Sermon 10/24

I was asked to fill in last minute at home this weekend. Enjoy!

 

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

 

As I was looking over the text for this Sunday, I read the first line of the scripture and came to the word libation, and I asked myself what does libation mean? And better yet how can you be poured out like one? So I looked it up, and discovered it meant a drink offering, an offering of wine poured over the sacrifice on the altar. The wine has two significances, one signifying a generous and joyous offering, outpouring, to God, and the second is that of the wine hitting the flame and “poof”—bigger flame, lots of smoke, and the aroma spreads everywhere.

 

As we read today’s scripture we might hear the words of Paul telling Timothy that he is resigning. The words Paul uses in the first three verses of scripture portray Paul as finishing: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” It seems as if it is evident that in this passage of scripture Paul is turning over his ministry and passing the torch of leadership over to Timothy, but when we examine the scripture further, we can see that Paul is turning everything over to God. There is nothing of resignation in the drink offering at all, but rather of joyous abandonment. Paul is not telling Timothy that he is giving up. Rather, he is saying he is “giving over” himself fully to God, even as he believes his time of departure may be near.

 

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending, along with my family and a few other members of our congregation, The Centennial Celebration of the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Isn’t that remarkable? Our annual conference has existed for 100 years, and many churches within it many years more than that. It was a pretty amazing event. Many of the local churches within our conference had tables set up with the history of their local churches displayed. There were several performances by choirs and praise bands from within the conference, and there were awards presented to the oldest members of our annual conference, in fact some of you may know Rev Hubert Foust, who was once a very active member of our congregation, was in the top three oldest clergy members of the annual conference. Perhaps one of the most spectacular parts of the event were the greeting brought from the former bishops of our annual conference. It was amazing to hear their stories, and of their leadership. The event was concluded with an address by our current bishop, Bishop Lowry. In his address, rather than dwelling on the past, he talked about the future of our church, and the things we must be doing as an annual conference to “Make Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.” He said we must let go of a future that is guided by the maintenance of an institution, and enter into a future that is guided by God, where we are convinced and convicted of the fact that God’s Grace is leading us.

 

While the bishop addressed the future of our annual conference, the day was filled with much history on the past of our annual conference. It was very interesting learning about the early Methodists who came and developed this area of Texas. At one point in history this area was vast and people were spread far apart, but ministry still happened. Disciples were made and churches grew. The Methodist movement was strong and alive back in those times.

 

At first glance, someone might interpret the Centennial Celebration of the Central Texas Conference in the same way they might interpret Paul’s words to timothy. The United Methodists of the Central Texas Conference over the past one hundred years are similar to Paul. They too have “fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith” and turned over everything to God. It might seem as if the work of the Central Texas Conference and the work of Paul is over, but it is far from it. For just as the past members of the Central Texas Conference are passing over the torch of leadership to new leaders and setting the example of turning all control over to God, Paul is doing the same things in his words this morning. Paul gives Timothy the words of encouragement to go and do likewise. Give it your all. Pour out your best. Offer it all to God with joyous abandon. Let the fragrance of the gospel spread everywhere through you.

 

But we have just examined the first half of this morning’s scripture. As Paul charges Timothy to turn over all control to God, he delivers words of assurance in doing so. Paul reminds Timothy of his time of trial and points out the fact that no one came to stand by his side. Paul tells Timothy that even though no one was there by him, the Lord was. It is in these words and this reminder that I think we, the congregation of First United Methodist Church of Mineral Wells can learn this morning.

 

This summer I took a job as an intern in the youth ministry department at Arborlawn United Methodist Church in Fort Worth. It was an amazing experience and I really enjoyed working within such a large congregation. I’m also in college now at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Because I was an intern at Arborlawn this summer, most Sundays I had to teach Sunday School over there and I attended worship there on Sundays also, and now I worship somewhere in Dallas most Sundays, so since about July 4 weekend I’ve only worshipped here in Mineral Wells a few times. I was a little bit shocked when I visited for the first time in a while Labor Day weekend to see new things in both worship services. Our casual worship service had been moved to the sanctuary with the order of worship changed slightly. Most Sundays that I attended this/that service it seemed like there were a lot of people in worship because we were worshipping in the small space of the chapel, and now the same number of people are worshipping in casual worship, but with the move to the sanctuary there is great potential for growth in this/that service. I was very surprised however when I attended our regular traditional worship service, not because the order of worship was slightly tweaked, but because there were significantly fewer people in worship. The first time I experienced the low worship attendance I felt as if the sanctuary was slightly deserted. I kept asking myself where are all of the people? Why has my congregation shrunk?

 

It is in looking around the sanctuary that I think we can all rest assured in the words of Paul, “The Lord is standing by us and giving us strength,” and “The Lord will rescue us from every evil attack and save us for his heavenly kingdom.” But my brothers and sisters in Christ because we take assurance from these words, we must also take action. We too must, “fight the good fight,” we too must, “finish the race,” and we too must, “keep the faith,” so that through us the Message might be fully proclaimed. I believe that God has great plans for our congregation and that God has great things in store for our community.

 

In November of last year I attended Exploration, an event put on by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for senior high and college age students exploring a call to Professional Christian Ministry. The worship at this event was spectacular. On the second night Bishop Sally Dyke, bishop of the Minnesota Episcopal Area, was the preacher. She delivered a phenomenal sermon and she concluded with these words which I am reminded of today, as our Annual Conference looks to the next 100 years and as this community looks to its future in ministry. Bishop Dyke concluded by proclaiming, “This is the time, this is the place, we are the people!” Today as we go from this place, let us remember these words as we are engaged in a ministry that is completely done for the glory of God, not lead by the maintenance of an institution, but lead by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, and in return we count on the fact that He is there next to us.

Amen.