State of the Church

-- January 31st, 2010
1 Cor. 13:1-13
Pastor John Nelson

I bet you're wondering why we read what is know as the Marriage Text today, 1 Corinthians 13, for a regular worship service. I mean no one’s getting married today right? So why this scripture verse all about LOVE?

Lest you think this is a Valentine reminder that your spouse set me up to preach on as a reminder that you are to buy them something special, or even remember them on Valentine’s day, that’s not it.

In preparation for today, January 31st, and our upcoming annual meeting, I had planned well in advance to write a “State of Church” sermon. Like the president of our country, who in his State of the Union Address felt it time we had some honest talk about where things are at, I too wanted to state where we are all at, only in this case, in the state of the church. So how do you think we are doing as a church?

Nationally speaking the church has been facing slow declining numbers in its membership as society changes from a post war era to a post millennium pluralism. Spirituality is up but church attendance has given way to a myriad of options in our lives. Denominationally the Lutheran church has built more partnerships and expanded outreaches as never before, but the debate that consumes the headlines and stirs our angst is on the sexuality vote and the differing views people hold. Regionally our church still holds a predominate place in our social structure by sheer numbers and cultural identity, but our local synod office has had do more with less and less, now making difficult cuts to staff and programs in spite of innovative outreach to our immigrant populations. Locally, Gethsemane has gone through its fair share of transition with staff and with changes to worship times and practices, all for the sake of mission, but change has still caused adjustments by many that find them difficult.

In the midst of all of this, and in anticipation of this day, comes God’s call for LOVE. You see 1 Corinthians 13 was the assigned text for this day in our common lectionary, not one selected specifically for a point I wanted to make or a sermon theme I had planned out. Instead, what we find, what I found in my attempt for some straight forward and honest talk about the church, was God’s straight forward and honest call to BE THE CHURCH.

This “Love Text” did not come from the wedding at Cana. This verse was not even written to a couple at all. At a wedding is probably were we first heard it and have heard it again and again since, but this text was not intended for a wedding. This was written to a church. This was written to a community. This was a letter from the Apostle Pau,l sent to shake up and wake up a group of believers in the city of Corinth who were trying to figure out how to be a church and they were not getting along very well. You want to know how to be the church Paul says, well, start by showing a little love towards one another.

“If I speak in tongues… but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or clanging cymbal.” How helpful would that have been in our national debates, even in our church debates. “If I have prophetic powers, understand all mysteries and all knowledge,..if I am a know it all, but do not have love, I am nothing.” So how is the church doing? Well, what this text is telling us is that we could have the greatest programs imaginable – infant to ancient, the most engaging worship and dynamic preaching, the coolest coffee shop with fresh hot muffins in the narthex, but if we don’t have love, we’re finished. Why? Because love is what the world needs, just as love is what we need most of all. This is what we are called to be as a church… to be about loving one another and the world around us. So how are we at love?

“Love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”

How are you at doing all of that? How are we at showing love towards one another?
I can say I have seen many examples of love here. Again and again when new members join Gethsemane they mention how they felt welcomed and accepted here when they walked through our doors. For when we show hospitality to others we are extending God’s hand in love. Are we perfect at it, by no means, but we have a welcoming spirit.

I see evidence of love in the way we care for our neighbors through our Thanksgiving dinner and our food drives. I see evidence of love by all those who make visits on our shut-ins and calls to those on the prayer chain. I see evidence of love in the care provided to the children in the After School for kids program, through the Latino Outreach and To Dos Los Santos program, and even our own confirmation mentors. These are all examples of love in action – making a difference in peoples lives.

I have also seen evidence of love in the leap of faith this congregation took as a whole to change our worship schedule in the hopes that more families might worship together and more adults might grow through adult education. That was a distinctive act of love because there were many who could have insisted on their own way. There were many who could have been irritable or resentful, but together we stood on faith and held to our hope that this act of love might strengthen our church and be a sign of God’s love in action here. A love that would have a future for generations to come.

God is a God of love and calls us to join with him in sharing that love with the whole world. What is the state of the church you wonder? The good news is that the state of the church lies securely in the hands of one who loves us more than we could ever imagine. God blesses us each and every day with his love and that love will never end. For “There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” Regardless of what befalls us, God’s love remains.

If we as a church can continue to strive for that then we too can bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things.

Faith, hope, and love abide – they abide in God and in God’s people, these three, and the greatest of these is love. Amen