Hebrews 11:8-16
A Sermon Preached by the Reverend Dr. Howard W. Boswell, Jr.
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 4, 2010
Kenmore Presbyterian Church
Kenmore, New York
The 28th President of the United States of America, Woodrow Wilson was the last of eight presidents from Virginia. I learned that fact in Virginia History, which was required in Seventh Grade when I grew up in that state. Later, I learned Wilson grew up in a Presbyterian manse. His father, Joseph Ruggles Wilson served as pastor in Staunton, Virginia.
So, it comes as no surprise to find a prayer by Wilson in our Book of Common Worship. “A Prayer for our Nation” begins in a very Presbyterian way. It acknowledges God’s sovereignty, “Almighty God, ruler of all the peoples of the earth.” It continues with a confession, “Forgive, we pray, our shortcomings as a nation.” Then, it prays for America’s leaders and her people, “Give wisdom to our counselors and steadfastness to our people.” It concludes by taking the long view, “And bring us at last to the fair city of peace, whose foundations are mercy, justice, and goodwill, and whose builder and maker you are.”
Wilson was not the first of our nation’s leaders to take “the long view.” In hot and humid Philadelphia in the summer of 1776, Thomas Jefferson took the long view when he wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Most of the signers took the long view, as they promised, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
Another hot and humid summer, in 1963, in Washington, D.C. the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. took the long view as he looked out from the Lincoln Memorial. He shared a dream, “deeply rooted in the American dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed—we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” You’ve heard his word, punctuated by the chorus, “I have a dream…” And remember, o remember well, how Dr. King ended,
- With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning—“my country ’tis of thee; sweet land of liberty; of thee I sing; land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride; from every mountain side, let freedom ring”—and if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
Yet, Dr. King had another dream, a vision. Shortly before his death in 1968, he preached at Mason Temple in Memphis. Somehow, he knew what lay ahead and he said, “I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the Promised Land.” When Thomas Jefferson penned his famous words and the signers of the Declaration of Independence, it was far from certain whether they would succeed. I read a book by David McCullough, 1776, which suggest things went from bad to worse through that famous year.
In the musical 1776, General George Washington never appears on stage, but he sends reports to the Continental Congress, which leads one member to say, “Och, the man would depress a hyena.” One of my favorite scenes in the musical begins with Mr. Thompson, the clerk of the meeting, reading one of these letters. He sings,
“I have been in anticipation of receiving a reply
In response to my last fifteen dispatches.
Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody care?
It moves John Adams, played by William Daniels in the original stage production and the movie, to sing,
“Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?
I see fireworks, I see the pageant and pomp and parade,
I hear the bells ringing out, I hear the cannons roar,
I see Americans – all Americans, free, forever more.
Nowadays, it’s easy to wonder, “Is anybody there? Does anybody care?” We live in a time when the dreams of people like Jefferson, Adams, and King seem deferred and long since exploded. We see the worst of what comes from the lack of commitment to a common vision of what America may be as we listen to the endless debate in Washington, on the airwaves, over the internet, which seem to celebrate the individual’s rights, rather than the public good. Yet, as citizens and as Christians, we cannot surrender the dream of those who’ve gone before us. We cannot submit to the cynicism so many seem to have. We cannot succumb to the incivility in which so many participate under the guise of practicing freedom of speech.
In the movie, National Treasure, treasure hunter, Benjamin Gates and his sidekick, Riley Poole stand before the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives. Gates says, “Of all the ideas that became the United States there’s a line here that stands at the heart of all the others.” He reads from the faded, fragile document that forms the framework of our freedom, “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” Then, he says with some sadness, “People don’t talk that way anymore.”
Perhaps, people don’t talk that way anymore. Maybe, many people in our country prefer sound bites and slogans. It could be some accept cynicism and incivility as part of our national life. Yet, you and I cannot join them, because we come from a long line of people who took the long view, like Woodrow Wilson. In his prayer, did you hear an echo of what we read in Hebrews 11:10? Remember how the author said of Abraham, “For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” As Christians, you and I follow in the footsteps of forebears who died in faith, but did not make it to the Promised Land. Yet, they saw it from afar and welcomed it. Like them, we live as “strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.” As Christians, we follow them and “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” We live in hope that that God will not be ashamed to be called our God and we will enter a city God prepares for them.
As citizens, we need to talk in this way. As we journey towards Wilson’s “fair city of peace, whose foundations are mercy, justice, and goodwill,” we need to work to make this “a better country” as we pray that God’s kingdom will come on earth as in heaven. We need to hold our nation to the vision of all who took the long view and never gave up hope. We need to live, as one of our chief ends proclaims, as “the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.” As we come to this table today, let us commit ourselves anew to make America become a place where all may come and sit at the welcome table!
©2010 Howard W. Boswell, Jr.
On Sunday, May 2, we held a Town Hall Meeting following worship. I made a presentation on the results of the second Natural Church Development Survey, which over thirty members and I took in November 2009, and initial reflections on Let Something Good Be Said: The Appreciative Inquiry Interview Project. During Lent 2010, elders and others conducted over eighty interviews with members. This month’s One Block North provides a summary of what was an energetic and inspirational hour.
First, we looked at the results of the second Natural Church Development Survey. To review the basis of this project in which we’ve been involved since 2007, I reminded those present of the theological foundations of Natural Church Development. First, Natural Church Development believes the church is the body of Christ, an image Paul and others use to describe the unity and interdependence of the church. Second, it believes that healthy bodies grow, but third, it acknowledges God alone provides the growth. Finally, our task is to remove the barriers or blockages to the growth God desires.
Developed by Christian Schwartz, the Natural Church Development Survey measures eight quality characteristics:
1. Empowering Leadership.
2. Gift oriented Ministry.
3. Passionate Spirituality.
4. Functional Structures.
5. Inspiring Worship.
6. Holistic Small Groups.
7. Need Oriented Evangelism.
8. Loving Relationships.
This international research project has interviewed millions of Christians in hundreds of thousands of congregations on every continent. The research reveals that a church’s minimum factor poses the primary barrier to growth and must be addressed.
When we conducted the first Natural Church Development Survey in 2007, our minimum factor was Need-Oriented Evangelism. Church consultant, Paul Nixon pointed out to us that our score of 10 was the lowest he’d ever seen, as was our score on the second-lowest factor, Passionate Spirituality, at 14. The Church Health Team and session addressed these two factors through the Forty Days of Purpose Spiritual Growth Campaign last spring.
The second Natural Church Development Survey showed dramatic improvement in Need-Oriented Evangelism, increasing over fourfold to 45 and in Passionate Spirituality, increasing nearly threefold to 36. All other quality characteristics revealed similar improvement. Such results demonstrate the effectiveness of Natural Church Development and the hard work of the Church Health Team, the session, the staff, and others of you.
However, what do we do next? Last summer, I approached the Church Health Team, then the session with the need to begin to develop a strategic plan by which we would address the ongoing health of Kenmore Presbyterian Church. We engaged Dr. Janita Byars, the Poet of Transformation to assist us in this process. Late last year, she suggested Appreciative Inquiry as an approach to develop an understanding of who we are and what we value as a congregation, which are the first steps of any strategic plan.
Each session Ministry Team reviewed and summarized one of the following five questions asked in the interviews:
1. Please tell me about a time in your life at Kenmore Presbyterian Church when you were most excited and/or inspired?
a. What was it about Kenmore Presbyterian Church and its programs that made this excitement or inspiration possible?
b. What did you learn about the church or about yourself from your experience?
2. I was invited to be part of Kenmore Presbyterian Church leadership as an elder because someone saw a “spark” of leadership in me. I would like to learn something about the qualities in you that have helped you become who you are, so please feel free to brag.
a. What are your special gifts that you bring to your work, church, home, or play?
b. What is it that you admire most about yourself?
c. What do you value most about what you do?
3. Please tell me the story of how you came to be a Christian and/or about how you came to join Kenmore Presbyterian Church?
a. Is there anyone else in your family who is a member of KPC?
b. Does your family support your involvement at KPC?
4. The Biblical and Spiritual Foundation of Kenmore Presbyterian Church is based on the Great Commandment: Jesus said, “‘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.’” Matthew 22: 38-39
a. Please tell me about a time when you have seen things or experienced things that you believed needed to be changed in order to “live out” the Great Commandment and you took steps to be the change you wanted to see in the world?
b. What made it possible to take those steps and what happened as a result?
5. What have you learned in your lifetime that you wish you would have known much earlier?
All Ministry Teams reviewed the sixth question: “What hopes do you have for the future of Kenmore Presbyterian Church? Please be specific about what the church might look like and be in the future?”
I reviewed the summaries from each ministry team. It led me to these initial statements of our core values:
1. We value children and youth and want to see them grow into adult Christians.
2. We value one another and believe healthy, loving relationships are important.
3. We value the ability to serve and to lead.
4. We value worship and find music a particular path for the Spirit’s entry.
5. We value lifelong learning and opportunities to go deeper in our faith.
Also, I developed this initial statement of our core purpose: “As sons and daughters of the one who Jesus called, “Abba! Daddy!” this community exists to create relationships with God and one another in which people may grow strong, wise, and grace-filled.” Each ministry team will review these statements and develop goals and strategies for the next three years for their ministry team and for the church.
By the end of June 2010, the session hopes to present to you a strategic plan for Kenmore Presbyterian Church for the next three years, which will include the following components:
1. Statement of our Core Identity
a. Core Values
b. Core Purpose
2. Statement of Mission
3. Statement of Vision
4. Goals for the next three years
5. Specific strategies for accomplishing those goals
We have some people who expressed interest in assisting the session in this work. If you would like to help to shape the future of this church that we love, please contact me. Above all, pray that the Spirit will guide us to discern and do God’s will in this time and place.
Last year, after worship on Passion/Palm Sunday, a member wondered what happened to Palm Sunday. I appreciated this person’s question and I approached Worship Ministry Team and session with an idea. Beginning this year, our worship would alternate between Palm Sunday and Passion/Palm Sunday. This year, on Palm Sunday, March 28, we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Sunday. Worship will begin with a processional with the palms. All of our choirs will provide music for this day. Our youth will have a drama and I will preach on the events of that first day from Luke 19:28-48, “A Day in the Life.”
During Holy Week, on Monday and Wednesday, we will have a brief service of Evening Prayer at 7:00 p.m. On Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. the Discipleship Ministry Team will have a Seder meal. Please watch your bulletin for more information about these worship experiences.
On Maundy Thursday, April 1, our liturgy will come from Lyn Reith, a pastor in the United Church of Christ. She writes, “This service was designed to be a full service of Word and Sacrament. It was also designed to allow worshipers to share in the intimacy Jesus experienced with his disciples through foot washing and during the meal in the hours prior to his arrest and crucifixion.” While the ritual of foot washing will only be shared by one other person and me, it will raise a question whether there may “Another Sacrament?”
Finally, on Good Friday, April 2, our worship will come from Mary Kortman and Daniel Mouw. Mary serves as worship director at South Grandville Christian Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan, where Dan is pastor. “Beneath the Cross” uses first person narratives from Judas, Simon of Cyrene, a Soldier, Mary, the dying thief, and the Centurion to tell the story of the Passion of our Lord.
Continue reading about Holy Week Worship at Kenmore Presbyterian Church
Rejoice in the Glory of Christmas!
On Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, Kenmore Presbyterian Church will have two worship services.
- At 6:00 p.m. our worship will be a Service for the Child in Us All. This family friendly worship service includes the reading of the lessons appointed for Christmas, the singing of familiar carols, and the traditional Candlelighting Ceremony to conclude worship. Pastor Boswell will read the children’s book, Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman. Our children and youth choirs and ringers provide the music for this worship service.
- At 10:30 p.m. Diane M. Green will offer a recital of Christmas music on our historic Schlicker organ.
- At 11:00 p.m. our worship will be a Christmas Communion Service. While traditional in structure, this worship will include drama and dance, as well as music provided by our adult choir and ringers. It includes the reading of the lessons appointed for Christmas, the singing of familiar carols, and the traditional Candlelighting Ceremony to conclude worship. Pastor Boswell will preach another sermon in the Cracking the Christmas Code series, looking at the central symbol of Christmas Eve, “The Manger.”
Yet, Christmas does not end on December 25th! We have two more worship services during Christmastide, which lasts until Epiphany on January 6th!
- On the First Sunday after Christmas, December 27 at 10:00 a.m. we welcome Lindsey Phillips Williams to our pulpit. Lindsey is a candidate for the ministry of Word and Sacrament under the care of our congregation and the Presbytery of Western New York. Lindsey received her Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and a Master of Science in Patient Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University. In August, Lindsey married to Roy Williams and began work as the community food program coordinator for Quin Rivers, a nonprofit, regional community-action group based near Fredericksburg, Virginia. Lindsey will preach on “Joy to the World!”
- Worship begins in the New Year with the conclusion to Pastor Boswell’s Cracking the Christmas Code sermon series. On the Second Sunday after Christmas, January 3, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. we will use the lessons appointed for Epiphany of the Lord, which falls on January 6: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; and Matthew 2: 1-12. All of these texts speak of God’s glory, which God will reveal to all people. The symbol of this glory is the star and the characters who most represent God’s plan are the Magi, who visit the toddler Jesus and his mother with gifts. Join us this Sunday to celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, which reminds how people will come from north and south, east and west, and set at table in God’s kingdom.
Continue reading about Rejoice in the Glory of Christmas at Kenmore Presbyterian Church!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Dear family in Christ,
Last year, after our Stewardship Campaign came to a close, I received the December 2008 issue of Christianity Today. It featured a familiar face—Ebenezer Scrooge. The headline read, “Scrooge Lives!” The subtitles continued, “Why we’re not putting more in the offering plate (and it has nothing to do with the economy).”
Editor-at-Large, Rob Moll reported in this cover article about a new study on Christian giving, Passing the Plate. Sociologists, Christine Smith, Michael Emerson, and Patricia Snell discovered that one out of every four American Protestants give away no money at all. They found out the median annual giving for an American Christian is $200, which is a little under a half a percent of before-tax income. They continued, “About 5 percent of American Christians provide 60 percent of the money churches and religious groups use to operate.”
Of course, these statistics lead us to wonder why. Smith, Emerson, and Snell suggest we have too many fixed costs, things without which we cannot do (or so we believe). Also, we distrust our denominations and larger mission organizations, so we keep most of the money to ourselves. Yet, we don’t bother to inform ourselves about what those bodies do with our money and we follow the example we set at home. “Charity begins at home,” but it usually remains there.
So, what do the authors of Passing the Plate propose? They believe churches need to encourage members to make annual pledges, rather than making special appeals. We need to make giving “a matter of intentional obedience, a joyful expression of returning thanks to God.” Such obedience requires habits of generosity. Rob Moll writes, “Spiritual formation occurs when we, week after week, grab the checkbook, write a check, and drop it in the offering plate. We remember God’s goodness, his continual care, as we build up a habit of giving.”
If you wish to read the entire article, I will have copies available in the narthex. I hope you will pick up a copy and read it. On Sunday, I will reference this article in my sermon on the Widow’s Offering from Mark 12: 41-44. The biblical story reflects reality, as Moll writes, “America’s biggest givers—as a percentage of their income—are its lowest income earners.” Smith, Emerson, and Snell write, “Americans who earn less than $10,000 gave 2.3 percent of their income to religious organizations, whereas those who earn $70,000 or more gave only 1.2 percent.”
Now, you may think it odd for me to quote this article at length in my stewardship letter. While it may seem strange, the article reflects accurately the reality of Kenmore Presbyterian Church. While I appreciate the generous giving of many of you, over fifty households make no annual pledge to Kenmore Presbyterian Church and many of those give nothing at all to the church. This year, 116 households pledged $190,771, which made for an average pledge of $1,658. However, the top 10 pledging households pledge 30% of that total amount and the top 21 pledging households represent 50% of the total pledged amount. Nearly fifty percent of all pledging households only pledge between $24 and $1000 annually to the work and witness of Kenmore Presbyterian Church. While I do not know names, these numbers concern me deeply. It means most households in our congregation would spend far more on one trip to the movies than they give weekly to the church. It means many families spend more on season tickets to the Bills, the Sabres, the Buffalo Philharmonic, or one of our local theatres than they give annually to Kenmore Presbyterian Church.
These numbers concern me, because they represent a serious spiritual problem for us. Yes, I know it represents a serious financial problem, but we must remember it’s only a symptom of a disease. St. Augustine described the disease as cors curvum se, “the heart turned in on itself.” That’s how he defined sin and our current approach to stewardship is something from which we need to repent. Even in our budget, we spend more money on maintaining what we have than we do on moving out into our community and the world with the good news of the gospel. We need to become more obedient to God in how we use the gifts God gives us. We need to approach our annual giving as giving what’s right rather than what’s left.
So, where do we start? Begin with the pledge card, which you find in this mailing. Take time to review it carefully and prayerfully. If you have never made an annual pledge to Kenmore Presbyterian Church, I invite you to begin this year. Consider giving at least one percent of your gross annual household income. If you already pledge, review what you currently give and consider prayerfully giving an additional one percent of your gross annual household income.
While I know everyone has different ways of giving, I’d invite every member to consider giving weekly in worship. When we give weekly, we keep our commitment before us. Also, the act of placing our offering in the plate is a living reminder of Romans 12: 1, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
In Christ,
The Reverend Dr. Howard W. Boswell, Jr.
Pastor
Every year, on the first Sunday of November, Kenmore Presbyterian Church observes All Saints and this year, it happens to fall on All Saints Day, November 1. The Companion to the Book of Common Worship describes All Saints’ Day as “A time to rejoice in all who through the ages have faithfully served the Lord.” It continues:
- The day reminds us that we are part of one continuing, living communion of saints. It is a time to claim our kinship with the “glorious company of apostles . . . the noble fellowship of prophets . . . the white-robed army of martyrs” (Te Deum). It is a time to express our gratitude for all who in ages of darkness kept the faith, for those who have taken the gospel to the ends of the earth, for prophetic voices who have called the church to be faithful in life and service, for all who have witnessed to God’s justice and peace in every nation.
Our worship will include the reading of members of Kenmore Presbyterian Church and other loved ones who have died since November 1, 2008. If you have a loved one whom you would like included, please contact the Church Office by phone at (716)-875-7600 or through email at kenpresoffice@gmail.com. Please give suggestions for the proper pronunciation of the deceased’s name. Also, on this Sunday, we will celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
Our music for this day will underscore the solemnity of this celebration. The Prelude and Postlude will come from a “Kyrie” by Johann Sebastian Bach. The Anthems will come from the “Requiem” of the British composer, John Rutter.
Pastor Boswell will continue his Speaking of Stewardship Sermon Series by preaching on “Our Stewardship of the Past in the Present.” Kenmore Presbyterian Church will celebrate its 115th Anniversary on Sunday, November 22. We have known many saints of God in this place and we know their witness encourages us to keep the faith, here and now. This sermon will ask us to consider, “What Legacy Will We Leave?”
On the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 8, we will look at a familiar story, the Widow’s Offering in Mark 12: 38-44. Yet, familiar stories pose problems, because we think we know what they say or we believe we’ve heard it all before. As Pastor Boswell address “Our Stewardship of Possessions,” we will resolve, “The Problem of the Widow’s Offering,” by exploring the promise of proportionate giving. The music for this Sunday begins with Marcel Dupre’s “Magnificat IV,” an organ piece based on the familiar song of Mary, which includes these words, “He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.” A Tenor and Bass Ensemble will sing a setting of the African-American spiritual, “He Never Failed Me Yet” by Robert Ray. The Chancel Choir will sing “Ho, Every One That Thirsteth” by Will McFarlane as our Offertory. Our worship will conclude with an organ setting of “Holy God, We Praise Your Name” by Barbara Harbach.
On the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 15, we will dedicate our Stewardship Commitments for 2010. Pastor Boswell will conclude the Speaking of Stewardship Sermon Series by commenting on “Our Stewardship of Presence.” In Hebrews 10: 11-25, the author encourages his (or her) readers to persevere, pointing to Jesus as the prime example of faithfulness in the service of God. He (or she) concludes, “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Woody Allen once said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” Pastor Boswell borrows his title for this sermon from this observation, “Showing Up.”
On Christ the King Sunday, November 22, we will celebrate the 115th Anniversary of Kenmore Presbyterian Church. In worship, we will recognize all of those who have been members of the congregation for more than fifty years and acknowledge those joining this special group. Our music in worship will be appropriately regal and celebratory. The Prelude will be “Ride On, King Jesus” by Dennis Janzer. The Jubilant Ringers will offer “Fanfare on ‘Coronation’” by Douglas Wagner as our Introit and “Crown Him with Many Crowns” by George Elvey, arranged by Barbara Kinyon as our Anthem. The Chancel Choir will sing, “God, My King” by Wallace Heaton as our Offertory. Marcel Dupre’s “While the King Sitteth at His Table” will serve as the Postlude.
Pastor Boswell will preach on the Gospel appointed for this day, John 18:33-37, adding 38a, where Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” The sermon will seek to ask, “Can We Handle the Truth?”
While Kenmore Presbyterian Church will not hold a Thanksgiving Worship Service, KenTon Clergy Association will have a Worship Service at 11:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day at Kenmore United Methodist Church. Monsignor Richard Siepka, the Pastor of St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic Church will preach and several clergy, including Pastor Boswell will lead in worship. Following worship, Kenmore United Methodist Church will host a Thanksgiving Dinner for the community.
Watch your mail for the Advent-Christmas issue of the Crossroads for information about our worship services during this special season and Pastor Boswell’s sermon series, “Cracking the Christmas Code.”
by the Reverend Dr. Howard W. Boswell, Jr. Pastor
In September, three seemingly unrelated incidents led me to reflect on the loss of civility in our society. First, during President Obama’s address on health care to a joint session of Congress, Representative Joe Wilson shouted, “You lie!” Second, at the U.S. Open, Serena Williams went off on a line judge. Finally, at the MTV Video Awards, Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift as she accepted an award.
Now, I know people may hold differing opinions about these incidents. Some suggest Joe Wilson merely stood up to the President. Others feel Serena was under a lot of stress. I’ve heard nobody express sympathy for Kanye, but I’d imagine somewhere, a few fans offered an excuse for his rudeness. Now, when I called these incidents unrelated, I only meant the venues in which they occurred—politics, sports, and entertainment. Yet, I see them as the latest examples of the loss of civility in our society.
I wish the church was immune to such behavior, but if you attend a meeting or hang around the parking lot following most meetings, you’ll hear things that are not exactly Christlike. I wish I could say I’m without fault, but I’ve had moments where my emotions got the better of me. Yet, I would like to find new ways to talk with one another, so that we may not only say what we want to say, but hear what others have to say. It’s not that we should not have the passion of our convictions, but we need to learn how to hold them more lightly, so that we may hold our brothers and sisters more closely in the love Christ commands of us.
On Sunday, October 4, we celebrate World Communion Sunday and receive the Peacemaking Offering. 25% of the Peacemaking Offering will remain here at Kenmore Presbyterian Church. I wonder whether we could hold a workshop on how to disagree without being disagreeable. Following worship, we will formally dedicate our Peace Pole, which offers a constant prayer in four different languages, “May peace prevail on earth.” I believe in this prayer, but I believe it must begin with me, with each of us and how we treat one another. We need to learn what David Buttrick called, “the grand courtesies of the kingdom of God.” We need to recover civility as citizens and Christians.
Continue reading about ONE BLOCK NORTH: Seeking Civility, Making Peace
Hebrews 1:1-4 and 2:5-12
A Sermon Preached by the Rev. Dr. Howard W. Boswell, Jr.
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 4, 2009
Kenmore Presbyterian Church
Kenmore, New York
In Whistling in the Dark: An ABC Theologized, Frederick Buechner wrote, “Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay close attention.” Buechner believed tears tell us about the secret of who we are. He also affirmed God may speak to us through them “of the mystery of where (we) have come from and is summoning (us) to where, if (our) souls (are) to be saved, (we) should go to next.” I remember I found tears in my eyes the first time I heard, “Above All” by Paul Baloche and Lenny LeBlanc. While I cannot recall exactly when it was, I heard it in my car. I nearly had to pull over, because the truth of this simple song of praise to Christ opened my eyes to the mystery of where we come from, and summoned me to where, if our souls are to be saved, we need to go next.
As I said, I cannot remember precisely when it was, but I recall it occurred during a dark time of doubt about my ministry, here at Kenmore. I could tell you I only struggled once over the last ten years, but it would be a lie. I remember I was on Main Street. I think that I was on my way to Buffalo General, when the words began to wash over me,
Above all powers, above all kings,
Above all nature and all created things;
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man,
You were here before the world began.
Above all kingdoms, above all thrones,
Above all wonders the world has ever known;
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth,
There’s no way to measure what you’re worth.
Those two verses opened my eyes to a reality, which I had not seen in a while, a reality of which singers have sung down through the ages, the reality of who really holds authority over our lives. I will not say I had a vision, because I saw nothing, but the words reminded of what it means when I call Jesus Christ, my Lord. When we call him, Lord, we place him above all else. When we call him, Lord, we place ourselves in his hand. Other psalms and hymns and spiritual songs communicate the same reality, but on Main Street, at that moment, “Above All” allowed me to hear it.
When I read the lectionary passages appointed for this day from Hebrews 1 and 2, they reminded me of the song, “Above All.” The anonymous author does not write a letter, so much as he preaches a sermon to people like you and me, who weary of religion, who want a relationship with the living God. He, maybe even she started out by recalling how in the past God proclaimed God’s plan to our parents through prophets, but here and now, God referred to speak to us through the Son. While the author does not allude to him by name, we know of whom he speaks, this Son who was with his Father “before the world began.” If we want to see God, we only need to look at God’s Son, because he reflects his image perfectly. He keeps creation going by his Word and he is above all, above the angels, above humanity. He is like the famous icon, Jesus Pantocrator, Jesus, Ruler of All.
Yet, what brought tears to my eyes when I heard “Above All” was not its exultation of Jesus as above all powers and kings, above all nature and things, above all wisdom and human ways, above all authorities we may raise, above all wonders, wealth, and treasure. No, what brought tears to my eyes, what brings me to my knees in adoration, even now, are the next words:
Crucified, laid behind the stone;
You lived to die, rejected and alone;
Like a rose, trampled on the ground,
You took the fall and thought of me above all.
Those words struck my heart, so that I might love the one who died for me.
The author of the Hebrews places the Son above all, not only because of who he is, but because of what he did and what he continues to do. Paul Baloche and Lenny LeBlanc learned from all the songs sung in celebration of the Son before them. Ultimately, we praise Jesus as Lord, because he is also Savior. We place him above all, because of what he did on the cross, taking the fall for us, and thinking of us above all. Right now, we may not always see him for who he is, Ruler of All, but the author of Hebrews says, “We do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”
Today, this truth draws us to this table, as it drew our brothers and sisters on the other side of the world, who came to it, as we lay sleeping, singing in their native tongues, as we did, “Jesus Christ is with us… For his love makes us one… Hallelujah, he is here!” Today, with them, we acknowledge Jesus is Ruler of All, above all and through all and in all, his word is what holds our world together, even as we pursue ways that pull it apart at the seams. While he came to bring peace, we place our wills before his claims on our lives. Let us kneel before him and know he is Lord. Yet, let us also kneel before him, because he is Savior, “Crucified, laid behind the stone,” who “lived to die, rejected alone, like a rose, trampled on the ground, (he) took the fall and thought of (us) above all.” Let us break bread together and take this cup together on our knees in grateful praise for all the ways, the Son lives and reigns for us, above all. Amen.
©2009 Howard W. Boswell, Jr.
Mark 9: 30-37
A Sermon Preached by the Rev. Dr. Howard W. Boswell, Jr.
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 20, 2009
Kenmore Presbyterian Church
Kenmore, New York
I borrowed the title of today’s sermon from a book by Brian D. McLaren and Tony Campolo. Many of you know Tony, because we’ve used three of his video discussion series, Carpe Diem!, Curing Affluenza, and Christianity at the Turn of the Century. A prolific author and well-known speaker, I’ve heard Tony a number of times. I’ve never heard Brian McLaren, but I consider him in the same class as Tony.
I came to know McLaren’s work through the emerging church movement of which he is one of the leaders. I understand the emerging church movement to be an attempt by contemporary Christian leaders to ask the kind of questions I’m posing in this sermon series, “What is Jesus doing today? How do we follow his lead in our world?” If you want an introduction to Brian McLaren, I invite you to read his books, A New Kind of Christian or A Generous Orthodoxy. If you’re like me, his creativity and commitment will capture you.
Adventures in Missing the Point has a disturbing subtitle, which explains the entire book, “How the Culture Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel.” McLaren and Campolo consider a variety of issues, asking, “Do you ever look at how the Christian faith is being lived out in the new millennium and wonder if we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing? That we still haven’t quite ‘gotten it’”? They express how I feel most of the time!
Yet, “not getting it” is not a new experience for followers of Jesus. I learned from a friend who works in publishing that you cannot copyright a title, so if I ever publish a book of sermons on the Gospel of Mark, I have my title, The Original Adventures in Missing the Point! Some time, read the Gospel of Mark from beginning to end. It’s the shortest gospel and you can read it in an hour. Focus your attention on the disciples when you read it and you’ll find out what I mean. In Mark, the disciples are dense! They don’t get it and often miss the point!
Our passage from Mark provides ample evidence of what I mean. After Jesus asks them who people say he is and who they believe he is, after he tells them in no uncertain terms he will undergo great suffering at the hands of the religious authorities and die and be raised, after he tells them to pick up their cross and follow him, after they see him transfigured with Moses and Elijah, after he casts out a demon from a boy, after all of this, he takes them back to Galilee, back to where it all began, by themselves, away from the crowds. Away from all distractions, he teaches them again, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” That is what Jesus is doing as they are on the way, the way to Jerusalem, the way to the cross.
Now, let’s put this scene into terms we may understand. Let’s say the person we love the most in the whole world, our mother or father, our husband or wife, our child, our sister or brother, whoever calls us or, even better, says to us, “Sit down, please, I have something to tell you. I’ve just come from the doctor and it’s not good…” This scene suggests a fraction of the impact of Jesus’ words on his disciples. Like us, they don’t know what to say, how to react. Like us, they don’t understand what he means and fear asking him to explain. Like us, they’re silent before the prospect of death.
Yet, they miss the point of what Jesus says, as we do, all too often. After hearing him predict his passion a second time, what do the disciples discuss as they make their way home to Capernaum? Do they consider what God might be doing in all of this? Do they question what it means for them as followers of Jesus, what difference it makes in how they live their lives? No, when they arrive at Capernaum and enter the house, Jesus asks, “What were you arguing about on the way?” On the way to Jerusalem, on the way to the cross, in face of the betrayal and suffering of their Master and friend, what were Jesus’ disciples arguing about: Who was the greatest? They show some wisdom by keeping their mouths shut, because something in the way Jesus asked the question and what he said next convinced them they didn’t get it, they missed the point, yet again!
So, what were they supposed to get and what point did the disciples miss? For that matter, what are we supposed to get and what point do we miss? Whenever Jesus sits down, he takes the position of a teacher. I imagine that he sighs deeply, shakes his head, disappointed that we don’t get it, we miss the point of being on the way, his way. He tells his disciples, then and now, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Later, in Mark 10, when he has to explain himself yet again, after James and John ask him to give them good seats in the kingdom, Jesus will make it plain, saying, “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Yet, now, what does Jesus do? He takes a child in his arms and tells us, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
Too often, when we hear these words of Jesus, we take the edge off of them by focusing on fond memories of childhood. We don’t realize a child in Jesus’ place and time was a non-person, the very embodiment of vulnerability and powerlessness. We don’t realize in our place and time, some children are treated in the same way. To welcome the child means to take what some call “the one down position,” to seek to serve, rather than to be served, to question our culture’s concept of status and power.
I finally decided to buy Adventures in Missing the Point, after I read one paragraph from Brian McLaren’s reflections on leadership online. He writes,
I admit it: I spent most of ‘80s and early ‘90s wishing I could fulfill the CEO model of Christian leadership. CEOs made it. They were unflinchingly confident, powerful, knowledgeable, larger than life. I admired such CEO-model leaders in Christendom, I attended their seminars, and returned home wildly inspired and mildly depressed.
I wondered whether Brian read my journal from the same time! Even today, when I read books or attend seminars by the CEO types, I still feel “wildly inspired and mildly depressed.” I want to be like them, but I cannot quite measure up. I want their kind of success and status, but it eludes me. Yet, I don’t get it and miss the point! Ministry is not about success and status. It’s not about the effective management of an organization, though that’s important to me. Ministry is about following Jesus on the way and leading others on the journey!
Listen: I know some of you wish Kenmore Presbyterian Church could be the church it once was. You wish the pews could be filled with doctors and lawyers, educators and executives, as it once was. You think that it’s important to return to that kind of status, that measure of success, that type of power, or else, it’s not worth it. Let me respectfully submit to you: You don’t get it and you miss the point. Kenmore Presbyterian Church began its life as a mission, a Sunday school to welcome children in Buffalo’s Northside. You’ve been at your best, when you did not ask how the church could serve you and meet your needs and the needs of your family, but when you asked how you could serve one another, your neighbors in need, the larger church, and the world. I appreciate how long some of you have been members. I applaud your faithful presence and leadership. I hope you understand seniority does not excuse you from service nor does it give you permission to place yourself before others for we are all stand on the same level before the cross.
To follow Jesus today means all of us must follow his lead. We cannot afford to miss the point he taught his disciples on the way for we walk the same way. Christianity is not about the accumulation of power. Whenever it has been, it’s been at its worse. The power of the gospel has been rendered impotent by its acceptance of culture’s definitions of success and status. Instead, whenever the church asks how it may walk with Jesus “in lowly paths of service free,” it has been most effective and had its finest hours. Its adventures were in pursuit of the point, its purpose for being, to be the living presence of Jesus, proclaiming his love and placing itself in service to the world. Amen.
©2009 Howard W. Boswell, Jr.
Continue reading about What Is Jesus Doing?—“Adventures in Missing the Point”
Sundays, September 20 and 27 at 11:30 a.m. in the Library of Kenmore Presbyterian Church
Published in 2007, The Shack by William P. Young, with Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings has sold over seven million copies and is a New York Times Bestseller.
During the first session, we will look at the book, using a study from The Thoughtful Christian, a web-based curriculum service. They write their study for The Shack was the result “of requests from Christians who (1) want to use the book as a jumping-off point to examine their own understanding of and relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; (2) would like to refute the theology presented in The Shack; or (3) would rather not read the book, but would like to know enough about it to respond to its overwhelming presence in society.
During the second session, we will spend more time with the theology of The Shack, asking, “What does it have to say about salvation, the Trinity, and why bad things happen to good people?”
If you have read the book, then you understand how it challenges the reader to think about how we think about God. If you haven’t read the book, you may wish to read it before Sunday, September 20 to be familiar with its unique approach to questions of faith. The Shack is available at most bookstores. If you have any questions or comments, leave them here or contact howard.boswell@gmail.com.
Continue reading about THE SHACK: An Introduction to The Bestselling Book
Recent Comments