In her book, Unbinding the Gospel:  Real Life Evangelism, Martha Grace Reese makes an assertion I absolutely believe.  She states, “The spirit of God seems to be doing something in the mainline churches.” (p. 35)  My observation is that more and more churches are becoming part of a growing movement toward transformation. Within that movement is an increasing focus on spirituality and the practice of spiritual disciplines.  In other words, people are waking up to the truth that the presence of God is essential to their lives and their churches.  People and, by extension, churches need to get to know God more fully, and many are trying.

Regular worship, study of the scriptures, prayer, service, and faithful stewardship of our wealth are among important spiritual disciplines.  Reese mentions hospitality in her discussion.

She points out how the United Church of Christ spent a lot of time developing an approach to hospitality and evangelism known as “God Is Still Speaking.”  Relevant training was provided throughout the church, and television ads were produced in line with the theme.  Many of you know by now that some television stations chose not to air the ads, citing their “controversial” nature.  The controversy was that the ads asserted that all people are welcomed into the UCC.  News reports of the rejection of the ads likely generated more buzz than the ads themselves might have produced. 

Meanwhile, James Dobson, head of Focus on the Family Ministries, had some spare time and came out with a public condemnation of the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.  Why? You’ll have to ask him.  Anyway, the UCC cleverly used this bit of news in press photos and online presentations, depicting SpongeBob talking it over with the General Minister and President of the UCC, Dr. John Thomas, who unequivocally let SpongeBob know there was room for him among the UCC’s.

Martha Grace Reese quotes a UCC pastor who told her that for weeks, tens of thousands of hits were recorded on the church locator section of the UCC website. 

The pastor declared, “I think this situation is so off the wall only God could be arranging it!” (p. 36)

In a Washington Post article about cell phone contracts, and the anger and frustration people feel about them, there is mention of a unique approach to getting out of a contract.  Corey Taylor, “irate” over the $175 termination fee, “faked his own death.”  He made up a phony death certificate, which he had someone fax to the company, assuming the company would cancel a contract with a dead person.

It didn’t work. "In the end, I forked over the money," Taylor said. "But I bet I sent a definite message about how much people hate being strapped to a cell phone that doesn't work."  Don’t be so sure.

People enter into contracts and commitments all the time.  There is a service or product they desire, and they are willing to pay for it, and sometimes even to accept terms that put them at a disadvantage or risk.  We want whatever it is, so we accept the terms.

Interestingly, there are church folks that become very indignant if they are asked to commit to making a financial contribution to the church.  They “don’t want to be tied down” to a specific amount.  What if they can’t pay it, they ask?  Huh, what then??

By and large churches soften the commitment by calling it an “estimate of giving.” “What might you give this year?  We don’t want you to feel pressured to do so, but, if you were to happen to give some money to the church so we can actually pay our bills and plan for ministry in the name of Jesus, roughly speaking, what amount could it potentially be?  Not that we’re going to hold you to it, or anything.  We really wouldn’t expect you to make a commitment, you know.”

Someone shared a church newsletter containing an article by the pastor who described a situation in which a church not only asked for a financial pledge commitment, but also asked the members to commit to how many Sundays they would attend worship.  Imagine that!  Asking people actually to take seriously the spiritual discipline of worshiping God!  Even when there are so many other things to do on Sunday mornings!

The pastor mentioned a Sunday when there was a heavy snowfall the night before, and his low expectations for worship attendance.  An elderly woman slowly and carefully made her way to the church despite the poor conditions.  The pastor said, “Good morning, Mrs. XYZ.  I didn’t expect to see you here today.”  She replied, “It wasn’t easy to get here, but I made a commitment to attend worship.  So, here I am, keeping my promise.”

Why is it so difficult to commit to the faithfulness of our time, abilities and wealth in our relationship with God, who blesses us and promises to bless us even more, when we are willing, even eager, to strike deals with people who stack the deck in their own favor and are often reluctant to keep their end of the bargain?

Every now and then I learn of a young person who acts out of a concern, and it grows into a larger effort involving many more people.  For instance, I remember a young girl in Maryland who noticed homeless people on the route her family took between their home and church.  She made sandwiches to share with some of them, and before long a growing army of people regularly got together to cover the area with food and drinks.  During the Live Earth event a month or two ago there were reports of young people finding ways to address environmental issues in their communities and beyond.

Today I read about a boy named Cole Hodges, who at the age of five, wanted to help someone.  His friend’s little sister received a cancer diagnosis and Cole asked his mother if he could “donate his birthday.”  His idea was to collect money rather than presents for his birthday and then contribute the money to help pay for the girl’s treatments.  He rounded up $121 for the cause.  Remember, Cole was five years old.

This is an annual effort by Cole, celebrating his birthday by helping others.  Among the causes he has supported are tsunami relief and an agency providing services to homeless individuals.  Cole and his mother established a nonprofit organization to encourage others also to “Donate Your Birthday,” and their website gives guidance, suggestions and help in this effort.

Tony Campolo, in an interview about wealth, materialism, and our consumer culture, spoke of young people and their developing attitudes and expectations.  He said, “We ought to challenge kids to do something significant with their money for the kingdom of God.  As it is, they give very little and then want accolades for doing it.”  That keeps the focus on those who gave from their excess rather than encouraging a giving spirit among young people.

Efforts like “Donate Your Birthday” can have a snowballing effect when the focus is on helping others.

On his website Cole, describing one of his various projects, leads by example:  “Right now, and for the rest of my life, I’m going to grow my hair 10 inches and donate it to Locks for Love.  Many people think I’m a girl and I may look weird, but I don’t care if it will help other people have a better life.  Think of what you could do.  Kids have more power and can do more things than you think.  You just have to be willing.”

I’m not crazy about texts such as the section from Hebrews 12 assigned by the Revised Common Lectionary for yesterday’s worship.  Images like the ones included there can be distracting, I think.  The writer mentions blazing fire, darkness, gloom, tempest, trumpet, and a “voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them.” 

Some people get hung-up on end-of-the-world images, perhaps because they are frightened by them, and want to somehow try and out-guess God about what is to come.  We can forget that right now.   We simply have to acknowledge that God is God, we are not, and God is in control. I’m willing to live on those terms.

One of the reasons I don’t relish the question, “What do you do for a living?” is that when I respond I am a pastor of a church the other person feels the need to “check-out” the validity of my church.  One time, I was asked in this situation, “Does your church preach prophesy?”

Even though I knew what she meant, I answered, “Yes.”

We don’t take the apocalyptic imagery of the scriptures and find that, “Voila,” it all applies to and predicts world events in our times.  Imagine that, the prophets were looking ahead to US, to OUR lives, to the days in which WE live. It’s great being the center of everything, isn’t it?

Frankly, I don’t know how some of the “prophecy” preachers stay in business.  Jack Van Impe, for instance, has been on television for a long, long time showing how a verse here and a verse there actually explain today’s world events and headlines.  If the selected verses explained the events of thirty years ago, as he incisively pointed out on his TV show back then, how can they also be doing the same today? 

Maybe it simply has taken that long to cover all the verses, and he was doing them in order.

Hebrews 12 tells us yes, God shakes the foundations of the earth.  Things change, God is present and active in human life.  But some things are not shaken, and to me that’s what is important for people of faith to remember.

God is in control.  God loves all of us.  God makes all things new.  How, why, and when I leave up to God. Whatever God chooses to do can only be good. 

I learned all of that from the prophets, and try to convey it to my congregation.

Arthur Bremer soon will be released from a prison in Maryland.  He served 35 years for shooting George Wallace in an assassination attempt in 1972, when Wallace was campaigning for president.  Wallace survived the attack, but was left paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life.  He died in 1998.

George Wallace was an unabashed racist and segregationist during much of his career as governor of Alabama, but I understand that toward the end of his life he underwent something of a transformation in that regard.  When Bremer shot Wallace in 1972, there probably were more than a few people who had at least vague thoughts that justice somehow was served.   Bremer’s sentence was to spend 53 years in prison.  According to news reports, he earned good behavior credits, reducing his time behind bars.

Football star Michael Vick is facing big-time trouble for his role in the dog fighting scandal.  His co-defendants all have “’fessed up,” and made plea bargains, leaving Vick apparently with no choice other than to admit his own involvement, although it seems he is saying he didn’t do everything he is accused of doing.

An online article I read yesterday called for Vick to serve his sentence, and then be allowed “a second chance,” including being permitted to continue his career in the National Football League.  The responses to the article were overwhelmingly negative.  People indicated, vehemently in most cases, that Vick should be banned forever from the NFL, that he blew his chance, and they don’t want their kids finding a role model in someone like him, so on and so forth.  Many made suggestions that Vick should be treated like the dogs that were abused, or locked in a pen with angry dogs, etc.

Has Arthur Bremer paid his debt?  When Michael Vick gets out of prison, will his case be closed?  Should they be restored to society?

I found it interesting to read this in the article about Bremer:  “Wallace’s son, George Wallace, Jr., said, ‘I’ve forgiven Arthur Bremer and my family has, so I think God’s law has been adhered to, and we’re comfortable with that.’”

As part of our congregation’s visioning process and work in the area of transformation, the elders of our church are reading and discussing a book by Anthony Robinson titled Transforming Congregational Culture.  For those participating, it is extremely thought provoking and stimulating. 

We recently talked about membership growth, and becoming active rather than passive.  For far too long, mainline churches everywhere have labored under some mistaken assumptions.  For instance, congregations often have assumed that they must be big (however one defines that) in order to have a valid ministry.  “If only we had more (people, money, space…).” Robinson reminds us that Jesus himself allowed a gathering of even “two or three” to be important enough for him to be present.

If we can free ourselves of the “we don’t have enough” mindset, we then can focus on being what Robinson refers to as a “real church,” a term he borrows from another church observer, Kirk Hadaway.  A real church is one in which people are transformed by their spiritual practices because their focus is on God and the formation and expression of their faith.  Christ truly lives in the midst of a “real” church, and people respond through faithful ministries of all sorts, relevant to their community and its needs.

Robinson makes the point over and over again that growth occurs in numerous ways, not just in the numbers of people in the pews, but that people will be attracted to a church that provides a genuine spiritual experience, and expresses that spirituality by the ways it reaches out to those around it.

An important aspect of how we look at all of this is how we define evangelism.  In many congregations evangelism merely is seen as adding new members to the rolls.  Robinson shares a definition of evangelism that is not unique to his thinking, but that I feel is especially valid: “the sharing of the good news of the gospel, the good news about God and what God has done and is doing in Christ.” (p. 120)

We do that by living our faith through worship, study, practice of spiritual disciplines, reaching out to others in life-giving ministry, telling our story to our friends, acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors, and others, inviting them to “Come and See.”

Sometimes people have questioned my involvement in marital arts.  After all, I’m a minister (whatever that’s supposed to mean – whenever someone prefaces his or her comments to me with, “You’re a minister…” I take a deep breath), and when I earned my black belt I was working with the peace-loving Quakers.    People also say, upon learning of my background and rank, “Well, we know not to mess with you.”  Hardy – har – har.

What they don’t know is what martial arts are about.   A good martial artist will never fight.  He or she even will run to avoid fighting.  When we teach techniques in a martial arts school, we make it clear that people are not to use the techniques anywhere else.  Our Grand Master reiterated this point during the ceremony at which I received my black belt.  It was part of our “10 Commandments of Tae Kwon Do,” which were recited at every class by students of all belt levels.  Only if your life is threatened, or the life of another person is threatened are you justified in using the techniques.  And then, you’re supposed to alert the other person of your black belt status -- just in case they want to change their mind about fighting.

At our school, we relentlessly reminded everyone of the three main benefits of martial arts training:  To develop a strong mind; to develop a strong body; and to develop self-defense.  Students were required to verbalize these in order to pass tests to the next belt rank.  Notice that the development of a strong mind is the highest priority.

If someone comes to martial arts training with a poor attitude, they are not going to advance.  They soon will wash out of the system, because there is no room for them.  A proper approach does not allow for being disrespectful of anyone or for trying to injure another person.  The techniques require concentration, effort, discipline, patience, and much practice.  Gaining control of one’s body comes as a result of a strong mind and proper attitude.  Mental and physical fitness are derived from regular practice.  One class per week doesn’t get it done.  Three classes is about right.  And it takes years of training to be a good martial artist, because no matter how much you think you know, there is always more to learn, more to perfect.  My knowledge of Tae Kwon Do expanded greatly after I earned my black belt.

Part of that has to do with the reality that black belts become teachers and role models.  Like it or not, other students look up to you as a black belt, and everything you say or do is filtered through that lens.  I can think of only one black belt I knew, about whose attitude I had any questions.  In our system, a person simply didn’t get to that rank with a poor attitude.

The development of a strong mind, a strong body, self-control, discipline, patience, respect for all others, effort, dedication, and a proper attitude are beneficial to every aspect of life.

Personally, I don’t see any of that as conflicting with my faith commitments or vocation.

Disciples Home Missions has a multitude of resources for congregational transformation available on its website.  An item I mentioned last Sunday in my sermon is a brochure called Best Practices for Congregational Transformation.  It’s there for the downloading. 

The brochure lists twenty points describing when “a congregation has the best chance of transforming.”  Among them are:

n      The congregation has discerned its identity in core values, purpose, and mission.

n      We are clear about the centrality of Christ in Christian life and ministry.

n      Congregational leadership is keenly aware that it is part of a movement of transformation within the larger church.

n      The explicit goal of the church is not just “more people in the seats” but measurable change in the social, economic, and spiritual conditions in the community around the church.

The one that got my attention the most, though, states that in a church with 100 adult worshipers on an average Sunday, if “there are 7 people who are passionate about the future of the church,” and that passion inspires 14 people holding official leadership roles to “advocate for the future of the church,” and that leads to 42 others going along for the ride, transformation is possible.

I told my congregation it reminded me of a story found in Genesis 18:16-33.  God was set to destroy a city because of the unrighteousness of the people in general, but Abraham appealed to God:  “What if there are 50 righteous people there?  Can the city be spared?”  God replied, “OK, if there are 50.”  Abraham didn’t let up.  “What about 45?”  God agreed to back off if there were 45 righteous people found in the city.  Abraham pushed the envelope, bargaining all the way down to 10 people.  God relented.

It seems that faithfulness and righteousness, even in small measure can result in a huge difference.  God spared the unrighteous city for the sake of 10 folks who could do some good there.  Congregations can be transformed if the passion for change is found among 7 out of 100 people.

Twelve people, who didn’t always know what they were doing, trailed along after Jesus, trying to figure out what he wanted from them.   They, and others who caught their passion, eventually became known as the people “who turned the world upside down.”

As far as I know, the ability of God hasn’t diminished since then.  Faithfulness carries with it disproportional power.

At least, that’s the witness of scripture.

My work as a minister has taken me to a variety of Disciples churches, all different.  They were in cities, towns, and suburbs.  Each had its own dynamics coloring the relationships of the people and the ministries they did or did not undertake.  In one case, I was the interim minister for a few months.

An aspect of my time I enjoyed at that church was a Sunday school class called “Serious Thinkers.”  The class was held every other Sunday when a van arrived carrying residents of a facility for emotionally challenged adults.  The group sang, ate doughnuts, recited prayers, and heard a Bible story read aloud which they then proceeded to act out.  A box of typical church drama costumes stood by, and everyone took a role.  The leaders of the class were dedicated and patient.  I attended that class every chance I got.

There was a day-care center at the church, serving low-income families, so the hums and echoes of children playing, bumping into things, and lining up at the water fountain provided the daily soundtrack.  Andre the chef rattled pots and pans in the church kitchen providing meals for the kids.  Signs of life at the church, even during the week!

Non-perishables were collected and stored at the church for the local community food-sharing program.  AA groups met there on certain evenings, a ham radio club had space and wiring at the church, and a legacy of caring for the needs of neighbors was evident throughout the building, with flyers and posters, offering boxes and news releases integral to its décor.

Some churches are locked up tight all week long.  Some display a wide sense of vision and purpose.  In some, the people mistrust each other.  Others are like a large extended family.

Somehow, God works through the people, wherever they are located, and in spite of all their/our particular quirks. 

A report from the Chicago Sun-Times showed up in Christian Century:  “In June, an image of Jesus could be seen on a car window in Texas; the word Allah was visible in a sliced tomato in Britain; the face of God could be seen on the ceiling of a Tennessee church; and Elvis’s profile was sighted on a rock in Colorado.”

Two questions:  How did the folks in Tennessee determine they were seeing God’s face?  Moses only got God’s backside.  And, what’s Elvis doing in there?

I seem to recall that a partially eaten sandwich was offered on eBay because someone thought it looked like Jesus.  We all have heard reports of people flocking to sites where there was some kind of apparition on the side of a building believed to be the Virgin Mary, or to statues that seemed to be weeping.

Apparently, there is quite a fascination with this kind of thing.  Perhaps it speaks to a human appetite for the transcendent, something above and beyond the existence we have as human beings.  Maybe it is a yearning for evidence that a spiritual realm exists.  I’m not sure.  I never have seen anything such as the “phenomena” described here.

Christians are called to witness to the transcendent power of Almighty God.  We follow the One who was not confined by this life, or by the death we all must suffer.  The Holy Spirit moves among us, affecting our lives in ways largely unexplainable in earthly terms.

Maybe there really are people out there, after all, who would be receptive to a witness to what we say we believe.