It is annual meeting time and what better time to think about what is needed to continue to strengthen our Church.
Several years ago William Willimon wrote an article for the Christian Century entitled “First Year Bishop.” In that article he reflected on the transition he had undergone from being the Dean of the Chapel at Duke University to being a Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. In that article Willimon recalled preaching his last sermon at the Duke Chapel. A student came up to him after the sermon and asked him, “Dr. Willimon, will you be doing much preaching in your new job?” Willimon said beaming, “I sure will. I will be preaching two or three times every Sunday.” “That’s good,” said the student, “I’ve heard that your sermons are poorly organized and hard to follow, so maybe you will have the time to be able to work on your preaching.” Willimon was naturally taken back by the brutal honesty of the student. “Who said that about my sermons?” he demanded. “Everybody at Duke,” replied the student. Finally, Willimon said that after he had regained his composure somewhat he said to the student, “Look kid, would you be willing to move to Birmingham? I am going to be a Bishop and a lot of people are going to be cozying up to me for favors, and I need someone to tell me the truth.”
Sometimes you and I need someone to tell us the truth. That is what I think Paul does in his letter to the Church at Corinth.
In his letter to the Church at Corinth the Apostle Paul points out that we have this treasure in “earthen vessels” (clay pots). It was common in the ancient world to store wealth in this type of clay vessels. Often they held precious rugs and jewels. But the recipients of Paul’s letter understood the difference between the “treasure” and the vessels in which they were stored.
That is true in the church as well. Earthen vessels are always imperfect, easily broken and constantly in need of repair. I know that well from my experience in pottery. They really are a container for the treasure. They never quite do justice to the splendor of the treasure they hold. As Christians we believe that the treasure is Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” We, you and me, are the vessels who hold that treasure. In the Reformed Church we have always struggled with the tension between the ideal and the real. The church is made up of imperfect people. Yet, Christ has given to the church the “keys to the kingdom” and promised us that not even the “gates of hell can prevail against it.” The spirit of the Reformed or Presbyterian Church was always contained in five Latin words: “Ecclesia Reformata sed Semper Reformanda”—the church reformed but always being reformed. In other words, the reformation of the church is not a one-time event, but an event that continues to unfold even in our day.
So what are the elements that mark continued growth in the church?
The first is theology. Theology has always shaped the life of the Presbyterian Church in this country and throughout the world. Our theology has always emphasized the “majesty of God.” The God whom we worship is not a small or trivial God, but he is the Lord God, who “comes with might,” “who has measured the waters in the hollows of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span,” before whom “the nations are as nothing” (Isaiah 40: 10,12, 17). The God we worship is not our “friend’ nor our “pal.” He is the creator of the universe. Therefore in our worship there is a certain formality, reverence, and distance that reminds us that there is a great distinction between the “creator” and the “creature.” As we move into an unknown future, we must always keep our theology strong and let it shape what we become as a church.
The second element that is necessary for the renewal of the church is a recovery of the mission of the church.
There are two key parts of our mission. The first is the recovery of the first great end of the church “the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of human kind.” There is nothing more critical for the life of the church than the fulfillment of the “Great Commission” of Christ to “go into all the world, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, preaching and teaching what Christ has taught us” (Matthew 28). Preaching and teaching our faith must be foundational as we move in new directions and ministries.
To me, preaching and teaching is only part of what mission is all about. For us at Topsail it is about PATH Offering, 4 C’s Food Pantry, Sweet Potatoes, Food bags at Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the other things we do to help those around us in need. What we do in the community is our effort at making the Gospel visible around us.
Well, there you have it, theology and mission. I really do not think you can have the church without both!
Peace.
Rev. Carriker
