Would Your Church Be Missed?
Stories
Object:
Contents
"Would Your Church Be Missed?" by John Sumwalt
"Increase our Faith!" by Peter Andrew Smith
Would Your Church Be Missed?
by John Sumwalt
I am grateful to God...when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. -- 2 Timothy 1:3-4
Some years ago there was a large gathering in what was then known as the Soviet Union. A brilliant man spoke for 90 minutes on behalf of atheism, attempting to persuade the crowd to give up religion. When he was finished, a young Russian Orthodox priest approached the platform and asked if he could speak. The atheist speaker said, “Yes, but only for five minutes." The priest replied, "I won't need that much time."
The priest mounted the stage, stood before the microphone, and cried out in a clear voice, "Alleluia, Christ is risen!"
An immediate response came back from the crowd: "The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!"
The young priest turned to the atheist and said, "That is my speech. I need no more time."
I like that story, but not for the reason it is usually told in churches or related in sermons on Christian radio. It is the kind of story that is usually used to show up non-believers, to do battle with the atheists, as if there is a need to defeat or prove wrong all those in the world who don't believe in God.
I love this story because of the quick response of the crowd, "The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!"
That is the reason the church exists. In those six little words those of us who love Jesus and know him to be alive find our reason for being.
You may remember that old commercial for H&R Block, the tax preparation service, which shows several men sitting in a sauna? All but one of them is perspiring profusely. When one of the perspiring men asks the non-perspiring man why he is so calm and dry, he replies, "I've got people," meaning, (if I understand the commercial correctly and understand you are hearing this from someone who often has to ask his wife to explain what some commercials are about) meaning he is not sweating anything this tax season because his tax people will take care of everything. "I've got people."
That's what the young orthodox priest had that the brilliant atheist didn't have. He had people, friends who were witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.
I visited an area church recently to hear a friend preach. In the midst of the sermon he asked the congregation, “If your church disappeared from the community today, what would be missed? What would people notice was gone that made a difference in their lives.
Sometimes all the preacher needs to do is ask one good question. I have been working on the answer to this one ever since.
What came to mind first are the many ministries performed by churches like food pantries, shelters for the homeless, meals for the homebound, disaster relief and overseas missions, hospital and hospice visitation, children’s and youth initiatives, and so many more programs that make a difference in people’s lives. All of these would be missed.
But by far the biggest difference would be the absence of the church itself. It is the people of the church who no longer meet together that would leave a glaring hole. There is a certain synergy that occurs when a group of Christians is together over many years. It is friendship and more.
We take strength from one another, like Paul offers so eloquently in his words of encouragement to Timothy. My connections with people in my church help me to be a better person, to live out my calling as a follower of Jesus, to be a good neighbor, to be a grace filled, forgiving kind of person.
I don’t know about you but I am not a very good follower of Jesus on my own. I need Jesus’ people to help me be faithful. There is power in the people. "The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!"
John E. Sumwalt is the lead pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in suburban Milwaukee and the author of nine books, to be released by CSS in 2007. John and his wife, Jo Perry-Sumwalt, served for three years as co-editors of StoryShare. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS), Sumwalt received the Herbert Manning Jr. award for parish ministry from UDTS in 1997.
* * *
Increase our Faith!
by Peter Andrew Smith
Luke 17:5-10
Carrie tasted the chili from the pot and added some extra peppers. “I wish I had more faith.”
“Huh?” Jean put a stack of bowls on the counter of their booth where they were preparing the meal. “Sorry but I can’t hear you over all the noise. Who would have ever thought getting ready for a faith festival in a park would be so loud?”
“I said I wish God would give me a stronger faith.”
“Why do you say that? Judging from all the people who showed up I think today is going to be a blast! This is going to be the place to be this afternoon.” Jean pointed to the different booths and tables. “I mean we’ve got food, fun, Bible games, activities for young and old, and if the Trustees get that stage finished I think we’re going to be able to hear the music from everywhere in the park.”
“I prayed about what we’re doing and I’m glad that everyone has shown up.” Carrie sighed. “We still really don’t have any great talent to draw people in who aren’t part of the church. I’m afraid people are going to have a look and then wander away. We need something to really grab them so they hear our passion for Jesus.”
“The guitar group is going to be playing praise songs, aren’t they? Pastor Ron is going to speak as well.”
“Yes, they are and some others are going to sing too.” Carrie turned the burner down so the chili would simmer. “I just wish we had an incredible head liner.”
Jean sat the napkins next to the bowls. “So what does that have to do with you having enough faith?”
Carrie waved her hands at the preparations. “All of this is to help us celebrate our belief in Jesus and to give a friendly introduction to seekers who might be curious. This is important for the church and the community.”
“I’m still not sure why you think you need more faith. It looks like it’s going to be a great day.” Jean looked up at the sky. “Even the weather is cooperating.”
“I wish the Gospel choir was here. They’re incredible and people would come to hear them.”
“Did you invite them?”
Carrie shook her head. “They didn’t sign up to participate.”
“So?” Jean tapped on her phone and handed it to Carrie. “Call Kelly and see if they want to take part.”
Carrie looked at her watch and frowned. “It is kind of late now. We’re going to start in about an hour.”
“So you better call and see if they want to be a part of what we’re doing.”
“They’re probably busy.”
Jean shrugged. “You won’t know until you ask.”
Carrie stared at the phone.
“What’s the matter now?” Jean asked.
“What if he says no?”
“Then he says no and nothing changes.” Jean shrugged. “But what if he says yes and they come here and their music touches the hearts of both believers and non-believers?”
Carrie took a deep breath and dialled. “Kelly? It’s Carrie from the praise festival. I know it’s late notice but I wonder if the gospel choir would like to sing? You would? Yes, Three o’clock would be perfect! Thanks!”
Carrie handed Jean back her phone and grinned from ear to ear.
“See what happens when you have faith?” Jean said.
Carrie tilted her head to one side. “Pardon?”
“Faith isn’t something we have or don’t have.” Jean put out spoons for the chili. “It’s knowing and trusting in God. So even a little bit of faith can make the greatest difference because it’s not about us but about God.”
Carrie frowned. “I’m still not following you.”
“You wanted to have more faith because you want all of this to be a wonderful thing. What you needed to do was trust in God by being a person who lives out your hope and belief,” Jean said. “That’s what happened when you put your faith before your fear and called Kelly.”
Carrie looked at her friend for a few moments and then burst into an even bigger grin. “I guess it’s not a matter of how much faith we have but it’s about us using our faith in the world, isn’t it?’
“Absolutely.” Jean nodded. “It is about our relationship with God because with God everything is possible.”
“Amen.” Carrie took off her apron. “So let’s go gather everyone together for prayer and get this praise festival started the right way!”
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things are Ready (CSS) a book of lectionary based communion prayers and a number of stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, October 2, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Would Your Church Be Missed?" by John Sumwalt
"Increase our Faith!" by Peter Andrew Smith
Would Your Church Be Missed?
by John Sumwalt
I am grateful to God...when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. -- 2 Timothy 1:3-4
Some years ago there was a large gathering in what was then known as the Soviet Union. A brilliant man spoke for 90 minutes on behalf of atheism, attempting to persuade the crowd to give up religion. When he was finished, a young Russian Orthodox priest approached the platform and asked if he could speak. The atheist speaker said, “Yes, but only for five minutes." The priest replied, "I won't need that much time."
The priest mounted the stage, stood before the microphone, and cried out in a clear voice, "Alleluia, Christ is risen!"
An immediate response came back from the crowd: "The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!"
The young priest turned to the atheist and said, "That is my speech. I need no more time."
I like that story, but not for the reason it is usually told in churches or related in sermons on Christian radio. It is the kind of story that is usually used to show up non-believers, to do battle with the atheists, as if there is a need to defeat or prove wrong all those in the world who don't believe in God.
I love this story because of the quick response of the crowd, "The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!"
That is the reason the church exists. In those six little words those of us who love Jesus and know him to be alive find our reason for being.
You may remember that old commercial for H&R Block, the tax preparation service, which shows several men sitting in a sauna? All but one of them is perspiring profusely. When one of the perspiring men asks the non-perspiring man why he is so calm and dry, he replies, "I've got people," meaning, (if I understand the commercial correctly and understand you are hearing this from someone who often has to ask his wife to explain what some commercials are about) meaning he is not sweating anything this tax season because his tax people will take care of everything. "I've got people."
That's what the young orthodox priest had that the brilliant atheist didn't have. He had people, friends who were witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.
I visited an area church recently to hear a friend preach. In the midst of the sermon he asked the congregation, “If your church disappeared from the community today, what would be missed? What would people notice was gone that made a difference in their lives.
Sometimes all the preacher needs to do is ask one good question. I have been working on the answer to this one ever since.
What came to mind first are the many ministries performed by churches like food pantries, shelters for the homeless, meals for the homebound, disaster relief and overseas missions, hospital and hospice visitation, children’s and youth initiatives, and so many more programs that make a difference in people’s lives. All of these would be missed.
But by far the biggest difference would be the absence of the church itself. It is the people of the church who no longer meet together that would leave a glaring hole. There is a certain synergy that occurs when a group of Christians is together over many years. It is friendship and more.
We take strength from one another, like Paul offers so eloquently in his words of encouragement to Timothy. My connections with people in my church help me to be a better person, to live out my calling as a follower of Jesus, to be a good neighbor, to be a grace filled, forgiving kind of person.
I don’t know about you but I am not a very good follower of Jesus on my own. I need Jesus’ people to help me be faithful. There is power in the people. "The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!"
John E. Sumwalt is the lead pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in suburban Milwaukee and the author of nine books, to be released by CSS in 2007. John and his wife, Jo Perry-Sumwalt, served for three years as co-editors of StoryShare. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS), Sumwalt received the Herbert Manning Jr. award for parish ministry from UDTS in 1997.
* * *
Increase our Faith!
by Peter Andrew Smith
Luke 17:5-10
Carrie tasted the chili from the pot and added some extra peppers. “I wish I had more faith.”
“Huh?” Jean put a stack of bowls on the counter of their booth where they were preparing the meal. “Sorry but I can’t hear you over all the noise. Who would have ever thought getting ready for a faith festival in a park would be so loud?”
“I said I wish God would give me a stronger faith.”
“Why do you say that? Judging from all the people who showed up I think today is going to be a blast! This is going to be the place to be this afternoon.” Jean pointed to the different booths and tables. “I mean we’ve got food, fun, Bible games, activities for young and old, and if the Trustees get that stage finished I think we’re going to be able to hear the music from everywhere in the park.”
“I prayed about what we’re doing and I’m glad that everyone has shown up.” Carrie sighed. “We still really don’t have any great talent to draw people in who aren’t part of the church. I’m afraid people are going to have a look and then wander away. We need something to really grab them so they hear our passion for Jesus.”
“The guitar group is going to be playing praise songs, aren’t they? Pastor Ron is going to speak as well.”
“Yes, they are and some others are going to sing too.” Carrie turned the burner down so the chili would simmer. “I just wish we had an incredible head liner.”
Jean sat the napkins next to the bowls. “So what does that have to do with you having enough faith?”
Carrie waved her hands at the preparations. “All of this is to help us celebrate our belief in Jesus and to give a friendly introduction to seekers who might be curious. This is important for the church and the community.”
“I’m still not sure why you think you need more faith. It looks like it’s going to be a great day.” Jean looked up at the sky. “Even the weather is cooperating.”
“I wish the Gospel choir was here. They’re incredible and people would come to hear them.”
“Did you invite them?”
Carrie shook her head. “They didn’t sign up to participate.”
“So?” Jean tapped on her phone and handed it to Carrie. “Call Kelly and see if they want to take part.”
Carrie looked at her watch and frowned. “It is kind of late now. We’re going to start in about an hour.”
“So you better call and see if they want to be a part of what we’re doing.”
“They’re probably busy.”
Jean shrugged. “You won’t know until you ask.”
Carrie stared at the phone.
“What’s the matter now?” Jean asked.
“What if he says no?”
“Then he says no and nothing changes.” Jean shrugged. “But what if he says yes and they come here and their music touches the hearts of both believers and non-believers?”
Carrie took a deep breath and dialled. “Kelly? It’s Carrie from the praise festival. I know it’s late notice but I wonder if the gospel choir would like to sing? You would? Yes, Three o’clock would be perfect! Thanks!”
Carrie handed Jean back her phone and grinned from ear to ear.
“See what happens when you have faith?” Jean said.
Carrie tilted her head to one side. “Pardon?”
“Faith isn’t something we have or don’t have.” Jean put out spoons for the chili. “It’s knowing and trusting in God. So even a little bit of faith can make the greatest difference because it’s not about us but about God.”
Carrie frowned. “I’m still not following you.”
“You wanted to have more faith because you want all of this to be a wonderful thing. What you needed to do was trust in God by being a person who lives out your hope and belief,” Jean said. “That’s what happened when you put your faith before your fear and called Kelly.”
Carrie looked at her friend for a few moments and then burst into an even bigger grin. “I guess it’s not a matter of how much faith we have but it’s about us using our faith in the world, isn’t it?’
“Absolutely.” Jean nodded. “It is about our relationship with God because with God everything is possible.”
“Amen.” Carrie took off her apron. “So let’s go gather everyone together for prayer and get this praise festival started the right way!”
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things are Ready (CSS) a book of lectionary based communion prayers and a number of stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, October 2, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
