First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Michigan
Scriptures: Mark 1:16-20, John 21:15-19
January 10, 1999
Mike Norton is a nice guy. Not to be confused with Ed Norton (who once worked in the sewers of New York and hung out with Jackie Gleason), Mike Norton is the pastor-in-charge of our new church start in Canton Township. Thanks to your splendid response to the “Pass It On” campaign, a ton of our money is bankrolling his effort. And the guys who regularly hang out with me at 6:30 each Wednesday morning have twice invited Mike to meet with them….the better to hear him out, buck him up and cheer him on.
Mike’s church, whenever it is officially chartered, will be known as Friendship United Methodist Church. When it was launched, one year ago, it was front page news in the Free Press. That’s because it was designed to be, in its initial stages, a “different breed of cat” as churches go. People were invited (via a massive telemarketing blitz) to a rented and reconfigured civic ballroom/auditorium….to hear music played by a rock band….while sitting in chairs rather than pews….hearing a preacher in a sweater….deliver sermons punctuated by skits and video clips….even as they sipped coffee while worshipping (having been encouraged to do so by signs saying that worshipful sipping was not only acceptable, but encouraged).
This was not something Mike dreamed up by himself. This was something Mike learned, step by step, in seminars developed by marketers, for launching what, in our trade, are called “seeker-friendly churches.” The argument being that, if you want to reach the under-forty unchurched, you had better “do church” in a new way….not because they don’t know the old way….but because they do know, and don’t like, the old way….don’t trust the old way….can’t relate to the old way….and feel some degree of residual antagonism to the old way. Therefore, anything that reminds them of the old way (robes on the preacher….organs in the chancel….chancels…. choirs….crosses….stained glass panels….big fat hymnals….suits and ties) probably has to go. At least for awhile….if not for good.
The idea being that you cast as wide a net as possible, and you try to overcome any resistance…. in anybody….who, for any reason….at any time….has tuned himself or herself off to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and managed to avoid darkening the doors of any building where such a gospel is preached and practiced.
Don’t knock it. Because, as a marketing methodology, there is no small amount of evidence that it works. Although there needs to be a lot of early outside money underneath it, and a charismatic leader to “front” for it.
At Mike’s first service (thanks to the telemarketers and the newspaper writers), there were over 500 people. One year later, that has settled into a steady Sunday stream of 170 men, women and children. But now comes the hard part….not how to fashion the curious into the interested, but how to fashion the interested into an institution. For Mike’s goal (which is either step 49 or step 94 of the Master Plan….I haven’t read it), is that Friendship United Methodist Church should become a high-commitment congregation. Which means what? Which means that before anybody joins it, he or she should be willing to say “Yes” to elevated standards for giving, attending, studying and serving. All of which is laudable. All of which is biblical. But some of which may be problematical, given that precious little has been asked of these folks up to now. No tasks. No pledges. No committees. No commitments.
Mike’s goal is to turn them on to a high-ticket ride (called “Discipleship with Jesus Christ”), without turning them off to the loss of a free ride (called “Hangin’ Out with Mike on Sunday Mornings”). I’m betting he’ll do it. But, as Mike will quickly tell you, it ain’t gonna be a walk in the park. But, then, discipleship never was. Or seldom is. I suspect that some of Mike’s people are just chomping at the bit, saying: “Mike, I think I’m ready for this.” But I suspect that others are going to accuse him of “bait and switch” tactics, saying: “Mike, we never bargained for this.”
Still, if you take away the stylistic extremes, I think you’ll find that we (at First Church) are in a somewhat similar position. We are Canton….and Norton….on a much larger scale. The only difference consists in the fact that we are starting from a base that is much older, much broader, and considerably more traditional. For what we have been trying to do….at least on my watch….has been to cast an ever-broadening net, while asking (of those we gather) an ever-deepening commitment.
We started with a spirit….yours, mine, and God’s.
We continued with a goal….3001 by 2001.
We identified a task force…..17 people meeting since last January.
We ratified a vision and slogan….at our December Charge Conference.
Which has now occasioned a sermon….this sermon ...to explain “Deep and Wide”….this slogan.
This is why I would ask you to take hold of those mustard colored sheets in your worship bulletin, where can be found printed our vision and slogan….along with some relevant verbiage, fore and aft. Start with the purpose:
Purpose Statement
The purpose of the First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, is to gather persons into the body of Christ, nurture them as disciples of Jesus Christ, and equip them for ministry and mission in the world.
This is why we exist. To do these things. Which things? Three things! It’s right there in the verbs: gather….nurture….equip.
Gather, who? Persons.
Nurture, why? To produce disciples.
Equipping them for ministry, where? In the world.
Start with “gather.” I like that verb. I believe in that verb. I held out for that verb. But I didn’t have to fight for that verb. Because I had lots of company on the committee who resonated to that verb.
“Gather” is proactive, not reactive. It is a “seeking,” “finding,” “beat the bushes” kind of verb. We could have chosen a different verb. We could have said that the purpose of First United Methodist Church was to “welcome” people into the body of Christ….“receive” people into the body of Christ….“process” people into the body of Christ….or occasionally send the head usher to see if anybody is standing outside, beating on the door, to get into the body of Christ. But we rejected all those verbs. We chose “gather.” We chose it intentionally. Because that’s how churches grow….intentionally. I have yet to run into a church that grew by accident. Not that such isn’t possible. Given the amazing resources of the Holy Spirit, I suppose anything’s possible (including a church that grew by accident). But I haven’t seen one.
And how will we gather them? Well, to some degree, we will gather them individually (meaning face to face….person to person….witness to witness….word to word). The importance of such witnessing is something Matt Hook raises for us from time to time. But every time Matt talks about it, it scares some of you half to death. I can see the muscles in your face tighten. Which is why we will also gather people (as the Vision states) with expanding programs and expandingministries….staffing for more….offering more….expecting more.
Which will stretch us. But it won’t break us. Jump to the 21st Chapter of John. We are talking about the very last story in the Gospel. The resurrection is history. The disciples have gone night fishing. They catch nothing. I mean, absolutely nothing….zilch….nichts….nada….skunked…. shut out….blanked….whitewashed. They head for shore. They see Jesus. They are forced to tell Jesus they haven’t caught squat. Whereupon Jesus says: “Cast your net on the other side of the boat”….meaning, do the same thing with a new twist. So they do. Heave ho. Drop ‘em down. Pull ‘em up. The net is full. In fact, the net is loaded (to the point of being burdened). “Hey, give us a hand on this side of the boat, will ya….we can’t field the yield.”
Following which comes this little aside about 153 fish. Which is a weird number. Until you discover that, at that time, 153 was considered to be the sum total of all the varieties of fish that existed….of any size, sort, subgroup or species. Today, we know better. We count higher. But at the time the Gospel of John was written, 153 was thought to be all there was.
Then, in an even weirder aside, the text says that although there were so many fish, the net didn’t break. Which is contrary to what most people think will happen. For most people think that if any one church nets too widely….in terms of numbers, or in terms of diversity….said church will break (split, come apart, factionalize).
Which is certainly possible. But far from probable. You can look it up.
And once we gather them, it is our intention (according to our Purpose Statement) to “nurture them” (which is a pastorally-caressive verb), even as we “equip them” (which is a nice boot-campy kind of verb). And the purpose of nurturing and equipping them is so that we can send them to work with Jesus Christ in the world….which could be as far away as Lithuania, or as close to home as your living room. And if you don’t like that paradigm, the world could be as far away as Finland, and as close to home as your family room….or Botswana and your bedroom….or Khartoum and your kitchen. You pick the locales. I don’t care. What I am trying to say is if we get you here and feed you here, but nothing we feed you ever leaves here, then we’ve failed you. And you will fail Christ….whose primary arena is not in here, but out there.
Consider John 3:16: “For God so loved the church….” No, that’s not right. That’s not what John said. The other night I was watching a football game and, during the kicking of an extra point, somebody held up a sign that said: “John 3:16.” So I ran to my study (while they were kicking the extra point) to look it up. And it said: “For God so loved the world….” That’s what it said. And then it went on to say God sent his son into the world, not to condemn it, but to save it. Which is why we are not one of those churches whose members are standing on top of some mountain waiting for God’s spaceship to carry them off….or the rapture to float them up….or an Armageddon-like battle to break out, so that Jesus can kick the living bejeebers out of everybody who doesn’t love him as much as we love him. That may be some Christians. But that ain’t us.
Every couple of years, I remind you of my all-time favorite New Yorker cartoon. That’s because I can’t forget it, and I don’t want you to forget it either. Picture a Salvation Army Sally (bell in hand) standing over a derelict. Picture the derelict slumped against the wall of a building. Picture the derelict with four days’ worth of beard on his face, three fingers worth of booze in his bottle, two trails worth of seepage from his nose, and one eye swollen permanently shut. And, looking at her through his one good eye, he says: “Sister, can you save me here, or do I have to go someplace?” Well, we are among those churches who believe we can save him there. Which is why we’ve got to get you equipped, here.
And committed. We’ve got to get you committed. Which is the radically new thought that has elbowed all of the other thoughts aside in our Vision Statement. For if by purpose we mean “where we are,” then by vision we mean “where we’re going.”
Vision Statement
With deepening commitments and expanding ministries, First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, will change lives and become a model New Testament congregation for the denomination and the center of Christian faith in the community.
Having talked of “expanding ministries,” let me add a word about “deepening commitments,” both as to their desirability and their measurability. Deepened commitments are desirable. The more everybody gives, the more everybody gets. It’s Gospel Economics, 101. A man goes to the airport. He has an open-ended ticket in his hand, good for any destination….at any date….at any time….first class. He goes from gate to gate, airline to airline, terminal to terminal. At every point he checks out passengers….checks out destinations….checks out flight plans….checks out travel brochures….repeatedly marveling at the incredible opportunity that is his: “Would you believe it, I can go anywhere in the world.”
Which he can. Once he boards. But not everybody who goes to the terminal, flies. There is a great myth concerning commitments and churches. And the myth is that we ask you to make them because they are somehow good for us. But the real reason we ask you to make them is because they are somehow good for you.
As to their measurability, that’s not rocket science. Any church that helps its members deepen their commitments is going to see a rise in the attendance of its members in the pew….a rise in the pledges of its members in the plate….a rise in the number of short and long term classes being offered….a rise in the outreach hours and dollars being given….a growing list of Disciple Bible Study graduates and Walk to Emmaus veterans….that sort of thing. I know I’ll be able to tell it when I see it. Because I’m seeing it now.
All of which will make us a life-changing church….and a New Testament church….given that the two are synonymous. We will never have one without the other. Because it’s not possible to have one without the other.
And what are the imperatives laid upon a New Testament church? Well, at the minimum….or, perhaps, at the core….they are the very first words that Jesus ever said to a disciple (“Follow me”), and the very last words Jesus ever said to a disciple (“Feed my sheep”). Ironically, both emphasize action over belief. Both constitute the bookends of the Christian experience. And both (Hollywood screenwriters, take note) are “f” words….meaning “follow” and “feed.”
If we do these things, we will become a denominational model. We will also become a teaching church. I envision the day when every program staff person will lead (or facilitate) a bi-annual workshop for leaders of other churches, lifting up what could be done elsewhere, because it is being done here. And being done well. Chris Hall is already giving us a tremendous model for this with his annual Composer Festival.
Which brings us to the words, “the center of Christian faith in our community.” Those words were chosen, not to satisfy our competitive juices (although you’d be surprised at the amount of competitive juice that flows through the veins of our church leaders), but to express our Christ-driven urge to do our utmost for his highest. Our language has less to do with external opposition to be overcome, than with internal excellence to be achieved. In the last run-through of our final draft, we spent more time on the words “the center” than any other. Did they sound arrogant? Or did they sound challenging? Did they close the doors on our neighboring churches? Or did they raise the bar for our church? Finally, after going around and around….hemming and hawing….pro-ing and con-ing….we left them in. Because, by that time, none of us could imagine settling for anything less.
Then we closed our notebooks and prayed that the Lord was smiling.
