| March 30, 2008
You are welcome to reflect on this message
Our text today is one of those good news/bad news stories. 1st the bad news. No longer can the church say what it once said, “Silver and gold have we none, but such as we have we give unto thee...” (Acts 3:6). After 2 millennia, the church has lots of “silver and gold.” And that’s made the church resemble the trappings of a business. Even worse, having “silver and gold” makes churches seem like they’re in need of nothing. But not the first church. That church had nothing.
Our first glimpse of the church from the fourth gospel on Easter isn’t a pretty picture. Jesus intended the church to be a universal fellowship of faith; a community of love and justice, with the welcome mat always out. As an extension of his mission, he expected it to accomplish “greater works than Jesus himself.” That’s saying something.
Alas, on Easter-night, a new day for the church and the world, Christ found the only church there was: barricaded in an upper room, shivering in fear, praying nobody would discover them before they had time to develop their alibis. John goes out of his way to portray church at its worst: disheartened, defensive, useless. It doesn’t get any worse than this.
How on earth would they advertise it? “Welcome to the church with locked doors.” Or “Come to the church with sweaty palms and timid spirits.” “We had 11 in worship this Sunday!” Modern church members complain about all that’s lacking in today’s church. Well, take a long look at this one! The very first church had nothing; not one thing to offer anybody worth having: no past, no future, no building, no budget, no financial aid, no parking lot, no preaching, no youth. It’s about as much nothing as you could get!
Well ... there was one thing. This terrified little band, huddled around each other with a chair braced against the doorknob -- didn’t have much, but it did have one thing going for it: Jesus was there. There wasn’t a single thing that people think you have to have to be a church; nothing of a physical nature. But it had the only thing that makes the church a church. That seems to be John’s point.
Because his very next story following the triumph of Christ on Easter morn, is this one about the failure of the church on Easter night. In it Christ magically “passes through the bolted door” of a destitute church. And there’s a sense in which Jesus has to do that for all churches; to enter into the anxious chambers of every congregation and fill the sanctuary with his own life, so there’ll be something worth sharing with somebody. Every church is finally like this 1st one, including our own First church. A church can have lots of things that appear successful. Paul wrote: “If we speak with tongues, and have prophetic powers to understand all mysteries, and faith to move mountains, but have not love, we are nothing.” Paul says a person without love is nothing. And John says a church without Christ is nothing.
Modern experts -- few of whom are pastors I might add -- think they know what the church needs: Mostly institutional things -- buildings, budgets and baptisms. Staff to pull it off. Property to pull it off in. All of the liturgical mascara, programmatic cosmetics, and slick marketing techniques the church growth specialists tell us we must deploy. But John says, without the living Christ, the church is a hopeless place.
Madison Avenue can tell us “what sells.” First you hire the right preacher, offer some fancy programs, sing the right songs, and “what works” in California or Dallas will work here too. Guaranteed to attract large numbers and set the church up in the entertaining business. Well John’s Gospel pulls the skin off this illusion. So does the Psalmist, who harkens back to a time when “God forsook his dwelling place at Shiloh” (Ps 78:60). Moses’ portable tent was no longer good enough. The people of God wanted to settle down and build a permanent house for God at Ephraim. They even put candle light in it for God to see by; where in the tent, God provided the light. Then a shocking discovery was made at Beth El: Some days God wouldn’t come to church! It’s amazing how sloppy God’s worship habits got to be in those Old Testament days! There were times when God didn’t show up at all. He just slept-in like folks do around here. God wasn’t in his sandalwood box, or the light around the altar, or the spooky holy of holies. What’s the point of having a place of worship for a God who won’t go to church?
That’s what happens when we get real estate on our hands. Or a “promised land” to look after; and a nice tabernacle for God to stay in. Only problem was, God wanted no part of their domestication. And the people of God are left with everything but God. The Bible calls it “Ichabod.” Which means “the glory of the Lord has departed Israel.” Some things we can do without, but this isn’t one of them. To see what becomes of a church bereft of its central presence--look at his picture of the eleven disciples, huddled in fear in a dark room, peeking anxiously through the drapes to make sure nobody gets in. Who’d want to be a part of that? A church without Jesus is hollow: devoid of meaning, lacking in purpose, barred behind a physical facade, more concerned about safety and self-preservation than a risky mission. Know any churches like that? I do. Success, by today’s standards causes everybody to ask “What works?” This is how they’re doing it at Bro. so-&-so’s church! “Silver and gold” they have plenty of what it takes to reign in all those desirable prospects out there. Why don’t we? What’s wrong with us?
Materialism hooks us and we go “church shopping” like its Walmart. Bargain hunters; for what we can get not give. Lots of leaners, few lifters; reversing the original basis for doing church. Show me somebody who looks for a church today because of its mission statement. Nobody serves God for nothing except Jesus, so we’re left with a lot of Ichabod churches!
And that brings us to the good news. The 4th gospel shows how, into this church-with-nothing, came the risen Lord with everything-it-needed to complete its mission, with no quick fixes. Into the emptiness of that tiny cloistered-community, Jesus gave it what it needed. “Well how many attend this church?” “Er, uh, 11??” “HAW! My church has 5000!” “Ya’ll are never gonna make it.” But somehow God used that unimpressive group, who took what he gave them and accomplished remarkable things. We’re still here 2000 years later, so there must be something to it.
Jesus was totally positive. He didn’t scold them for their failure to “get it.” Nor rebuke their cowardice, or relieve them of their calling. Jesus would have none of that religious “victimization.” To this church-with-nothing, God provided “peace.” Not evangelism? How do you grow a church on peace? Next he displayed his wounds so there was no doubt about who he was. Then he sent them out -- into the world, reminding them he too was sent. And breathed on them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John’s Pentecost). And lastly, he commissions them to perform “binding acts of forgiveness.” Jesus expected his church to be a grace-place. Not one thing of a physical nature. Nothing numerical. Everything spiritual/relational.
What’s Jesus thinking? “Ah, that kinda stuff will never work! You gotta have a place for somebody to come to.” Oh? “There must be programs for them to be involved in?” Is that so? “We have to take up a collection to pay the bills to pay for the place.” You don’t say? “How can we function unless we organize boards to ensure things are done properly?” Ah, I don’t see any of that here in John. And they did pretty well, I’d say. Do we not think “peace” will cut it? Just showing off some nasty wounds, that’ll never get it done! What about forgiving somebody’s sins? Jesus is calling the church to be the church. Whether it has anything or not. Because being is far more important than having.
So Jesus comes to the church-with-nothing and gives it everything it needs to be a church. Yeah, they’re unexpected things. But only the necessary things. And what Jesus gave to that church, this church can also expect from God. No protection. Lots of encouragement. He didn’t give them a single shekel! “What does it profit to gain the whole world and lose your soul?” he said. God is more interested in people than profits. Being forgiven instead of everybody being comfortable. Empathizing with one another’s wounds rather than pretending we have none. Giving peace in a world of turmoil.
One of the most meaningful worship experiences I had was when I was in AZ and so many showed up on the 1st Sunday of the month, we ran out of cups! But our Associate, pastor Cheryl was quick on her feet. She offered the empty cup to the deacons on the front row who were served last. Then she offered the cup to me, and I knew it was empty. So she “passed us the peace.” That’s all she could do because there was nothing in it.
Like the wedding at Cana, we ran out of wine! The cup was empty. Nothing but air. How can you have communion with nothing! How can you be a church is you don’t have? John shows us how. God knows we had all we needed, as long as we had the peace of Christ, that’s enough. And somehow a mistake got transformed into a holy mystery! The gospel’s redemptive theme of the cross.
In the midst of a church-with-nothing: no building, shaky commitment, few religious resources, no money, no power and lots of intimidation, he whose only tools to save the world were a towel and a basin came to give peace and forgiveness. What more does a church need? Which matters the most? “Silver and gold?” Or “the peace of Christ?” I think you know.
So, what kind of church are we going to be? Because the risen Lord still comes to our upper rooms and our empty cups and our broken bodies and our fearful hearts too. Are you disappointed? What is silver and gold on dying day? Cash can never buy the “peace of Christ.” Silver and gold is for living. But God’s peace is for dying! That is what our church tries its best to offer to all takers -- dead or alive. And that is how a church with nothing, becomes the church with everything. *Thanks to Tom Long for creative ideas in this preaching.
Pastoral Prayer:
We’re gathered not because of your miracles but because of your mercy. By touching the wounds of Jesus, St. Thomas came to belief. We look around and see many wounds and it tempts us to disbelieve. It’s hard to reconcile your grace with the injustice we live with. So we’ve become better at blaming than we have in identifying woundedness. Lord forgive us.
It’s good to know that our fear and hesitation won’t keep you from working through us. When the load gets too heavy, we just want to retreat behind locked doors. To get away from the disappointment and frustration. The gospel says Jesus left us, but he didn’t leave us alone. Anytime peace dispels anxiety, anytime we feel the impulse to serve somebody or hold them accountable, we feel your Spirit breathing upon us.
You come not hiding your scars, but in gentleness not accusations, so we can leave our hiding places. All you ask is that we believe. But believing doesn’t come easy in this kind of world. A little bit of Thomas lurks within us. We who have not seen are trying hard to believe. That’s why we’re here.
Throughout this Easter Season, grant us sharp minds and warm hearts as a seedbed for a growing faith, so that we might see clearly and serve well. We bless you O God, for the risen Christ, who makes this possible and for our church which makes it hopeful. In his name we pray...Amen.
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