Acts
16:9-15; Revelation 21:10, 22—22:5; John 14:23-29
Last
week, Deacons John and Diane and I attended the Synod Assembly. The theme for
the assembly was “Always being made new.”
Most of the speakers mentioned change, and the challenge of reaching new
people with God’s love and grace.
The
main event of the assembly was the election of a new bishop, Bob Schaefer. I have
always been impressed with his pastoral manner, and I believe he will be a
great bishop. It will be interesting to discover how he will make many things
new in the synod.
Along
the way to the election of the new bishop, there was some mention of the
data which shows the ELCA is losing members, as are many denominations. In my
reading and listening lately, there is a lot of discussion about the “nones”,
the people who claim no religious affiliation. They may have their own version
of who God is, or they may totally discount the existence of God. For them, participation
in organized religion is unnecessary, irrelevant.
There
was not the time to focus on what it takes to make Jesus relevant, except for
this: the three bishop candidates were all asked this question. “What is unique
about Lutheranism?” All three responded with this word, “Grace.”
My
guess is that most of those who have no religious affiliation also have no
understanding of what grace means. It is the one thing we have to share that is
relevant to all people of all times and all places. The challenge is: how do we
make grace relevant for them?
In
seminary, students quickly learn that Lutheranism is about grace; we are taught
or reminded that we are “justified by grace through faith for the sake of
Christ apart from works.” But, most people don’t understand most of the words
or concepts in that sentence.
So, I
say instead, “Grace means: there is nothing you can do to make God love you
more. And there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. God may not
like what you do, but like a good parent, the love doesn’t end because of what
you have done.”
This
statement is not hard to understand. It may be hard to believe, but it’s not
hard to understand. What can Hope do to share that simple statement with the
folks in our neighborhood who have no religious affiliation? How can we reach
them with God’s love and God’s grace? It may help us to look at how the people
in the Bible did it.
… As
Jesus prepares the disciples for life and ministry after his death, he uses the
word peace. This is not a lack-of-war kind of peace. It’s not a silence kind of
peace. This is the peace of mind and heart that comes from trusting in God’s
grace. When we are not worried about doing the right thing, according to the
rules, in order to please God, we have peace. Trusting in God’s grace brings us
peace. This peace is relevant to all people, even those who don’t know much
about Jesus.
… Paul,
Silas and Timothy began by approaching Jewish people, and then reached out to
everyone in the community. Their passion for Jesus was contagious, and soon
they had a house church in Philippi, at the home of Lydia. She seems to have
been a Gentile woman who valued the teachings of Judaism, but had not become a Jew.
When she heard what Paul and his friends had to say, she became a passionate
believer in Jesus. There were other women there, but the Spirit worked in
Lydia’s heart, she responded, and it changed her life. What was it that Paul
said to her? Probably, knowing Paul as we do, he told her about God’s grace.
… At
the time of the writing of the book of Revelation, Rome was the most powerful
political empire on earth, and the worship of statues of the emperor was the
religion of the day. The early Christians had to find ways to make Jesus
relevant; they told people about God’s love and grace, which was a strong
contrast to the forced worship of the emperor. In the sharing of the stories of
Jesus, the church grew and grew and grew. The church grew in spite of
persecutions and ridicule, because God’s grace was relevant to the people.
The
vision shared by John of Patmos gives hope to the people of his time and ours.
The restoration of the garden, with its life-giving trees and rivers offers us
a sense of peace based on God’s grace and love. There is so much life, love,
and grace in the trees, the leaves heal the people of all nations.
What
can we do as individuals and as a congregation to be the leaves of peace and
grace and healing for the people in our neighborhood? What can we do to make
Jesus relevant to them?
It’s
important that we have worship that suits the people who are here now. It’s
important that we have activities and ministries that have meaning for the
people who are here now. It’s important that we learn and are reminded about
God’s love and grace.
It’s
also vital for the future of the congregation that we search out ways to
worship that suit at least some of the people who are not here yet. It’s vital
to discover activities and ministries that have meaning for the people who are
not here yet. It’s vital that we explore what we can do to make Jesus relevant
in the hearts of those who do not yet know about his love and grace and peace.
As a
congregation, we have been trying some different styles of worship, some different
activities and ministries. We may not
all like everything we are doing, but it is for the purpose of reaching more
people with the love and grace of Jesus. That is what we are all called,
gathered, and sent to do.
Here’s
your challenge for the week. I invite you to consider these questions: What is
it that makes Jesus relevant to you?
… I
know that some of your children and grandchildren are involved in a church. God’s
grace is very relevant to them. I also know that many of your children,
grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are not involved in a church.
So,
here is something else to consider. What are you willing to do so that our
children know that Jesus is relevant to them? What are you willing to do to
make sure our children know the value of worshiping, fellowshipping, and
serving Jesus together with other believers?
Please
pray with me. Lord, you shared your very self with us to teach us about your
grace. We know how relevant you are to us. Guide us in sharing your grace with
those who don’t know you and your love for them. Amen
