St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

It’s hard for me to believe it has been ten years since I was sent here to St. Andrew’s.  I was sent by the Rt. Rev. Robert Hargrove, second bishop of our diocese.  Upon my arrival I discovered a little band of faithful people, who had held this place together by sheer determination.  They were tired; they were afraid; they were ready for a change.

The first question I can remember being asked was, “What are you going to do to help us to grow?”  I responded by asking another question.  Yes, I know that isn’t always a good thing to do, but this question was a serious one, to which I really needed to know the answer.  “Do you really want to grow?”  I will always remember this conversation, because this is probably the most important question for any Christian community to ask itself.  This is a question which need to be revisited often, perhaps even daily.

Growing a congregation is not an easy task for anyone.  It is especially difficult on the members who have “always been here,” as they are the ones that must learn to share power and decision-making with other who they may not know very well.  They, too, must realize that the original dream or vision will of necessity change and transform, because of new ideas, new members, and new needs.  We must remember that even the best laid plans may not be the right plan.

This is an exciting time, however, for those who truly put their trust in God.  As we continue to see St. Andrew’s grow and transform into the Church God would have us be, let’s remember with thanksgiving those who ere here before us, as well as those who may come after us.  Its only ours for the time being.  We are the stewards, not the owners.

Here are some guidelines for you to use when considering your own giving to the Church.

• The Church should be supported by the people who proclaim to believe the Gospel
• Support of the Church is a matter of Christin worship.  True worship always requires an offering, something of worth to the worshiper, which is given in joy and reverence for the work of Christ’s kingdom.
• People have enough money to support the work of the Church.  The average person gives 2 % of their income.  Most could double their offering to the Church without reducing their standard of living. 10% is still the standard for Christian giving; it is the tithe.
• The first Christians discovered that Christ reconciled the world unto himself.  They were joyful to share the Good News. They gave their money for the spread of the Good News.  The first, however, gave their own hearts and lives to Christ.  “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son..” Christians so love that they give.  Loving and giving is what stewardship is about.
• The biblical principle is that God is the only true owner and giver of all things.  All we possess, our time, out talents, and our money are held in trust for and from God. 
• It is God that we shall render an accounting of our administration of that trust.  How are you doing?

Most of us who attend church regularly will agree on the answer to this question, right?  After all, we profess and confess every week that Jesus is the only begotten Son, that he was and is the Messiah, the savior, the One to whom all must confess and accept.  Right?

Well, yes, but do we all mean the same thing, when we say or proclaim these words.  Its an interesting fact, that while we live in a time when there are more words in the world than ever before, the  Elizabethan language had only about 1,500 words; though our language to today has many thousands of words, we still cannot seem to say or mean what we say.

So, who do you say that Jesus is?  And why did he ask that question in the first place?  Was he just trying to feel out the disciples to see if they had been keeping their ears to the old grapevine.  Was he really curious about what others were saying about him?  I think to answer theses questions, we first must look at the setting in which they were originally discussed.  You see, Jesus along with his disciples was in Caesarea Philippi, which was an area heavily occupied by Roman citizens.  They were not in Judea, not in Galilee or Nazareth.  Because of that, he was probably interested to know what these Romans thought about him.  What are they saying about me, he wondered.  He was asking out of curiosity, but he was also interested to know what his own disciples thought.  What was their response to those Romans, when they were talking and discussing with them about who their rabbi was?

When asked, they told him what the Romans thought: some say this, some say that, you know how that goes.  But then he asks Peter directly, “But who do you say that I am?”  Peter, of course, responds by saying, “You are the Messiah.,”  And you and I think we know what Peter meant, but we really do not know what Peter meant that day; what we know is what Peter came to mean.  You see, that day in Caesarea Philippi, Peter meant you are the one who is going to lead us out of this oppression of the Roman government.  You are the one Israel was promised to save us from occupation and tyranny.  You are going to be our king, just as soon as we overthrow the Roman government. To which Jesus sternly tells them, do not tell anyone this; do not discuss  who it is you think I am.

Jesus said those things to Peter, because he know that Peter’sidea of the Messiah and the reality was going to be different.  Jesus knew that he was not going to be a leader, who was going to overthrow any government, let alone the Roman Empire.  He had, by this time, some ideas as to what his mission was, and he knew that it was not going to involve raising an army and fighting the Romans.

So he begins to teach them about the old prophetic writings in scripture.  He teaches then what the scriptures say abou the Messiah:  “That the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”  They had forgotten that part of the prophecy and had only hung on to the good part, if you will.  But Jesus reminds them, that the Messiah, for which they were waiting wasn’t going to be this king thay had been expecting.  He was going to suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise again . And quite honestly, they probably did not understand the rising again part at all.

You and I are not much different from those disciples that day in Caesarea.  We often hold on to the parts that suit us and ignore the parts that we either do not understand or don’t like.  We must, however, continue to ask the question.  Who do you say that I am?  Who is Jesus to you, personally?  Is he Lord?  Is he Savior?  Is he just a prophet that gave us some nice examples by which to live?  It is important for each of us to wrestle with this questionl  I think it’s a good question to ask on a daily basis.  who is Jesus today, in this present life?

If the answer is Lord, then he must be the one in control of every aspect of life, every decision, every action, every word.  If he is savior, then is he savior of only you and yours, or is he truly the savior of the world, as proclaimed in the Gospel of John? If he is a prophet teacheing us to live a godly life, then why are we spending so much time, enegy, and money to do this thing we call Church?  There are plenty of self-help books and blogs out there.  There has to be more to it; there has to be.  So, keep asking.

There are many ways in which we can all take responsibility for the edification of one another.  Here are some point to ponder, if you would like to take your responsibility for the Body of Christ more seriously

• Know the history of the congregation with whom you are worshiping.  Before any of us can feel a part of a community we must understand its history.  A community’s history is a strong compass for present decision-making.  It is a compass, not an obstacle.  We must use past experience to inform present decisions, but not to stop us from moving forward.  Talk to experienced members.
• Be in touch with the mission of the church community.  We must be familiar with the mission and purpose of the congregation.  The purpose and beliefs of the congregation are the foundation for the church’s mission to the world.  Do you know what St. Andrew’s mission is?
• Pray, pray, pray. Prayer is the single most important connection we have to God, to God’s will, and to our direction in God’s kingdom.  A congregation steeped in prayer, committed to prayer, and living in prayer is a strong, healthy congregation able to give back to the world.
• Name the good that you see happening in the Church.  Too often people are quick to gather together to talk about everything that went wrong, that was misprinted, or that someone forgot to do.  We are creatures attracted to the negative.  Christ, however, calls us to be transformed into new creatures, controlling our tongues is one way to do this.  So practice looking for positive things you see happening around the Church; it can be contagious.
• Believe that God is alive and in charge.  It is, after all, what we profess to believe.  If God is alive, why are we so fearful about the world around us?  If we believe in a living God, then we must practice trust in the power of that living God.
• Forgive, forgive, forgive.  Forgiveness is what has allowed each of us to claim our Christianity.  It is also the hallmark of the Christian ethos.  If we are going to follow Jesus, we must truly forgive those who have transgressed againsus.  Our own forgiveness depends upon it.  “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”