Reno UMC Sermon: 10-25-09

October 25, 2009
Rev. Judith Bither

Intentional Faith Development

Reno First United Methodist Church has a great history of supporting education. We are a congregation of educators, numerous members who have given or give their careers to teaching at every level: preschool, primary, elementary, junior high, high school and the university. The Fellowship of Methodist Women raises money and awards annual scholarships to help our young people with higher education. Yes, we are a congregation who value education at every stage of life!

This morning I invite you to think deeply about how we value intentional faith development—that is, a life long learning as disciples of Jesus Christ. Intentional Faith Development refers to all the ministries that help us grow in faith outside of weekly worship:

Bible studies
Sunday School
Small groups
Retreats…

…where we learn in the community of other Christians. These are all really little churches within the bigger family! By these practices we mature in faith; we grow in grace and in the knowledge of God. We pray that we are closer to Christ now than we were five years ago, and that by the grace of God, we may be closer to Christ five years from now than we are today!

Intentional refers to deliberate effort, purposeful action, and high priority. Growing in grace does not come without purposeful commitment to learning the faith and cultivating our love for God. Bishop Richard Schnase, who wrote the books we have been reviewing (Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations), challenges us that in order to be a fruitful congregation at least 50% of our weekly worship attendance will be reflected in classes, study or support groups. For our congregation that means about 75 people in classes or groups each week.

Did you hear Luke humming his own tune this morning in The Book of the Acts of the Apostles? Luke looks back over a remarkable Christian journey and describes it with his own song. During his lifetime, Luke would have witnessed a phenomenal growth of Christians--from a handful of diehard fans--to a group so huge they could have filled every coliseum in the Roman Empire. Numbers may not be an indicator of success—but Luke apparently is the primitive Church’s head-counter. 3000 people (he notes) were added following God’s first outreach on Pentecost.

Listen to Luke’s descriptive lyrics:

They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, their life together, the common meal, and the prayers. Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.

Aren’t we attracted to Luke’s description of these earliest Christians? Luke’s description is so simple. Early Christians—at least the ones that Luke describes in our lesson—are nourished in four basic ways: teaching, fellowship, common meals (an early version of potluck dinners), and prayers. John Wesley knew the power of these as well and he organized them into a system we call Methodism today.

Schnase actually begins this chapter of the book by sketching four different scenes for the reader:

The first scene takes place in a remote village a half-day’s walk outside of Jerusalem in the first century. Around a fire sits a widow feeding the fire with twigs as she reflects on her new life. After being widowed she was shut out of society as she would have expected, but she was brought under the care of a group who followed Jesus. She heard the stories—his stories—of how God loved her. She found this love through these followers who took the time to share their faith with her.
The second scene takes place 1,750 years later in a small thatched-roof cottage in a village an hour’s ride from London. Around this fire sits a man with a journal, preparing a lesson for those gathering in his home that evening. He is tired after a long day working in the field, but as a Methodist Class Leader, he has a commitment to each person in his group. He prays for each one by name. When all have gathered he reminds them of Mr. Wesley’s rules for classes and about the covenant they made with each other in order to belong: attend public worship weekly, read the Holy scriptures, pray and partake of the Lord’s Supper. “By his work in the fields, he made a living. By his care of souls, he made a life.”
The third scene takes place 250 years later as a young woman pulls into the church parking lot just before the session begins. She’s running late and still wearing her dress from work. Her young son is with her and she drops him off in the youth room where he will do his home-work with others. She has committed herself to this almost year-long Bible study. Every day for the past week she spent reading scripture, sometimes only confusing her more. But she brings her questions and her doubts and others bring theirs. She has begun to ask the question about how God is calling her to be involved more deeply in this journey of faith.

Three portraits over 2000 years, so different and yet each one slowly changing the lives of individuals who commit themselves to Intentional Faith Development. Luke’s four qualities of the early church are almost identical to our Five Principles of Fruitful Congregations, who based his on John Wesley’s class meetings. Bishop Schnase took the principles of the 1^st century and put them into a 21^st century context. However we build these principles into our congregation, one thing is for sure. Such authentic Christian practice does impact others. Christians became more deeply committed, more generous in giving themselves to help others to the extent that every person’s need was met. In community there is a natural accountability. Covenanting together keeps us strong in our convictions and habits.

Bishop Schnase insists “churches that practice Intentional Faith development know that maturation in Christ is always about content and relationship. Ideas change people, and people change people; and God uses both together to work on our behalf and to shape our lives in the image of Christ. Transformation comes through a learning community.

How can church leaders make good faith decisions for the congregation without groper grounding in the faith? Our Reno First Leadership team will not be brainstorming about Intentional Faith Development until our January meeting. In the meantime I encourage you to pray about and dwell on the kind of class or group you would like to lead or participate in. The possibilities are endless. During Homecoming about eight people signed up to participate in an adult class. That’s a beginning. Rupert Seals has offered to teach a class, so we are on our way!

What about others kinds of classes are you interested in? A pastor of a United Methodist Church in Clovis, NM shared what worked for her church:

“Having felt the absence of young adults for a decade, the leadership of this mostly older church decided to launch a film ministry to welcome young adults—married and single. Hoping to reach young adults from the air force base and two colleges in our area, we are launching a Saturday night film series. With childcare available to those with young children, we will also serve coffee drinks and homemade snacks. After the film viewing, we will facilitate a round table forum with an open mic. Then, we will move into a Taize—style worship and end with prayer.

Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, …where is God calling this church to grow? How is God calling you to be involved? Come Holy Spirit, our souls inspire! Amen

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