~ by the Pastor and guest writers ~
|
A Ministry of Loaves and Fishes (October 15, 2003) It happens so repeatedly now that I do not pay much attention. On my daily runs through the streets and jogging paths of McAllen, I frequently spot coins lying on the sidewalks. Most often those coins are Lincoln pennies but a few weeks ago I hit the jackpot. I collected a whopping $5.06! Right before my eyes was Mr. Lincoln on a wet five-dollar bill and six copper pennies. I have ruminated as to why there seem to be so many more pennies left out in the public. Is the value so trivial that we no longer bother with such a scant amount of currency? My hunch is a penny is so insignificant that it’s not worth our time. After all, what can we do with a few pennies? It just may be that we can do more than we ever imagined. (By now all those pennies, and a few dimes, nickels, and quarters have added up to a nice chunk of change!). When Jesus fed the five thousand the rations for the day were pretty sparse—five loaves and two fishes all the Gospels tell us. But remember, Jesus blessed what was there and you know the rest of the story. I believe this story in the Gospels has a lot to do with how we can do ministry at First Presbyterian Church. I have a vision of this church that I want to challenge and inspire each of you to think about. Another of my observations that has to do with churches in general across our denomination is that quite often a small number of laity does the proportion of ministry in a local congregation. Year after year those dedicated saints give of themselves. Before long they get burned out and need some time for care of their souls. I know we do that here at First Presbyterian Church. I have a dream that one day every member of this congregation will be involved in ministry. Some of us may think we can do little. And that’s precisely what my vision is for this church. I believe each member can do a little rather than a few doing so much. I can give you some clear examples of what I call “a ministry of loaves and fishes.” We have saints who come in each week to fold newsletters and bulletins, change light bulbs, make pastoral calls in homes and hospitals, sing in the choir, work with youth, and prepare meals for fellowship. When you think about it those are small things but when blessed by God you can see ministry in our church beyond what we ever imagined. As the pastor of this congregation I am NOT asking you to do everything. I am asking you to be involved in ministry in perhaps small ways that God may be calling you. How about teaching a class for a month or working with the youth for a month or driving them to a camp or conference? I have a list as long as my arm. But remember, there are no jobs at First Presbyterian Church, only ministry. I really do look forward to the day when I look out at each member of this congregation and know that God has called each of you to an active membership of service. What would that vision look like? Let me suggest the following:
I believe with all my heart we can be a church where every member is actively involved in ministry. I long for the day when it will be a congregation that does not count members but has members who count. It can be a ministry of loaves and fishes. Join us where Christ will bless, feed, and multiply the work of ministry.
 Come, Let Us Gather at the Lord’s Table (October 2, 2003) Look ahead to the first Sunday of October and you will see that Christians around the world will do as Christians have done since the 1930s—celebrate World Communion Sunday. Gathered around the table in cities and towns, in countries near and far, we will affirm our oneness in Christ, with each other, and with the church in every time and place. That sense of world community is what I like most about World Communion Sunday. Stop and think about it for a moment. Christians from around the world will gather at the Lord’s Table on October 5, 2003. Christians in China, India, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, and the United States, to name just a few, will celebrate this sacrament in different cultures. They will speak in different language but all will be gathered at the same table. What a feasting this will be! I believe that celebrating the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is one of the primary indicators of a healthy congregation. When we are divided and fractionalized, we need to reconsider the centrality of this sacrament. Writing to a congregation at Corinth, Paul noted that the way its members went about the Lord’s Supper reflected the unhealthy state of their congregational life. In fact, Paul connected their confusion and distortions of the sacrament to illness. “For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment on themselves. For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died” (1 Cor. 11:29-30). What does Paul mean by “discerning the body”? We often hear that phrase through the filters of Reformation debates about real presence and transubstantiation. But Paul meant that when you share the Lord’s Supper, you are to be aware of others in the congregation and of their needs and hungers. “When the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk!” Paul sees that the Corinthians’ distortion of the sacrament mirrors their splintered life. His call to “discern the body” is a call to acknowledge the community as a whole and to effect healing within it. Think about what we are prone to do. Too often the sacrament of communion is individualized and privatized and overlooks this Pauline insight. Congregations that may be struggling to “strengthen their sense of community” or heal from factionalism might pay closer attention to how they celebrate community. The sacrament of communion has everything to do with congregational health. I hope that as we gather at the Lord’s Table this Sunday you and I will “discern the body” here at First Presbyterian Church. Who will be sitting next to, behind, or in front of you this Sunday? What about across the pew and back a few rows? Are you aware of that other person’s needs and hungers? Do you care? What anger or resentment or sin will you leave behind on Sunday? What will you offer to God that will be pleasing? Are you faced in the right direction for worship? This is a great day to celebrate our unity with all God’s people. Come prepared to worship and celebrate with all God’s people from all over our global community.
|
| The Church |
|
Calendar | News | Reflections | Music |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | Photos | Leadership | Youth | Missions | Links |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
