Sunday, May 18, 2008
Genesis 1:1-2:4A2 Corinthians 13:11-13Matthew 28:16-20
I wonder what Jesus would say to you this morning as you celebrate your first one hundred years as a congregation?
What might Jesus affirm about your life and ministry over the years and at this particular moment in your life? What might Jesus invite you to change and do next so that you can follow his lead for your future ministry as a congregation?
These are questions for you to be exploring throughout this centennial year. What is God’s preferred future for you?
In the gospel we heard this morning, Jesus gives some clear instructions to his disciples to guide their future ministry. These same words of guidance may be part of what Jesus wants to say to you at this time in your life and ministry.
After his resurrection, Jesus told his disciples to go to a mountain in Galilee. When they arrived there and saw their Risen Lord, Matthew tells us that “they worshiped him, but some doubted.” Some of those disciples were eager to give their whole lives to following Jesus. Others had lots of questions. They were not sure how much of their lives they were willing to give to following this Jesus. Some worshipped and some doubted.
Throughout the history of Trinity, there have been people worshipping Jesus with their whole being…and there have been people doubting, not sure how much of their lives they wanted to give to following this Jesus. There are probably areas where most of us have questions and doubts, even as we worship together here this morning.
Jesus reminds us in today’s gospel that his followers have always been a mixed group of people. Some worship and some doubt. Remember how Thomas doubted, but as he stayed in community with the other disciples, Jesus turned his doubt to faith and worship.
The Christian Church has always been a mixed community of people at different places in their relationship with Jesus.
It is important that this be a community where people with faith and people with doubts are welcomed. As we all seek Jesus together, Jesus is able to transform our questions and doubts to faith and trust.
Jesus probably shocked his disciples with His next words. He said, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.” This must have been difficult for those first disciples to understand. Remember, the Roman army was occupying their country. The Roman government controlled their society. They had to pay heavy taxes to Rome. It seemed like Caesar had all authority. In the realm of religion, it seemed like the Jewish leaders who arranged to have Jesus crucified had all the power and authority. The followers of Jesus felt powerless.
Do you ever feel powerless over decisions made in the business world or by our government, over the messages spread through our media, over gas and food prices, over the ethical and moral choices of our society? For one hundred years, the people who have worshipped at Trinity have often felt powerless in the face of decisions and forces which have impacted the life of this community.
Jesus reminded his first followers, and reminds us in every generation, that God has given him all authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus is Lord of all. It may seem for a time that governments and businesses and the forces of society have the greatest power. But their power is only temporary. Jesus is Lord of the universe. We place our ultimate trust in the power and authority of Jesus. Our hope is rooted in Jesus. Yes, we live within the destructive forces of our society and world, but we live as followers of Jesus knowing that Jesus is the Lord over all the secondary powers that impact our lives.
Since Jesus has all authority, what does he expect of his followers who live in this world? What does Jesus expect of you this week and in the years ahead? His instructions are clear: “Go, make disciples of all nations.” Every morning of our lives, God sends us out in the power of the Holy Spirit to live as disciples of Jesus who are always seeking to help others become disciples of Jesus. God’s mission is to send us out into relationship with people in our society and world to help others see by our example what a follower of Jesus looks like and to help others join us as followers of Jesus. We all have much to learn about how to live as disciples of Jesus in our daily lives. We all have much to learn about how to help others become disciples of Jesus.
A disciple is a disciplined learner whose way of life reflects the presence and guidance of the Master. How disciplined are we in our following of Jesus? Are we continually learning how to live the Jesus way of life in the context of our daily words and actions, schedules and habits? Have you ever had a long term relationship with a spiritual seeker or neighbor in need and helped them move from being observers of Jesus to becoming disciples of Jesus as a way of life?
The greatest gift we can share with others is the treasure of our relationship with Jesus. Learning to help others become disciples or followers of Jesus is one of the most important tasks Jesus expects of us in this and every generation. The future of Trinity Church - the future of the Episcopal Church - the future of the whole Christian Church in the United States depends on us learning from God - how to be disciples who help others become disciples of Jesus. Only Jesus can change minds and hearts of other people. But we need to be open and ready to have the Holy Spirit guide conversations with others about our experience of living as a Jesus follower.
Jesus tells us that we make disciples by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We don’t believe in a generic God. We follow a particular God who has revealed himself to us as one God who is Father, and Jesus and Holy Spirit. Baptism is not just a momentary event. It is being incorporated into a covenant relationship with God the Holy Trinity that shapes the way we live our lives both on earth and for eternity. This morning we will have a baptism and some young people will renew their baptism promises in Confirmation. All of us will be invited to open ourselves for a fresh transfusion of the Holy Trinity into our lives…to empower us to live as disciples of Jesus who help others become disciples of Jesus.
Just as cell phone batteries need to be recharged with power, so we followers of Jesus need to have our relationship with God the Holy Trinity recharged regularly through prayer and worship, through pondering Scripture, through the Eucharist, through Christian community, through renewing our baptismal covenant with God.
In today’s gospel, Jesus has really challenged us. His words to his first disciples are also words to you as you begin your next hundred years of ministry in this place. The truth is, we are all worshippers who have areas of doubt and resistance to Christ’s call. We often feel powerless in the face of pressures from our society. We often forget that Jesus has all authority and power as Lord of the Universe. We are all disciples in the making, with lots of room for growth. And we all have much to learn about how to help others join us as disciples of Jesus.
Jesus has one final message to us. He ends his message to his disciples by telling them, “I am with you always.” This is both Jesus’ promise and a reality we can trust. What a gift that we are not left with our struggles alone. Jesus knows our weaknesses, our fears our limitations. And Jesus has promised to walk with us, to help us and guide us.
As we look to the coming years of our personal lives…and as we imagine the next hundred years of Christians in Whitinsville, we can look forward with hope because Jesus has promised to walk with us always. I invite you to close your eyes for a moment. What next steps is God the Holy Trinity asking you to take this week and for the rest of the year? So that you can become a more faithful disciple of Jesus and so that you can help others become more faithful disciples of Jesus?