Spirit Led Leaps of Faith

Romans 8: 14-17

John: 14:8-17, 25-27

The Lord puts a lot of things in our way and the Lord also gives us people to navigate the different paths we are forced to take because of the way things change so quickly in our lives. The point of this life is not to live a completely smooth course and never hit a bump or rock in the road.

The point of our lives is to get lost and grow and learn and get lost again and have to change direction and then again, and again until we find that when we look back at the journey our lives have taken it is completely different from the one we mapped out so very long ago when we were starry-eyed children.

The Lord has a plan for the world. If you are in the world that means the Lord has a plan for you. The only way for you to recognize your place in this plan is to have faith in one thing. God loves you. Jesus Loves you. The Holy Spirit loves you.

As you are now. If you never change another thing about yourself. If you never grow anymore in your faith. If you never change the things that could be changed and if you never fully realize the potential Christ sees in you – GOD LOVES YOU. Our task in life is to see that God loves us and to love others in the same way. You see, Christ asks us not to change people, but to accept them. Christ asks us to look at a person and not say, “Well, when they start doing this – then I will care about them.” No. Just as Jesus loves you for your imperfect and sinful self – we are called to love one another in the same way.

We cannot change the world. That is for the Lord to do. In the next few months as we explore what the Amos Project has to offer, we will be asked to try new things and we will attempt them and some we will like and some we will hate. But we will be asked to do them because it will draw different kinds of people through the doors of this church and that is important. What is even more important is that we accept whoever walks through the door as they are and not try to change them to conform to what we find acceptable.

We cannot try different music or a different worship style until we have a bunch of people and then slowly go back to the way WE like it to be done. The whole point of attempting the Amos Project is to grow, to change and to become more like the church God wants us to be. Not to just be a church that is so comfortable with itself that we might as well be comatose. It is not about getting a 150 people to show up every Sunday and then go back to the old ways of doing things. It is not about getting people through the doors so that we can change or convert them. They have things to offer just as they are and if God brings them through these doors and they choose to stay then it is because THEY have something to teach US.

It is ultimate arrogance to assume that we have things to teach the world but the world has nothing to teach us. That kind of arrogance was what got many of the Jews in Jesus’ time in trouble with him. The teachers of the law and religion thought they knew all there was to know about God and the path God wanted them to take. They assumed that because they followed all of the rules, that God would approve of everything they did and said.

As we now know, that is not true. These leaders were following the wrong path because they let their traditions and their routines and their perceived ideas of God keep them from seeing that the Lord stood right in front of them. We do not want that here at Trinity. We want to see Jesus. We want to accept Jesus. We want to move with Jesus toward wherever he would take us. Don’t we?!

That will require sacrifice from us. One of the first things we are going to do is over the summer we will move the offering plates to the back of the church. As you walk through the doors, please feel free to put your offering in the plate and sit down in your chosen pew. During the Moment of Offering, the ushers will bring the two plates forward and we will pray over them. If anyone forgot to put their offering in, just raise your hand as the usher walks by and they will stop and collect your offering.

Why are we doing this? Why could this possibly matter to a new person walking through the door if we do it this way or the traditional way?

The reason is because many people who did not grow up in a church, we will call them UNchurched people, have a deep fear that the only reason we want them to come is for their money. And if we do not want them for their money, then we want them to help on committees because we’re tired and overworked. However, the whole point of the Amos Project, the whole point of being a Christian and wanting new people to come every Sunday is not about money or committees at all. I will admit it is a nice side benefit, but it should never be the point of welcoming people through these doors.

Jesus, on this day two thousand years ago, ascended into heaven. The last things he said to the disciples were about loving each other and the world, and spreading the Good News. He tells them that he does not leave them alone, but sends the Holy Spirit as their Advocate to help them on this path. Trinity Church is here to spread the Gospel. We are here to make a difference in people’s lives. If putting our offering plates in the back of the church helps to make new people feel more welcome, then that is what we will try. It isn’t about what has always worked in the past. Maintaining all of our traditions is not always a good thing.

Sometimes there is a lot of fun and a lot of energy to be found in making new traditions and trying new things. Our goal here, our mission as a church is to help others realize their faith; to help them grow in Christian love; and to maintain a good, loving presence in our community. I know some of you do not like the idea of changing the way we are doing offering. I know some of you will downright hate it.

But I have something to tell you. It’s not about you. Church is not just about what WE want and what WE are comfortable with. It is about making the whole community feel welcomed and loved. This is a small change. It’s minor because the whole point of the offering is for us to give freely of the blessing God gave us. Does it matter if that happens as you walk through the door or as an usher walks through the pews? No. it doesn’t. The offerings will still be blessed. Our songs will still be sung, but now, NOW doing it this way – we may make others feel more at ease.

If you want to be a welcoming church, it is about making your guests feel welcome and accepted. Whether they have $2 to give or $2,000. Whether they have 2 minutes of free time to offer the church, or 20 hours a week – church is not about how long you have been a member or how much you give. Church is about making a difference in people’s lives. This church is about making people feel safe and loved and cared about no matter their station, no matter their past, no matter where they are headed in their future.

It is why I will welcome all thoughts and opinions on what we are trying to do with the Amos Project and the different things we will attempt. However, if your sole reason for telling me you don’t like it is because you like the old way better I’m going to respond thusly, “The old way was great. There is nothing wrong with it. There is nothing wrong in trying something new either, especially if it helps others come through these doors. Our goal is not to always feel comfortable, but to make others feel comfortable even at our own expense. That is true Christian hospitality.”

Being comfortable is the worst thing a Christian can be. Being comfortable means you will make no effort to change or to grow because you are satisfied where you are at. However, we’re not really satisfied because we have not fulfilled our mission as God’s people. Therefore, we’re going to shake things up. We’re going to learn together. We’re going to grow together. As I said, there are some things we will like and there are some that we will hate. That’s okay. We’ll make it through because as long as we follow where the Holy Spirit leads us – we’ll be doing God’s work in the world -  and that’s what matters.

We are called to follow where Jesus would lead us. Jesus is never boring, so this could get interesting. I’m looking forward to seeing where the Holy Spirit will lead us on this new part of our journey together. It’s not going to be a smooth ride and I expect we will do our share of resisting because we are human and like our traditions. However, as long as we continue to pray and ask for the Spirit to guide us, just as Jesus told the disciples, we will be lead right to where Jesus would have us go.

Let us take this leap of faith together.

Amen.