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| 106 North Bench Street, Galena, IL 61036 Phone: (815) 777-0229 (voice & fax) |
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Ordinary 17
by Jim McCrea I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about the future of this congregation. Part of that is due to a simple need to try to plan ahead, but part of that is due to the fact that a number of changes are on our horizon. Most of you are aware that Andra and Brian Davis and their children are leaving Galena this week to move to the Twin Cities area. But you're probably not aware that Ann and Ken Robb will be moving to the Albany, New York area in late August and that another couple has their house on the market with the intent to move to Rockford. And, of course, we have the usual complement of sick and elderly people to worry about. All these people are very dear to me - to all of us - because they are our family and it hurts to be separated from the people you care about. But, of course, that's what life is all about - arrivals and departures and changes of all sorts. We went through a similar period last August when Kevin and Wanda Freese - our former student pastor and his wife - and Angelique and Scott Larrabee - our former choir director and organist - all moved away the same week. All of those people are and will be missed and it's difficult to deal with their departures. And to be honest, when you add all that to my father's mental and physical problems and the painful death of my sister-in-law at 43, I think I've been depressed and in mourning for a long, long time. But that's only natural. It's so easy to let our losses and pains overwhelm the joys in our lives. But the reality is that it has been a joy to have had the opportunity to know and work with all these people. And clearly those who move away will still remain our friends and part of our extended family. And so we rejoice with them in their new opportunities. Modifying our attitude toward changes isn't just something we have to do as individuals. Churches have to do that as well. According to information posted on the internet, congregational research has shown that three things are true of small, strong congregations: 1. There is a shortage of people and money.
The same research shows that small, weak congregations have the following characteristics: 1. There is a shortage of people and money.
In other words, there is no distinction in any of those three areas. So what makes the difference in the strength of their ministries? According to church growth experts Bill Easum and Thomas Bandy: "The real [difference] comes from within the small church itself. It is the smallness of its vision, the smallness of its inclusivity, and the smallness of its heart...neither the lack nor the abundance of resources will be decisive for the future of the small church. Imagination, sensitivity, leadership, and sheer undiluted faithfulness will win out every time." Another author adds, "One of the characteristics of this smallness of vision (and smallness of thinking) is a concentration on what we don't have, whether it is finances, young people, talented people, time, energy, intelligence, popularity, an exciting worship band, opportunity etc. The comment I sometimes hear from congregations that 'We're too small' says a lot more than they think! As well as lack of numbers, it can also indicate a smallness of vision and purpose." We're so used to thinking about the world the way it is that we often forget that we serve the God who created the world and who has the power to transform it into something far different and far better. But then smallness of vision is nothing new. Our gospel lesson is a perfect example small thinking. When I say that, I don't mean anything derogatory toward the disciples at all. If I had been there and Jesus had asked me to feed a huge crowd with the contents of a child's lunchbox, I would have said there's no way to do it, just like the disciples did. I suspect all of us would feel that way. But, of course, we have an advantage that those first disciples didn't have. That is, we know what happened next. We know that Jesus somehow multiplied that meager amount of food so that the entire crowd could eat and be satisfied and have much left over. I should interject here that even though I understand this story as being one of a miracle of multiplication, there are some who see it in other ways. One of my favorite Bible commentators is William Barclay. He had an incredible ability to explain New Testament stories and make them come to life. But, in my opinion, the one drawback to reading Barclay is that he simply didn't believe in miracles. Although I don't agree with that, it can make for interesting reading at times. For example, he explains this story by speculating that the crowd had all packed their lunches, but were afraid to pull them out for fear that they would have to share what little they had. But, when they saw the generosity of the little boy with his lunch, they all became willing to share and it turned out that there was more than enough for all. That's an interesting idea and I think it's true to the way God typically works through people. And yet, I personally have no problem believing that when Christ is present, miracles can happen. And, I would suggest to you that Christ is present here with that same miraculous power - the kind of power we have seen in action in so many biblical stories and, if we think about it, in our own lives as well. So why should we continue to allow ourselves to dwell on our weaknesses and allow ourselves to have small visions? There's a story about a 10-year-old boy who lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. In spite of that, he decided that he wanted to study judo, so his parents arranged to have him train under an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well with his lessons, but he eventually became frustrated because, after three months of training, the master had only taught him one move. So the boy eventually asked the master, "Sensei, shouldn't I be learning more moves?" The master replied, "This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know." The boy didn't understand that, but he believed his teacher, so he dutifully kept on training. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged. The boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. He insisted, "Let him continue." Soon after the match resumed, the boy's opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and his master reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned up the courage to ask what was really on his mind: "Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?" His teacher replied, "You won for two reasons. First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm." In other words, the teacher had transformed the boy's biggest weakness into his biggest strength. We are about to enter a new period in the life of this congregation. Beyond simply having so many treasured members move away, our Personnel Committee is about hire a new student pastor to begin in the fall and they're going to review our experiment with Ellen's expanded position as Family and Community Outreach Coordinator. Meanwhile, our session is starting a process to create a long-range plan for our congregation. Their goal is not to come up with a simple mission statement, but to seek a true vision for our ministry in this community. We have some great strengths as a congregation: We are truly a very caring and welcoming community. We are open to experiment and change. We're willing to step out in faith for something we believe in. On the other had, it's easy for all of us to list our weaknesses, too: We have one of the smaller congregations in town and are clearly in the running for having the worst parking situation of any of the Galena churches. We have the typical makeup of a modern Mainline Protestant church: that is, lots of gray heads and not many younger people. I could go on, but you can easily add to both list yourselves. However, before you go any further in weighing our strengths and weaknesses, think of the parable of our church building. We're all aware that this is the oldest Protestant church building in continuous use in what used to be the Old Northwest Territory. But what you may not have thought about was the reason that that is the case. It could only happen because generation after generation of people treasured this building enough to give it the loving care and dedication needed to repair and restore it on a regular basis. Clearly, that same kind of loving care and dedication are needed to continue and transform the ministry of our congregation as well. And just as clearly, this is a congregation worth treasuring. As we look to our future together, think about your answer to the question Bill Easum often asks congregations and individual Christians: "What gifts do you bring to the Body of Christ that, if we equip you to use them, the body of Christ will be more whole and so will you?" And, as you ponder that question, remember the promise found in our New Testament lesson from Ephesians: "There is One who is at work within us who can accomplish far more than we can ever imagine." Finally, as you think about the future, using the words of Gordon Ramsay, I urge you: * To keep a perspective on the excessive love and grace of God
"And now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. According to his power that is at work within us. To him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever." Amen.
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