If you have ever taught a Sunday School class you know that often the students, especially those in the younger classes, can get pretty silly, and also quite imaginative, when they hear some of the stories of the Bible. For example, there were two 5th grade boys who were talking about Noah and the Ark. They were thinking about how crowded and about how dirty it probably was -- and about the problem of separating the animals that were natural enemies . . . about the odors and the noise and the inconvenience of being cooped up on the boat with all of those animals. ---- Well these young gentlemen were having a great time imagining themselves right in this middle of this floating zoo. --- Then one of the boys stopped the game rather suddenly and said, I just don’t think I could stand all that. And his friend thought a moment and then replied, Yea, it must have been awful. But you know, it was still the best thing afloat! --- Out of the mouths of babes.I think Paul was saying something similar in his letter to the Corinthians. He had heard of the smelly and dirty things happening in their church -- of the divisions among the people and the fighting. People were following various other leaders and teachings and Paul said, Don’t jump off this ship -- for the Church of Christ is still the best thing afloat! Why? Because, Paul says, "we preach Christ crucified."--- Paul was urging these early Christians to change and get back to basics -- the basics of Jesus Christ.
The Reformers of the Christian Church 1500 years later were saying the same thing. In his book, "The Significance of the Church," Robert McAfee Brown wrote about the Protestant Reformation saying,
"Consider the Christian Church as a ship that had been sailing on the sea of history for a long time. It had picked up a great many barnacles, which made it hard to keep it on its proper course. It had been through such severe storms that some of its equipment had gotten washed overboard. What the Reformers did was to take the ship into dry dock, chip off the barnacles, and restore the lost equipment, so that the same ship could be launched again and fulfill its proper task."
Brown continues:
"This means that the Reformers didn’t invent the gospel they proclaimed. They were trying to revive the old religion, described in the New Testament, and make it once again normative for Christendom."
You see, they didn’t need to reinvent the Church, because it was still the best ship afloat! But they did need to bring about some change and remind Christians of who they were and what they have been called to do. For the Reformers, an important biblical teaching came from I Peter:
"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
It is just calling people back to being about the basics of our faith.
Here we are now, close to 500 years after the Protestant Reformation. The Christian Church has gone through many ups and downs -- and numerous splits. We are no longer just Protestant and Catholic, but there are varieties of each of these -- and few are particularly healthy. There are many out there that are pronouncing strong warnings to the Christian Church. These folks have a dim outlook on the future of our institution. Listen to the titles of books that are currently being recommended for church leaders to read: "The Crisis in the Churches," "The Mainline Church’s Funding Crisis," " Death of the Church." ---- These are not particularly hopefilled titles. In fact, they present a frightening commentary on the current state of the Christian Church in America.
It is from Mike Regele’s book, "Death of the Church" that this sermon’s title comes. He writes of the wonderful story "The Wizard of Oz," and when Dorothy steps out of Auntie Em’s house into the Land of Oz and speaks the classic line, "Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore." He goes on to say, "The institutional church is going through a radical change in this country and the entire system is breaking under incredible stress." ---- What Regele and the authors of the other books I mentioned suggest is that the church needs to go through some radical changes if it wants to play a meaningful role in the world -- and specifically in people’s lives.
Regele warns us that the Church needs to realize that we are in a different place that we used to be. This is partly because the world around us has changed --- and we aren’t responding to those changes. This subject fascinates me as I read of and brainstorm about the many new and creative ways the church can respond to the world around us -- all as we share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But we not only need to respond to the needs of the changing world around us, we also need to hear the words of Paul and the Protestant Reformers calling us back to the basics of our faith -- calling us back to Jesus Christ!
The early church’s first confession was simply, "Jesus Christ is Lord!" It is "Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever" as we read in Hebrews. We must return to the heart of our faith --- remembering that it is this same Jesus Christ who is Lord.
Let’s take this another step closer to home. What about our own denomination -- the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)? --- I am a life-long Presbyterian -- and a member of the "ministerial union" (so to speak) for about 20 years -- and I used to believe that WE were "the best thing afloat." But I’m not so sure anymore. For many years, the Presbyterian Church has been preoccupied with its own internal organization and worse yet torn apart by difficult divisive issues, such as abortion and homosexuality. The divisions among us over these issues have become all that some folks seem to be able to focus upon --- and the debates have become malicious and unbecoming of those who call themselves Christian.
In fact, a debate will take place this Tuesday at the Presbyterian Church in Abington, as Philadelphia Presbytery votes on whether to approve what is known throughout our church as Amendment A ---- This proposed amendment to our constitution reads:
"Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture and instructed by the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to demonstrate fidelity and integrity in marriage or singleness, and in all relationships of life. Candidates for ordained office shall acknowledge their own sinfulness, their need for reliance on the grace and mercy of God to fulfill the duties of their office."
Although not immediately apparent when first hearing this amendment, the issue surrounding it concerns homosexuality . . . and ordination.
I sincerely hope and pray that the debate on Tuesday will be civil, as ministers and elder commissioners on both sides of the issue listen to one another, respecting the views and convictions of one another. You are welcome to attend that meeting of Philadelphia Presbytery -- and if your schedule permits, I encourage you to do so, so that you may listen to the debate first-hand, rather than just read the reports in Wednesday’s Philadelphia Inquirer.
Debates like what will take place Tuesday are happening in all of the 177 presbyteries of our church. You can’t pick up any publication of our denomination without reading about Amendment A, with people writing both pro and con -- and passionately so. ---- Clearly, the issue is very important -- of great importance to a good number of Christians, not just Presbyterians. My concern, however, is that this debate has seemed to take center stage for our denomination, detracting from all else. Further, and more disturbing, is that the debate has become vicious in some circles. For example, I heard about an experience that a former moderator of our denomination had a week ago. This well respected Presbyterian was speaking to a large group about Amendment A and someone stood up and yelled, You sir, are a insult to our church! Fortunately another well respected Presbyterian was on the dais as well, and replied, This is my friend. We may not agree on the issue, but this is my friend . . . and you sir, are an insult to our church.---- This is not just a single incident, but it is happening throughout our denomination, in other Christian groups, and throughout life over subjects more than just homosexuality. We can’t turn on the television -- radio -- pick up a newspaper or magazine without witnessing this type of behavior.
No . . . "we aren’t in Kansas anymore." Mike Regele writes, "OZ becomes symbolic of a world out of control, characterized by stress and uncertainty."
It is time to get back to basics -- to hear the message of Christ Crucified . . . to follow the commandments of which Christ told the Pharisee:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "
We need to get back to these basics of our faith . . . and there are some churches that are doing just that . . . and some of these just happen to be Presbyterian. In the last eight years of my ministry I have had the privilege of working with Presbyterian churches throughout our denomination. A good number of these congregations are involved in ministries that are exciting and meaningful. And as a result, these churches are growing! These are not the congregations who are focused on debates, but the congregations who are focused on Jesus Christ -- and loving God and serving ALL people ---- that includes those within their church family -- those outside their church family -- those ostracized by society and ostracized by other churches. The people of these churches aren’t judging, but like Jesus, they are loving. --- What is important to them is loving God with all their heart, soul and mind -- and loving their neighbor. . . . What is important to them is Jesus Christ and being Christ like.
There is a new fad among Christians -- did you know Christians could have fads? This fad involves the initials W-W-J-D. Have you seen them? People are wearing bracelets with the letters, ball caps and tee shirts. I’ve seen license plate frames, bumper stickers, key chains and bookmarks.. . . . W-W-J-D . . . What Would Jesus Do? ----- I must admit, when I first saw this I thought it a bit hokey, but I like it. That gets us right back to the basics. What would Jesus do? I think that was what Paul was asking his readers in each of his letters. He would write to them, "I hear you have been doing this and I hear you have been doing that, but I want to take you back to Jesus. What would Jesus do?" To the Ephesians Paul wrote, "Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us."
If Jesus were here with us today -- in the flesh -- What would he do? We aren’t living 2,000 years ago when he walked barefooted and sandalfooted along the roadways. We aren’t living in the 1500's with the Protestant Reformers. We aren’t living in the 1950's and 60's when our church was growing and publically acclaimed ---- "We aren’t in Kansas anymore! "
Our world is different! Society is different! The techniques that worked just 20 to 30 years ago to attract people to churches work no more -- yet they are still being used, because many congregations live as though we are still in Kansas. --- We have to change! We have to develop new strategies to reach people with the gospel. --- We have to change! We have to look outside our walls and see that the communities of our churches do not resemble Kansas anymore . . . but OZ.
What would Jesus do? ---- I believe that Jesus would pay a great deal of attention to psychology and sociology and marketing. Jesus marketed his product well to his public. He told stories that spoke directly to people --- and he did that because he dared to know who they were. He looked out to see those to whom he needed to minister. He looked at them and saw their scars -- saw their hurts -- and he still loved them ----- every one of them! Jesus would do the same today . . . but his marketing would probably be different for the audience and culture has changed.
I just returned yesterday from a conference in Orlando where I was able to hear leaders of various denominations and enter into discussions with others involved in ministry as we discussed how the Christian Church might respond to our changing society. I am fascinated by the subject and could go on for hours with you about what new and creative things need to happen. This is a question we need to face: What can we do to turn around the decline of the church so that it can be a more dynamic and magnetic force in our world? ----- We must fact that we aren’t in Kansas anymore! We need to do things differently. And this message needs to be heard throughout the Christian Church -- the Presbyterian Church -- and even the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill. We aren’t in Kansas anymore!
We need to change --- to adapt to our changing world and community. That does not mean to conform to it, but to acknowledge changes that are taking place and respond to them in ways that will capture attention and touch souls. But in doing this, we must always remember Jesus Christ! We must remember to ask, "What would Jesus do? " We must remember Christ Crucified. For the times have changed -- and techniques and strategies must change -- but Jesus Christ never changes.
Jesus Christ must live in our hearts --- in our heads --- and in our hands. That means we need to EXPERIENCE CHRIST -- THINK CHRIST -- LIVE LIKE CHRIST.
" You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’"
If we can follow these great commandments, and build our church around them -- our congregations will grow, for people will recognize true compassion and be drawn to be part of a Christian community. The Christian Church may have its problems, but we are still the best thing afloat -- and we just need some modern reformers --- like us --- to try to clean up the ship.
And if we can follow these great commandments, and build our church around them -- our debates -- like Tuesday’s -- will be less strident . . . and the results will be based upon love, not anger and distrust. Again, this message is not just for Christians Churches generically -- or Presbyterians Churches collectively as a denomination -- but for us here at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill very specifically. May all that each of us does both within these church walls and outside them, be done loving God and our neighbor -- be done after asking and answering the question, "What would Jesus do? "
No we aren’t in Kansas anymore, but thankfully where ever we are -- whenever we are -- Jesus Christ is with us -- the same yesterday, and today and forever! Amen.