talents, and resources. The problem is that they view their congregation as nothing more than the sum of the members’ gifts, talents, and resources. What they, what we can do or can’t do is purely a function of these members. If we are an impressive bunch of folks with an impressive array of abilities, then we will be an impressive congregation. If not, well…
Of course we can always work to improve our credentials. Our elders and deacons can attend leadership seminars. Our teachers can attend teacher training. There are companies that will sell us stewardship programs guaranteed to increase pledges. Pastors can attend preaching, worship, and other workshops. There are endless things we can do to make ourselves better and more impressive. But none of these will solve the problem of thinking that a congregation rises and falls simply on the strengths and weaknesses of its members.
Our two scripture readings for this morning may be helpful in understanding what I’m talking about. Granted these stories come from a time before denominations and church buildings, but they are still about congregations, about groups of believers who have banded together.
One of these congregations is depicted in John’s gospel. It has gathered for a Sunday evening prayer service on the very day of Jesus’ resurrection. It is the end of what must have been an incredible day. Jesus had been executed on Friday and his body placed in the tomb late that day. In Jewish thought the new day began at sundown, and so the Sabbath had begun almost as soon as Jesus was in the tomb. That meant that nothing more could be done until Sunday. Sunday began following sundown on the Sabbath, but in a world without electricity or streetlights, no one headed for the tomb until early in the morning.
Mary Magdalene was so eager that she had actually gone before first light, only to find the tomb open and Jesus’ body gone. She ran back and got two of the disciples who went to the tomb and found it just as Mary said, but then they had returned. But Mary had remained, and she had met the risen Jesus. Afterwards she had rushed back to tell the others. “I have seen the Lord,” she said to them, and she told them what Jesus had said about ascending to the Father.
Word had quickly spread among the eleven and then to the larger community of disciples. What did this all mean? All their hopes had been dashed on Friday, but now some of them felt a faint glimmer. And so they gathered for that prayer meeting as darkness descended. They carefully checked the door as people arrived, verified who they were and let them in. And they kept the door securely locked. The authorities had killed Jesus; they would not hesitate to kill the disciples if they got wind that they were trying to keep things going. They were terrified, and who could blame them.
There is a slightly different congregation found in our reading from the book of Acts, although we see only a few of the congregation’s leaders. They’ve been arrested by the same authorities who so frightened those attending that Sunday night prayer meeting the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Actually, this is the second time they’ve been arrested for saying Jesus is the Messiah and that he has been raised from the dead. They had been strictly ordered not to do this, but they have persisted despite the threat of arrest and even death. And they will not back down even when they stand before those authorities.
Of course many of you know that these aren’t really two different congregations. True, the congregation has added a few members between the story in John and the one in Acts, but it is the very same folks who hid behind locked doors who now boldly defy the authorities.
But even though it is the same people, they sure seem like different congregations. One is frightened and worried about self-preservation. The other is bold and fearless, totally unconcerned about its own safety, focused on reaching out to others. They are the same people, with the same gifts and talents, but nothing looks the same.
Now if congregations are simply the sum of their members’ gifts, talents, and resources, these folks must have been quite busy attending seminars and workshops. They must have gone to evangelism classes and leadership workshops and motivational events. They must have countless hours in meetings to come up with a better mission statement and better programming for their church. Still, it is hard to comprehend how the same folks locked behind closed doors are now standing boldly and fearlessly before the very people who terrified them only a few weeks before.
When I went to seminary and took “Preaching and Worship” my first year, the very first sermon I wrote was from today’s gospel reading. In it I wondered aloud how on earth Jesus could possible hand over the reins of his Church to this frightened bunch hiding behind locked doors. Could there be a much less impressive group of folks? What was he thinking turning loose this bunch?
In that first sermon, I also wondered about the congregations I had grown up in. Some were better than others, but we could be pretty timid and unimpressive ourselves. If Jesus had ever showed up at one of those congregations and commissioned us like he did to those disciples hiding behind locked doors, I’d have wondered what in the world he was thinking then, too.
But when Jesus looks at those folks quivering in fear, when he looks at us, he sees something different than I do. He sees bold, fearless believers who defy the authorities despite arrest, imprisonment, and the threat of death. Jesus looks at people who seem totally incapable of something so important as continuing his ministry on earth and sees an incredible future. He knows that they are not limited by their frailties and uncertainties and fears, because he does not send them out on their own.
Jesus says, “Receive the Holy Spirit… Receive the Holy Spirit… Receive the Holy Spirit… “ (each time facing a different area of the congregation). “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
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