Sunday Sermon: join the love affair!

Sermon: May 18, 2008-05-18
Matthew 28

The last messages of the gospel of Matthew ... is for the early band of Christians. They are not to keep the message of and the responsibility of God’s love to themselves.
They are to go ... teach .... baptise ... make disciples.

They are, in other words, to seek others to join them on the great love affair that God has for the world.
They are to find people ... who too might be infused with the Spirit ... to live lives of compassion, truth, justice, integrity ... in their lives with their neighbours.

Often, this passage is assumed to be focused ... on building the church ... getting members .... creating the body of Christ ... like a membership drive. Go ... teach ... baptise ... make disciples.

Often, this passage is assumed to guide us towards correct doctrine. Embedded within it is the “baptismal formula” – which the institutional churches across the world have taken hold of - fervently and doctrinally. Baptism must be conducted with these particular words ... or it will not be recognised by other denominations.

(Personally, I understand the drive for Christian identity and consistency, but I believe that the rigidity of adherence to this particular formula is ... fatally flawed. We know that the passage is the work and words of the early church, not of Jesus. Jesus wanted people to come into the kingdom ... but was much more absorbed in matters of practice than formulae or rigid ritual.)

This passage, to go ... teach ... baptise ... make disciples ... really is not about creating institutions or formulating doctrine
it is about inviting people ... seeking people out ... to join Jesus in the great love affair that God has for the world.
God so loved the world ...
The Spirit is promised to each and everyone in this love affair ... the spirit that will help them with their love affair ...
As it gets manifest in the daily routine of family life
In the complex challenges of the workplace
In the significant realities of global unrest and crisis.

If we don’t get diverted ... to building institutions
If we don’t get hung up ... on correct theology
We can begin to imagine what it means to reach out to others
To invite them into Jesus great love affair.
Go ... teach ... baptise ... and make disciples


When my father was ordained, 1949 ... church just opened their doors, and people came.
50’s, every week – one new church built
Thirty years later, when I was ordained, church building slowed down ... stopped.
1964 ... beginning of decline
Sent to congregation – 350 households. stable
Work: leadership development and opening of vision –

Now, thirty years later – 2008 what does it mean to go ... teach .... baptise ...make disciples.
We open the doors .. - some wander in
We finesse our structures ... blow open our vision ... - a few turn up

Mainly, we think about our church and congregation in the same way we have for the last six decades.
Mainly, we evangelize ... that is we reach out ... seek new disciples in the same way we have for the last six decades.
And it is not without ... success and unlimited faithfulness!
Imagine over the years ... the worship and the programs,
the deep friendships made,
the tremendous amount of outreach and service to the world
this congregation has made.

But, I would argue, many would argue, that we are needing a whole new paradigm ... for what it means to go ... reach out ... baptise ... and make disciples.
This is particularly so ... if we are to connect meaningfully with the younger generation.

Those of us who are here ... are here. We’re loyal. We’re committed. We’re nourished by the Spirit. We’ve found ways of being the church: with Jesus to have a love affair with the world. We’re incredibly grateful.

But there’s a gap.

It is this gap – that the Joint Needs Assessment Committee is addressing in its report and recommendations. Their mandate has been a focus was on our ministry with “Families and Youth”.
Last March, in your focus groups, you said we needed to find ways of reaching out to the younger generation. Despite disappointments, you haven’t given up as a congregation. And, I hope you haven’t given up on the young people in your own families.

The report with recommendations for both programming and staffing goes this week to the Council, who will bring the report and their recommendations to a congregational meeting on June 1st. The report should be available to you midweek through the church office, email or next Sunday morning.
Aren’t you interested in it already?


As part of their work, they reviewed the research our national church has done through the “Emerging Spirit” initiative (focused on 30 to 45 year olds).
Listen to what is in the hearts and minds ... of the generation – who are thirty, forty, and I would argue somewhat into their fifties.

This generation is more interested, committed, focused on

spirituality than religion
younger member – not been around as much -

building relationships than institutions or organizations

exploring faith than in learning correct theology
emphasis on exploring, asking, seeking
suspicion of churches – dogma, toeing the line
heard recently from a member ... “felt like a fraud”

living out the values and ethics of the faith than on what you believe.
golf course – reading Gretta Vosper’s book: with or without God :why the way we live is more important than what we believe
elder of the Lutheran church – leaned over


Reaching out rather than in



Many of us here ... of any age ... identify with the values and perspectives of this generation. We will be attracted by some version of progressive Christianity ... which really is reflected in what we do here generally at First.
Some of us have more loyalty to the institution (church) than the younger generation and some have pretty firm belief systems that we are quite content to keep and that work well for us ... with our love affair in the world.

In light of this research, I’ve been thinking generally about our ministry at First United Church and what we can learn from the research.
It means that we need to pay attention to the seeking, pragmatic, relational, spiritual yearning in all of us.
· Sunday worship must be engaging, lifting up the sacred and providing for practical application.
· Study groups should be full of questions and exploration.
· Our relationships here need to be significant.
· Our vision must consistently be outward – toward the care of others and God’s world.
To name a few.


The Joint Needs Assessment Committee – has elaborated on what further initiatives need to be taken to welcome the younger generation into Jesus great love affair with God’s world. They suggest we need to be bold and risk taking. We need to think outside of the box. We need to take risks. We need to enter into a new paradigm. And that paradigm has to do with going out into the community in a less institutional kind of way.


Remember, when I talked of my father’s ministry 1949 -building the institution after the war and building buildings.

Remember my ministry 1976 – solidifying and enhancing a stable Christian community – that had not yet been impacted by the already decline

Now it is 2008 - we need to go out into the community and in a much less institutional way

go .... teach .... baptise ... make disciples ... in a whole new way!

A paradigm shift ... for the sake of our children ....
· who need the Spirit’s strength and wisdom ...
· who need Jesus modeling of inclusiveness and compassion ...
· and who want to enter into God’s great love affair with the world.

May God’s wisdom and courage be with us as we pray and deliberate and make decisions.... towards a new future beyond 1949, beyond 1976, and beyond 2008.

Amen