The future and the hope of the Church is found in the poor

In reading through A Testament to Freedom: The Essential Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I came across an insight about the Church from his doctoral dissertation The Communion of Saints.  When looking out at the Church in his native Germany, Bonhoeffer encountered a comfortable middle class church that while still offering social programs for the poor, had failed to include them in its community.  He wrote,

"for the church of today everything depends on its once more approaching the masses which have turned away from it, and, moreover; in such a way that the church brings the gospel into real contact with the present situation of the poor working classes, in full attentiveness to how these masses look upon the gospel."

There are some churches, particularly in blighted urban areas, who have successfully brought the Gospel to the working poor and made them part of the Church of Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately, for too many of our churches, this is not the case.  The Church has lost the rich, but it rarely has ever had them anyway, and it has lost the poor.  The majority of my church, and all of our churches, is middle class people.  Here in our county the working poor and the non-working poor are a large percentage of the population, but a very small percentage of our churches.  How did this happen, how can it be solved?

            Bonhoeffer continued with his line of thought by adding, “the future and the hope for our ‘bourgeois’ church lies in a renewal of its lifeblood, which is only possible if the church succeeds in winning over the poor working classes.”  Don’t let the fancy French word “bourgeois” mess you up, just substitute “middle-class” in its place and you’ll be fine.  Finding a way to make the Church appeal to the rich will never be the answer.  The Church in Franklin, in Venango County, in Pennsylvania, and in America will begin to find revival when it finds a way to reach the poor amongst us with the Gospel and truly make them a part of our community.  Hope that we can accomplish this should not be hard to find, for “there is no modern power that is basically more open to the Christian gospel than these poor workers.  These avid, poor workers know only one affliction, isolation, and they cry out for one thing, community.”  I have certainly seen this with my own eyes.  In our work with Mustard Seed Missions we have been able to help hundreds of families with serious physical needs, but the greatest need for nearly all of them is to be part of a community; that is why our organization always makes its last step in helping someone the sending of a church near to them to do follow-up and offer them the chance to be a part of a community.  The idea of belonging to a neighborhood no longer exists as it once did in America.  People move too often, we drive too far to go to work and to church for any neighborhood to exist on its own.

            How do we know if our churches have become isolated from the poor in our midst?

“The best proof is that the poor working classes have turned away from the church, whereas the bourgeois have remained.  So the sermon is aimed at relatively secure people, living adequately in orderly family circumstances, relatively ‘educated’ and relatively solid in their morality.”

Here Bonhoeffer’s wisdom hits us squarely in the chest.  Why do people in our churches deplore the morality of “them” and choose to fight in a social war rather than take the gospel to the poor?  Because we’re comfortable here; because the Church has managed to create a little sanctuary within our community where things are a little better than out there, but only at the expense and with the consequence of making those on the outside no longer feel welcome amongst us.  In such a situation, “The danger of the church’s becoming a mere association is obvious.”  What prevents a group of relatively well off Christians from acting like a social club instead of being on fire for God’s work in our world?  It will only be our connection to, and acceptance of, the poor in our midst.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s observations about the churches of Germany in 1930 are entirely relevant for the Church in America today.  When we find a way to make the poor feel like this is their church too, when their problems become our problems, God will truly be alive and well in our midst.

Sermon Video: "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead." - I Corinthians 15:12-22

There has been much discussion in recent generations about the possibility of removing the teachings and ethics of Jesus from the life and divine claims in order to preserve a version of Jesus that feels acceptable to those who discount the possibility of miracles.  When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he reminded them of the original message of the Gospel that he had taught, and they had believed, which contained a clear understanding that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead three days after his crucifixion.  The people of Corinth had evidently believed Paul’s word initially but had later succumbed to or been tempted by doubts arising from cultural problems with the idea of a bodily resurrection.  In the end, the modern skeptic and the ancient Greeks of Corinth have the same problem; they doubt that the resurrection of Jesus could have taken place.  What is the response of the Word of God to both groups?  Without the resurrection there is no hope.

            The entirety of the Church and the Christian faith are built upon the historic fact of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.  Without this foundational truth, the whole structure built upon it, from ethics and charity to prayer and worship, will come crumbling down.  Paul was not willing to accept a “diet” version of Christianity in his day any more than the Church should be willing to listen to calls to leave out the miracles in ours.  Without the resurrection, our faith is meaningless, our purpose is lost, and our sins remain.

            The problem faced by those who refuse to believe in the resurrection is that they have then no answer for the problem of evil in our world.  Without the resurrection as a means to obtain forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation from God, we have no hope of a better tomorrow and certainly no hope in any life beyond this one. 

            “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead”.  Hope is available because Jesus did conquer sin and death, forgiveness is available because Jesus’ payment for your sins was accepted by the Father and his sacrifice was vindicated by the power of his return from the dead to new life.  From this central truth, all of Christianity flows, and from it we offer God’s love to the world.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video 

Sermon Video: Taking the bread and cup in a worthy manner - I Corinthians 11:27-32

The Church in Corinth had a unity problem.  In Paul’s first letter to this church, he writes disapprovingly about their approach to the communal meal that included their celebration of Communion.  As part of that discussion Paul warns against anyone who “eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner.” (I Corinthians 11:27)  What does it mean to take Communion in an “unworthy” manner?  Paul goes on to describe the judgment that will come from God against those who do this, so figuring out what he means is important to us.

            For the Church in Corinth the primary issue was unity, that lesson will apply to some churches and some Christians who struggle with the issue of placing the bond of Christ above all other distinctions.  But for others, the issue of not being “unworthy” reflects the larger principle of maintaining a proper relationship with God.  We know that anyone who approaches Communion in an irreverent or flippant way would be mocking the table of the Lord, but what of those whose fault is that they approach Communion while still walking in darkness?  Because God desires a relationship with his people, a relationship defined by his character and Law, it is unacceptable for the people of God to try to serve two masters by keeping one foot in the world of sin and one foot in the kingdom of God.  Such hypocrisy is self-destructive; it will lead to our own physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual demise.  We cannot come to the Communion table with an unrepentant heart beholden to wickedness.

            What is Paul’s solution to the danger of being “unworthy”?  Judge yourself.  Take the time to examine your own heart and mind to see if there is anything there that is causing, or could cause, damage to your relationship with your heavenly Father.  We know that it is necessary to be proactive in our marriages, necessary to put in the time and effort to keep the passion alive.  Our spouse doesn’t deserve to be ignored, neglected, and certainly not cheated upon.  Why would our relationship with God deserve any less?

            In a nation where the majority of people self-identify as Christians, there should not  be such high rates of abortion, divorce, infidelity, gambling, drug addiction, fraud, and whatever other vice you want to consider.  These problems are not simply problem outside our churches; these sins infect the body of Christ.  When the Church of Jesus Christ stars choosing righteousness over wickedness, when the Church takes its marriage vow as the bride of Christ seriously, our society will change.  It is no wonder when the Lost act according to their sin nature, but the people of God are supposed to be different.  We have been washed clean by the precious blood of the Lamb; we cannot walk in darkness and have fellowship with our Savior. 

            Why do we take Communion, why do we go to Church, why do we volunteer to serve?  All these and more are ways in which we can fill up our lives with righteousness and holiness.  The key to avoiding sin is not simply avoiding temptation.  Success against temptation will be found when we leave no room in our lives for sin to take root.  Let us them examine ourselves, confess our sins, and approach the table of the Lord with humility as we do what is necessary to build up our relationship with God and indeed be “worthy” of that union.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video 

Sermon Video: "Worthy is the Lamb" - Revelation 5:1-14

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus that we remember each year on Palm Sunday was a spontaneous event of enthusiasm by the people of Jerusalem for a political solution to the ongoing problem of foreign domination by the Romans that they hoped Jesus was about to bring to an end.  Their shouts for a king in David’s line were indeed accurate, Jesus was worthy to sit on that throne, but he had other intentions from the beginning.  That unexpected role reversal, from claiming a throne to suffering as a servant, is mirrored in the vision that John sees of the End Times that he recorded in Revelation.

            In chapter five of Revelation, John sees God holding a scroll that cannot be opened by any created being.  That scroll signifies the beginning of the end of history, the final judgment on creation and the culmination of the redemptive plan of God.  Who has the right to decide that such a time is at hand?  Who could be holy enough, righteous enough, to open such a scroll?  At that point the Lion of the tribe of Judah steps forth, he is worthy.  But then something remarkable happens.  In the very next verse, it is not the Lion, the mighty king, who takes the scroll from the hand of the Father, but the Lamb who was slain.

            Jesus had the right as King of kings and Lord of lords to open the scroll, the Son of God and the Son of Man has every right to do so, but he once again approaches this responsibility with the same humility and obedience that led Jesus to Calvary less than a week after the shouts of “Hosanna”.

            The Cross and the Empty Tomb are the great reversal of all of history.  There humility defeated pride, love triumphed over hatred, and a sinless and spotless life triumphed by giving itself up over death.  In our world, power, wealth, and fame are revered, sought and fought over, but not so in the kingdom of God.  The Lamb at the center of the praise and worship in John’s vision is honored because he put others before himself.  He is lifted up and glorified by ever increasing numbers until all of creation joins in the song because he was willing to kneel before the will of the Father.  Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video 

The small margin of error for the shepherd of the flock

Headlines such as this are a far too frequent occurrence: “Pastor resigns after sex scandal”, “Pastor resigns amid financial scandal”.  There was another high-profile mega-church pastor who resigned this week after admitting to at least two affairs.  This was obviously a newsworthy story, especially with the 20,000 members attending this church and the satellite campuses far and wide, not to mention the book and TV efforts this church was engaged in with this pastor as its public face.  That failures such as this are sad is evident, but something about the comments that are inevitable bothers me.  Those who belong to the church rocked by such failures of leadership often say something like, “he’s a sinner, just like all of us, we all need to be forgiven.”  On the surface of it, that statement is entirely true.  Any and every church pastor is a sinner saved by grace.  There isn’t anyone who avoided needed God’s forgiveness and grace, and there isn’t anyone entering the kingdom of Heaven on their own merit.  There is a big piece of this puzzle missing, however.  That the pastor was a sinner saved by grace, when he became a follower of Jesus Christ, is entirely true, but he cannot continue to be someone who walks in darkness if he is to shepherd the church of Jesus Christ.

Like it or not, the standard by which a pastor is judged is not the same as that for his congregation.  Not everyone is capable of being a church pastor; not everyone has the gifts or talents necessary, and not everyone has the temperament needed to do the job.  Lastly, but just as importantly, not everyone is capable of the high moral standard that must be followed by someone willing to take on both the privilege and the burden of leading a church.  A church pastor is not allowed to continue in his position if he cannot keep his marriage vows (or his celibacy if he is single).  A church pastor is not allowed to continue in his position if he uses drugs, abuses alcohol, is violent, greedy, power hungry, or unforgiving.  The list is a long one, and could go on, but the point is clear.  To be called to the ministry as a shepherd is no small thing.  It has higher entrance requirements, and a high standard to continue.

Is a pastor who breaks his promise to God capable of being forgiven?  Of course he is; we all are capable of being forgiven.  Should he be allowed to continue in his ministry if he confesses his sins and shows contrition?  No, that ship has sailed.  As I said, it’s no small thing to serve the Church of God.  This is, according to the Word of God, a business where no major mistakes, and let’s call them what they are, sins, are allowed.  It is one thing for your senator to cheat on his wife, its far worse for your pastor to do so.

Does it worry me to write such things, knowing that my wife and I are dependent upon this job to provide for our needs?  No, it doesn’t, because I wouldn’t have sought ordination if I didn’t know my own heart.  I wouldn’t have accepted a call to shepherd this church if I was tempted to cheat on my wife, use drugs, or steal from the collection plate.  The Marines call themselves, “the few, the proud”; the Church needs to have similar high standards about those we allow to lead us.  That may not sound like an attitude devoid of second chances, but in the case of betraying the sacred trust of administering the Word of God, there really isn’t one.