Homily of Sunday, January 22, 2012 (Annual Meeting)
“From John to Jesus to the Disciples to … You and Me”
Mark 1:14-20;
The Gospel of Mark is so … practical and succinct! The first verse from the lectionary Gospel Lesson for the day of our congregation’s annual meeting starts with “now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,” … Once again, the transition from one of God’s spokespersons to the next was seamless. Just as Joshua followed Moses and as Elisha followed Elijah, so Jesus stepped into the spiritual vacuum left by his Cousin John’s arrest by King Herod. Typical of what we find in the Gospel of Mark, much is packed into just a few verses and in this instance, we then read of Jesus’ call of the first disciples. In Scripture, there is a clear succession from Old Testament prophets to John (the Baptizer) to Jesus of Nazareth to the disciples to people of faith who have lived since.
And so it is up to us. Ministry and mission on behalf of the Almighty God is our responsibility. It is our turn. John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples and millions of the faithful since passed the torch and we hear and feel the call to preach and live out the good news of the One God.
Poignantly, if not frighteningly, as churches close in Gloversville (as they are doing with all too much frequency of late), will anyone “pick up the pieces,” continue their ministries, accomplish their good deeds? While everything might not – and ought not - fall to us of the United Church of Christ, we need to re-consider and re-evaluate our role as sisters and brothers of faith. We hear the call of the Almighty to serve God’s people. The challenge is to rely on the resources and energies we have learned from our past and apply them in ways that meet the needs of people in the here and now and for the years and decades to come. This congregation has been a mainstay of this community’s spiritual life – and we are determined for that to continue!
We may be smaller in numbers than in the past. We may wish our children’s program had more participants and that new members and friends join us to, well frankly, take the place of those who have done so much in the past but are either weary or unable to continue with as much vim and vigor as before. However, we celebrate the ongoing work of our committees, boards and organizations and we are excited by the new faces that will be joining those groups with their election at this annual meeting. The mix of “new” people with fresh energy and ideas with those who are experienced in leading our church bodes well for the years to come.
So, our task as we transition from 2011 to 2012 is to continue to do what we do so well (but can always do better) … in outreach to the community’s food pantries and clothing outlets, mission in the community and around the world, worship, fellowship, teaching and sharing … adding to that new possibilities for ministry. In so doing, we will continue the succession from John to Jesus to the disciples to … you and me.
Amen.
Sermon of Sunday, October 16, 2011
For six weeks, a dozen of us – as many as thirteen – have gathered on Thursday evenings for conversations on Personality Type and Spirituality. Using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator® as a starting point, we have openly shared with each other a better understanding of “what makes us tick” the way we do, why we tend to see and respond to the world as we do … what our personalities reflect when we are rested, when we are in our “shoes off” condition and, perhaps, how we think, feel and interpret life when we are stressed, tired, or pushed to our emotional limits.