Delivered on October 30, 2005, Melana

discusses "In the Midst of Unfaithfulness"  We hope you enjoy

reading her sermons and wish you would

join us each Sunday to hear the

new one in person.

 

In the Midst of Unfaithfulness                        Matt. 24:45-51 & I Thess. 2:1-8

 

        "On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was once a crude little lifesaving station.  The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought of themselves went out day and night tirelessly searching for the lost.  Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous.  Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding area, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work.  New boats were bought and new crews trained.

 

        The little life-saving station grew.  Some of the members of the lifesaving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and poorly equipped.  They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea.  So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building.  Now the lifesaving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they decorated it beautifully and furnished it exquisitely, because they used it as a sort of club.

 

        Fewer members were now interested in going to sea on lifesaving missions, so they hired lifeboat crews to do this work.  The lifesaving motif still prevailed in this club's decoration, and there was a liturgical lifeboat in the room where the club initiations were held.  About this time a large ship wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boatloads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people.  They were dirty and sick, and some of them had black skin and some had yellow skin.  The beautiful new club was in chaos.  So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

 

        At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership.  Most of the members wanted to stop the club's lifesaving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club.  Some members insisted upon lifesaving as their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a lifesaving station.  But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own lifesaving station down the coast.

 

        They did.  As the years went by, the new station experienced the same change that had occurred in the old.  It evolved into a club, and yet another lifesaving station was founded.  History continued to repeat itself, and if you visit that sea coast today, you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore.  Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown!"

 

        This parable by Theodore Wedel is a reminder that we need to be clear about our purpose and mission or lose our way in the process.  The mainline denominations in North America have wrestled with what it means to be the church in the midst of the world and have often failed to focus on their purpose and mission, but instead have focused on what has always worked and on numbers of members and of giving.  In the process, many churches have not only lost many members, but have forgotten who and what they are called to do and be.

 

        Stewardship is about recognizing our purpose and mission - for ourselves as individuals and for the church as a whole.

 

        If you have helped in any way with Angel Food Ministries in the last six months, if you have taken orders, done paperwork, helped with distribution or set-up or clean-up - if you have helped in any way, would you stand up.  This is one part of our purpose and mission - sharing with people we do not know so that they can have food to eat and perhaps even begin to understand that God is full of grace and loves them.  People in town are talking about what is going on in this church - in a positive way!

 

        Numerous people have told me that we are doing a wonderful thing and they want to be involved in some way.  This is stewardship by example - teaching others about God's love by our actions, expecting nothing in return.  People learn far better by seeing what we do, rather than just hearing what we say.  Children and youth are especially adept at learning by example.  We cannot teach respect and responsibility and grace, unless we show it.

 

        Yesterday we distributed food and had a few hurdles to overcome because one of the trucks was late - nine hours late and people had to come back to get the rest of their food.  Some people got angry, but most people continued to express appreciation for what we were doing and sharing.  Stewardship by example is a powerful way to share God's message with those we do not know.

 

        If you help with the LOGOS Program, would you stand up where you are.  LOGOS is the best program of Christian nurture that I have ever seen.  Two of us have had a great experience this week with a child recognizing us as being from the church where he goes on Wednesdays - he was so excited to see us and to have us recognize him by name.  LOGOS is stewardship by association - sharing God's message with our talents in a hands-on way with those in our church community.  I have told several of the teachers - I am less interested in what the children learn about the Bible, and most interested in the children knowing that they are part of the church and that there are people here who care about them.  Some of the children here on Wednesday evenings do not have many opportunities to ask deep questions or to have an adult, other than their parents, listen to the things that are important to them.  By being here every Wednesday evening, the people who volunteer are touching the lives of the children and youth in a way that they will always remember.  LOGOS is a way that we respond to God's call to share the gospel message with others and each use our talents to do so.

 

        How many of you have ever helped with worship - been a greeter or a lay leader, lit candles or taken up the offering, helped decorate the sanctuary for Christmas or Easter or participated in a special service, sung in the choir or done a reading for the cantata - if you have ever helped in any way with  worship, please stand up where you are.  Prayer and worship are the ways we practice our stewardship by strengthening our relationship with God.  God doesn't need our worship - but we need to worship God in order to be reminded of our call and to be strengthened to use our gifts in the best way possible.  By reaching out to those we do not know, sharing the gospel with those we do know, and strengthening our relationship with God through worship and prayer, we give our total lives to God in faithful stewardship - and we begin to make a difference in the midst of an unfaithful world.

 

        There is much out there to entice us away from God, stewardship calls us to give our total lives to God - we are called to be faithful, in the midst of tremendous unfaithfulness.  This church now recognizes that we are called to be a lifesaving station and that sometimes means things will get a little messy and even dirty - but by being faithful to our calling and mission, we find ourselves blessed and strengthened and renewed.

 

        Let us go forward in faith, promoting the Lordship of Jesus Christ, in all our tasks - to the glory of God.

 

© Melana Scruggs 2005

 

 

  

     

    

 

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