"Let's Go Forward!"
Sermon Presented July 8, 2007
Galatians 6:7-16
As a child and young adult, I believed that if I obeyed the rules, I would be acceptable to my parents, pastor, teachers, employers, neighbors and God. I listened raptly to my Southern Baptist minister so I could learn what was necessary for Christian living - but primarily, I learned what to avoid so that I could escape hell. I tithed 10% of my income - beginning with my allowance and babysitting jobs; I attended church every time the doors were open; I was active in every religious activity I could participate in. There was also a long list of things I didn't do because I believed they were sinful. Most of the time I was "good" by those standards, but when I crossed the line, I felt tremendous guilt.
After I got married, I changed! Oh, I still participated in the activities of the church in my new community, but attention to the rules fell by the wayside, and so did my faith. I probably would have dropped out of church altogether, but "guilt" kept me there. I was in this circle of faith when a friend told me to feed my faith and not my doubts, and I heard her. One hot July afternoon when the temperature hovered at 100 degrees over an asphalt parking lot in Kansas City, MO where I was waiting for a tow truck to take me and my car back to Platte City, I began reading a book I had just purchased from a Christian book store. This was a transforming event, and I knew God was in it! I found Christ anew apart from the rules.
The church at Galatia that Paul founded is hell-bent on keeping the law as they understand it. The Jewish leaders believe that the male Gentile Christians must be circumcised as are their Jewish counterparts. Paul tells them that circumcision has nothing to do with faith in Jesus. I'm reading from the conclusion of Paul's letter to the church: Galatians 6:7-16.
This letter could just as easily be addressed to Christian churches today as it was to the church at Galatia. Oh, we don't push parents to circumcise their baby boys or check to see that adult males have been properly circumcised before admitting them to church membership, but most Christians do pay attention to inconsequential matters such as the kind of baptism a person had, the meaning of communion, the Eucharist, or the Lord's Supper and who can partake; how to honor the Sabbath and how much money to give to the church. An Assemblies of God church in Marysville requires that those who serve on the Church Board must tithe 10% of their income to the church. According to Paul, non-Jews shouldn't be expected to jump through the Jewish religious hoop of circumcision in order to fully participate in the Christian community. As we follow Jesus, we better understand what God wants from us and then we do it.
For those of you who do not know, Roundy accepts believers as members if they are comfortable with their previous baptism - even if it wasn't immersion - and encourages all who are Christians or seekers to take communion. I can't imagine Jesus turning anyone away from spiritual food who was seeking - including children. I'm comfortable with this understanding!
So if keeping the Jewish law isn't of primary importance to Paul - and to Jesus - what is required of a Christian in the Church? Paul says that we must "sow to the Spirit" in order to reap eternal life from the Spirit. I don't believe Paul is talking about heaven when he mentions eternal life, because eternal life to Jesus and Paul begins at the time of commitment to follow Jesus and is evidenced by love for God and love for people. Paul says that whenever we have the opportunity, we should work for the good of all and especially for those in the faith family!
Why begin with the faith family? It's because this is the church's witness to the community. If someone isn't welcomed or supported in the church because of poverty, intellectual or physical handicaps, race, age, sexual orientation or political or theological beliefs, those outside the church see no love. The community knows when we abandon those who need our love. If I don't show love to you and you and you, then my witness at the North Shore ministers group, Rotary or my apartment building is nothing!
Paul is the first to take the gospel message to those outside the Jewish faith and create a multicultural, multiracial and multi political church. In Christ's church, Paul expects the people to be one big happy family. But they aren't - and neither is the Church today. While the Galatians had disputes over circumcision and obedience to Jewish religious laws, Christ's Church today argues over liturgy, music styles, baptism, outreach, praying in tongues, biblical interpretation and church leadership. Each church and denomination needs to examine our sacred cows in the light of God's love and be willing to change.
Paul advises us to not grow weary in doing what is right. In other words, don't give up and don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe! Learning to disagree agreeably shows others that we are new creations in Christ. It's a way to love and respect others. Let's not grow weary of doing good deeds because we believe our impact is negligible.
What does it mean to do what is right? To do what is right means to live under the guidance of the Spirit of God instead of living in bondage to the flesh. Most of us understand satisfying the flesh to mean sexual sins or sins that harm our bodies. But a "sin of the flesh" can be any sin that feeds our egos. This definition means that seeking power and prestige are sins of the flesh. It's not easy to push our self-interests aside and decide what's best for another or a group, instead of satisfying our own desires.
Paul says that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation is everything! Becoming a new creation is to become more like Christ. As we become more Christ-like, we show love to our family, spiritual family and those outside of the church. Our rewards may not be tangible, but we find joy when we do the right thing.
Sometimes we expect instant transformation for ourselves or another - like a butterfly bursting forth from a chrysalis. But life isn't like that - and neither is conversion. Transformation takes time and can be difficult. There are also setbacks. Children born into poverty have a rough road ahead of them. Children who are sold by their parents into the slave trade at an early age usually die young from violence or disease. Lauran Bethell, a missionary who worked to rescue children and young women from the sex trade made a difference in the lives of many who were rescued - as well as in her witness to us in the greater American Baptist family.
Roundy needs to dream greater dreams of service - and while many of us have such dreams, we need more able-bodied people to participate in carrying out those dreams. Life in the Spirit isn't a life of lonely striving but a life in community. At the Biennial, I was with my extended family. I found diversity and a coming together for worship, fellowship, a shared ministry, and the inspiration to go forth and do mission.
A church isn't just for mutual support in times of need but it should also challenge us to move out of our comfort zone when necessary. Mutual support and mutual accountability are two sides of the same coin - both rooted in the conviction that we are a people with a shared calling and a shared identity. Our success depends on the spiritual health of each member.
Paul says: "Let us not grow weary in doing what is right." That is my challenge to Roundy: "Let us not grow discouraged in doing what is right for we will reap at harvest time if we don't give up!" And just in case you don't know: harvest time is NOT death and heaven. Seasonal harvests are possible when we follow Jesus.
What if God wants more from Roundy than keeping the doors of the church open for another 5 or 10 years? What if God has some specific things for us to do to help build faith, feed the hungry, clothe the naked and care for the environment? I believe that when we focus on doing what God wants us to do, we will do it and do it joyfully!
After returning home from D. C., I read the book I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church by Paul Nixon. Since arriving in Wisconsin almost four years ago, I have believed I was leading a dying church, even though I didn't want to admit it. I have heard talk about what the church might do after closing, and have even participated in such conversations. However, something has changed in me and I am convinced that we can move forward and become a vital and growing Spirit-led church and that's what we need to focus on now.
During these last four years, we have moved outside of the church to offer teaching, inspiration, and mission, but frankly, we need more people to fulfill Christ's mission here. We also need to throw off the cloak of the Grim Reaper and come alive. We need to better challenge people to give of time and money to support the work of God in Milwaukee through this body of Christ.
Let's pray for multiple yearly harvests! Let's seek God's help to make plans, and then to apply the fertilizer of prayer and commitment to follow Jesus in time, talents and finances. The best things that happen, happen because someone has the idea and puts it into effect. The monthly birthday celebrations and the Wednesday night program on the environment are such events. We need to find more people in the community who will buy into the mission God wants to do through Roundy.
It may also be time to stop worrying about offending someone and be bold. To be bold, we need clarity, courage, leadership and creativity. Just as we like bold flavors in foods, bold designs in architecture, clothing, and art, and boldness from our politicians, we need to be bold in the church. We need to stand for what is right and not hesitate to share our beliefs of what God in Christ is calling us to do. We need both passion and joy as we move forward. We can do it together, so I invite you to join me in changing this part of the world, because I refuse to lead a dying church.
