Spiritual Growth 101

The scriptures include 1 Corinthians 3:1-9.  It was preached on February 16, 2020 at Morton Presbyterian Church, Hartsville, SC and at Presbyterian Communities, Florence SC vespers service that afternoon..

Spiritual Growth 101

Some of you may know I am a candidate for ministry,

not yet ordained,

however, looking for my first call to a church.

I will not bore you with the call process and requirements

that have brought me to this point,

yet, I do want to tell you something

I have learned while discerning my first call.

Spiritual growth is an important component

of what congregations are wanting.

Spiritual growth.

How do different churches put this into words?

Here are a few phrases from several MIFs,

Ministry Information Forms:

…many in our community are seeking spiritual guidance

…ministering to the spiritual and emotional needs

…who we as a congregation can turn to for spiritual growth

…spiritual growth developed through education,

Bible study, and prayer

…to grow spiritually through worship, education,

and outreach

…shepherd the spiritual growth of all members.

Spiritual Growth.

It is an important part of our Christianity.

You and I have a desire to keep learning,

to find new ways to understand ourselves and God,

to discover another path along our journey.

Sometimes it takes place in familiar surroundings:

in Bible study or worship;

Sometimes it is outside of the church

through mission, outreach, and evangelism.

It happens through prayer, both individual and corporate.

And on occasion in unexpected ways:

-being in God’s creation,

whether hiking in the mountains or staring at the ocean;

-during an activity with a group,

either in play or work;

-or simply talking with others

in theological or daily life discussions.

There is another part of a MIF that lists

what leadership competencies a congregation

is searching for in their new pastor;

almost all churches list Spiritual Maturity

as one of these qualities.

Spiritual Maturity refers to a faithfulness of purpose.

For me, this is a way of understanding call;

through wisdom and experience

and the individual’s relationship to God.

So, churches,

congregations,

individuals

are looking for their ongoing path of spiritual growth and

someone to walk with them on that journey.

This is what you and I desire today.

What did the Corinthians desire in Paul’s time?

The same thing!

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he is addressing this issue,

first, by referring to them as infants in Christ.

“I gave you milk, not solid food,

for you were not yet ready for it.

Indeed, you are still not ready.”

Why does Paul refer to them as infants?

They are acting like children:

with petty disagreements,

not getting along with each other,

arguments and jealousy.

Paul began his letter addressing part of this issue,

with encouraging them to unite as one in fellowship,

the fellowship they share in Christ.

The Corinthians are focused on the ones who taught them

or baptized them, not on Christ.

Paul explains its not about the leaders,

it is about being one in Christ.

“What, after all, is Apollos?

And what is Paul?

Only servants, through whom you came to believe

—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.”

Paul and others are caretakers, farmers of the field.

When I read this scripture,

something I heard years ago came to my mind;

do you remember Paul Harvey and his

Rest of the Story broadcasts?

One thoughtful contemplation he spoke of was about the farmer.

It begins with…

And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned

paradise and said,

"I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer.

Mr. Harvey goes on to describe the qualities needed and the

responsibilities that God has entrusted to the farmer…

God said, "I need somebody willing to get up before dawn,

milk cows, work all day in the fields, milk cows again,

eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight

at a meeting of the school board."

God said, "I need somebody willing to sit up all night with

a newborn colt. And watch it die.

Then dry his eyes and say, 'Maybe next year.'

God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees

and heave bails, yet gentle enough to tame lambs and

wean pigs and tend the pink-combed pullets,

who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the broken

leg of a meadow lark.

So God made a farmer.¹

That is how the Apostle Paul sees his role, he is the caretaker.

He planted the church in Corinth,

Apollos followed, watering,

both servant of God.

Paul and Apollos and many other leaders

are not the source of grace, life, or growth;

they tend the field, plant and water,

however, it is God that gives the growth!

Pause and think on this a moment,

when you or I decide to plant a garden,

we prepare the soil, plant the seeds or bulbs,

water it, pull weeds,

but you and I do not make the plant or flower grow.

That is life; that is a gift of God.

God is the source of life!

We are in so many ways helpless children,

yearning to learn and grow,

wanting to have and know it all right now.

So, we talk about spiritual growth,

you and I strive for it through so many methods:

devotionals, study groups, fellowship, outreach,

and all are helpful in their own way.

Yet, it is not something we can achieve immediately

or on our own.

God gives the growth!

The high school I attended had a motto:

as we grow in age, may we grow in grace.

I do not think I understood it as a teenager,

but with time and experience,

it makes more sense to me now.

Maturity comes as we grow older

and certain qualities are associated with that aging.

Wisdom is usually what first comes to mind,

learning good and hard lessons of life gives each of us

a unique way of looking at situations.

Growing in grace, also deals with the wisdom of experience.

By grace, we grow to know more about ourselves as individuals

and about our relationship to God.

There is spiritual growth, a journey of spiritual maturity.

One thing I believe to be very true is you and I are always

on the path of spiritual growth;

it is something we will always yearn for more.

You and I have an inner desire, like the Corinthians,

to receive more than milk, we want the solid food.

Paul says the Corinthians are not ready because of

the strife within their community.

Are you and I ready for it?

Are there things that get in the way,

things that shift out focus away from God?

We all have busy lives,

we get distracted,

we worry about little things.

We are human, flawed, and sinners.

Yet, there is grace, God reaches out to us.

God the source of life,

the light in the dark corners,

the love, mercy, and forgiveness that gives us hope.

The hope we find through Christ Jesus,

the unity,

the fellowship we are called into through Christ.

A fellowship that can erase the petty disagreements,

that bring us from strife to life,

that allows us to grow together and individually.

Our relationship to God is always evolving.

The way we pray, understand, and approach God

is different in our youth

from when we are in our 40s or 70s.

There is spiritual growth,

aided by those who plant the seeds,

those who water,

those who tend the garden.

it all comes together because of the one

who gives the growth.

As we grow in age, we do grow in grace.

Thanks be to God.

1 Paul Harvey 1978 ‘So God Made a Farmer.’

Called into Fellowship

The scriptures include 1 Corinthians 1:1-9.  It was preached on January 19, 2020 at Presbyterian Communities in Florence, SC.

Called into Fellowship

Fellowship.

What comes to your mind when you here that word?

A gathering time?

The fellowship hall as part of a church,

which has a variety of uses…

sometimes for bible study or lectures…

or for a community meeting…

or for a reception…

or a small worship service…

or a meal.

All of these events are a gathering together of people

with something in common.

Paul is not telling the Corinthians

they are called into fellowship so

they will meet Wednesday night for a potluck.

Paul is emphasizing to the Corinthians

what they have in common.

Jesus Christ.

Our scripture for today is only the first 9 verses

of the first chapter;

the start of Paul’s letters begins with a greeting

and thanksgiving before he addresses the needs

of the church and its immediate concerns.

In these first 9 verses, Paul establishes a basis of trust

by expressing confidence in the Corinthians;

he knows not every community or church is perfect,

yet he gives thanks for them anyway.

What are the issues in the Corinth church?

There is division, some aspects of a power play,

and the focus not being on Christ and the gospel,

but on individuals.

Paul wants the Corinthians to recognize

their fellowship in Christ.

That is what they have in common; what unites them.

Paul, throughout his letters uses many different words

and phrases to promote unity:

kinship language including brothers and sisters;

describing believers as the body of Christ;

and the word fellowship.

Paul is talking about fellowship as

a relationship and a partnership.

A relationship with Christ and with each other;

the individuals becoming partners in the ministry

of the gospel:

have you seen in some church bulletins

the pastor is listed and then there is minister

and it says all members;

there is also the partnership with the Lord

-sharing of his life and calling with us:

Jesus calls us brother and sister.

When looking up the definition of fellowship,

it is simply defined as being part of a group;

also as having or sharing with others

certain things in common;

more deeply defined as a partnership that involves

working together and caring for one another

as a company of people, a family;

a family of faith.

How might we today relate to the church in Corinth?

As in Paul’s time, in today’s world there are divisions:

we choose sides,

we sometimes speak without listening,

we find it hard to see our commonality,

only our differences,

you and I set ourselves apart.

This is not what we are called to be.

Fellowship is the opposite of isolation and loneliness

and our present-day independent way of the individual.

Stop and think about that for a moment:

fellowship is the opposite of isolation and loneliness.

Our world is full of loneliness.

One can be in a crowded room and feel alone,

or feel more comfortable ‘staying out of the way’,

isolating oneself as to protect oneself

from being hurt emotionally or spiritually.

That is a dark path,

and we as believers in Christ are called to the light.

God is light.

First John speaks about love and fellowship and light.:

“…if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light,

we have fellowship with one another…”

We need each other,

you and I have a need to be together, to be in unity,

to embrace what we have in common, what we share.

Earlier I mentioned fellowship halls and meals

and some basic definitions of fellowship.

When I went to look up the definition of fellowship

in the New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, it said:

see communion.

Communion?

When you and I hear the word communion,

we think of the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist,

the bread and the cup.

When I looked up communion; its definition: sharing.

Sharing.

You and I as believers share things in common;

we come together for worship to glorify God,

we learn together about God’s Word and Jesus’ teachings,

we share our faith as disciples of Christ,

we are led by the Holy Spirit in our actions,

we care for one another.

You and I gather around table for the Lord’s Supper,

to share the bread and the cup; communion:

it is to not only remember the sacrifice, death,

and resurrection of Jesus,

but also, his love and continuing presence

as we are commissioned to serve God and neighbor.

To serve God and neighbor.

Not to be isolated from one another,

yet, to be in fellowship.

Which brings us back to those fellowship halls and meals:

Yes, you and I gather around tables for meals,

potlucks or otherwise,

to share friendship,

communicate with each other,

learn about each other,

to practice hospitality,

build community,

to deter isolation and loneliness,

by having fun, sharing our faith, and

to be called into fellowship.

Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

As I was preparing for today,

I looked up to see what Dr. King had to say about fellowship.

The quote I found comes from a sermon preached in April 1967,

focusing on an urgency of that time.

Yes, that subject was Vietnam.

Looking at this in perspective,

Paul was addressing the immediate needs

of the Corinthians,

Dr. King was addressing the concerns of the country.

Dr. King’s quote…

“This call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class and nation is in reality a call for an all embracing and unconditional love for all men.”¹

For King, so many things come back to love.

Love drives out hate.

It shines in the dark places.

Being called into fellowship is a call to love.

Love of God and neighbor.

From First John chapter 4:

“Beloved, since God loved us so much,

we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God;

if we love one another,

God lives in us, and his love is perfect in us.”

Fellowship, sharing, love,

being one in unity because of what we have in common…

you and I are:

members of the body of Christ,

disciples together as ministers of the gospel,

brothers and sisters, a family of faith.

Praise God,

love your neighbor as Christ loves us,

embrace the Holy Spirit as one in unity…

Remember the words of Paul,

that are as meaningful today

as they were when written to the Corinthians:

“God is faithful;

by him you were called into the fellowship

of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

1 Sermon: “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” by Martin Luther King Jr. April 1967.

In the Midst

The scriptures include Matthew 2:13-23 and Isaiah 63:79.  It was preached on December 29, 2019 at Morton Presbyterian Church, Hartsville, SC

 

In the Midst

 

This is not a scripture I desired to preach.

We have spent Advent preparing and waiting

for the birth of a Savior,

we have sung Joy to the World for his birth and now…

Now,

we have the horror of the slaughter of the innocents.

What a downturn;

what sadness;

what a depressing and upsetting passage

to encounter in the midst of Christmas.

You and I should be celebrating! 

’Tis the season of Christmas; God with us!

Hark the Herald, Angels Sing!

O Come All Ye Faithful!

Go Tell it on the Mountain!

If we could only ignore the middle part

of this scripture in Matthew.

If this scripture could only contain

the subject of dreams and geography.

God spoke to Joseph in a dream,

go to Egypt,

come back,

live in Nazareth.

Well, if that was all there was to it,

the message would still be important, yet,

perhaps not as meaningful.

If the center of the scripture was only about Joseph’s dream,

we could reflect on the importance of dreams

in the Old Testament:

Jacob at Bethel,

Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams,

and the prophet Joel telling

about God’s Spirit being Poured Out...

“…your old men shall dream dreams…”

If the center of the scripture was only about geography,

          you and I could compare how the Israelites

 of the Old Testament went to Egypt

and then were brought out of Egypt;

we could look at other times when there was travel

to foreign lands:

Naomi and her family to Moab and her return with Ruth:

the exile and the return;

even how the disciples, especially Paul,

traveled to spread the Good News.

If the center of the scripture was only about Egypt,

we could focus on Egypt as a place of refuge,

a place to go to preserve life;

in Genesis 50, Joseph tells his brothers…

“Even though you intended to do harm to me,

God intended it for good,

 in order to preserve a numerous people

as he is doing today.”

For Mary and Joseph and their child,

Egypt was a place beyond Herod’s reach;

a place to escape Herod’s anger.

That brings us back to the middle part of today’s scripture;

a jealous king ordering the death of children.

The Gospel of Matthew is a bridge between

the Old and New Testaments;

we can see the similarities between Moses and Jesus

and Pharaoh and Herod.

When Moses was born,

the Pharaoh had ordered the death of all male children

born to the Israelites.

Yet, Moses escaped that fate,

and became a leader of his people,

leading the Israelites out of Egypt into the wilderness,

and on the way to the promised land. 

Herod, like Pharaoh, ordered children to be murdered.

          “…killed all the children in and around Bethlehem

who were two years old or younger,

according to the time that he had learned

from the wise men.”

Yet, the young Jesus escaped that fate,

there was divine intervention

by a message from God to Joseph in a dream.

Jesus, the young child, was saved,

and you and I know why:

God’s plan would be fulfilled in Jesus on the cross.

There is a question that nags at the back of my mind,

and probably does yours too…

what about the other families?

The families who went through the trauma and terror

of having their children slain;

the sorrow and grief felt by fathers and mothers

as they could not protect their children;

the fear and anger they felt by the chaos

 brought into their lives.

As Matthew 2:18 recalls the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,

wailing and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children;

she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”

Wailing and lamentation.

Deep haunting grief and suffering.

Where may these families find hope in their sorrow?

Where can you and I see hope in the midst of this scripture?

How might we see hope in our everyday lives,

when our lives encounter

chaos,

grief,

hardships,

fear,

adversities,

or the unexpected.

In Isaiah 63,

we heard the words about God’s mercy and steadfast love:

“I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,

the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,

because of all that the Lord has done for us,

and the great favor to the house of Israel

that he has shown them according to his mercy,

according to the abundance of his steadfast love.”

Steadfast love, ‘hesed’.

God’s love for us all!

God wanting to be in the midst of us,

whether we are celebrating, glorifying, or suffering

-God is with us!

Part of the lectionary for today is from Hebrews 2,

I did not read it as part of the scriptures we heard

before the sermon, however,

it ties in well with the Isaiah and Matthew scriptures.

Hebrews 2: 11-12 and 16-18 

“For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified

all have one Father.

For this reason, Jesus is not ashamed to call them

brothers and sisters, saying,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,

    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”

For it is clear that he did not come to help angels,

but the descendants of Abraham.

Therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters

in every respect,

so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest

in the service of God,

to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people.

 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered,

he is able to help those who are being tested.”

God’s steadfast love embodied,

God made flesh in order to walk among us,

to be in the midst of us, to be our Savior.

God divine, identifies with humanity.

Christ came not for angels, but, for the descendants of Abraham.

Jesus calls us brother and sister.

As Moses had led his people from slavery to freedom,

Jesus Christ leads you and me and all

from death to eternal life.

Where was the hope in the midst of the sorrow

for those families in and around Bethlehem

as their children were killed?

They did not know it,

but their hope was in a child who was taken to Egypt

by his family because of a warning in a dream.

Where is our hope in the midst of the chaos of today?

when you and I are full of doubt and fear?

Where is our hope in times of despair?

                                      in times of loss, grief, sorrow, and suffering?

                                      when we cannot see a solution?

Where is our hope when we feel depressed or lonely?

when you and I hear the words of bullies?

when we are overwhelmed by news of

poverty, hunger,

random shootings,

and hatred of one another?

Where is our hope

when you and I hear Rachel weeping for her children?

Our hope today…

is with that same child, the one born in a manger;

          the one who becomes the man,

fully divine, fully human,

the one who suffered on the cross,

died for us and was resurrected.

Our hope began in a manger,

fled to Egypt,

settled in Nazareth,

became a carpenter then a teacher,

and then a Savior.

Our hope in the midst of everything,

          our hope

is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness…

One final thought,

          I have been reading an Advent and Christmas devotional,

God is in the Manger

which includes insights and writings of

theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

quote:

“God wants to always be with us,

wherever we may be

-in our sin, suffering, and death. 

We are no longer alone: God is with us.”

 

 

Discerning Your Call by the Numbers

Discerning my call to ministry continues.  Over the summer I came up with a way of putting some ideas on paper and trying to define it by the numbers.  This has helped me in determining if a church may be a good fit for me.


You see it is not all about whether a church sees me as a good fit;  I must see them as a good fit for me.  The Holy Spirit is working for both sides to make a good match.
Sometimes after an initial interview, I have known immediately, that was not the church for me; sometimes it takes prayer and contemplation to discern whether it is a good fit or not.


Discerning Your Call by the Numbers

40% Do I feel God is calling me to this church/community?

15% prayer
15% listening for answers from Holy Spirit
10% love

30% Do I feel this church/community is the place I could do the most good in my ministry?
10% needs of the church/community
10% working with the church leaders
10% ability to do the job*

30% Looking ahead at the next decade of my life, would I be happy?

10% living situation
10% Sabbath opportunities
10% practical, medical, and other needs

_________

total 100%

~if total is under 65, do not take call

~hopefully total will at least be in the 80s

~if total is above 90, say yes!

*this number should be 9 or 10 (possibly 8 because of learning through first call) ~if number is under 8, do not take call.

©copyright by Leah E. Epps ~July 2019