Only God Gives the Growth

Deut. 31:27-32:6; 1 Cor. 3:5-9

            At the start of last Monday’s meeting of your Session, I shared a word of witness from the streets of Rio de Janeiro.   It’s a word about some of the twenty-five million street children in this second largest city of Brazil.   A group of these kids regularly got together in one spot to share their fear and anger.   They were hosted by a group of Christian adults -- a Presbyterian, a Methodist, a Lutheran pastor, and a Catholic priest.   Also present was a non-Christian priest of the Umbanda faith.  

            One day, one of the boys declared, “I want to be baptized.”   “In which church, then?” asked one of the Christians.  The boy looked around the street and at his congregation gathered in the usual spot.   Then he replied, “Which church?”  Another of the Christians turned to him and asked the question with more clarification.  “You’ll need to choose a church building in which to be baptized.  Which one would you like to go to?”   Understanding but protesting, the boy said, “Building?  No, I want to be baptized here among us on the street.” 

            The church representatives looked at one another.   Next, one bluntly remarked that he wouldn’t be able to issue any kind of official baptismal certificate.  Another commented that it would be problematic to perform the sacrament with the help of the Umbanda priest.   The boy again firmly expressed his faithful desire.  Finally, the Protestant pastor reached for an old wooden board, laid it atop two plastic milk crates, and filled an old boot with water.   The young man was then ritually welcomed into the Christian family.  

            By the grace of God, growth in the Body of Christ happens wherever and whenever vulnerable seeds are gathered and sown in one spot.  It happens when they are then watered by faithful acceptance and compassion.  It happens as healthy green shoots break through the asphalt coverings in Christ’s kingdom -- coverings chiefly loyal to humanly constructed buildings and institutional rules than to the Creator of all.

            The Apostle Paul wants to know who you belong to as a Christian.    If your answer is something like “the Presbyterians” or if you are inclined to name one particular Christian leader or another … then be prepared to hear a word of faithful reproof.  If you find yourself thinking about Jesus Christ first in terms of the differences found in denominational boxes and believing church is what happens chiefly within institutional buildings … then be prepared to be called spiritually immature, a mere infant in this faith.   

            My goodness, I remember how in my younger days I’d occasionally hear the words, “Oh, don’t be a baby.”   This chiding was a common but less than empowering way of pointing out that I was acting immaturely for my age … that I’d managed to fail the expectations of some older “authority.”    I never liked this one bit.   I remember feeling embarrassed and ashamed.  

            So when I read the Apostle Paul telling the Christians of ancient Corinth that they are behaving like babies … I get a bit defensive.   But then I read about the immature behaviors their founding pastor was calling them out on.  Jealousy was jumping all over the place.   Quarreling created conflict across the congregation.  Boasting about loyalty to different church leaders fenced in factions.   These were not behaviors that reflected, honored and helped spread the loving, accepting, egalitarian spiritual teachings of Jesus.  These were not the behaviors of those who had matured in knowing that they belong to God alone and in God they all belong to one another.  These were not the behaviors of those living as humble, faithful servants relying on the grace of God for their personal and congregational growth.

            So Paul pulled no punches.   He held them accountable just as honestly and powerfully as Moses had done to the stubborn, rebellious ancient Israelites he had led.   Then Paul told them in a couple different, easily identifiable ways what it means to be spiritually mature in Christ together.  It meant eating and sharing the solid food of selflessness, not the pablum of self-serving pride.  It meant being the spiritual building God was building them to be. It meant being equal co-laborers with distinct tasks working in the field of faith where God alone was bringing about growth.  The infants in faith clearly took these words of Paul to heart, for that early church didn’t fall down and go boom.   

            God keeps growing the Body of Christ throughout this world.  Do we trust that God is graciously, steadily, and perhaps surprisingly growing the Body of Christ through FPC? 

            Here in 2014 in this corner of American culture, we know well the limitations and frustrations of first and foremost trusting the traditional ways of institutional expansion an social influence.  We can’t just put a new sign outside identifying our denominational affiliation and expect potential new members to show up every Sunday.   We can’t fully expect folks to come here first to learn about Jesus when there are many wonderfully inspired and solidly academic insights about Christianity from all over the world being instantly communicated through devices most people have in their pockets.    And for many years the main model for church was believing, belonging and serving.  People gathered around the doctrinal beliefs defined through institutional belonging and then went out into the world to serve.    But nowadays, more church growth happens through serving, belonging and believing.  As people serve the needs of others in many organized ways, they gain a sense of belonging to a community that truly cares, which then may lead to new or deepening belief in God.   

            We know well the impact of well over a decade of denominational decline.   And we know how much our church family is grieving our congregational losses due to long-time members passing on to glory, moving on to live in other places, or just not being around so much due to other life changes.    It all can weigh so heavily on our hearts and minds.    This is all the more reason to keep renewing our trust that God is always blessing us with growth.    It can’t be precisely measured by human statistics.  But it can and should be measured by our words of witness, by sharing the stories of how Jesus’ love has touched us through the ways we support one another, worship together, are called and equipped to co-labor for Christ near and far.  This spiritual growth is happening as we carry on and support long-standing ways of being FPC as well as let some go in order to initiate and establish new ones.    

            So maybe there is a new Bible study God wants us to lead over in that new private conference room soon to be available at the Starbucks in Chester.   Perhaps the number of youth and adults going on the Appalachia Service Project through our partnership with the Big Youth Group will continue to blossom as it did this year.   I personally feel a holy call to cultivate some needed growth in addressing real and tough social issues impacting our local families, such as how prescription pill sharing is leading to hardcore drug use and criminal records.   I also see some growth happening as we work with sister churches in our community to honor and support veterans, as we did this past Veteran’s Day.   And just as God has created new growth across our denomination through new kinds of worshipping communities and a new form of government that allows more freedom and flexibility on our local level, I can hope the FPC bylaws and handbook currently being revised will make us more organizational vibrant and creative.

            The Body of Christ here and everywhere is being grown by God alone.   Let’s endure any and all growing pains, trusting we’re being made stronger … that we are always growing up into a fuller stature in and for our Savior.   Amen.