First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-24
11“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. 17As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. 18Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet? 20Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.”
Psalm 119:169-176
169Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding, according to your word. 170Let my supplication come before you; deliver me, according to your promise. 171My lips shall pour forth your praise, when you teach me your statutes. 172My tongue shall sing of your promise, for all your commandments are righteous. 173Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your commandments. 174I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. 175Let me live, and I will praise you, and let your judgments help me. 176I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; search for your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 1:5-17
5The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. 8Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. 12I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Gospel: Luke 15:1-10
1The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear {Jesus}. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3So he told them this parable: 4“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
A Museum or a Mission?
It’s a situation that happens more often than you think. I say this because this same thing happened to my uncle in the 70’s. He was the pastor of an inner-city church, located in an area of downtown Lexington where there were few residents. The church wasn’t necessarily dying, but because of the change in city growth, it was forced to make a decision. A large corporation was offering them a great deal of money for their site, on which the corporation wanted to put a parking lot. The offer was significant and would enable the church to move to another part of the city.
The traffic would be better for the members, they could have more land and build without debt, and even have room for future expansion. And if they chose wisely, there would be more people to serve. Even though this was exciting for some of the members, other members were resistant to the idea. They argued that the church was the guardian of a building whose history and architecture reached back into the early part of the nineteenth century. Denominational history had been made in that building, and some of the prominent figures of the denomination had passed through its portals. Eventually the congregation decided to sell and build in a growing part of city.
My uncle said that everything boiled down to this question, “Do we want to be a museum, or do we want to be disciples in mission. We simply could not have it both ways.” Now my intension today isn’t to discuss what the future holds for the Historic church, this will be done at our annual meeting in December. My question for us today has to do with whether we simply rest on our laurels, or will we commit ourselves to move forward as disciples in mission? Do we simply sit here remembering our past and serving the people we have, or do we ask ourselves what God has for us as we look to the future? The question lies before us today, will we be satisfied being a museum, or are we prepared to move out in mission? Something of this same struggle is indicated in our gospel passage for today.
The Pharisees and scribes were all about maintaining a museum religion. They wanted to focus their attention on those who were stable, pious, and not a liability if invited to the synagogue. Theirs was a “let’s maintain our synagogue programs for us dependable, like-minded types.” The current religious establishment, and many of the members wanted the status quo, and they resisted anything or anyone who would challenge the current situation. Enter the newest teacher from Nazareth, enter the One who wasn’t like the other religious elites. Enter Jesus.
Jesus came on the scene and upset the apple cart, disappointing those seeking stability by insisting that the issue was one of mission: to reach out to those who needed God’s mercy, even those who might need lessons in etiquette, social graces, and perhaps a bath. Paying attention to these “lost” persons would challenge the comfortable fellowship the Scribes and Pharisees enjoyed at the synagogue, to say nothing of putting a dent into its budget. Change is always frightening. But even more frightening is stepping out in mission. But what is the price of the status quo? What is the cost of remaining a museum?
The tendency of congregations to choose museum over mission has often been noted by those inside and outside the church. George MacLeod, in his book, Only One Way Left, imagines Karl Marx reading the address given by Thomas Chalmers at the cornerstone laying at the Divinity Hall, New College, Edinburgh: “Nothing will ever be taught, I trust, in any of our Halls, which will have the remotest tendency to disturb the existing order of things …” MacLeod suggests that at this point Marx says to himself, “We must proceed to the emancipation of man without benefit of clergy.”
Too often the church chooses museum over mission. We commit money, leadership, and prayer toward keeping things as they are, at both the local level and in our denominational traditions. How often have smaller denominations initially embraced restructuring, only to become noticeably hesitant as the process moved toward a decision point. What seemed to be at stake was heritage and history, and many wondered about things like upsetting the current membership, styles of polity, new hymn books, and constitutional changes that might infringe on the local congregation’s autonomy. And with these questions in mind, many began to hesitate about the possibility of placing our call to go and make disciples over museum status.
In the same cities, all across America, where you find churches where the mission of evangelism and discipleship can be found, there are other churches that have made the opposite choice. They don’t always have long distinguished histories; some are even prestigious churches with fine buildings and loyal members. When they were established, they were seen as strong and prosperous, that is until the neighborhood around them began to change. The congregation saw the changes coming but chose instead to continue with the way things have always been.
Instead of reaching out to the new residents and welcoming them into the church, the congregation quietly made excuses, choosing instead to keep things as they were. Instead of asking the hard questions of how we can reach out, of what do I need to learn to be more effective as an evangelist, and what do we, as a congregation, need to do to be more visible in the community, they choose instead to say that’s someone else’s job. The truth is, unless a congregation chooses mission over museum, the congregation at some point will close as members die or move away. And with the decline, so will the strength and life of that congregation.
Today many congregations across the denominational spectrum are struggling with decline. Instead, they need to be focused on mission, on reaching out to the communities that surround them, on being the church that Jesus has called us to be. This is the issue that faces all congregations: are they focused on mission or do they simply want to be a museum. Sadly, far too many choose what seems to be the safe, but deadly way – that of becoming a museum. The question then becomes how do we move from museum maintaining to mission thinking and discipleship making.
The truth is, to be in mission is to not only be obedient to Jesus’ command to go, but it means we rethink how we do things. Mission means concentrating on persons and structures that have not been touched by the gospel. It’s about asking the questions of what do my neighbors need? What can we do to faithfully share the gospel of God’s love in Jesus with them? How can we be the church in our cities and towns? Jesus called those in need of God’s saving grace “the lost sheep” or “the lost coins.”
The church and the “good news” we share exist primarily for the sake of these lost persons or lost structures. However, this doesn’t happen at the expense of those who have already received the gospel, or take lightly the church as the instrument through which that gospel has made its way into our lives. It’s simply that the church’s agenda always puts “Where are we going?” before “Where have we been?” and “Who’s not here?” before “Who is here?” Our primary call is one of mission, of reaching out to people in need.
One urban church, long a large, family-centered congregation known for its preaching ministry, discovered that an increasing number of the residents of the immediate area were single young adults. It was obvious that the program of that church wouldn’t attract these persons. So, the church decided to shift a large segment of its program toward meeting the interests and needs of single young adults. The result is that this congregation is now the focal point for mission to single young adults in that section of town. Because of the added emphasis on ministry to single adults, it found that new life and vitality and numbers have come to this church because of its decision for mission.
Another congregation in another city has been reduced by urban flight to a small fraction of its former membership. One night a devastating fire destroyed their main sanctuary. Many remarked on what a sad thing this was to have happened to this congregation. Its structure had long been a landmark of the downtown area, and many in suburban congregations claimed that their spiritual home was in that place.
But wise lay and pastoral leadership saw an opportunity for mission that had not existed before fire destroyed their worship space. From the fire they received an insurance settlement of several million dollars. This money became the opportunity to decide for mission. The congregation opted not to rebuild. Instead, they meet for worship and Sunday school in a nearby church that has ample space for them. With thoughtful investing, the congregation was able to use their new financial means to underwrite a number of outreach ministries, from campus ministry to a shelter for the city’s homeless. They could have chosen to be museum, concentrating on rebuilding their building. Instead, they chose the path of mission.
I am not suggesting that moving from museum to mission is a guarantee of survival, nor of numerical and financial success. Not all congregations in our changing society will survive, not even those that seriously choose the path of mission. Some churches may dare to leave their museum status, perhaps dying even sooner than if they had not risked the decision to be in mission. Yet Robert Payne has written of the early church of the near east in The Holy Fire. He says that when the Turks overwhelmed that region, destroying the church, there was a strange power in dying: “The Eastern Church was never so strong as when its worshipers and priests were in full flight and its churches were no more than stable yards of Turkish horses.” Cross and resurrection have churchly meaning that ought to be noticed as we contemplate museum or mission.
There is one more museum or mission juncture to consider, that is the area of Theological ideology and practice. What I mean by this is, how do we as Christians interact with the world around us in our everyday dealings with others. I’m talking about the way that we integrate our faith and beliefs into the way that we function as teachers, laborers, business executives, voting citizens, litigators, and so on. How do we integrate our confessions into the decisions we make in our Monday – Saturday lives. And this is a very tough part of our identity as Christians.
Society tells us that who we are on Sunday can, and should, be totally different that who we are the rest of the week. But this is a lie of the devil. Our Christian identity isn’t something we can turn on and off. Our baptismal identity and call defines who we are, what we believe, and our Christian values, beliefs, and actions are what inform the people in our lives. We cannot call something a sin on Sunday and then excuse it on Tuesday. If we confess that we love our neighbors as ourselves in church, we cannot ignore the needs of a neighbor on Friday. Nor can we prefer one neighbor over another.
We cannot complain about the attendance on the Sabbath and not even stop and speak to our neighbors during the week. Jesus has called each of us into the harvest fields of our community. We answer this call not only in our witness, but in our actions, in the things we support, the places we frequent, and the agencies with which we do business. Again, I admit this is hard because of the complexity and interconnectedness of our world today. But as Christians we are called to be salt and light not only to our neighbors but to the nations around the world. The bottom line is that we are Children of God 24/7. And at times this may mean that we must make difficult decisions.
We must accept the fact that we can and do impact our society and the way they think and do, both inside the church walls and in the world around us. The church, you and I, through our words and actions can and do help shape others around us. British pastor and former missionary to Africa, Colin Morris, says that the pulpit is about the only place left in our society where serious issues are discussed. He may be exaggerating a bit with that comment; but the truth is we are in the position of making a significant impact and change in our world, all we must do is speak out, act, or both. Apparently, the American Roman Catholic bishops recognize this, too.
The Catholic Conference of Bishops have spoken out on major issues in American life during the past several years. They’ve published statements on issues as diverse as the arms race and the American economy in relation to Christian teachings. The point is, we cannot separate what we teach and believe from how we interact with our world. This includes not only in our work lives, but in the way we do business, and in the way we interact with each other. We cannot buy into the lie that the church, or its members, are in no position to challenge government or corporations. You and I have been called to be the salt and light in this world. And while we are not of this world, we are in this world, and this is where our call happens.
So, the question for every congregation today is, will we be a museum, a landmark by which people give directions, or will we be in mission, pointing others to Christ? Our call is to go and make disciples, and as scarry as that might seem, it is our call. To fulfill our call, we must leave the walls of this building and reach out to our neighbors. These are the ones Jesus wants to return to the fold, and these are the ones that Jesus was taking about when He said, “there is joy before the angels of God.”
Amen