The Joy of Discipleship!

The German theologian and Christian martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, authored a powerful book entitled, The Cost of Discipleship; in which he outlines some of the challenges of being a disciple of Jesus, and describes the difference between ‘cheap grace’ – the grace we bestow on ourselves, and ‘costly grace’ – the gift of God which we must seek again and again. To be sure, Bonhoeffer is right. Choosing to be a disciple, choosing to follow Jesus, who calls for peace in a world that values war, who lifts up the equality of all in a world that likes to divide and separate, who invites the sharing of money and food and clothing and shelter in a world that encourages us to hoard, who says the focus must be on God in a world that likes to focus on self…choosing to follow Jesus, and choosing Jesus’ priorities, often sets us at odds with the world around us, and with co-workers, and friends and even family. Discipleship does come with a cost.

Without any disrespect to Bonhoeffer, however, I think it is just as important to remember that there is a joyful side to discipleship as well! Participating in the worship that is at the heart of a gathering of disciples brings us joy. The sense of community and fellowship we share when we meet, and eat, and play, and pray together offers us great joy. Reaching out to, and caring for others through service provides joy that is long-lasting and life-giving.

The well of joy that we know as disciples of Jesus Christ is deep. And in those times when life is overwhelming and perplexing; when our brokenness is great; when any hope for a different future has dried up…in all these moments and more, the deep well of joy this is ours in Christ, makes life possible!!

What joy has discipleship brought to you this day? How has the world pushed you around today, leaving you in need of joy?

Jesus invites us to keep God’s commandments and abide in his love, that his joy may be in us, so that our joy may be complete (John 15.11). Quite an invitation, quite a gift for disciples like us!

See you in Worship this Sunday…

For All The Saints

Yesterday I was given the list of names that will be read in each worship service this Sunday, November 1 – All Saints Day…the names of the members of Central who have died since our previous All Saints observance last November. It was a bittersweet read. There are 17 names on the list this year.

As I read through the names, I recalled the faces of those I knew, and some of the memories and stories I associate with them. Some of the names brought a smile to my face, an outloud chuckle, a lump in my throat, a tear to my eye. Because I’ve only been your pastor for a couple of years, there were other names on the list that I did not know. I’ve heard stories about some of these folks from you their friends, and from Session Elders. Every member death is noted by the Session, often with the sharing of stories about the person from the Elders who knew them.

Our worship this All Saints Sunday will include an opportunity for us to remember and celebrate and give thanks to God for the ’saints’ of Central, and for all the other ’saints’ in our lives, who have died in the past year…moving in the great journey of life from the church temporal to the church eternal. Let us gather to worship God with our stories and memories of these saints, with our smiles, with our acknowledgement that they were very human saints (just like us!) and with our tears. I hope there will be lots of story telling before and after the services; recalling how our life together was enriched by the presence of these saints now gone. It will be a holy time.

Also remember that on Sunday afternoon, Central’s organist/choir director, Jeff Stearns will be offering a dedicatory concert to celebrate our newly refurbished organ. The dedication and concert begins at 3:00 p.m., and will be followed by a reception hosted by the Fellowship Cluster. Jeff has been working very hard in preparation for this event, and I’m really looking foward to it! I hope you will come, and I hope you will bring some friends with you. An event like this is a great way to introduce others to the special and faithful community we share at Central!

See you in worship this Sunday…

The Church Is The People

On Sunday mornings at the church I served right out of seminary in Athens, Ohio, I use to help lead the group singing for all of the children and teachers before they headed off to their Sunday School classes. One of our favorite songs was “I Am The Church”. It went like this.

I am the church,
You are the church,
We are the church together.
All who follow Jesus,
All around the world,
Yes we’re the church together.

The church is not a building.
The church is not a steeple.
The church is not a resting place.
The church is the people!

The last line of this little song has it right, in my opinion. The church is the people! Central Presbyterian Church is you and me, all working together, striving to be the disciples of Jesus Christ that God wants us to be.

As we get ready to bring forth our 2010 Stewardship Pledge Commitments and Every Member in Ministry Menus in worship this Sunday, October 25, I hope and pray that we will be led in our commitment-making by the idea that we the people of Central, the members and friends of Central, are the church together; and that our church – with God’s help – is what we the people are willing to support.

The ministries associated with various Ministry Teams can only happen if people (you and me) are willing to sign up and get involved. Our mission spending, and educational and programatic activities, and level of staff support can only be what we the people of Central Presbyterian are willing to support with our stewardship dollars.

In preparation for Commitment Sunday, I invite all of us to look at how we spend our time and how we spend our money, and then pray and consider the spiritual gifts that God has given us, and the financial resources that God has given us, and decide accordingly. What gift has God given you that keeps rising to the surface, just begging to be used? Find the right Ministry Team, or suggest a new Ministry Team, and let that gift be utilized to the Glory of God! How has God been generous with you, and what do you think God expects you to do with this abundance? Is the percentage of your income you are giving to the purposes of God truly reflective of this abundance? Has your rate of giving changed in recent years? Is it time to raise your giving by a half of a percent or a whole percent, again, to the Glory of God?

We all must answer these questions individually, utilizing lots of prayer, but it is our collective effort that makes Central Presbyterian the church God calls and desires us to be.

The church is the people!

See you in worship this Sunday…

Scooting Over A Bit

This past Sunday evening Central’s Session held a special meeting to welcome 19 new folks into the membership of the church. This is the kind of Session meeting that I just love to attend! It is wonderful that so many people want to formally become part of the Central community. To me it is a sign that we are a healthy church…not a perfect church…but a church where folks try hard to be faithful disciples of Jesus; a church that is trying to follow God’s call into the future; a church that seeks to address the needs of others in our surrounding community; a church that is welcoming…that is always expecting visitors…where the porch light is on and the front door open; a church where the friends and members are caring for each other in deep and meaningful ways.

Every time we receive new members at Central, I think we need to remind ourselves of a few important realities:
- We need to be ready to scoot over a few chairs or slide down the pew a bit so there is room for everyone to have a good seat. If we just stay put where we have always sat and expect the newcomers to fit in around us, we miss the important opportunities to be gracious and welcoming and of getting to know new sisters and brothers in Christ. The same is true for our programs and ministries and activities. If someone feels there isn’t room for them, that others don’t want to include them and ideas they may bring, they will soon go away!
- We need to be open to new gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we all have God-given gifts and that we are all a necessary part of the body that is the church. New members enhance the gift-mix we already enjoy at Central with the spiritual gifts they bring. These new gifts can mean new ideas and new ministries. They can mean fresh perspectives and new ideas for accomplishing common goals. And yes, new gifts can even mean CHANGE!
- We need to avoid assuming. New people won’t automatically know that we have always done things a certain way or at a certain time at Central. They won’t know our history and our traditions. This ‘not knowing’ can be a real blessing to us if we let it. Sharing our history and traditions in a such a way that others can learn them, reminds us of the values and goals that have been important to our church over time and helps us to consider whether particular traditions are still useful to our faith community. The questions that newcomers raise about those things we consider ’standard practices’, will allow us to consider them afresh – so that our practices don’t grow stale and out of touch with reality.

Our new members will be publically received at each worship service this coming Sunday. I hope all of us will come out to welcome them with open arms and hearts and minds!

See you in worship…

Connecting Sunday To The Rest Of The Week

Several years ago I preached a sermon series entitled “Church On Sunday/Work on Monday”. My purpose was to invite the members of the congregation I was serving at the time to think about connections between their worship experience on Sunday and what they did the rest of the week.

I think it is always useful for Disciples of Jesus to ponder how we can best live out the faith we profess and the gratitude we express in worship. What are the choices we make and the choices we avoid all the week long because we allow Jesus to guide our thinking? Is there any difference in how we treat our neighbors in the pew on Sunday morning, and our co-workers and classmates and all the other people with whom we connect each and every day? Does one sense of ethics guide us on the sabbath, and another approach to ethics direct our Monday-Saturday actions?

I am interested in the things you all do to live out your faith and practice your discipleship. What are the habits you have worked hard over the years to practice…that allow worship to infuse your actions all week long? How do you keep a sense of Jesus’ priorities for life before you each day? Where do you experience the most difficulty being a person of faith in a world that generally marches to the beat of different priorities?

I hope that you will be willing to share your thoughts and ideas via the comment section at the end of this page. My sense is that we have much to learn from each other, and that by sharing our “best practices” with each other, we can all be more faithful!

The new Central Vision & Strategic Plan document reminds us that as disciples it is our privilege and responsibility to join Jesus in changing hearts to change the world. Let us help each other do this!

This Sunday we celebrate World Communion with sisters and brothers all around the globe, and begin a new sermon series ‘Disciples Are…Prepared’. Who can you bring with you?

See you in worship!!