“Studying Scripture and the Issues of Christian Faith and Life” was preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on September 25, 2022. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 50:50.
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Scripture Texts:
Psalm 119:33-44
Acts 8:26-40
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What will it mean for us for all of us if the Gospel is indeed good news for all people, without exception?
There are several passages in the Bible that every time I read them, I am filled with so much hope, joy, and gratitude. The baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch as found in Acts 8 is one of them. It’s purposely provocative.
In the beginning of Acts, Jesus declares his followers will be his Spirit-led “witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When we arrive to chapter 8, Jesus’ follows have served as witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. But not so much to the ends of the earth. That is until the Word of God reaches the Ethiopian Eunuch. Now, we have a lot to cover today, so I’m going to keep the explanation of the Ethiopian Eunuch short. Here’s what we know: He’s Ethiopian, a dark-skinned man considered to be living on the fringes of the inhabited world, especially on the outskirts of the Greco-Roman world where Jesus’ ministry was building. Because he was a Eunuch, his manhood was often questioned. In fact, some would not consider him a man at all. And he was a court official, which means although he did carry some power and wealth, at the end of the day, there was a great possibility that the Ethiopian Eunuch was a slave to the queen he served.
The Ethiopian Eunuch represented the diversity of the world outside of the norm: he is powerless yet powerful, strange yet impressive, ignorant yet knowledgeable, a person who will have no future family of his own but will be the future of a growing family of followers of Jesus. And as we heard today, the Word of God was for him. The Good News of the Gospel was for him. And through him, the witnesses that Jesus promised that will go to the ends of the earth, was now just starting.
Because the Ethiopian Eunuch, a court official destined for a single purpose without a future, realized the Good News of the Gospel was also for him, it set the course for the Good News of the Gospel to be brought also to us. Because he let the Word of God form and transform him, the Word was carried to others who saw that this Word would also speak to them.
The Word of God still speaks to us today. Sometimes it is clear, and sometimes it is confusing. Some days we have answers, but most days it seems we have questions. Some days the Good News brings us joy and others it challenges us to a point of frustration. And some days we understand the Word individually, and some days we need a teacher or a community to make sense of God’s story.
This is true for all of us as members of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Good News of the Gospel is indeed for all people, of all ages and stages and identities. And it is our responsibility to make sure this Good News is understood and shared with all people; not just ourselves and our own lives.
From the Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Order:
“Membership is the Church of Jesus Christ is a joy and a privilege. It is also a commitment to participate in Christ’s mission. A faithful member bears witness to God’s love and grace and promises to be involved responsibly in the ministry of Christ’s Church. Such involvement includes: … studying Scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life.”
Such involvement includes: … studying Scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life.”
Here at First Presbyterian Church, we call our educational programs where we study Scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life faith formation.
It’s good we are talking about studying scripture and faith formation today because last Sunday, we launched our Sunday morning faith formation opportunities for all ages. From 9:50 to 10:50 a.m., between our two English-language worship services; our children, youth, and adults gathered throughout our building to study God’s Word and be formed in their faith. As I was listing the different opportunities for faith formation in worship on Sunday and using hand motions to point out where these opportunities could be found, a member said they were reminded of Genesis 28:14: “you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south.” I think this is also included in Jesus’ words when he meant his witnesses would go to the ends of the earth, or at least to the ends of our building.
And we did. Our three-year-olds to 5th grade children spread out upstairs and downstairs, our middle schoolers and high schoolers went over to the youth wing, and our adults had four options to choose from found in four corners of the building. Plus, the choir was rehearsing in the sanctuary during this time to prepare to sing in the 11:00 a.m. service, which provided an additional opportunity for our youth and adults to be formed in their faith!
Throughout the week, we had bible studies for women, men, and all genders. Some met in person and some met on ZOOM. And yesterday our confirmation students met here for a full-day retreat. As we were concluding the retreat, one of the students said, “Wow! This wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be!” which as you might know, is a pretty high compliment from an honest 8th grader.
As we spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, I found myself giving thanks for life throughout our building. In the midst of a changing church navigating a global pandemic, it has taken faithful, incredibly difficult work to provide these opportunities of faith formation. While volunteers and staff did faithful work during the pandemic to provide faith formation opportunities including many ZOOM classes, daily prayer services, groups social-distancing on the front lawn, dropping off driveway faith formation bags to families to form faith at home, and even a virtual vacation bible school; it led us to realize that faith formation at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, like many other areas of the church, was in a season of death and resurrection. What once was, was now over, for good, and there was no going back.
Last year as we were returning to in-person worship, you might remember our Session made several decisions. First, we returned to in-person worship outside either on the front lawn or in the memorial garden. Then, we were holding multiple services on a Sunday with some outside and some inside every Sunday. When we finally discerned God was calling Session to hold just inside worship services, to promote community and connection for a church family that hadn’t physically worshipped together for nearly a year, we held one worship service for all to join. After a season of that, it was finally decided to hold two English-language worship services every Sunday with a designated learning hour between the two. It was the first time in over a decade First Presbyterian Church of Allentown had a designated learning hour not at the same time as worship. There were some growing pains here and there as we navigated this great and good change, especially for families, but here we are, almost a year later after that change was made, and we are now reaping the rewards. There are multiple opportunities for children, youth, and adults of all ages and stages and identities every Sunday morning and throughout the week. There is an opportunity for people who worship in different styles to come together and study God’s Word. Families can and are encouraged to worship together; children and youth are no longer sent away from worship but are now brought front and center to be fully included in it. There is even a Happy Hour parenting group for parents to find rest, fellowship, and snacks as their children are in their classes. And as I said, there is life in our building once again, from east to west and north to south, to the ends of the earth.
Our fall theme as a church is Together: Building a Home with God. Each word in that title was given much thought. Specifically, the word building focuses on the ongoing work to be done to create and maintain healthy Christian Community. There is direct correlation between this ongoing work and faith formation, as faith formation itself is a lifelong process of transformation. Participating in this ongoing work is not just for our children and youth, but even for us as adults who live out our membership in the Church of Jesus Christ, as we are called to study Scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life. Listen to these paraphrased words of the Psalmist: “God, teach me lessons for living, so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me, my whole life one long, obedient response. Give me an appetite for your words of wisdom, invigorate me on the pilgrim way. See how hungry I am for your counsel, preserve my life through your righteous ways.”
Each of us are called to be formed in our faith because God’s Word is a sacred nourishment to our hunger of Christian discipleship. The Word provides a path of obedience and fulfillment. And the Word gives us the wisdom and courage to respond to issues of Christian faith and life as they arise; things such as justice, hospitality, tragedy, joy, and even politics. Yes, we must study scripture to inform our approach to politics, and we must do it within the Church of Jesus Christ. As we study Scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life, we are able to bring the Good news into the greater community across the city, state, country, and world through word and action.
But studying Scripture cannot be a silo in the church. It is found in our classes for children, youth, and adults but it so much more than that. Listen to how the Book of Order explains Christian Education, AKA faith formation, in the church. It’s lengthy but necessary, so bear with me:
“God calls the Church to continue the teaching ministry of Jesus Christ, guiding and nurturing one another through all the seasons and transitions of life. In particular, the church offers opportunities for education and formation as members enter the community of faith, discover Christian vocation, and assume responsibility in the world. The church’s primary standard and resource for Christian nurture is the Word of God in Scripture, bearing witness to Christ’s way of truth and life.
The central occasion for Christian nurture is the Service for the Lord’s Day, where the Word is proclaimed and the Sacraments are celebrated. Beyond the process of Christian formation that takes place in public worship, the words and actions of the service can be a particularly fruitful source of study and reflection. Therefore all members should be encouraged to be present and participate in this assembly. Educational activities should not be scheduled so as to prevent or discourage participation in this service.
The educational ministries of the church are rooted in the promises of Baptism, in which the congregation pledges responsibility for Christian nurture. The session is responsible for the development and supervision of the church’s educational programs, the instruction of ruling elders and deacons, and the discipleship of all members. The minister of the Word and Sacrament contributes to the nurture of the community through the ministries of Word and Sacrament, church school classes, the gift of prayer, and by example. Trained and certified Christian educators bring special skills and expertise in teaching to the church’s ministries of nurture and formation. The session has a responsibility to identify, encourage, and equip others who have gifts for Christian education.
The session also has a responsibility to support parents and others who seek to nurture the faith of children. Church school gatherings offer opportunities for worship, including singing, praying, and hearing the Word. These gatherings may also include occasions for self-offering and service. However, worship in the church school is not a substitute for participation with the whole congregation in the Service for the Lord’s Day.
The church provides other opportunities for Christian nurture, including: seminary instruction and continuing education; workshops on particular themes or topics; music programs and rehearsals; mission and program interpretation; meetings of committees, boards, and councils; and retreats, camps, and conferences.”
What would it look like if we embraced the Good News of the Gospel for all people, without exception, through all things?
Faith formation, worship, fellowship, mission, retreats, committee meetings, hallway conversations, and our care for one another – what if every moment here and outside of here was an opportunity to study scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life?
We are moving in this direction. And I believe as we continue to do this, we will continue to spread the Word to the ends of the earth as we act as witnesses to Jesus’ Good News. If we embraced the study of scripture in all things, we will know the Word of God is indeed Good News, even when it challenges or frustrates. And the Word of God will be spread because we will gladly share it. We will recognize that it speaks to us no matter who we are or how others measure us, and we will want to share the same good news with others. And with guidance, we will help others recognize that the good news is also for them.
How provocative.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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