Sermons for the Month
Come On Over And Help Us!
DATE: May 16th, 2004
SERVICE: Sixth Sunday Of Easter
TEXT: Acts 16:9-15“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN I would not be at all surprised if some of us are loosing sleep over what's going on in our world. The war in Iraq, that was supposed to be neatly fought and quickly ended, has turned into something uglier and more brutal than most of us could have imagined. Last week we shook our heads at the imprudent actions of some American soldiers and this week we were shocked as the internet projected images of retaliation we shutter to see. Our hearts go out to the loved ones of those brutally murdered.
Many people have commented to me recently about the turmoil that surrounds us, not only in far away places, but close to home as well. Newspaper headlines this weekend told us of the closing of Timken plants in Canton and the loss of jobs there. We live in a world filled with pain, and we need help from the Lord. In that way we are not all that different from those who have gone before us.
As I thought about today's lesson from Acts, Paul's vision kept coming to my mind. It is a much simpler vision than the one Peter had in last week's reading. Paul saw a single figure, a man pleading for help. "Come over to Macedonia and help us," he said, convincing Paul and the other followers of Jesus that God had called them to proclaim the good news there.
"Come over to Macedonia and help us." Evidently the help they needed was of a spiritual nature because that is what Paul and the others had to offer. They went to the city of Philippi, a Roman colony in northern Greece. It was a thriving commercial center that sat at the crossroads between Europe and Asia.
It seems that there were not many Jews in Philippi, either that or they found it unwise to worship the God of Israel publicly. The fact that the Apostles had to seek a place of prayer outside of the city indicates that there was no synagogue.
It's not difficult to imagine that there was great spiritual need in Philippi, a place that was not isolated from the world, filled with diversity and activity. It's interesting to me that the first convert in Europe was a woman named Lydia who fit well into her environment. Her needs were not of a material nature. She evidently was a wealthy woman, an influential merchant who sold purple cloth, an expensive and valuable item at that time.
Lydia believed in God, and when Paul arrived the Holy Spirit gave her the ability to hear and believe his proclamation about Jesus. Her home then became "home base" for the Christian proclamation in the region, and no doubt her position and influence helped open up doors for the establishment of the church there. So it is that spiritual help arrived in Macedonia.
There are many centuries between us and them, but maybe we are not all that different from the Macedonians. People in our world, and particularly in the United States, in Ohio, in Akron, in Fairlawn live in a place filled with diversity, activity and plenty, but also in a setting where there is significant pain and spiritual need.
It's not too difficult to imagine that we, the people of God, might receive a vision in which someone cries out, "Come over to Akron, or to Montrose, or to Miller Rd., or to West Market Street, and help us."
When the church hears those cries for help amazing things can happen. There's an article in The Lutheran about a congregation in Minnesota that in the mid-1990's had 20 active members and was about to close their doors. But then they heard the cry for help. Upon researching their area it was discovered that 53 percent of the people who lived there did not claim affiliation to any congregation. I wonder what we would find if we need such a survey here?
Keep in mind - this is a rural area where towns are small and people live some distance from one another. So, eight ELCA churches, and several other ministries, joined together to form a cluster. The focus has been on strengthening the congregations to do outreach. Each church maintained its identity and pastor. But, a board of directors was formed and a director was hired.
The congregations join together for outreach training, leadership retreats and youth mission events. And, because one of the goals is to cross the barriers of affluence and poverty, among the ministries involved in the cluster is People's Church which reaches out to impoverished people, many of whom are Native Americans.
These congregations have been strengthened, but more important they are experiencing Christ in places and ways no one ever expected. To quote one of the pastors, "I think there are people who now have a sense of God's Spirit moving among us. We now know to never box up the Holy Spirit."
How can we answer the cry for help in our congregation and our community? We've been contemplating that since Easter. Some of the ideas are BIG. At one of the vision meetings someone suggested that we form a partnership with other congregations, acquire the empty property next to Target, and do a joint ministry from there. We've talked about transforming the Big Boy property to the west for preschool, youth ministry, elder care and a satellite ministry as partners with OPEN M. There is all kinds of space to rent in the shopping center across the street that could be used for those purposes as well. Does all that sound like wild dreams? Maybe … but if a dream is God's will, and people are committed to it, it can come true.
Some of you have wondered out loud what change is coming to our congregation, given the themes of recent sermons. I can tell you honestly that I don't know yet. There could be changes in our worship schedule or additions to the programs offered that are primarily for our members or we could embark on new projects for outreach like the ones I just mentioned.
What I can say, though, is that the focus will always be on how we as a community of faith - not as individuals, or a small group - but on how we can become more devoted followers of Jesus whose lives impact those who do not know the Lord.
It's difficult for us to realize that the church does not exist to provide a place for fellowship for me, nor does it exist just as a place to worship God in a way that suits my needs. Instead, our task is to listen for the voices saying, "Come over and help us," and then to do ministry, to meet spiritual needs, to proclaim the Good News to a hurting world.
My friends, we do need to hear the healing word of the Good News in order to cope with that which keeps us up at night, and we give thanks for the opportunity to do so. But we are to do more that hear it; we must share it, and strive to become a transforming force in the world. This has been always been the primary mission of the faithful.
"Come over to Macedonia and help us." When Paul had that vision its meaning was clear. God had called them to proclaim the Good News to those in spiritual need. On May 16, 2004, let me assure you that nothing has changed. AMEN