Scripture:
Because today's scripture readings are woven into the sermon, I will not offer my usual introductions. Our first reading is from the book of Joel, chapter 2, verses 27-29:

[27] You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame. [28] Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. [29] Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

Our second reading comes from Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome, reading from chapter 12, verses 1-2 :

[1] I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. [2] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Today's Gospel lesson comes from the 21st chapter of the Gospel of John. In it, Jesus is speaking to Peter. I begin with verse 18:

[18] Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." [19b] . . . After this he said to him, "Follow me."

Sermon:


I have just returned from a stimulating 2 day retreat with public and private sector leaders from all over Cleveland. From the first discussion, it was obvious that here was a group with vision -- and that over the course of the coming year, by sharing our vision, we would expand each other's understanding of the many challenges Cleveland is facing, and begin to assist other leaders in responding more effectively.

I was honored to be one of only two ministers in the group, but it soon became obvious that virtually all the others were very active in their respective religious communities. This reinforced my belief that churches and synagogues are repositories of potential: that if we choose, we can offer vision, effect motivation and accomplish enormous good in our communities and throughout the city.

But this belief begs a question. Because vision is blinded by pettiness, and motivation is undermined by self-focus, and good cannot issue from maleficence, we would be wrong to assume that simply because a people are gathered in God's name, that they will harness their potential. Decades ago, Martin Luther King Jr. pondered these same issues. He wrote:

I have travelled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings, I have looked at the South's beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious education buildings. Over and over I have found myself asking: "What kind of people worship here Who is their god" (from Ministry and Mission, p. 14)

Martin Luther King was a VISIONARY. He peered in through the windows of the church buildings, and wondered about the VISION of the church PEOPLE.

Last spring, we were privileged to offer three successful Inquirers' Classes. These are a series of two or three first hour programs for people who are interested in finding out more about Plymouth Church, including those who may be prospective members. In speaking with one of these folks, he commented that he had heard me, and a number of others, refer to the diversity within this congregation, emphasizing that we often bring to our discussions quite different points of view. And so he asked the obvious question: If we are so diverse, what holds us together What is Plymouth's VISION

His question brings to mind the passage from the Prophet Joel... your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old people shall dream dreams, and your young people shall see visions. And the spirit of the Lord will be poured out on all flesh.

What is our vision What is the vision of this church. Anyone who would look toward the future must also look into the past. 80 years ago this week, Plymouth church of Shaker Heights held its first worship service in this sanctuary. What kind of people were those who first brought this congregation together What was their vision.

A few months ago we uncovered the original invitation that was distributed to the entire community, announcing the completion of the sanctuary building, and encouraging any and all to come and worship here. You might find some of the words they chose interesting:

The nine men and women who organized Plymouth Church . . . were far seeing folk. Theirs was a vision to make it a Church to serve the community and all denominations. . . . To insure the future ethical and spiritual good of the community. . . . Here is religious breadth of view -- democracy -- vision -- and inspiration. . . .

Looking back over the past 80 years, these words have provided good guidance. As we look to the years and decades ahead, it is again time to build consensus about the vision and mission of this congregation. That effort will get under way on a one-day retreat to be held Saturday, September 28. We will have sign-ups for the retreat over the next two Sundays, and I hope we have a large turnout.

When asked to lift up their vision of "church," most people speak about a homogeneous group of neighbors gathering to worship God in a setting free from conflict and tension. Church offers a sense of identity --- a sense of people rooted in a place with a common history of experiences and traditions.

Now, in an age when so many families move every few years; when the vast majority of families have abandoned the traditional importance of keeping the extended family under one roof; when we are told by the sociologists that the notion of a nuclear family is as much a fiction from the past as "Dick and Jane"; when travel by automobile further isolates us from our neighbors, as does the value we place on single family dwellings; when this and more erodes our experience of community, IT IS A GOOD THING that a weekly gathering of Christians can provide a sense of identity for its participants. Traditions and history give us SECURITY AND STRENGTH.

We need these roots. Groups of people, like individuals, need to be reminded of their history. These traditions inspire love and promote respect for those who have gone before us, and for those who gather each Sunday.

But if we love and respect only ourselves, our lives will be stunted. The reason to have a strong sense of self -- for an individual to have a secure ego and for a group to be well rooted in history -- is to enable the individual or community to go beyond itself, to reach out to others, to serve ideals and values larger than the self, greater than the homogeneous community.

The strength of this church is the love and caring, the genuine friendliness we show to one another and to visitors. It would be a grave mistake to compromise this strength.

But if we are to be faithful to the one in whose name we gather, we must take a further step to widen our community, and broaden our sense of what God is asking of us.

High quality interpersonal interaction is not enough. We must also be led by God to embrace a VISION, to hear and follow a CALL: to act on and carry out a MISSION.

Two understandings of mission are present in the Gospel and in church history. Both involve widening our community, and both are crucial to a healthy and faithful church.

The first is rooted in the great commissioning at the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew:

[18] And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (28:18-20)

"Make disciples of all nations. . . ." The first issue the disciples faced was that of inclusivity. Their Lord had charged them to reach out to others, and share the Good News. The temptation was to stick to themselves. But instead, they sought God's support and courageously reached out to the gentiles and broadened their community.

Their task was not an easy one! Consider what it was like for them following Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. What was it like to witness the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr

* What if they had cowered and dispersed, fearing for their own lives

* What if they had chosen to avoid conflict, risk and danger

* What if they had contented themselves with praying among themselves, and supporting only one another;

* Or what if they had formed a committee!

We would not be worshiping here today!

So what is this first understanding of mission about It is about: sharing the GOOD NEWS with ALL people; attracting new people to the faith community; and shaping and nurturing a life of faithful discipleship.

The second understanding of mission is rooted in Christ's first teaching at the Synagogue. Because it is such a familiar passage, many of us hear it -- but fail to take in its message. As you listen to it, think about the social structures of our society, and how they match up to the vision Jesus offers. I read from the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Luke:

[16] When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, [17] and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: [18] 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." [20] And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. [21] Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

God sent Jesus to counteract injustice and oppression, to heal our broken places, and to proclaim the reign of God.

It follows that our mission, like Jesus', is to connect with, and not run from, the PAIN we encounter in God's world: in our work place, in our neighborhood and city, in our family, and within our congregation.

We are called to bring healing to the painful places.

Christ calls his followers to reverse the common view articulated so memorably by the song writer Carol King. Living when people "haven't got time for the pain", we are called to MAKE time for the pain of those who are suffering.

Another way of putting it is this: As Christians, we must answer the question, "Where do we see the face of Jesus" He tells us that he lives among the least of these: the hungry, the aliens, the naked, the homeless, the sick and those in prison. (Matt. 25:31ff) In the act of embracing the pain of the world -- we are clinging to Jesus. And God empowers us: to bring hope to those who despair, to offer peace to those whose lives are engulfed in conflict, to create just and fair circumstances for the victims of greed and prejudice.

This is DANGEROUS STUFF. It often involves struggle, sacrifice, hardship, frustration, and conflict. Look at what happened to Jesus immediately after his brief sermon in his hometown. Reading from the 29th verse:

[29] They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. [30] But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. (Luke 4: 29-30)

Jesus never promised that discipleship would be easy or enjoyable. Hear again Jesus' promise to Peter:

[18] Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." [19b] . . . After this he said to him, "Follow me." (John 21:18,19b)

It is time for us to grow up, stretch out our hands, and be led by God's spirit - even to places we do not wish to go. This is what following Jesus is all about. Discipleship means being led by God's spirit -- being SENT on a mission. Or as Paul put it: not being conformed to the world but transformed by the renewal of our minds, so that we will be able to DISCERN THE WILL OF GOD.

We can not and must not avoid the question of the vision and mission of Plymouth Church. But DISCERNMENT is and must be a corporate activity of prayer and discussion. I cannot set forth an outline or offer up a blueprint. But because God has worked through you to call me to be your spiritual guide, I can say the following:

First of all, we need to help one another to free up our lives for God. The parts of our lives over which WE exercise authority must decrease, and the parts over which we acknowledge God's authority, and seek to understand it, must increase.

Secondly, as we give ourselves over to that reality, time, talent, and money will become available to fulfill BOTH kinds of mission here at Plymouth:

* On the one hand, we will seek to become more inclusive; and

* On the other hand, we will promote justice and seek to relieve suffering in our city and in the world.

God has blessed us and equipped us with everything that we need to be a loving and caring congregation. Grateful for this blessing, let us take the next step to discern where the voice of God is calling - so that we might further the process of becoming disciples:

* connected to the pain of the least of these among us;

* inspired by the face of Jesus whom we recognize in the needy whom we serve;

* and full of the JOY which is ours as we love and serve our Lord in every aspect of our lives.

Amen.