Launch Sunday III Psalm 8
Mashpee May 18, 2008 Matt. 28:16-20
“Start Spreading the News”
Here’s a lesser-known fact: I chose the text and title of this sermon before the end of March in order to meet a publication deadline. To allow sufficient time to make a proof for a flier and then to print them for inserts into the “Mashpee Enterprise,” I had to select this sermon title some 7-8 weeks ago.
Now what I didn’t know is that my wife, Diane, would be gone this weekend to Maine to stay with our two grandsons while their parents headed off to New York City for a trip to celebrate a recent graduation. Our son, Sean last week received a Masters in Social Work, with honors, from the University of Maine.
The irony, of course, is that the sermon title is the first line of the song, “New York” made famous by both Lisa Minnelli and Frank Sinatra. Fred Ebb wrote the song in 1977 for a musical and the task must have come quite naturally since Fred was born and raised in New York. As well all know, the song begins with the words, “Start spreading the News.”
Baseball in New York
Since we are in the heart of Red Sox Nation, I need to bring to your attention another lesser-known fact and don’t ask me how I know this: The song, “New York, New York” recorded by Frank Sinatra is played at the end of every game at Yankee Stadium whether the Yankees win or not. Of course, for Yankee fans the song always sounds a little brighter and a little better if it is played on the heels on a win. Nevertheless, the Yankees fans being the lovers of NYC that they are, sing the song with much gusto, win or lose. After all, not even the Yankees can win them all – so let’s just sing to celebrate 26 world series wins.
A Different Kind of News
But do you know what is most fascinating about all this? We are not here this morning to talk about baseball! The “news” is not that you “can make” it in NYC. The “news” is that Jesus is looking for Disciples! I realize that baseball is more fun to talk about, but the real news to spread is that Jesus wants us to be disciples and he wants us to recruit disciples! That’s a fundamental purpose of this new congregation: to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and make new disciples. In some Christian circles we dare to speak of this as “evangelism!” Our guest and my coach, Paul Nickerson knows all about this.
So here we are on Launch Sunday #3 for our new church. We are here because some of that energy and excitement of the early church is in this very room. We are together because somewhere along our journey we caught the spirit for discipleship, or should I say that the Spirit caught us?
We are here because our brothers and sisters in the United Church of Christ shared in the vision for a new congregation in this Town. Dennis Union Church, a church I had the privilege of serving as Interim Pastor for 19 months, is represented this morning with this wonderful delegation of folks. This church has supported us generously along with many congregations in the Massachusetts Conference.
We are here as disciples in Christ because of a faithful prayer team who supported me and who continues to support all of us with their prayers. Both Julian Hall and Nelson Murphy are with us in worship this morning and how great it is to see them here! The third member of the Intercessory Prayer Team lives in Connecticut and he will be along some time to join us for worship.
We are here as disciples in Christ because of Conference leadership, most especially Paul Nickerson who joins us today in worship. Several years ago, under Paul’s leadership the Commission on Church Growth and Evangelism helped all of our Massachusetts Conference churches research the demographics of their towns. Using a company know as Percept, many churches discovered that the demographics of their communities had shifted significantly and that to continue making disciples as they had been doing, would simply not work.
With Paul’s help, the churches began to make adjustments. Many of them are now growing as “Turnaround Congegations.” Finding new disciples for Jesus takes some intentional planning and a willingness to change.
But besides helping established congregations “restart” themselves, Paul and the Commission on Evangelism and Congregational Vitality also took a look at places where we might plant new churches. The efforts have been productive: The Hispanic Commun ity Church, UCC of Boston under the leadership of Cesar and Lisa Depaz; Cesar and Lisa also serve the Hispanic Community Church, UCC, in Lowell; Hope Church in Rosindale Square, Elizabeth Myer Boulton, Pastor; Nation of Jesus Christian Center, United Church of Christ, Springfield, under Pastors Darwin and Joseline Rivera; and now, Mashpee. How did I do Paul?
What about Province Town? Will that project continue this summer?
Discipleship. All these new church starts are making disciples. This is what Jesus asks us to do.
Of course, discipleship means more than gathering for church on Sunday morning. Each congregation finds ways in its unique setting to serve the greater community. For us has come along the exciting opportunity of serving meals on Friday evenings at the Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod which is located in the new center of Town.
Friday Night Dinners
I say, “exciting opportunity” and for some this has been more exciting than for others! We who have volunteered have our stories, don’t we? On this past Friday, Bonnie, Adrienne and I served up the meal. Actually I watched Bonnie and Adrienne prepare it and I was a supervisor!
There was one night last winter that was especially memorable. Diane and I fixed pancakes and sausage for the kids. The sausage had not been taken out of the freezer so when we put them into the large pans and stuck them in the oven, they were basically hard as bricks. A little later, we discovered that one of the ovens wasn’t working so well so we had to keep turning it up and up.
Now when these sausage begin to thaw and actually start to cook, things get really messy and later when we had to put some of them on the grill because the ovens couldn’t handle the load, grease naturally made its way onto the floor. Add spilled pancake batter to the mix and you now have a virtual ice skating rink! I mean folks this meal was a disaster! It’s amazing the oven didn’t just blow up out of protest!
So, you may be wondering what this has to do with making disciples. Here’s the thing: although we do not talk with the children about the Bible and about church “stuff,” they know who we are. When they come into the kitchen to check out the evening’s menu and we can see the genuine delight over the food we are preparing, not only do we realize that the meals nourish these young bodies, we realize that sometimes the very Spirit of the Living Christ moves through us and we are planting seeds for future discipleship. This ministry for us is a true blessing. Our call to be part of the Friday night dinners in a community organization that serves over 800 children is a clear sign of validation for our being here today as a new church.
These ministries will expand as we continue to grow. New people in our congregation, formerly our Launch Team, will come to us with additional gifts and we will be called into greater service.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Just one week ago today, following the photo session for the picture on the bulletin, several women were drawn together and began discussing prayer shawls. What an appropriate thing to happen on Pentecost! Discussion of a new outreach.
In the tradition of the spontaneous speaking in tongues, the women decided right then and there to meet on Wednesday night and they did! One of the group members brought information about the Prayer Shawl traditions, where the idea started and how they are used in ministry. What a fantastic gift and how wonderful that these women were moved to gather around the special needs of people facing difficult times and needing the love and support of the Christian faith.
Discipleship. Worshipping. Serving. Sharing.
As we move toward the end of our May launch, I would like to tell you what an incredible experience this is for me, Diane and everyone who has in any way been a part of this planting. Riding the wave of the “God is still speaking” campaign of the greater church, we have arrived at this launch with truly remarkable support and launch team involvement and I thank each and every one here. Your presence is a true gift to one another; a sign of support and clear evidence of community.
The Great Commission
In his great commission, Jesus tells us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
This new church, God’s new church, is committed to this mission. As our first hymn of the day so boldly states, “We’ve a story to tell to the nations.” As we continue to grow we will figure out how to do that: by serving meals to our children, praising God every Sunday morning, knitting prayer shawls for people hungering for spiritual comfort…perhaps we will be led to follow the example of Dennis Union and go to Honduras, New Orleans, and places of unique need. Perhaps we will become intercessory prayer partners for another new church. We don’t know how all of this will unfold. But, as the saying goes, “We don’t know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.”
The future belongs to God and the mandate of making disciples belongs to us. With God’s continued love and support we will find ways through witness of many kinds and in many forms to bring new disciples and, yes, even “turnaround” disciples into the fold to be part of that glorious future.
AMEN
