Sermon Echoes: Meet People Where The Are

 

I am so thankful to my congregations for the love they have shared with me over this Pastor Appreciation month. I feel so blessed and seen by these folks. They have come to mean so much to me over our four months together and I LOVE being their pastor. 

"We Are His Offspring" Kimberly Cash

Yesterday in worship, I told a story about Tony Campolo and Agnes, It turns out the story was turned into a short film with names and places changed by rik swartzwelder films.

(synopsis) It's the same-old-same-old tonight at the local diner. Jim, the owner, hides in the kitchen while the regulars retread the old banter. But a new guy walks in and sits alone at the far end of the counter. Soon a new idea shatters the dull routine. Will it continue to be the same-old-same-old? Not tonight. Not ever again...

 I have linked it below. (PG)

"The Least of These" a rik swartzwelder film (Based on a true story by Tony Campolo)

In Acts 17, Paul shares the message that God is not a deity to whom we simply bow down and make offerings in the hopes that the odds will turn in our favor. Rather God lives within us, and we in God, and daily we have the joy and privilege of communing with God and being led by God. As we share our faith, we should be reminded that we, too, have growing and changing to do. This invites people to a community of disciples who are learning and growing together, rather than into a club where they are expected to ‘join and catch up with everyone else.’

When we think of not only ourselves but of everyone as being made in God’s image, we are invited into seeing the ways that others are trying and the way that God is active in their lives. Seeing the Imago Deo or the fingerprints of God, in someone means that we are willing to make space to hear about their experiences, to understand other contexts, to be in conversation, and growing relationships. There are so many ways that story Tony tells could have gone, But it makes me happy to think there are people who set aside all the things that could make us call a person unclean because we truly have come to understand that what God has called clean we cannot call unclean. And God has called creation good. Yes, we all sin and fall short of God’s glory, but when we set aside our personal piety to discover the created goodness in others we can see Christ emerge and can allow love to lead the way.

Disciples of Christ are called to be a witness for Christ in daily life, to surprise people around us with the good news of the gospel. We’ve acknowledged over these weeks that putting our commission into regular practice can be daunting.

Author Michael Frost, in his book, Surprise the World teaches clear and practical missional habits for being evangelism in your daily life. Frost’s BELLS Method offers five habits for disciples to practice each week:

·        Bless others

·        Eat together

·        Listen to the Spirit

·        Learn Christ

·        Understand yourself as Sent by God into others’ lives

We, as the church, have a responsibility not only to teach but also to listen. Every person who walks through our doors or who we meet out in the world will have a completely different lived experience. We can learn from Paul’s shift in approach and we can seek the example of Christ by not trying to get people to where we are, but to enter into where they are and begin the conversation there. Sometimes that bears fruit immediately, sometimes it’s just a seed planted for a long journey, sometimes it’s a cake that goes home before anyone takes a bite, sometimes we learn more about ourselves than anything, but whatever the circumstance we have the opportunity to be a positive connection to Christ by recognizing and honoring where someone is.