God's Love in Action
October 25, 2009
October 25, 2009 - Reformation Sunday
Rev. Susan E. Gilbert Zencka
Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church
Texts: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; John 8:31-36
“Decently and in order” -- those of you who have been Presbyterians for very long will recognize that phrase. It’s a phrase we usually use when we are laughing at ourselves. It’s a phrase that’s become more than a stereotype, it’s become a cliché, but it’s an affectionate cliché that we use for ourselves. Where does it come from -- this phrase, “Decently and in order” -- what does it mean? Interestingly enough it comes from one of our creeds, the Scots Confession, which was written in 1560 as part of the English Reformation -- that’s part of our story. Today is Reformation Sunday, the last Sunday in October, when we remember the beginnings in 1517 of the Reformed Tradition, of which the Presbyterian Church is a part. That's part of our story.
The Israelites had a story too. In our reading from Deuteronomy this morning, they told their story. At this time, the Hebrew people were camped on the banks of the River Jordan -- they were about to cross over into the Promised Land after wandering for 40 years in the desert. Moses knew he was not going to cross over with them, and so this is pretty much his swan song, his farewell speech telling them all the things he wanted them to remember. And near the end of the speech we come to the part we read this morning. When they pass over into the land of milk and honey, and once they get settled in the Promised Land, and harvest crops, then they are to take their first fruits, and go to the priest, they are to present their gifts to God, and that’s when they’re to make the statement they read this morning: “My father was a wandering Aramean...” This statement is really the first creed in our faith history -- it is the creed of the Hebrew people at this point in time. It tells how God has delivered them with a mighty hand, it tells of God's wondrous deeds on their behalf, it tells how God had loved them and cared for them and brought them safely to the Promised Land, brought them safely to where they stand. And in response to God’s faithfulness, the Israelites presented gifts to God. They didn't give out of their leftovers – they gave their first fruits – it was part of their budgeting. Giving to God was an important part of who they were as a people. So they gave, and then they celebrated! It’s a liturgical moment, a moment of worship. And they told their story again.
We have a story. As Christians we have the story of the Bible. As Presbyterians, we also have a story -- we have the Book of Confessions. The Book of Confessions is the first part of our Constitution. Remember, we are a church who does things decently and in order -- we have a constitution. Our constitution has two parts, the Book of Confessions is the first part. It contains 11 creeds and catechisms, starting from the second century, when the Apostle’s Creed began to be formulated on up to the 20th century, when the last creed in the book -- the Brief Statement of Faith -- was written and adopted at the 1991 General Assembly. These 11 creeds and catechisms pick up where the Bible leaves off in our faith history. It’s a fascinating thing that our confessional statement is not merely one statement, but a book, a collection formulated over almost 2000 years, and these are chosen because they represent the way we’ve tried to define ourselves over the years. There have been many other creeds and confessions, but of all the many statements of belief in Christendom, Presbyterians have chosen, right now, the 11 that are in this book. The banners in the fellowship hall represent some of these creeds and confessions. It is a fascinating thing that we don’t merely pick one statement. It says that we, as a people, do not define ourselves merely by where we stand right now -- we define ourselves by how we have gotten here. We are a people who have struggled to define ourselves over time. We stand in history with people who have also struggled to define themselves. We haven’t always been sure of the answers, but we’ve been sure of the importance of the questions -- the struggle to figure out exactly what it means to live as a faithful people in a complicated world, and that’s what our Constitution, what the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order, together, represent. It’s our response as a faithful people to a complex world.
And every community has to have ways to learn to live together – in the Presbyterian Church, the Book of Order spells out the ways we've agreed to live together. The Book of Order is sometimes seen as a sort of dry as dust document that’s full of rules and regulations, and takes the life out of any proceedings. But it's part of who we are, and how we've agreed to be together. We are a people of stories -- the Bible is the story of our faith, the Book of Confessions continues the story of our faith as a people, and the Book of Order gives us a way, a structure within which to write our faith story now. It isn’t just a list of rules – the Book of Order is an attempt to understand the implications of our faith for the way we live together. It provides structure for the body of Christ to work and worship in ministry to the whole people of God.
The people of Israel were called out of slavery into freedom as a people – they were a covenant people – that is, they recognized that they were called together into relationship with God. How we live together is an important part of our faith in the Reformed Tradition – the faith that grew out of the Reformation. We, too, are part of a covenant community – the Presbyterian tradition is one of shared response to God, and shared responsibilities within the Church. One of the key Protestant distinctives is the idea of the ministry of all believers. It means that each of us is equally called to ministry. In fact, in the Presbyterian Church, ordination is not a sacrament, as it is in the Catholic Church. In the Presbyterian Church, the sacrament that ordains us to ministry is baptism. We believe so strongly in shared ministry within the church, that ordination is not just for clergy, but we also have two lay ministries that are ordained ministries: elders and deacons.
Deacons are those people who are recognized by their peers as having gifts of compassion. Caring for people in the church is not merely the responsibility of the minister, but is actually the ministry of all people, and the deacons are recognized as people who are especially gifted with compassion.
Elders are people who are recognized as having gifts of leadership. In the local church, the decisions about running the church are made by the Session – a group of elders plus the minister, each with one vote. In our governing bodies beyond the local church, ministers and elders equally share in making decisions. We don't have a bishop – we aren't a tradition that trusts one person with finding the truth. We believe in community, and we believe in a community process of discerning truth.
So for Presbyterians, listening to each other is very important. And it's also important to be willing to have hard conversations – to share our thoughts, our hearts, our questions, so that together we might come to a shared understanding. And there is a freedom in this shared process, a freedom to each be ourselves, knowing that we each have gifts, but that none of us has to have all the gifts, that we each may have some insights but that none of us alone has all the answers, that we find our wholeness in community. It is as a community that we share the gifts, share the responsibilities, share the ministry of the church. Two weeks ago, many of the leaders of this church gathered for an all-Church committee day. We reflected on what we think about Frame, and what we'd like to see Frame become. One of the groups described Frame as living out “God's love in action” -- that's what the Church is called to be. We're not called to stand still, we're called to get in gear, to be on the move, to be God's love in action as we share the ministry of Frame Church.
Each of us has gifts to make this happen. People in the choir have musical gifts. Some people have gifts in teaching. Some people have gifts in making people feel welcome, or in listening, or in cooking, or in praying. Some people are gifted in being with little children; others are gifted in solving financial problems. In the church, there is room for everyone's gifts. Each of us is important to Frame. Each of us has abilities and interests that should be part of what Frame is becoming. The church is what we are together.
In today's Gospel story, Jesus spoke about sin, and freedom, and said that he had come to free us from sin, and that by continuing in closeness with him and his word, we would know the truth and the truth would make us free. Sin isn't just about the mistakes we make, it's also about the brokenness that characterizes life in the world. Our culture idolizes the individual and individual freedom – we are suspicious of limitations on our own ability to do what we what with our stuff, our time, our lives. God's way is different. God calls us to live in covenant community – a life in which our primary reality is the community. It's hard for us to understand how we could possibly be more free in community than we are as individuals, but God's Word tells us that this is, in fact, how life really is. We can have our own way, or we can give ourselves to a larger life, a life in which we are not limited by the talents, the knowledge, the resources, that we have on our own. We are called to a kind of community in which we are accepted as we are, and are committed to who we are together. In such a community, there is a new freedom, in which we don't have to impress others, in which we're not at risk, because we bear one another's burdens, share one another's joys, encourage one another's gifts, make up for one another's weaknesses, and put up with each other, as others are putting up with us. In such a community, we have to learn to trust one another. We have to learn to talk with one another. We have to learn to invest in one another, and in the community.
This is what the Book of Order says about the church:
“The Church of Jesus Christ is the provisional demonstration of what God intends for all of humanity.
a. The Church is called to be a sign in and for the world of the new reality which God has made available to people in Jesus Christ.
b. The new reality revealed in Jesus Christ is the new humanity, a new creation, a new beginning for human life in the world:
1. Sin is forgiven.
2. Reconciliation is accomplished.
3. The dividing walls of hostility are torn down.
c. The Church is the body of Christ – both in its corporate life and in the lives of its individual members, and is called to give shape and substance to this truth.”
God's love in action – not just doing good things, but living a different way of life: a way of reconciliation, of risk, of trust, of openness to God and each other. As a congregation, we are a faith family: we come together to be in relationship with one another. There are two good ways to kill a relationship. You can fight it to death, or you can disengage from it. When we are genuine with one another, and we are excited about our faith and our ministries, chaos can ensue, so can discord. We have fights, we disagree. The Bible tells us that the truth will set us free, and calls us to speak the truth in love. The Book of Order issues the same call. If we don’t care enough about each other to speak the truth, then we have real problems, and we aren't an authentic community. If we don’t care enough about each other to speak the truth in love, we can destroy ourselves as a community and cause great pain to each other. Living in community takes courage and commitment.
Today is our pledge commitment Sunday – the Finance and Stewardship Committee has asked our members to make and turn in our financial pledges for 2010 by today. About 30 pledges have already come in, many more will come in today, and in the next week or two, the Session will call those of you who haven't yet turned in a pledge to remind you. The money you invest in this community matters – it enables us to keep paying for heat, and sheet music, and staff salaries, and parking lot repairs. The money matters and we thank you for your pledges and your faithful giving. But even more important than your money is the commitment you make of yourself to this community – to doing your part to do the tasks, and share your thoughts. Take your turn to host coffee hour, serve on a committee, when you have a question or a concern share it with a Session member, take the time to speak your mind. The church is called to community – not a community that is just one more item on a to-do list, but a community that embodies God's love, a community that calls, challenges and nurtures each of us to be our best selves, a community in which we experience the power of the living God, and become God's empowering love in the larger community. The truth is, we're better together, and the truth will set us free...free to live God's love in action, together. Amen.
Rev. Susan E. Gilbert Zencka
Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church
Texts: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; John 8:31-36
“Decently and in order” -- those of you who have been Presbyterians for very long will recognize that phrase. It’s a phrase we usually use when we are laughing at ourselves. It’s a phrase that’s become more than a stereotype, it’s become a cliché, but it’s an affectionate cliché that we use for ourselves. Where does it come from -- this phrase, “Decently and in order” -- what does it mean? Interestingly enough it comes from one of our creeds, the Scots Confession, which was written in 1560 as part of the English Reformation -- that’s part of our story. Today is Reformation Sunday, the last Sunday in October, when we remember the beginnings in 1517 of the Reformed Tradition, of which the Presbyterian Church is a part. That's part of our story.
The Israelites had a story too. In our reading from Deuteronomy this morning, they told their story. At this time, the Hebrew people were camped on the banks of the River Jordan -- they were about to cross over into the Promised Land after wandering for 40 years in the desert. Moses knew he was not going to cross over with them, and so this is pretty much his swan song, his farewell speech telling them all the things he wanted them to remember. And near the end of the speech we come to the part we read this morning. When they pass over into the land of milk and honey, and once they get settled in the Promised Land, and harvest crops, then they are to take their first fruits, and go to the priest, they are to present their gifts to God, and that’s when they’re to make the statement they read this morning: “My father was a wandering Aramean...” This statement is really the first creed in our faith history -- it is the creed of the Hebrew people at this point in time. It tells how God has delivered them with a mighty hand, it tells of God's wondrous deeds on their behalf, it tells how God had loved them and cared for them and brought them safely to the Promised Land, brought them safely to where they stand. And in response to God’s faithfulness, the Israelites presented gifts to God. They didn't give out of their leftovers – they gave their first fruits – it was part of their budgeting. Giving to God was an important part of who they were as a people. So they gave, and then they celebrated! It’s a liturgical moment, a moment of worship. And they told their story again.
We have a story. As Christians we have the story of the Bible. As Presbyterians, we also have a story -- we have the Book of Confessions. The Book of Confessions is the first part of our Constitution. Remember, we are a church who does things decently and in order -- we have a constitution. Our constitution has two parts, the Book of Confessions is the first part. It contains 11 creeds and catechisms, starting from the second century, when the Apostle’s Creed began to be formulated on up to the 20th century, when the last creed in the book -- the Brief Statement of Faith -- was written and adopted at the 1991 General Assembly. These 11 creeds and catechisms pick up where the Bible leaves off in our faith history. It’s a fascinating thing that our confessional statement is not merely one statement, but a book, a collection formulated over almost 2000 years, and these are chosen because they represent the way we’ve tried to define ourselves over the years. There have been many other creeds and confessions, but of all the many statements of belief in Christendom, Presbyterians have chosen, right now, the 11 that are in this book. The banners in the fellowship hall represent some of these creeds and confessions. It is a fascinating thing that we don’t merely pick one statement. It says that we, as a people, do not define ourselves merely by where we stand right now -- we define ourselves by how we have gotten here. We are a people who have struggled to define ourselves over time. We stand in history with people who have also struggled to define themselves. We haven’t always been sure of the answers, but we’ve been sure of the importance of the questions -- the struggle to figure out exactly what it means to live as a faithful people in a complicated world, and that’s what our Constitution, what the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order, together, represent. It’s our response as a faithful people to a complex world.
And every community has to have ways to learn to live together – in the Presbyterian Church, the Book of Order spells out the ways we've agreed to live together. The Book of Order is sometimes seen as a sort of dry as dust document that’s full of rules and regulations, and takes the life out of any proceedings. But it's part of who we are, and how we've agreed to be together. We are a people of stories -- the Bible is the story of our faith, the Book of Confessions continues the story of our faith as a people, and the Book of Order gives us a way, a structure within which to write our faith story now. It isn’t just a list of rules – the Book of Order is an attempt to understand the implications of our faith for the way we live together. It provides structure for the body of Christ to work and worship in ministry to the whole people of God.
The people of Israel were called out of slavery into freedom as a people – they were a covenant people – that is, they recognized that they were called together into relationship with God. How we live together is an important part of our faith in the Reformed Tradition – the faith that grew out of the Reformation. We, too, are part of a covenant community – the Presbyterian tradition is one of shared response to God, and shared responsibilities within the Church. One of the key Protestant distinctives is the idea of the ministry of all believers. It means that each of us is equally called to ministry. In fact, in the Presbyterian Church, ordination is not a sacrament, as it is in the Catholic Church. In the Presbyterian Church, the sacrament that ordains us to ministry is baptism. We believe so strongly in shared ministry within the church, that ordination is not just for clergy, but we also have two lay ministries that are ordained ministries: elders and deacons.
Deacons are those people who are recognized by their peers as having gifts of compassion. Caring for people in the church is not merely the responsibility of the minister, but is actually the ministry of all people, and the deacons are recognized as people who are especially gifted with compassion.
Elders are people who are recognized as having gifts of leadership. In the local church, the decisions about running the church are made by the Session – a group of elders plus the minister, each with one vote. In our governing bodies beyond the local church, ministers and elders equally share in making decisions. We don't have a bishop – we aren't a tradition that trusts one person with finding the truth. We believe in community, and we believe in a community process of discerning truth.
So for Presbyterians, listening to each other is very important. And it's also important to be willing to have hard conversations – to share our thoughts, our hearts, our questions, so that together we might come to a shared understanding. And there is a freedom in this shared process, a freedom to each be ourselves, knowing that we each have gifts, but that none of us has to have all the gifts, that we each may have some insights but that none of us alone has all the answers, that we find our wholeness in community. It is as a community that we share the gifts, share the responsibilities, share the ministry of the church. Two weeks ago, many of the leaders of this church gathered for an all-Church committee day. We reflected on what we think about Frame, and what we'd like to see Frame become. One of the groups described Frame as living out “God's love in action” -- that's what the Church is called to be. We're not called to stand still, we're called to get in gear, to be on the move, to be God's love in action as we share the ministry of Frame Church.
Each of us has gifts to make this happen. People in the choir have musical gifts. Some people have gifts in teaching. Some people have gifts in making people feel welcome, or in listening, or in cooking, or in praying. Some people are gifted in being with little children; others are gifted in solving financial problems. In the church, there is room for everyone's gifts. Each of us is important to Frame. Each of us has abilities and interests that should be part of what Frame is becoming. The church is what we are together.
In today's Gospel story, Jesus spoke about sin, and freedom, and said that he had come to free us from sin, and that by continuing in closeness with him and his word, we would know the truth and the truth would make us free. Sin isn't just about the mistakes we make, it's also about the brokenness that characterizes life in the world. Our culture idolizes the individual and individual freedom – we are suspicious of limitations on our own ability to do what we what with our stuff, our time, our lives. God's way is different. God calls us to live in covenant community – a life in which our primary reality is the community. It's hard for us to understand how we could possibly be more free in community than we are as individuals, but God's Word tells us that this is, in fact, how life really is. We can have our own way, or we can give ourselves to a larger life, a life in which we are not limited by the talents, the knowledge, the resources, that we have on our own. We are called to a kind of community in which we are accepted as we are, and are committed to who we are together. In such a community, there is a new freedom, in which we don't have to impress others, in which we're not at risk, because we bear one another's burdens, share one another's joys, encourage one another's gifts, make up for one another's weaknesses, and put up with each other, as others are putting up with us. In such a community, we have to learn to trust one another. We have to learn to talk with one another. We have to learn to invest in one another, and in the community.
This is what the Book of Order says about the church:
“The Church of Jesus Christ is the provisional demonstration of what God intends for all of humanity.
a. The Church is called to be a sign in and for the world of the new reality which God has made available to people in Jesus Christ.
b. The new reality revealed in Jesus Christ is the new humanity, a new creation, a new beginning for human life in the world:
1. Sin is forgiven.
2. Reconciliation is accomplished.
3. The dividing walls of hostility are torn down.
c. The Church is the body of Christ – both in its corporate life and in the lives of its individual members, and is called to give shape and substance to this truth.”
God's love in action – not just doing good things, but living a different way of life: a way of reconciliation, of risk, of trust, of openness to God and each other. As a congregation, we are a faith family: we come together to be in relationship with one another. There are two good ways to kill a relationship. You can fight it to death, or you can disengage from it. When we are genuine with one another, and we are excited about our faith and our ministries, chaos can ensue, so can discord. We have fights, we disagree. The Bible tells us that the truth will set us free, and calls us to speak the truth in love. The Book of Order issues the same call. If we don’t care enough about each other to speak the truth, then we have real problems, and we aren't an authentic community. If we don’t care enough about each other to speak the truth in love, we can destroy ourselves as a community and cause great pain to each other. Living in community takes courage and commitment.
Today is our pledge commitment Sunday – the Finance and Stewardship Committee has asked our members to make and turn in our financial pledges for 2010 by today. About 30 pledges have already come in, many more will come in today, and in the next week or two, the Session will call those of you who haven't yet turned in a pledge to remind you. The money you invest in this community matters – it enables us to keep paying for heat, and sheet music, and staff salaries, and parking lot repairs. The money matters and we thank you for your pledges and your faithful giving. But even more important than your money is the commitment you make of yourself to this community – to doing your part to do the tasks, and share your thoughts. Take your turn to host coffee hour, serve on a committee, when you have a question or a concern share it with a Session member, take the time to speak your mind. The church is called to community – not a community that is just one more item on a to-do list, but a community that embodies God's love, a community that calls, challenges and nurtures each of us to be our best selves, a community in which we experience the power of the living God, and become God's empowering love in the larger community. The truth is, we're better together, and the truth will set us free...free to live God's love in action, together. Amen.