Unique Opportunity
First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa
October 27, 2013
Rev. Bill Trump

171 years ago, a group of people gathered, in faith, to covenant with each other to form The First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa. What a wonderful Sunday to celebrate, too, the efforts of people like Tony and Lisa Rambo, who are building their new church, on the same foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, as did the founders of this church. We are here to encourage and support these young church planters in their efforts, even as we build upon the foundation laid for us here in Wauwatosa.

In New York City, in the eighties, Mayor Ed Koch used to begin all his press conferences with the now infamous line, "How’m I doin’?" This would also work for us this morning: "How are we doin'? There is an immediate reason at hand for us to ask this question today. In your mailbox this week you should have received a pledge card for the coming year. It's a good time to ask pertinent questions about how, where, and why we, as a congregation, are doing –– and where we are in this moment of time and our history.

A congregation is “a community of faith in which people have made a covenant with God and with each other.” In some ways, we are like a family, except that we have a unique opportunity to learn how to live with people whom we do not choose, but are given, by the grace of God. Our fidelity and faithfulness to those whom we are given is a powerful reminder to us of the faithfulness of God, who sticks with us no matter what happens in our lives.

Paul reminded the Corinth congregation of such faithfulness in our reading today, as he urged the people to agree with each other, and pleaded that there be no dissension among them, but that they be united in the same mind and judgment, for the sake of Jesus Christ.

It's good to remember his words today. Not because we want everyone to agree on everything; in this congregation, that would be tragic. There is, however, a unity in our diversity. Paul's words serve as a reminder to us, of what is most important to any congregation's existence and identity… to remember that we are the manifestation of the Body of Christ on earth. We can be different in background and upbringing, have different reasons for coming to church, and possess a variety of beliefs and theologies; but, in Paul's words, "we all belong to Christ."

When we remember who we are –– through baptism and confession –– then anything can happen. When we are gathered as the Body of Christ, something can be at work which is not of our own making. Miracles can happen. Two and two can equal five. Forgiveness and acceptance can be felt. The Spirit can hover among us with sighs too deep for words. Laughter can be heard, and hope can be expressed and experienced, in visible, tangible ways. Sorrow and grief can be carried for one another and even transformed into deep joy. A passion for justice, and the human instinct for peace can be expressed and multiplied, when a community truly lives out love for God and commitment to be the Body of Christ.

I know of no other human experience that is as gratifying, and as whole-making, as when people are truly committed to living as the Body of Christ in human community. At our best, with our deepest desires, and even at our worst, this is what we are attempting to do at The First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa.

It is with this deep conviction of our love for God, and our desire to be Christ’s presence, that we turn our attention toward the pledge you are being asked to make. For those of you who are visiting with us today, think of this as a family getting together and figuring out what they can afford to do next year. In this family, we wish to maintain much of what we have done in the past, but a desire to vision and dream for the future has also been expressed. This is Good News, because I believe we are a church that can participate in this new world that surrounds us, rather than merely holding on to past or present glories.

Our pledges represent our hopes and dreams. It is a time when we must dare to step out and to take a few risks. Lyle Schaller, a nationally renowned consultant for churches, has written that the congregations who are not only surviving, but thriving, are those who are willing to take risks and to be open to innovation, creativity, new ideas and change. He calls upon congregations to remember that tomorrow will not be a carbon copy of yesterday, so we must design new ministries to reach and create new communities within communities.

I believe this year is one where we must have a willingness to dream for a new time. There are significant challenges that lie before us.

The first is the emphasis on continuing the positive directions of our Christian Education and Youth programs. With the challenges of this changing world, we need to invest our time and resources in passing along the Christian faith to a new generation in new and exciting ways.

The second challenge for us, as a congregation, is to accept and appreciate the wonderful foundation that has been laid for us in this church . . . but to stop ourselves from simply trying to recapture the past and begin to think creatively about ministry to a whole new generation.

This last week, I had the opportunity to gather with 12 leaders of The Congregational Foundation. This is a group which seeks to promote and preserve the Congregational Way through financial support of our national association. During our time together, we looked at trends in the Christian church, and the Congregational Church –– and it scared me. The trends of church attendance, and membership, and the diminishing financial resources, would suggest the church is on its way out! If we continue to try the same old things in the same old way –– and to then still expect different results, we are simply fooling ourselves.

The third challenge that lies before us, as we consider our pledges for next year, is to not only seek to maintain the quality of our worship, but to grow that vital part of our life together, as we reach out to this new world around us. The music ministry here at The First Congregational Church is truly a source of pride. We are blessed to have outstanding musicians who share not only their talent, but their faith, through their music in our worship. We are doing so much with music now, and even more is possible. Our commitment to “reaching out through music” is vital as we move forward.

Now is the time for this church to take some risks and invest in the future. We are engaged in a challenging time that threatens the church’s very existence in this country. There comes a time in the life of any organization, including the church, when taking bold steps is an investment for the future. I believe we have arrived at this juncture in our life together.

As you fill in your pledge for 2014 you are being asked to consider our future in terms of our commitment to our dreams.

Personally, I have been nurturing a little seed of hope for our future as a church. I pray that the pledges we make will reflect a confident desire to step out in faith, trying new directions, and investing in building a future for our children.

I hope you will invest in that hope too.

Phillips Brooks affirmed that “the ever-living Christ is the never-dying church.”

This is an astounding claim –– and today, we have a real challenge, and a call to respond to the ever-living God, in this never-dying church.

Amen.