Marching Orders for the People of God -
All good things must come to an
end. I suppose that is a fitting thought
on this inevitable Sunday when I worship with you for the last time as your
Interim Rector. This moment is poignant, for these twenty months in your midst
have been a time of great blessing for me.
St.
Peter’s Church in the Great Valley has been most accepting of a Lutheran
pastor, recommended by your Bishop, but coming in an unprecedented example of
ecumenical improvisation. You have
allowed me to decompress from a demanding administrative role in the Lutheran
Synod in this region and you have helped me to rediscover the joy of parish
ministry. You have responded to my
gentle encouragements and you have welcomed me into your homes and into your
hearts. Shannon and I are better people
for having shared in the life of this special community. We shall miss you all.
Through the
years, I have always marveled at how the lessons assigned for a specific Sunday
so often reflect the reality in which a congregation is living. Our Second Lesson for this morning could not
be more appropriate for this day. St. Paul
writes:
Finally,
brothers and sister, farewell. Put
things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in
peace; and the God of love and peace
will be with you. [II Corinthians 13: 11-12]
Wow!
I could not have said it better myself.
My greatest hope for you as my ministry ends is precisely what Paul
hopes for the congregation in Corinth: good
order, harmony, and a sense of love and peace. I hope that is the legacy that the Rev. Anne
Horne Bridgers will inherit as she assumes the Office of Rector on June 1.
Our
Gospel lesson continues the theme of taking leave. The emphasis now is on our Lord’s final words
to his disciples. In Matthew’s Gospel
there is no post-Resurrection appearance of Jesus in the Upper Room, no touching
the nail prints, no breakfast on the beach, and no encounter with Jesus on the
road to Emmaus. Matthew has Jesus’
followers rush immediately back to Galilee, a place of safety where they can
think about returning to their former lives.
And there, on a mountain that had
particular meaning for them, Jesus spoke words to his disciples that have
gained a special status in our Christian tradition, words we know as The Great
Commission. Listen as we hear Jesus speak in timeless terms: all authority .. has been given to me. Do we believe that? Do we believe that Jesus has that kind of
power and authority over your life and mine?
Jesus has that kind of power and
authority over my life. Jesus and what
he represents has become the greatest wisdom, the strongest integrating power,
in all of my life.
And what does Jesus proclaim to those who will listen? Be busy constantly making disciples of all
the people you can encounter. This is a
remarkable statement, because it not only addresses what we should do about
those outside the church but it speaks of our responsibility toward those
inside the church.
·
The Great
Commission reminds us that Jesus is not hung up on numbers .. nor does he care
how well funded or well organized we are.
In Jesus’ day there were no church buildings so “bricks and mortar” are
of no concern to the Lord.
·
Jesus calls
us to be determined. We are to take
seriously the task of gathering people into the unique fellowship that is the
Church. I hope that the work of our Task
Force on New Members has helped St. Peter’s understand how essential it is that
this congregation gives priority to evangelical outreach toward the unchurched
and de-churched in our region.
And how does Jesus want us to create this new community
of believers? He wants us to do it by
baptizing people in the name of the Triune God, by enfolding them into
Christian community, and by teaching them what they need to know so that their
lives will be formed in concert with the purposes of God. Now we're not talking about teaching
doctrines here .. we're not talking about abstract theories .. we are talking
about bringing people face to face with Jesus and his love.
Finally, we hear our Lord's incredible promise: I am with you .. always .. to the end of
time. Jesus is more than the revered
founder of a glorious movement .. he is not just a great person who has gone
before us. He is neither dead nor absent
.. he is here .. and he continues to dwell in the midst of the gathered
community, wherever two or more are joined in his name. Jesus is the same .. yesterday, today, and
forever.
The task of this congregation, dear friends, is to
follow Jesus and to make certain that St. Peter’s Church in the Great Valley is
totally focused on his will and purpose.
You are fortunate that someone has called you into this saving
fellowship. I would remind you that it
is your duty to make certain that St. Peter’s Church faithfully carries out the
Great Commission and calls others into the same kind of life-altering
relationship with Jesus Christ that, hopefully, has marked your life.
St. Peter’s Church has had a glorious tradition, but we
know that the past is behind us and the only thing that matters is what is
happening now. Two weeks from today you
will welcome the Twenty-fourth Rector of this congregation, The Rev. Anne Horne
Bridgers. Anne will bring a new voice
and a new vision to the life of venerable St. Peter’s. I pray that she will challenge you to enter
into ventures, for which you cannot see the ending, to imagine a St. Peter’s
Church ever more vibrant, more loving, more faithful than this community of
believers has ever been before.
·
I hope this
congregation will continue to bring people to the saving light of Jesus
Christ. There is too much darkness all
around us. Too many people are grasping
in despair for the things that rust and the food that does not satisfy. Economic circumstances and a long, disturbing
war have eroded hope for many. People need to belong to a community of values
.. sadly too many settle for belongings.
Join your new Rector in offering this community a vision of hope and
promise.
·
I hope this
congregation will find the way to convert your love for Christ into compassion
for the world Jesus loved. Please don’t
let St. Peter’s become a gathering of like-minded people who have member
privileges! Rather do all you can to
make certain that St. Peter’s Church champions those individuals who are most
at risk .. like the children of Chester, the people who come to the Clinic
or the Home of the Sparrow, and those seamen who are touched by our ministry in
the port of Philadelphia..
·
I hope that
this congregation will be committed to transforming lives. Please do not leave the members of St.
Peter’s alone .. call them to discipleship.
It is never enough to simply encourage people to join this church or
have their baptismal record transferred.
St. Peter’s must redirect their lives. Through the years I have grown convinced
that if the Church does not change people, then these people will change the Church.
·
I hope you
will start to discover the special spiritual gifts God has given each of you
and find ways to use your unique gifts to deepen the ministry of St. Peter’s
Church. Please do not think of ministry
as what your priests do; all of you must
be involved in doing the ministry of St. Peter’s Church.
In closing, let me state my belief that this is a
wonderful time to be the Church! This is
an exciting time to be a member of St. Peter’s Church in the Great Valley. May the Lord bless you as you embrace this
exciting chapter in the life of your congregation. May the Lord lead you into the joy of a new
chapter in witness and service that shall begin on June 1. AMEN.