Have you ever noticed how hard it is to see a bud before it blossoms? I have had a Christmas cactus for years. I had it in Berkeley during seminary. My cactus moved across country with me and survived nearly two weeks in the back of a Penske moving truck. It survived mice in Brighton and a move to Somerville. It survived my tiny study with barely enough light. It traveled with me to Hank’s house and then to my home now. My cactus has been dropped and forgotten. I have pondered throwing it out thinking that something was wrong with it. It has survived dogs and visitors. It even survived a fall from my railing. I don’t ever remember it blooming… so when I noticed a blossom last month I practically jumped right out of my skin. I see it everyday but I didn’t notice the buds. It sits right on the kitchen counter. I pass it every morning when I toast my English muffin and prepare my cup of tea. But for some reason I missed the buds until the entire plant was covered with the most gloriously beautiful pink blossoms. I didn’t know the blossoms would be pink, but I was relieved that at least it decided to bloom now that I have a kitchen with pink counter tops. I have no idea what I did right with my Christmas cactus. I don’t know if it just loves the special Cape air. I don’t know if I am watering it more or less or if Cotuit water carries particular nutrients. I don’t know if the sun hits it just right in the window where it sits. But for some reason my Christmas cactus decided to bloom and I had no idea it was coming. “See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.” That’s what the prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “…Before they spring forth, I tell you of them.” But for some reason, even if God gives us some notice, I seem to have trouble seeing a bud before it blossoms.
This past week Pam Boden and I spent ten hours and sometimes more per day taking in lectures, videos, group discussion, role play, reading and prayer…all in an effort to learn how to make sure that we are equipped to continue to nurture and support the ministry of healing and care, our Stephen Ministry, that Linda and Diane started a few years ago. If you have been around for a while, I hope you know that we are a proud Stephen Ministry congregation and if you are just getting to know us, this is something we would like you to know about us. We are a Stephen Ministry congregation, which means that whether you like it or not, you are part of a radical congregation. Did you ever think that you would hear that? You are a part of a congregation that is doing wildly Christian things like equipping lay people to care for others in Christ’s name. You, yes you are doing something wild for God. Stephen Ministry is based on what to some is a indeed a radical idea- that lay people can be equipped to offer quality care to those in need. This may not seem radical to you, but to some congregations, this notion is challenging. Many among us grew up in an era in which a visit wasn’t real unless it was offered by the pastor. If the pastor at a meeting didn’t offer the prayer it didn’t count. If the pastor didn’t preach the sermon it wasn’t worship. If the pastor didn’t come up with the idea it wasn’t inspired. But we read again and again in our Holy Bible that we are all called to do all of these, each of us as Christians are called to be ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Of course it is easier to put the work of healing, of proclamation and service on the pastor. It is easier to say these ministries belong solely to the pastor than to dare to believe that each of us is called to these ministries ourselves. But friends, you haven’t taken the easy way out. You have dared to proclaim that this congregation belongs to all of us. So, if you weren’t aware, I will let you know that being a part of this congregation means that you are a minister. By daring to follow Christ right here you are committing to ministry in the name of Jesus Christ. (Okay no one is getting up to leave…)
This past week we were surrounded by people who were committing to either starting a Stephen Ministry in their congregation or joining an existing leadership team. The week was grueling and difficult. There was little time for personal prayer and no time for exercise. There was little time for renewal, rest or fresh air. There was little time for me to do work or connect with you over e-mail and phone. It was emotional and spiritual, terrifying and powerful. But during our hours and hours of meetings, I thought about you. Perhaps being extremely tired and so far away afforded me the blessing of surveying what the prophet Isaiah speaks of, “See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.” And I wondered if some of you are too close to see the buds that are blossoming. I wondered if you might need the chance to stop and look again at what is blossoming in our congregation. Because friends from where I stand, “the former things have come to pass and new things…spring forth.”
These seeds were planted years ago. They moved with you during changes and transitions, as new growth emerged, daring to burst through when the conditions were not ideal for growth. You survived a deep draught and made it anyway. You survived storms and being forgotten and then the buds came and turned into blossoms, and I see lots of blossoms. You are blossoming, “the former things have come to pass and new things…spring forth.”
This week the vision team commenced the process of sharing the first iteration of what will become, with all of our input, our road map for following God’s vision for us as a congregation. This vision begins with Christ. This vision affirms that every Christian has spiritual gifts- that these gifts are from God, that we are commanded to use them, not because they belong to us or are about us, but we use these gifts to glorify God. This vision seeks to enact a framework for ministry where each of us is empowered to God’s work here using our own unique spiritual gifts. This vision affirms that we are able to follow God faithfully when we are all using our gifts- it affirms that we are more than just the sum of our individual spiritual gifts; that we can only enact this vision together. If you haven’t heard this vision yet, you will because you are blossoming, “the former things have come to pass and new things…spring forth.”
In some ways this vision, our vision, only affirms what is thriving and blossoming already- perhaps this vision is our attempt to articulate and continue what God is already doing among us. This vision is blossoming right here in many ways. Stephen Ministry is an example. This ministry is lay lead and driven. Those who become Stephen Ministers are interviewed and prayed upon to see whether their gifts match the needs of the ministry. The ministers are equipped with fifty hours of training, entrusted, supported with supervision, commissioned and sent. Our Pancake Breakfast is another example. It did not require much equipping but it needed the spiritual gift of passion and leadership, gifts Peter Dudley has. His vision was shared, a group was gathered and off they went. Our newly formed youth group is a ministry supported by Carol Jean and now Bill Walsh. Their gifts match the calling and the ministry is growing. Our acolyte ministry is another example. Diane Campbell had the vision and the gifts; she offered a training to equip and the list of those wanting to serve quickly filled. Our ministry of liturgical art is another example. David Shinn has the gift of aesthetics and facilitates a ministry that glorifies God with art in our space. Our ministry of bringing God’s word to shut-ins is another example. Jeanne Perry has the gift of reaching out to those who are home bound. She makes sure that all of our beloved ones are touched with scripture and prayer even though they cannot worship God on Sunday mornings. Linda Harmon is gifted in the healing arts and is offering yoga for seniors. She has a gift and matched it with a need in the congregation. Many of you serve God here using your gifts and these are just some of our ministries that I believe are vital and thriving and yet they don’t report to church council and you won’t find them in our by-laws. And why is that? Why is it that they are outside of our formal structure, but they are thriving and vital anyway? Maybe because those involved were empowered to do God’s work here using their own unique spiritual gifts. Maybe because each member is fulfilling his or her calling by offering his or her whole self to God. Maybe because the leaders are having fun and because they have a passion for it. I have always believed that God leads us with joy- often if we love doing something it is because we are good at it. And God wants to use all of us. Seeing all of this “spring forth” I can’t help but wonder what it might look like to have a church that dared to believe that if each of us uses our spiritual gifts for ministry, God will be glorified, Christ will be followed and there is no stopping what we can do together. I wonder what it would look like to have a church full of members who love what we are doing in ministry here? What would it look like to begin with our gifts rather than slots that need to be filled? This is already happening, you are blossoming, “the former things have come to pass and new things…spring forth.”
There were so many occasions this past week when I thought of you and got all choked up. Many times Pam and I found that we sat up in our seats when someone said something about how small their congregation was and how they worried about getting their Stephen Ministry program going. “How small?” we asked. “250 members.” “Oh,” we said. “We did it and we are much smaller.” We did it with lay leaders, whose gifts matched the calling and whose hearts are filled with passion. As you pass through your church this day, stop and look again, notice the blossoms, “the former things have come to pass and new things…spring forth.” Amen.