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"Ten for 10-10-10" A good deal of the time, I select the Scripture passage for my sermon But from time to time, I will turn to the Revised Common Lectionary, which is a set of readings for every Sunday in the worship year, on a three year rotation. This Lectionary was devised in the mid 80’s by a Consultation made up of both the Catholic and Mainline protestant churches. But with this interesting date, the 10th day of the 10th month, in the 10th year of the 21st century, or 10-10-10, I decided I’d select a Scripture—and I knew just the right one. The TEN lepers. Sounds good, right? Now some time after selecting this particular passage I happened to look at the “official” lectionary reading for this Sunday from the gospels. Guess what? It was the same passage: Luke 17:11-19, the story of the TEN LEPERS. Surprise! Long, long before anyone even thought of 10-10-10, some 25 years ago, the planners of the lectionary determined that on this particular Sunday every third year, the gospel reading would be the one about the Ten Lepers. It’s a God thing, don’t ya think? And God never fails to surprise! Our reading today, from Luke 17:11-19. 11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ 14When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. 15Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ 19Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’
Most of us are pretty familiar with the story. Jesus heals ten lepers and then tells them to go to the temple to show themselves to the priest. Why? So that they can be declared clean by the priest and re-enter society. Nine of the lepers go and do just that. But one did not go to the Temple. It made no sense for him to go to the Temple, he wasn’t a Jew. He was a Samaritan. He would have been turned away. So he returns to Jesus, his heart full of gratitude, shouting praises to God at the top of his lungs. He falls before Jesus thanking him for his healing. The story is full of exciting surprises. A man encounters Jesus, and is made new. Where have I heard that before? Our church’s mission, we say, is to provide opportunities for people to encounter Jesus Christ, that they might believe and be made new! A surprising thing happens in this man’s otherwise dismal day! God has drawn near…and the man returns praising God in a loud voice and surprises Jesus as he falls at his feet to thank him for what has happened. My mind is captured by the surprises in the story, surprises that bring excitement, energy and a witness that God is a mighty God, a powerful God. The Samaritan’s joy and thanksgiving cannot be contained…but spills out loudly from his lips. And so, on this 10th day of the 10th month in the year 2010, I have been thinking not just about the ten lepers, but ten exciting things that have happened in our midst in recent weeks that have been surprises. I bring ten things for which I am grateful, to which I want to give witness today. And then, I want to share ten hopes for us as the people of God called Methodists here in Dodge City. First, ten exciting surprises from God: 1. One of our goals for this year was to encourage every member of our church to get involved in a “hands on” mission" in 2010. We weren’t sure exactly how that would happen. Then God surprised us with NUMANA. For two months we signed up volunteers and donations. Last week, a remarkable portion of our congregation helped. NUMANA was a transformative event for those who participated. Music pulsing, Gongs-banging, and 20 steady assembly lines packaging meals. At the end of the day, well over a ¼ million meals were loaded in a truck bound for the docks to set sail for Haiti. So efficient that the last shift only worked half of their time! God is doing something amazing! I give thanks for that! 2. The second surprise was a sort of prolonged, messy and anxious gathering we had about 7 weeks ago. After a couple of hours, God led us to a consensus to try something out…a new worship schedule! The experimental solution wasn’t perfect, didn’t please everyone, but in the end, I believe God is drawing us together. There is new energy in worship, do you sense it? Feel it? Surprisingly, perhaps miraculously, there has been little resistance to the changes. God is doing something amazing here and I give thanks for that! 3. But God continues to surprise us as we live into this experiment. We’ve found more people in attendance! Real solid growth to our Sunday worship for the first time in six years. Over the first four weeks of our new schedule, we’ve had a 20% overall increase in attendance going from an average of 280 during this period one year ago to an average of 336 this year! God is doing something amazing here! I give thanks for that! 4. Surprise number 4 is that this schedule has helped Sunday School to grow. The numbers are shocking: Sunday school us up 30% for the first four weeks compared to a year ago! Our average this past four weeks is over 140. A year ago it was 110! Church, God is doing something amazing here! I give thanks for that! 5. Then there is First Gifts—our children’s worship. God hasn’t just surprised Sarah and Maria, but shocked them! They were accustomed to about 10 or 12 children downstairs following the children’s time. Then, four weeks ago, our new schedule began. Now…some 20 or more children from the 11 ‘o clock service join with another 20 to 25 children from Casa downstairs. That’s more than 40 for First Gifts. Nearly 200% more! You hear it? More leaders have had to be recruited. God is doing something amazing downstairs! I give thanks for that! 6. Now then, much of this has something to do with what’s happening at Casa de Oración. After three faithful years of planting seed, Bridges to the Future made possible a proposal for a full-time pastor for Hispanic ministry. Our congregation took this step in faith with a overwhelming vote of approval at our charge conference. God then surprised us with Rev. Tania and her husband Gabriel. And the surprises keep coming!! The Casa worship service has grown from about 20 folks in worship to an average of over 60! Did you know that last Sunday, there were 85 in worship in Casa de Oración? That’s four-fold growth in just 3 months! Pastor Tania told our SPRC that it is the people of Casa who are now inviting and bringing their friends, their co-workers, acquaintances, eager to share Christ and eager to share an exciting, vibrant worship service with their neighbor! God is doing something amazing here! I give thanks for that! 7. Another exciting surprise came in the form of a new Easter event for families that came out of a revitalized Children’s Educational Work area. “On the Path,” was an exceptional telling of the passion and resurrection of Jesus for hundreds of people, with some 70 volunteers, both English and Spanish speaking working together. Then came VBS—with the largest enrollement and attendance than we’ve ever had…AND more volunteers and helpers than ever as well! How do you explain that except that it’s a God thing? Now, that same Children’s Ed Work Area is ramping up for a fall event in November called “MISSION POSSIBLE!” Hold one and stay tuned! Because God is doing something amazing here! I give thanks for that! 8. The Adult Education Work has found new energy as well! The Adult Ed Work area is asking important questions about our church’s hospitality, our process of helping new First Folks get involved and feel at home. They are working on a new system to help all of us welcome and involve people in our congregation! At the same time, a new Wednesday group and New adult Sunday class have popped up in the past several weeks, led by laity who are excited and energized by what God is doing in this church! I BELIEVE that God is doing something amazing here! We can all give thanks for that! 9. Remember our Tailgate party in August? What a wonderful morning, with hundreds of First Folks all worshipping together, fellowshipping together on the front lawn. All of us who are part of First Church, together. It felt like the kingdom! And surely the Kingdom banquet will be something like our 40 feet of food spread out to feed the multitudes! What a day. And we plugged in, and powered up for a fall full of excitement and surprises! And there is not a doubt that God is at work--doing amazing things in this place! Are you thankful for what God has done? 10. Finally, number 10. Last Thursday, our Staff Parish Committee met with a person from our congregation who has heard a call from God to enter professional ministry. They plan to interview this person in preparation for making a recommendation to our charge conference in December. Church, this will be our first ministry candidate in over 15 years, since Keith Fink went into the ministry. What can be more exciting than that! Church—what can be more exciting than that! God is doing an amazing thing here. I am thankful for what God has done! Ten for 10-10-10. 10 exciting surprises. 10 prayers of Thanksgiving. But I said I also have hopes. Ten hopes. Quickly, I want you to know the ten things I hope for! 1. I hope that we will be a faithful church—always looking, listening for God’s direction so that we might follow it. And that the existence of First UMC in Dodge City will have a great impact on our community. That Dodge City will be a far better place, and a more loving place because we are in it. 2. I hope that we will be more intentional in building relationships with those that we do not know well, both inside and outside the church…extending our friendship and our hearts as God’s people. 3. And to that end, I hope that language will not be a barrier to our friendships with one others. We can create bridges and cross them in order to form closer bonds, and richer, fuller relationships. 4. I hope that you will become excited enough to invite, even to bring someone here with you to experience the grace of God and the friendships of God’s people. 5. As we do that, I hope that we will fill up the Sanctuary, fill up the Fellowship Hall, and that Casa will have to move to one or the other. Not because we want to just be bigger, but because a full church means we are living out Christ’s call to make disciples and baptize others in the name of our Lord. 6. I hope that our small groups, classes and studies double in the coming year. Both the number of groups, classes and studies and the number of people in them. A church in small groups is a healthy church…it is growing in its spiritual walk, and its commitment to live Godly lives. 7. I hope that we don’t let money keep us from doing all that we can, wherever we can, however we can to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in this community, and to demonstrate to others our care, concern and love. 8. I hope that we will increase our opportunities for people to encounter Christ so that they might believe and be made new. 9. I hope the surprises we’ve witnessed and the excitement we’ve experienced are just a measure of what’s to come! 10. And I hope that you will receive these hopes and dreams and come up with some of your own, that are possible only with God’s direction, God’s help, and God’s surprises along the way! Thank God.
Thanks for dropping by: Guest # |
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