Preached at First Presbyterian Church of Rolla on September 22, 2024. Loosely based on Mark 9:30-37. This message was particularly intended for FPC Rolla at this stage of its life. I am providing it here both for our own members’ reference and as potential inspiration for other churches who seek renewal.
In today’s Gospel lesson, we get a little insight into the kind of society Jesus wanted his disciples to create. First, he reminds them that he will be going away sometime soon. Remember, Jews were anticipating a Messiah who would return Israel to its former glory. They were expecting a priest-king who would re-establish the independence of their nation, who would kick out the Romans and purify the Temple. Jesus’s disciples thought that he was this Messiah who was getting ready to march triumphantly into Jerusalem to establish his reign.
So of course, they wondered who would reign with him. Who would help Jesus govern the nation? Who would have power and authority? Who would receive the honors and accolades that come with being close to the King?
Well, Jesus wasn’t that kind of Messiah. Jesus told the disciples that he was headed not towards a worldly victory, but towards an ignominious death. He was headed towards glory, but of a sort that the disciples didn’t understand. Boy, they were thick-headed, weren’t they? Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. They simply reflected their cultural understanding, and we have the benefit of hindsight, knowing how the story will end.
But at this point in the story, the disciples didn’t get it. They didn’t understand what it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah, and they didn’t understand what kind of kingdom he would institute. He tried to tell them, again and again, but they didn’t get it. Here he says that rather than seeking power and authority, they should strive to welcome children. They should welcome anyone into God’s kingdom.
After Jesus ascended, he left his disciples to carry on his vision. He set out a bold vision of what human society could be, and the disciples sought to bring it to reality. While God’s goal is a total transformation of the world, our task is just to transform our little corner of it. Eventually, God’s vision of total transformation will be realized, but in the meantime, we are called to do what we can to make Rolla, or at least our church, a hazy, imperfect image of things to come.
Imagine if you will First Presbyterian Church of Rolla at some point in the distant future. I’m going to describe this future church that perhaps none of us will see, just like the Israelites who fled Egypt did not see the Promised Land. But let’s imagine that at some point in the future, we truly meet the Great Ends of the Church. As a reminder, about a century ago, the Presbyterian Church developed these Great Ends:
- the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;
- the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;
- the maintenance of divine worship;
- the preservation of the truth;
- the promotion of social righteousness;
- and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.
The kingdom of heaven is a place where all people, all people, have what they need to flourish and thrive. That means they all have their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs fulfilled. So let’s start by thinking about who “all” might be.
The demographics of the kingdom of heaven ought to mirror the demographics of the broader community. The median age of Phelps County residents is 36 years old. This is skewed a bit from the statewide median, 39 years old, because of the university’s huge population of 18-to-24-year-olds. At any rate, this church as we are imagining it is filled with people of all ages, from newborn to ninety. There are children, college students, young families, empty-nesters, and people in their twilight years.
Church members are predominantly white, but with a significant Asian contingent and a smaller number of people of other races and ethnicities. One in twenty would live in a household that has a primary language other than English—some speak Spanish, many speak Mandarin and other Asian languages. A significant fraction, perhaps 10%, would have moved to Rolla in the past year, including those who have come here to attend or teach at Missouri S&T. Maybe as many as 10% are veterans.
No matter who they are, everyone is bound by a desire to connect to God and one another. We are a truly intergenerational organization, one where any given group that is working or studying together has a mix of people of all ages. These groups benefit from the wisdom of differing perspectives and experiences. Most members worship on most Sundays, although some participate online instead of in person.
The highlight of the church week is Sunday. We have two services, traditional and contemporary. The traditional service is smaller and skews older, perhaps 150 people with a median age in the 50s. Some younger people too, though, who enjoy the liturgy. A choir that has at least four basses and four tenors, plus a larger number of altos and sopranos, to give us good, full, four-part harmony, occasionally splitting out to eight-part. We continue to include both piano and organ in the service, with occasionally other instruments like brass, woodwinds, or strings. We have a bell choir that participates in worship quarterly.
Between the two services, we have a time of fellowship and Christian education. We have six classes: up to kindergarten, first through fourth grade, fifth and sixth grades, seventh and eighth grades, ninth through twelfth grades, and adult. There’s also a group that gathers in the chapel between services for contemplative prayer.
During the fellowship time, various small groups meet up to make their plans for the week. The associate pastor, who works full-time as a chaplain and part-time for us, connects with the deacons to plan visits to shut-ins. Presby Politics decides what their topic of the week is. This is a mixed group of Democrats and Republicans who meet not to argue or convince, but to seek nuance and understanding. A Bible Newbie group makes sure everyone knows the topic for the week, too. These are folks who did not grow up studying the Bible and need to learn the basics, like the core story of the Exodus and the relationship between the Gospels and Epistles. Another group plans an outing to meditate at Lane Springs, and another talks about a project they are doing for the Mission, and other people are talking about opportunities to serve at GRACE and Russell House and so forth, or just coordinating lunch plans.
After fellowship and Sunday School comes the contemporary service. This is the bigger and younger group, perhaps 250 people with a median age in the early 30s. There’s a band that leads the music, but it’s not a performance—the sanctuary is filled with the full-throated singing of the congregation. Whether they attend the traditional or contemporary service, everyone leaves worship energized and renewed for the week.
Monday through Friday, the preschool is in full swing. As hard as it may be to imagine, they’re doing an even better job than today. Spots are in high demand because of the quality of their programs, which run year-round. The preschool regularly receives national awards for the impact they have on children and the community.
Monday evening, we host a grief support group. Tuesday evening, we host a cancer support group.
Wednesday is for music. The bell choir practices first, and then the chancel choir, and finally the band.
Thursday is for campus ministry. We have a youth leader slash campus minister who was a stay-at-home mom until her kids went off to college. She coordinates a group of about 30 college students who are growing into an adult faith.
One Friday a month, we have a Parents Night Out, where we provide childcare to enable parents to enjoy some adult time together. On other Fridays, we encourage small groups to gather, whether at restaurants or each other’s homes.
Saturday night is for youth group. Our youth leader leads a group of about 20 high school students, most of whom have completed confirmation and seek continued growth in their faith.
All of this is coordinated by our senior pastor, a dynamic preacher dedicated to Reformed theology and the faith formation of the members. The senior pastor is an effective administrator who supervises the youth leader and the associate pastor, as well as three office staff and the music director. This team collectively has all of the skills and knowledge needed to lead this vibrant faith community. They all recognize where their strengths and weaknesses are, and defer to others as appropriate.
The senior pastor also moderates the session, a group of earnest, faithful elders who consistently evaluate our ministries. They consider which ones need more investment—in time, people, space, or funding—and which ones have outlived their purpose. They keep an eye out for conflict, which will naturally occur in a group of 400 or so imperfect humans that might have 10% or more turnover annually due to people moving into and out of the area. The session considers proposals for new ministries, and each elder is typically involved in one or two of our major ministries. One leads the Bible Newbies class, for example, and another leads the outdoor contemplative prayer group.
How does this sound? Does this sound like the kingdom of God? Does this sound like a place where you could thrive? Does this sound like a place that has a significant impact on the community?
I believe that this could describe our church, not next year, maybe not even next decade, but someday. In fact, when I’ve heard descriptions of this church from several decades ago, they sound something like what I described. There is no fundamental reason we cannot achieve this vision. With God, all things are possible.
However, this vision cannot be wished into existence. We must pray for God’s help, but we also need to do our part. A spiritual advisor once told me that we do perhaps 2% of the work and God does 98%, but we absolutely must do our 2% to unlock God’s providence. The kingdom of God is not for spectators. It calls for our total commitment, the dedication of our whole selves.
Right now, today, our church has neither the people nor the resources to make this vision a reality anytime soon. But if we hold out this vision, or something like it, as a possible future, we can find a path to it. Perhaps we start with a cancer support group or a grief support group. Or perhaps we put together a Parents Night Out. Nora has already discussed that with the preschool committee and is working on a version of my vague idea that better fits their families’ needs. Or perhaps we start a contemplative prayer group, whether in the chapel or out in nature.
We can do this. Together. What in this vision resonates for you? What do you feel called to do?
Something I have learned about myself over the past few years is that I am good at providing logistical and emotional and spiritual support to whatever initiative someone else wants to lead. Maybe there’s some part of this you’re willing to lead, but you don’t know how to advertise it or organize it, and I can help. I also recognize that we have diverse skills and talents across the congregation, and I’m starting to learn what they all are. Individually, it’s hard to do anything, but drawn together and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can accomplish much for the kingdom of God. Let’s get started!
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