November 18, 2018 (140th Anniversary) – Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-8
Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-8
Encourage One Another – 140th Anniversary Sermon
Lectionary 33B – November 18, 2018
First Lutheran Church – Winnipeg, MB
People don’t live to 140.
You know how we know this?
Because when Nancy and Melinda and I went to Party Stuff and were looking for
Napkins for our awesome 140th Party on Friday night we couldn’t find any
Napkins for a 140th birthday – which is a shame.
Nevertheless, we are still here, after 140 years.
People don’t live to 140.
But congregations do – or they can. Why is that? What do you think?
You know how when you meet someone who’s 95 and healthy and active and you ask them:
what’s your secret?
Well – what’s your secret?
If someone asked you – what’s the secret to your congregation’s longevity, what would you say?
Collect answers and write them down.
This morning, we read a dire Gospel story.
Jesus and his disciples are in Jerusalem.
Jesus is soon going to die.
His disciples are super impressed with the Temple complex – it is massive and grand
on a scale almost unimaginable to them.
With their jaws on the ground they exclaim to Jesus,
“Whoa! Jesus! Goll-ee! Looka them big stones and buildings!”
But Jesus simply says, “You see those big stones and buildings?
The day is coming when not one stone will be left on another.”
And, indeed, because some among the Jews revolted against the Romans,
The Romans razed Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple 40 years later.
The devastation to the Jewish people was tremendous.
I am sure many thought it was the end of their faith.
But it wasn’t the end.
Whether Jews or Christians, their faith in a loving God and
their dedication to the way of life that entailed lived on – and thrived.
The destruction, the despair, the devastation – these are not the end.
These are not the end God has in mind for us – something new is always being born.
God loves to create – and God loves to create new things for us.
Jesus even died, in the most heartbreaking way imaginable – but that was not the end.
Indeed, God birthed something new through that, something so unexpected:
Jesus’ resurrection, so that his loving life could live on, through you and me.
Jesus’ death was not the end, and so neither is yours or mine.
About the time the Temple was destroyed, someone wrote a beautiful sermon called Hebrews.
And that someone wrote a sermon to people who were having a hard time.
Some were being persecuted for being Christian, some were losing heart,
some were falling away – being a Christian community was too hard.
There were personal costs to being a Christian that many weren’t willing to tolerate.
There were pressures on them.
Today, there are pressures on us – for sure, thank God,
none of us is being persecuted for being Christian in this part of the world.
But there are other pressures on us that impact the well-being of Christian communities.
People experience pressure on their time.
People experience pressure on their finances.
People sometimes are hurt by Christian community and have a hard time making it back.
People, God forbid, aren’t helped to see what Christian faith and life are all about.
And there are vast societal forces working against the kind of community we are.
What does this mean? And what do we take away from this?
Do we give up? Do we say,
“It’s been a fine ride for 2000 years and now it’s time to throw in the towel?”
After history has been changed for the better?
After countless millions have been served by Jesus through ordinary Christians and
lifted to a better life?
After countless communities have been served by Christian neighbours who welcome and
serve all regardless of age, race, education, class, wealth,
marital status or sexual orientation?
What do we take away from the witness of the Jewish people after
the destruction of the Temple?
What do we take away from the witness of the people the writer of Hebrews wrote to?
What do we take away from the witness of our forebears at First Lutheran Church who
carried the torch of grace and compassion here at Sargent and Victor for
140 years before us?
What do we really take away from the resurrection of Jesus?
You know: I love in movies where people in the future can time travel,
and come back in time to give their past selves advice.
So here’s another question: if our future selves could come back to us, right now,
what do you think they would say to us?
What would they say to us now, at First Lutheran Church, on this day of our 140th Anniversary?
What would they say to you? What advice would they give you?
What would they tell you to do? What do you think?
Collect answers and write them down.
If the writer of the beautiful sermon called Hebrews could time travel and come to us,
I am pretty sure he would give the same advice he gave those people long ago.
Don’t neglect to meet together on Sunday.
And when you do, encourage each other.
First: meet together.
Don’t neglect to meet to hear the story of Jesus and celebrate his resurrection.
That is what Christians do, Sunday after Sunday, year after, century after century.
Sunday is a day – Sunday is always a day – to celebrate the resurrection.
To remember that God is moving on, and so can we.
Sunday is a day to hear the good news:
Death and destruction is not the end. Despair is not the end.
God is birthing something new – God is always birthing something new.
The end is resurrection! The end is continuing service! The end is life and love and
hospitality and inclusion and forgiveness and finally peace and justice.
And second: when you do meet together, when you are shoulder to shoulder,
and face to face – when do you meet together: encourage one another.
Bear the living, resurrected Christ to one another by encouraging each other.
Give one another hope.
Challenge one another. Be the resurrection!
Encourage one another to be hopeful, to be generous, to support one another’s work.
To be part of the team.
So: here’s a third and final question.
On this morning of our 140th Anniversary, I am going to ask you to turn to a neighbor,
and encourage them.
Tell them something they’re good at. Or thank them for something you’ve noticed they’ve done.
If you don’t know those things, tell them you are just really grateful they are here this morning:
tell them you notice they’re here! And that that is important!
And then, return the favour.
Take a minute to let people do this.
You are people of God’s mission.
Everything you just said to one another means that each of you has a place in God’s mission to
love, bless, and heal this world and every person in it.
God is in this mission for the long haul, and I know you are too.
Yes: there are pressures on our congregation.
Yes: we worry about people resources and financial resources.
But God has been at this a long time.
God has been at this particular venture for 2000 years.
God is faithful. God will not abandon us. God is working and Jesus is present with us.
And he has given us his Spirit.
And his Spirit is working: that Spirit was given you in your baptism
so you could be part of God’s mission –
in your daily lives and in your life and work in this congregation.
For when you were baptized you were baptized into God’s mission.
God is working through you: feeding, healing, forgiving – encouraging.
Destruction may come – but today is not that day.
Despair may come – but today is not that day.
Death may come – but today is not that day!
There may come a day when there are no names to sign up to make a Community Meal –
But today is not that day!
Meet together! Encourage one another! Remember the advice of your future selves!
Eat some cake! Laugh together! Work together! Volunteer to make a meal together!
Be financially generous!
Remember: you are making this day special by just being you!
And give thanks to God for 140 years of ministry on our Anniversary day.
So together, let us say, “Amen!”
Pastor Michael Kurtz
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