Sermon for Sunday, October 14, 2007Practice!Rev. Dr. Harvey C. Martz |
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Scripture: John 10:10b Good News Bible I have come in order that you might have life in all its fullness. Those of us who are parents of teenagers often hear from our sons and daughters that they want to be treated more as grown ups and not as children. They want to be allowed to make some important decisions themselves. That is what we are doing today on Confirmation Sunday. We are witnessing some young persons making one of their first grownup decisions as they affirm and confirm their faith in God and their intent to follow and imitate Jesus Christ. It is a very important day in their lives and it is very important day in our life as a community of faith. Two weeks ago Dr. Marcus Borg talked with us about what it means to be a Christian. Does it mean believing all the right things about Jesus and God and life-giving our assent to some ideas, or does it mean more than just having some right ideas? And then he told us about some of the history of the Jesus movement over the years when people split with others who believed some different things—people who did not have the same “right ideas”. He offered that being a Christian involves some practices—some spiritual disciplines or practices—that followers of Christ have been doing for hundreds of years. It means worshiping with others. It means studying with others. It means sharing our faith with others—our youth are some of the best in doing what Andrew, our namesake did—inviting friends to church to come and take a look for themselves. It means praying regularly and putting God’s hopes for us at the center of life. It means being generous and sharing and realizing we have been blessed so we can be a blessing. Following Christ means we are promising to PRACTICE all those things regularly-practice is really important. We know that if we play an instrument or if we are involved in sports: practice is really important. The regular practice of our faith is really important. Our youth have the chance as they get older to be involved in mission trips that serve others, going to places like Belize to build, to share, to serve, to practice the idea that we have been blessed so we can be a blessing. I saw that same perspective from the great American theologian Brad Pitt quoted last week in a newspaper article. Brad Pitt grew up in church like many of our kids. He learned there that when we have been blessed it is so we can share and be a blessing for others. He said, “When I see someone without basic health and education, without a supportive family, I feel a connection…..I could be him if I’d been born on some other dot on the map.” As Brad Pitt lives out his feeling of responsibility to share with others, he has been involved as some of our youth have, in rebuilding projects in New Orleans. He supports AIDS care in Africa; he has given to Doctors Without Borders and to Global Action for Children. And he says about his involvement for others and about his practice of generosity something I think is directly from his spiritual roots as a Christian: “Philanthropy is good for us. It is personally rewarding when you see lives change.” Do you remember how Jesus said that? He said that when you follow me, when you forget yourself and take up a cross and take yourself out of the center— that is how you find life at its best!! He also said that he came to offer us abundant life, the best kind of life possible. Susan Bell and I made up some wallet cards for our confirmands to remind them. The card says, Following Jesus Christ and walking in his way will let me live the good life, the best life possible. Nothing else will. The back side says, Here is the way of Christ: justice, compassion, acceptance, openness, spiritual growth. Practicing the way of Christ is the best life possible. We welcome our youth to this way of life and celebrate with them this very grownup decision and affirmation. |
