Helping one another to grow, Sermon October 28
October 28, 2007
Herb Palmer
Faith Lutheran Church, Bellaire
John 4:1-15; Genesis 50:15-21; Philippians 4:8-9
How we help each other grow
This morning we continue our study of community, what we want to talk about is: How do people grow? Let’s begin by taking a look at things that grow.
All kinds of things have potential for growth. Bank accounts grow. Plants grow. Populations grow. Businesses grow. When we talk about that kind of growth we are saying that we start at a particular point of something and it increases in size. That is one kind of growth.
There is a sense also that growth is progressive. We have heard the phrase, “the room grew silent.” Meaning there is a gradual, progressive movement from one state to another. In this case, growing from noise to silence.
We also talk about people growing in certain ways. Gerhard Frost published a book of poems for educators and parents that he called “Bless My Growing”. Through his poems he talks about the teaching moments; the “aha” moments; the encounters with people when he is very much aware that his life is different because of those experiences. As he remembers these encounters he claims that he grew from them and he asks God to bless his growing. He asked God to be with him in his growing.
The Bible speaks of growing in wisdom, growing into the full stature of Christ. As a child, Jesus went to the Temple in Jerusalem with his family. Luke concludes telling this story with the observation: “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.”
How do people grow? Can it be seen? What happens to a person when a person grows? Are there changes in the way they look? What happens if a person stops growing? There is a big point of discussion these days that we are growing too big. But that growth is out and around. A majority of us are overweight. That growth is a result of what we are putting in our mouth.
What we are talking about today when we talk about people growing, however, is about growing in character, personality, and perspective. It is about what we put into our minds, our hearts, our spirit, and our ears. It is about growing in intangible ways, but which have tangible results.
Sometimes this growth we speak about is flattering or life giving. We will say: She has really grown into a beautiful woman. He has grown to be quite mature. They have grown to accept reality. From this experience she has grown to be more loving or more patient. The opposite is also true when the growth we speak about is not so flattering and not at all life-giving. We will say a person has grown bitter; grown hard; grown distant.
One church leader said that he has seen some other people in church leadership that, as they grew older, there was a tendency for them to grow cynical. Because of what he saw happening to other people he made a decision about his own growth and aging. He said that as he grows older he wants to grow sweeter and kinder and more loving. He believed that if this is the kind of person he wants to grow to be, he would have to be intentional about the care he gave to his mind, heart, and spirit now.
In this line of growth, we also talk about people growing in our faith.
Growing in faith was core to the issues Martin Luther faced. He was trying to grow in his faith and he kept hitting against a wall until he discovered the soil and feed for growing in his faith. That soil and feed is the unconditional love of God through Jesus Christ. When Martin Luther came to trust that, he grew. As a result of that growth everything about life took on new meaning and curiosity.
While caring for his own growth in faith, Luther saw that the church had been stunted in its growth. The church had grown in lots of ways. It had grown in power. The church had grown in wealth and influence. The church buildings had grown, even St. Peter’s at the Vatican was under construction to grow in size to be the largest church in the world. But Luther found that faith in God was stunted, lacking growth, and lacking life. The Reformation began as a movement to form the church so that it would be a community where people grow.
Jesus models for us that the church is at its best when it is a community where people help one another grow in their faith. One such time is when Jesus met a woman at a well. It becomes apparent that she had stopped growing in life-giving ways. Because of the circumstances in her life she grew in all the wrong ways: she had grown cynical about life and she had grown distant from people. And she had grown to be frozen in her faith.
Jesus kept at it with her to see if something might begin to grow. He didn’t pluck her out as though she was a weed. He challenged her, taught her, and encouraged her. He told her the truth. He loved her and he demonstrated to her the love of God. As a result of that nurturing something happened to that woman that day. Like a plant that had not been watered for a long time... that is now drenched… she began to show signs of life and evidence of growth. Jesus comments to his disciples that there is a harvest here that is ripe. With just a little care, Jesus demonstrates that people need help to see that there is fruit that can come from their life when they feel valued and affirmed.
People want to grow in their faith in God; but they need help. Jesus built a relationship with her. He affirmed her and he challenged her. Look at the results. She tells her neighbors about her relationship with God… She tells them about the faith that is growing in her. She talks about how she has grown; and… they see it! Imagine what might happen to the people in your life if you were committed to say and do things that have a positive influence for their growth? Here is what Jesus teaches us who are his followers: we need one another to grow.
If other people need you to help them grow, what do you need in order to be a growth agent?
Paul teaches that we can’t give what we don’t have. He points out what needs to be in our own hearts, minds, and spirits in order for us to be growth agents.
He says:
“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.
Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
When such things get into us, they become growth agents through us. We can only give what we have. If we are growing in what is true, honorable, and right; it only stands to reason that we will also have them to give away for others.
If we are not growing; we are dying. We need one another to help us grow and live. May God bless the growing that happens in us and through us. Amen.
Herb Palmer
Faith Lutheran Church, Bellaire
John 4:1-15; Genesis 50:15-21; Philippians 4:8-9
How we help each other grow
This morning we continue our study of community, what we want to talk about is: How do people grow? Let’s begin by taking a look at things that grow.
All kinds of things have potential for growth. Bank accounts grow. Plants grow. Populations grow. Businesses grow. When we talk about that kind of growth we are saying that we start at a particular point of something and it increases in size. That is one kind of growth.
There is a sense also that growth is progressive. We have heard the phrase, “the room grew silent.” Meaning there is a gradual, progressive movement from one state to another. In this case, growing from noise to silence.
We also talk about people growing in certain ways. Gerhard Frost published a book of poems for educators and parents that he called “Bless My Growing”. Through his poems he talks about the teaching moments; the “aha” moments; the encounters with people when he is very much aware that his life is different because of those experiences. As he remembers these encounters he claims that he grew from them and he asks God to bless his growing. He asked God to be with him in his growing.
The Bible speaks of growing in wisdom, growing into the full stature of Christ. As a child, Jesus went to the Temple in Jerusalem with his family. Luke concludes telling this story with the observation: “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.”
How do people grow? Can it be seen? What happens to a person when a person grows? Are there changes in the way they look? What happens if a person stops growing? There is a big point of discussion these days that we are growing too big. But that growth is out and around. A majority of us are overweight. That growth is a result of what we are putting in our mouth.
What we are talking about today when we talk about people growing, however, is about growing in character, personality, and perspective. It is about what we put into our minds, our hearts, our spirit, and our ears. It is about growing in intangible ways, but which have tangible results.
Sometimes this growth we speak about is flattering or life giving. We will say: She has really grown into a beautiful woman. He has grown to be quite mature. They have grown to accept reality. From this experience she has grown to be more loving or more patient. The opposite is also true when the growth we speak about is not so flattering and not at all life-giving. We will say a person has grown bitter; grown hard; grown distant.
One church leader said that he has seen some other people in church leadership that, as they grew older, there was a tendency for them to grow cynical. Because of what he saw happening to other people he made a decision about his own growth and aging. He said that as he grows older he wants to grow sweeter and kinder and more loving. He believed that if this is the kind of person he wants to grow to be, he would have to be intentional about the care he gave to his mind, heart, and spirit now.
In this line of growth, we also talk about people growing in our faith.
Growing in faith was core to the issues Martin Luther faced. He was trying to grow in his faith and he kept hitting against a wall until he discovered the soil and feed for growing in his faith. That soil and feed is the unconditional love of God through Jesus Christ. When Martin Luther came to trust that, he grew. As a result of that growth everything about life took on new meaning and curiosity.
While caring for his own growth in faith, Luther saw that the church had been stunted in its growth. The church had grown in lots of ways. It had grown in power. The church had grown in wealth and influence. The church buildings had grown, even St. Peter’s at the Vatican was under construction to grow in size to be the largest church in the world. But Luther found that faith in God was stunted, lacking growth, and lacking life. The Reformation began as a movement to form the church so that it would be a community where people grow.
Jesus models for us that the church is at its best when it is a community where people help one another grow in their faith. One such time is when Jesus met a woman at a well. It becomes apparent that she had stopped growing in life-giving ways. Because of the circumstances in her life she grew in all the wrong ways: she had grown cynical about life and she had grown distant from people. And she had grown to be frozen in her faith.
Jesus kept at it with her to see if something might begin to grow. He didn’t pluck her out as though she was a weed. He challenged her, taught her, and encouraged her. He told her the truth. He loved her and he demonstrated to her the love of God. As a result of that nurturing something happened to that woman that day. Like a plant that had not been watered for a long time... that is now drenched… she began to show signs of life and evidence of growth. Jesus comments to his disciples that there is a harvest here that is ripe. With just a little care, Jesus demonstrates that people need help to see that there is fruit that can come from their life when they feel valued and affirmed.
People want to grow in their faith in God; but they need help. Jesus built a relationship with her. He affirmed her and he challenged her. Look at the results. She tells her neighbors about her relationship with God… She tells them about the faith that is growing in her. She talks about how she has grown; and… they see it! Imagine what might happen to the people in your life if you were committed to say and do things that have a positive influence for their growth? Here is what Jesus teaches us who are his followers: we need one another to grow.
If other people need you to help them grow, what do you need in order to be a growth agent?
Paul teaches that we can’t give what we don’t have. He points out what needs to be in our own hearts, minds, and spirits in order for us to be growth agents.
He says:
“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.
Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
When such things get into us, they become growth agents through us. We can only give what we have. If we are growing in what is true, honorable, and right; it only stands to reason that we will also have them to give away for others.
If we are not growing; we are dying. We need one another to help us grow and live. May God bless the growing that happens in us and through us. Amen.
posted by Faith Lutheran Church at
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