Sermon, Nov. 18, What have we learned?
Celebration Sunday, 40 Days of community
November 18, 2007
Herb Palmer
Faith Lutheran Church, Bellaire
Exodus 15:11-13; II Corinthians 4:1-12; John 4:31-38
What we have learned
40 Days of community comes to an end today. What have we learned?
Usually when I hear that question: What have we learned, I recall when I was a child and I made bad decisions. My mom would first tell me about her disappointment but then she would ask that character building question: “What did you learn from this?” Of course, in her mind, where she was heading with that was for only one right answer – Don’t do it again.
Life experiences do teach us. They make us smarter about life. Building relationships also teaches us. 40 Days of Community has been about building relationships. What have we learned these 40 days of Community… about building relationships?
There were skeptics in the beginning. The content for building relationships in these 40 days of community was about worship, prayer, serving, and such things. This content was familiar and there were some people who didn’t believe there was anything else for them to learn about worship, prayer, serving, and such things. For some people, since the content wasn’t written by someone who belonged to the Lutheran community, the content for them was viewed as shallow or at least as suspect.
So, there was something to learn even before getting into the 40 Days of Community. We had to learn that this was not about what you know but who you will get to know. This was about building relationships through, what I identified when we began 40 Days of community as, Jesus’ table revolution.
What then have we learned?
We have learned that it is better together.
When we serve, when we worship, when we pray, when we love, it is always better together. We can worship on our own but when the Body comes together and lifts its voice to God with praise; and there are musical instruments or a pipe organ supporting and leading the singing – it is better together.
Serving is better together. Our Faith Groups during these 40 Days of Community served together to feed hungry people, serve the sick, and contribute to the needs of many people. Together they took on the opportunity.
Love is part of building relationships and love is always together. Love is directed toward another.
And when our groups met together, in that small circle of people, we could bear our hearts to one another. It always looks better when we can have other Christian brothers and sisters listening, sharing, and praying together.
Building relationships we learn that it is better together. A second thing we learned is that being together increases our courage. What took place when we came together in our small group increased our courage to speak, share, serve – even some of you got the courage to pray out loud in front of other people.
In our Community Hour each week we had someone from the congregation share a testimony from their life and their faith. Something stirred in me as I heard their stories; and every one of them gave me courage to face the challenges of my life.
Valarie, a cancer survivor, shared that God gave her courage to receive one day at a time.
Don, spoke about reaching out and the value of connecting into the life of another person for whom Christ died. The Faith community is a place where people can find the heart and mercy of God. That takes courage to share that with others.
Linda witnessed that sometimes we don’t choose our way of life it chooses us. She spoke about family life with the presence of mental illness and the need for the courage to press on.
Kathy reminded us of the big heart of the people of Houston who opened our city to Katrina survivors. Serving one another takes courage to get out of our comfort zone, and when we do, we know it is the right thing to do.
Rachel shared that learning to live a generous life comes often through those teaching moments in life. Living a generous life comes through the decisions we make to be stewards of the things we have and the relationships we can build.
Each of these persons spoke about faith in God. Faith, that is lived out as courage and trusting that God really does go with us. God’s presence is not in some passive way as to just go along; but God, by his presence, gives intangible things that translate into courage to live.
Paul spoke of this in his letter to the church. He says that the courage he and others had experienced was a power from God. He wrote: “we are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
This power to press on is from God, he says; and notice it was done in community. WE, he said, are hard pressed – but not destroyed. This courage we discovered – he said – is not from us – it is from God. It is as a community they could say together: This is coming from God for us.
We have learned it is better together. We have learned that being together increases our courage to live and to serve. A third thing we have learned is that what we do together is part of something bigger. I can’t think of anything major that happened in these 40 Days of community; but there were many little things that took place. New relationships began; people learned to pray; some people got out of their comfort zone to pray aloud or to serve other people in new ways. Even through those small things there was growth. Hearts grew a bit more compassionate; attitudes grew softer; perhaps a marriage found some healing to go on together; or someone with a personal problem gained new insight.
These were just many small things that we might not even know now what will become of them but God will use these things for something bigger. Jesus said to his disciples: God will bring in the harvest. Just look around you. What was sown is ready to be harvested even before it was expected to be harvested.
We all can rejoice that we have had some part along the way. And some of that happened in small ways in your Faith groups during these 40 days of community. We are part of something bigger than ourselves. We do what we can and leave it to God for what will yet happen.
So, what have we learned these 40 Days of community?
We have learned about Building relationships; Building Believers; Serving to Share Christ is BETTER TOGETHER.
We have learned that these things are part of a process of maturing in the faith. Take into your heart what has been learned. I hope it will create in you a desire to want more. Be hungry for more, because the truth is, we need one another.
Our Faith Day school sings a song: If we hold on Together. The children sing this song hand in hand, swaying from side to side. I am going to read just a little bit of that song, and as I do I want you to do as those children do when they sing this song. Take the hand or lock arms with the person next to you. Hold on together, the song says. So, let’s do it in a visible way, right now.
Are you holding on? Just this time, no one will care if you decide to sway back and forth.
Here are the words of the song:
Don’t lose your way with each passing day.
You’ve come so far, don’t throw it away.
Live believing dreams are for weaving,
Wonders are waiting to start.
Live your story, faith, hope, and glory.
Hold to the truth in your heart.
Now, here is the refrain. Make sure you are holding on.
If we hold on together,
I know our dreams will never die.
Dreams see us through to forever
Where clouds roll by for you and I.
Hold on together. Not for dreams…but for the real life stuff… which takes courage, faith, and much love. Hold on together because it is better together.
Build together. Believe together. Share Christ. Together. Live your story, faith, hope and glory. Together. If we have learned that, we have learned much. Amen
November 18, 2007
Herb Palmer
Faith Lutheran Church, Bellaire
Exodus 15:11-13; II Corinthians 4:1-12; John 4:31-38
What we have learned
40 Days of community comes to an end today. What have we learned?
Usually when I hear that question: What have we learned, I recall when I was a child and I made bad decisions. My mom would first tell me about her disappointment but then she would ask that character building question: “What did you learn from this?” Of course, in her mind, where she was heading with that was for only one right answer – Don’t do it again.
Life experiences do teach us. They make us smarter about life. Building relationships also teaches us. 40 Days of Community has been about building relationships. What have we learned these 40 days of Community… about building relationships?
There were skeptics in the beginning. The content for building relationships in these 40 days of community was about worship, prayer, serving, and such things. This content was familiar and there were some people who didn’t believe there was anything else for them to learn about worship, prayer, serving, and such things. For some people, since the content wasn’t written by someone who belonged to the Lutheran community, the content for them was viewed as shallow or at least as suspect.
So, there was something to learn even before getting into the 40 Days of Community. We had to learn that this was not about what you know but who you will get to know. This was about building relationships through, what I identified when we began 40 Days of community as, Jesus’ table revolution.
What then have we learned?
We have learned that it is better together.
When we serve, when we worship, when we pray, when we love, it is always better together. We can worship on our own but when the Body comes together and lifts its voice to God with praise; and there are musical instruments or a pipe organ supporting and leading the singing – it is better together.
Serving is better together. Our Faith Groups during these 40 Days of Community served together to feed hungry people, serve the sick, and contribute to the needs of many people. Together they took on the opportunity.
Love is part of building relationships and love is always together. Love is directed toward another.
And when our groups met together, in that small circle of people, we could bear our hearts to one another. It always looks better when we can have other Christian brothers and sisters listening, sharing, and praying together.
Building relationships we learn that it is better together. A second thing we learned is that being together increases our courage. What took place when we came together in our small group increased our courage to speak, share, serve – even some of you got the courage to pray out loud in front of other people.
In our Community Hour each week we had someone from the congregation share a testimony from their life and their faith. Something stirred in me as I heard their stories; and every one of them gave me courage to face the challenges of my life.
Valarie, a cancer survivor, shared that God gave her courage to receive one day at a time.
Don, spoke about reaching out and the value of connecting into the life of another person for whom Christ died. The Faith community is a place where people can find the heart and mercy of God. That takes courage to share that with others.
Linda witnessed that sometimes we don’t choose our way of life it chooses us. She spoke about family life with the presence of mental illness and the need for the courage to press on.
Kathy reminded us of the big heart of the people of Houston who opened our city to Katrina survivors. Serving one another takes courage to get out of our comfort zone, and when we do, we know it is the right thing to do.
Rachel shared that learning to live a generous life comes often through those teaching moments in life. Living a generous life comes through the decisions we make to be stewards of the things we have and the relationships we can build.
Each of these persons spoke about faith in God. Faith, that is lived out as courage and trusting that God really does go with us. God’s presence is not in some passive way as to just go along; but God, by his presence, gives intangible things that translate into courage to live.
Paul spoke of this in his letter to the church. He says that the courage he and others had experienced was a power from God. He wrote: “we are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
This power to press on is from God, he says; and notice it was done in community. WE, he said, are hard pressed – but not destroyed. This courage we discovered – he said – is not from us – it is from God. It is as a community they could say together: This is coming from God for us.
We have learned it is better together. We have learned that being together increases our courage to live and to serve. A third thing we have learned is that what we do together is part of something bigger. I can’t think of anything major that happened in these 40 Days of community; but there were many little things that took place. New relationships began; people learned to pray; some people got out of their comfort zone to pray aloud or to serve other people in new ways. Even through those small things there was growth. Hearts grew a bit more compassionate; attitudes grew softer; perhaps a marriage found some healing to go on together; or someone with a personal problem gained new insight.
These were just many small things that we might not even know now what will become of them but God will use these things for something bigger. Jesus said to his disciples: God will bring in the harvest. Just look around you. What was sown is ready to be harvested even before it was expected to be harvested.
We all can rejoice that we have had some part along the way. And some of that happened in small ways in your Faith groups during these 40 days of community. We are part of something bigger than ourselves. We do what we can and leave it to God for what will yet happen.
So, what have we learned these 40 Days of community?
We have learned about Building relationships; Building Believers; Serving to Share Christ is BETTER TOGETHER.
We have learned that these things are part of a process of maturing in the faith. Take into your heart what has been learned. I hope it will create in you a desire to want more. Be hungry for more, because the truth is, we need one another.
Our Faith Day school sings a song: If we hold on Together. The children sing this song hand in hand, swaying from side to side. I am going to read just a little bit of that song, and as I do I want you to do as those children do when they sing this song. Take the hand or lock arms with the person next to you. Hold on together, the song says. So, let’s do it in a visible way, right now.
Are you holding on? Just this time, no one will care if you decide to sway back and forth.
Here are the words of the song:
Don’t lose your way with each passing day.
You’ve come so far, don’t throw it away.
Live believing dreams are for weaving,
Wonders are waiting to start.
Live your story, faith, hope, and glory.
Hold to the truth in your heart.
Now, here is the refrain. Make sure you are holding on.
If we hold on together,
I know our dreams will never die.
Dreams see us through to forever
Where clouds roll by for you and I.
Hold on together. Not for dreams…but for the real life stuff… which takes courage, faith, and much love. Hold on together because it is better together.
Build together. Believe together. Share Christ. Together. Live your story, faith, hope and glory. Together. If we have learned that, we have learned much. Amen
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