Evangelism Today

 “Evangelism Today” was preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on August 29, 2021. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 35:40.

--

Scripture Text:
Acts 19:1-7

--

On the day of my ordination as a minister of word & sacrament, caution tape was draped over both sides of the pulpit.

The kind you would find at a construction site or a crime scene. You know what I’m talking about. It’s a universal sign we understand: “Warning. Beware. Proceed with caution.”

And although some of you might beg to differ, the caution tape was not there because of me or my ordination. Rather, it was part of the theme of the sermon series in the sanctuary of the community of faith that raised me. Similar to the school supplies that decorate our chancel and table that serve as a visual emphasis to our worship experience this day; ivy, flowers, and caution tape decorated theirs. It was a part of their Lenten theme that year.

So my service of ordination was decorated with caution tape, something so odd and unique and yet so perfectly fitting. The minister even started her sermon that day referencing the caution tape, saying exactly that, how odd and unique and perfectly fitting it was for a service of ordination because ministry – ministry was not something to be entered into lightly. “Warning. Beware. Proceed with caution.” 

You all know this firsthand. You sang it earlier, “Spirit, open my heart, to the joy and pain of living.” You all, out of the call that God placed on your heart, have continued in your ministry. Despite departures and transitions, despite pandemics and politics, despite divisions and disappointments, despite name-calling and way too much bullying; we have continued forward with our ministry together.

The caution tape would have been fitting for this past year and a half.

It’s been hard. Real hard. But we did it. By the grace of God, we did it. And I don’t think we are stopping anytime soon. Even despite how hard it may get.

I don’t think God will let us. Actually, I know that. God won’t stop, and God won’t let us stop either.

Every day we move forward to keep up with the Holy Spirit who is at work in this world; full speed ahead. No caution for the Spirit; just encouragement for us to keep up.  And the occasional dragging when we need it.

For how difficult ministry is, it’s important to remember that we are only participants in it. God is the real agent of change. Think about it. In moments of baptism and ordination, we clergy and members participate but it is God who transforms. We sprinkle the water. We lay on our hands. But it God who baptizes and claims; it is God who lifts up and ordains. It is God who seals those acts to make them holy and lasting and enduring… And there is no undoing what God has done.

This is so very important; this is the message we must trust with our full being.

As Presbyterians, we have a theology that says we cannot undo what God has done. From the very beginning of time and every moment since, God chose you as God’s beloved. This claim is made visible to us in our baptisms. There is not a single thing that we or another can do to remove us from this claim. There is not a single thing that can separate us from God’s love.

Do you hear this message? Do you understand this message? Not a single thing can undo what God has done, and what God has done is love you. What God does is love you. What God will do is love you.

Parents – this is an especially important message for you to tell your children. Take a moment and tell them now. There is not a single thing that will ever separate you from God’s love. 

There is not a single thing that will ever separate you from God’s love.

Are we starting to understand why Paul emphasized baptism in the name of Christ? Paul, from our passage today, needed the new disciples to understand that their baptism in the name of John was not the same as a baptism in the name of Christ. That a baptism in the name of a human was not the same as a baptism in the name of the Spirit.   

Paul needed this new crew of disciples to understand that now that the Spirit has come to them, the Spirit will never leave them, no matter what hardship they might approach in the days ahead. Even here, Paul and the disciples are only participants in this holy moment, but it is God who is the agent of transformation. It is a baptism done in the name of Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit that descends upon them. And as we know, we cannot undo what God – or Christ or the Spirit – we cannot undo what God has done.

We are only participants in ministry, but it is God who is the agent of change.

I want you to think about that now in terms of evangelism, or the spreading of the Christian Gospel through Word and Witness in hopes to make others disciples of Christ.

We are only participants in evangelism, but it is God who is the agent of change.

As Presbyterians, we sometimes get a bad rap when it comes to evangelism. We believe that it is God who chooses us and not the other around, which means we tend to use that as our scapegoat when evangelizing to others, or really when not evangelizing to others. And also, our denomination and our church, tend to be extremely respectful of our ecumenical and interfaith relations, which is a really good thing! And yet the commandment by Christ is still there: “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.”

Which is exactly what Paul did in our passage. He copied Jesus and found new disciples and baptized them in the name of Christ. Jesus, during his earthly life, found the most diverse crew.  His disciples were Jewish and Greek, tax collectors and zealots; some were fishermen and some were rich.  And with the addition of Mary and Martha and others, they were women. Jesus even recruited his betrayer.

So then Paul does the same. He makes a choice. Paul will go Ephesus, which is the fourth largest city after Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch. There, in this large and important city, he will find the most diverse people and cultures. And he does. He comes across a group of disciples who are believers but have yet to receive the Spirit because they do not know the Spirit. They are hungry for it; thirsty for it. They ask questions and then they are baptized. Of course, we see that Paul lays his hands over them but once again, we know it is not Paul serving as the agent of change here but rather, it is the Spirit that descends upon them that confirms the love of God and the grace of Jesus in their lives.

I think about what this means for us today; about what evangelism should look like today.

A few weeks ago I officiated the wedding for my cousin and his now wife at a small ELCA church in rural North Dakota. And when I say, rural, I mean North Dakota rural. More cows than people. 

But this church -- This church is one of my happy places. While interning as a chaplain at a summer camp, I preached for the very first time at this church. Their minister at the time, who is still a friend and mentor in ministry, invited me to do so. I was a first year seminary student with lots to learn, but she gave my voice a place to preach the Word of God. I preached twice that summer! When I preached in this church again at my cousin’s wedding, it was a homecoming of sorts 8 years later.

I also know this. This particular ELCA church, which ELCA is the equivalent to the PCUSA church in the Lutheran denomination, this particular ELCA church is not ready to call an LGBTQ+ minister. It’s a place that would not call me or someone like me. But three times I’ve been invited to preach there because their minister and now my cousin and his wife thought that the people of this particular place and time needed to hear the Word of God through the voice of an LGBTQ+ pastor. 

That is what evangelism looks like today.

Evangelism looks like a female head of staff and pastor serving alongside women elders and deacons because we know the holiness and power of women voices as a part of God’s voice, from the moment they were the first to preach the resurrection to this day where their very presence in leadership faithfully defies the churches in this area who silence their calling.

Evangelism looks like the lifting up and listening of youth and young adult voices – people in their teens, twenties, and thirties – as they serve as our elders and deacons and volunteers because we see and believe in a God who calls all into service and can work through them through their experiences, especially those who are still young.

Evangelism looks like black lives matter signs outside of a church because scripture and our confessions require us to seek justice and serve the marginalized because we know our world and its system still oppress and murder black, indigenous, and people of color lives at a rate that is not synonymous with the lives Jesus intended for all of God’s children.

Evangelism looks like a community of faith hosting a booth at Pride because the Church – the big C church – the church all our communities of faith are a part of – have caused so much damage and self-hatred within the LGBTQ+ community that moments of saying “I’m sorry for what we have done” and “God celebrates and loves who you are” are life-changing and life-saving.

Evangelism looks like a magic carpet in the front of a sanctuary where children can gather. Evangelism looks like reminding your child every day that nothing will ever separate them from God’s love. Evangelism looks like welcoming the sounds, noises, and voices that come with children in worship, even if it’s distracting. Evangelism looks like a backpack tag that boldly and simply declares the most important message: “You are loved.”

Evangelism looks like intentional allyship, knowing that each of us have special powers and relationships to challenge a system which may include family and friends we love that still makes some people “less” than others because we know Christ tells us we must serve the least of these, even if it’s hard.

Ministry is hard. “Warning. Beware. Proceed with caution.”

But at the end of the day, in all of this, we are only the participants. We show up. We do what we can. We preach and we teach and we serve and we love. But it is really God at work in these moments; it is God who is the agent of change. It is God who is leading the way.

This is what God is doing here at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown. And nothing can undo what God has done.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

This Summer

“This Summer” was preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on July 11, 2021. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 34:40.

--

Scripture Texts:
Acts 3:1-16

-- 

“We do not see things are they are. We see things as we are.” This Talmudic quote from Rabbi Schmuel Ben Nachnami notes that seeing is not always vision. What we see in life is more than what the eye beholds. A person or circumstances right in front of us can be merely the surface of someone or something more profound.

Let me explain.

If you ever want to shock someone, when they ask you what you do for a living, tell them you are a gay pastor. This will be shocking to that person because most of you are not gay nor a pastor.

So you might just have to take my word for it. But when I tell a stranger that I am a gay pastor, 4 out of 5 times the person responds in shock. There’s usually follow-up questions! Non-churched adults, especially those who grew up in the church but no longer have any church connection, are often surprised that one can be both gay and a pastor. Radical, right?! It’s a great conversation starter.

I think the shock also comes from when they ask what I do for a living, they don’t assume to see a gay pastor before them, whatever a gay pastor looks like. Unless I am wearing a rainbow stole or my preacher’s robe, both of which I have, I don’t think most people would put two-and-two together and assess I must be a gay pastor by my appearance. And not like it matters anyway.

Actually, in fact, a former clergy colleague of mine once criticized my appearance as a pastor saying he, “could never do the Lord’s Work in clothes as comfortable as mine.” (I was wearing button up and chinos). Fortunately he said it in front of two of my former church members, who knew my character and ability, and said, “If Pastor Taylor ever visited us in the hospital wearing a full suit and tie, we’d be thinking we were on our death bed needing to say good bye to our loved ones right then and there.”

As if pastors have one way to dress… as if any of us do.

How do people perceive you when they see you? Can they tell if you’re a teacher or a doctor or an engineer? How about if you’re a parent or a grandparent? What do they look like? What’s their uniform?

By what you’re wearing right now, or how or where you’re sitting, or the items you brought with you, could any of us tell what your hobbies are or where you’re from or your plans for the rest of the day? By looking at you, could I criticize your deepest faults or share your greatest gifts? Would I be able to know your full story?

The answer is no. “We do not see things are they are. We see things as we are.”

Anything I say about you based off appearance alone is only a projection of myself onto you.

Each of you are something more than the human eye can see. And each of us are more complex than any of us in a solo understanding can comprehend.

This summer we are focusing on the book of Acts as part of our summer theme: “One Worship, One Church: A Summer of Being Together.” If you joined us for worship two weeks ago or had a chance to view that service at a different time, you would have heard a conversational sermon preached by the three pastors. That sermon, which launched our summer theme, was inspired by passages found in the opening chapters of Acts: chapters 1 and 2.

Immediately following the ascension of Jesus, the early followers of the Way were told to wait until the Holy Spirit would descend upon them with power. This must have been incredibly difficult as after witnessing the resurrection of Christ, I’m sure all the disciples wanted to do was to go out into the world to preach the Gospel and serve their neighbors. But they were told to wait. And so they did.

Then, during Pentecost, the Spirit of Power did descend upon them and the early church was created. To build and expand the church, the disciples did simple but holy things. If you remember, the early church in the 2^nd chapter, the period right after the moment of Pentecost, the early church “followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved” (Acts 2:46-47).

That’s what we’re doing this summer. We’re focusing on building community, and we’re doing it through simple but holy things: one worship service, a variety of music, intentional fellowship every week, and food and fun to share with one another.

If you read my Eblast letter from Thursday, you know how I feel about this summer. Grateful is exactly the word. In general, I like what I see, because we’re together after over a year of not being together.

But even this summer, there is something more happening than the human eye can see. To believe this, we must have faith.

Think of the early church. There was something more there too.

Our passage for today immediately follows the verse I quoted earlier that was a part of the conversational sermon preached two weeks ago. The early church is still worshipping daily, enjoying the simplicity of just being together as one body.

Peter and John, two of Jesus’ original disciples during his earthly life, are now living out the resurrected and now ascended Christ’s command of going out and making disciples of all nations.  Outside of the temple, as part of their daily visit, they see a man who had been lame from birth. The man calls to Peter and John and asks for alms of silver and gold. But Peter takes the hand of the man, raises him up, and commands the man to “stand up and walk” in the name of Christ. And so the man does. He stands up. He walks. And then he starts jumping and leaping and praising God.

The story is similar to a healing performed by Jesus. Remember the story of the paralytic man being lowered by friends through a hole on a roof so that he would be placed at the feet of Jesus to be healed? There too, a man once lame, was healed and was able to walk and jump and praise God. This is found in Mark 2.

Both stories feature the healing power of Christ. This is important. Peter makes it very clear to the crowd that he did not heal the man; it was Jesus and faith in his name that made this man walk again.

But there is a difference in these stories as well. When Jesus heals the paralytic man, he does so by forgiving the sins of that man. He acknowledges the man as a sinner and then he forgives him. As our perfect judge and redeemer, Jesus has the authority and the power to do so. To name the sins of the marginalized in addition to the sins of those in power with the promise of his forgiveness.

But in our story from today, there is something more than meets the eye.

Peter never names the sins of the lame man as he heals him in the name of Christ. Instead, Peter turns to the crowd, to the Israelites who are just like him, and names their collective sin; their sin of sentencing Jesus to death and he calls them all to repent.

First, don’t let any of us twist this into an anti-sematic passage. Peter, a Jewish man and follower of the God of his Jewish ancestors, is preaching to a Jewish crowd, followers of the same God through their Jewish ancestors. This crowd that Peter is preaching too is also most likely not the same crowd that gathered before Pilate the day Jesus was sentenced to death. But yet this is a collective truth and a collective responsibility. Peter calls the crowd – those worshipping in the temple every day as well as himself – to repent. And then Peter gives them the opportunity to do so.

Peter holds himself and his worshipping community accountable. This idea isn’t new to us.  With more media attention to injustices across our world and country, we know we too are called to hold each other accountable. White people holding white people accountable. Men holding men accountable. Straight, cisgender people holding straight, cisgender people accountable. This is our responsibility.

But what if this summer and moving forward, we as a community of faith hold each other accountable? Not out of piety or superiority over another, but instead rooted in our faith in Christ and our call to be a community with one another.

Do we believe the Spirit could intervene if we are forthcoming with the ways in which we fall short?  Do we believe the Spirit would heal if we were honest about our ailments and our areas of concern? Do we believe something more is at work? Something more than we can see with our own eyes…

What does accountability look like during a summer of “One Worship, One Church: A Summer of Being Together”? What if the accountability is as simple as the simplicity of the responsibility we have this summer? How do we stay accountable to worshiping together and breaking bread together, and generally enjoying it as we do?

I think it can be as easy as one, two, three.

One, each of us need to first and foremost hold ourselves accountable. Let each of us commit to this time of experimentation and discernment in our community of faith. Try to be here every Sunday and be intentional about your time here. Sing the music, pray the prayers, and enjoy the time in fellowship. Participate and be engaged. We’ll get more of out of all of this when we do.

Two, find joy and gratitude in at least one aspect of worship every Sunday. Write it down if you would like. Make that your number one takeaway and focus on that joy. Maybe you liked a song a line from the sermon. Maybe you saw a friend you haven’t seen in awhile or maybe you met someone new. Maybe the most joyful thing was worshipping in your pajamas that day or maybe it was the first time this week you got to experience a sabbath. Find that at least one piece of joy or gratitude and then share it with someone. That’s a healthy way to hold others accountable; by sharing your joy and asking them to share theirs. Positivity is contagious.

And three, speaking of holding others accountable, find your people – your inner circle; the people most like you – and hold each other accountable. Even directly if needed. For example, let’s say you belong to a circle of friends that believes Sunday worship is best when Stephen wears a bowtie. On the days he wears his bowtie, I’m sure you and your circle go find each other and say just “how lovely that polka dot” pattern was! And on the days that Stephen doesn’t wear a bowtie, maybe some in the circle complain that worship wasn’t at meaningful because we didn’t get to appreciate the dashing design around his neck. If this happens… and it is bound to happen, whether it’s about bowties or music, children or chairs, when someone in your circle who has similar beliefs, opinions, and preferences as you; if and when someone in your circle might complain, kindly and compassionately redirect them back to the joy and gratitude. The positive takeaway you promised to focus on that week.

There is something at work here that is more than any of us understand. Let us live in response to God who we know is at work in all of this, whatever it might look like and what ever may come from it. Maybe – just maybe – if we spend a summer of empowering another, our faith in Christ and our call to be a community will make us whole again. I believe that it can.

I think this summer is a summer is letting the Spirit do her work. It’s a summer of believing Christ can do anything… and that Christ will do something. It’s a summer of repentance and a summer of healing. It’s a summer of intentional faith and fellowship. It’s a summer of being together.

There is more to this summer than the human eye can see. Thanks be to God for that. Amen.

--

The Other Side

 “The Other Side” was preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on June 20, 2021. This was my sermon of the two sermons preached by me and one of my colleagues that day. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 43:10.

--

Scripture Texts:
Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
Mark 4:35-41

--

Two years ago to this day, I was on the Isle of Iona in Scotland on a pilgrimage with a handful of other young adults. We were there to retreat and worship with the ecumenical worshipping community of Iona, which some of you have learned about from our recent Thursday prayer services. Now the weather in Scotland in mid-June is mostly drizzling rain; constantly wet but not terrible. You actually get used to it. But this day was a little different. This day was different. It was different because that day it was pouring. Not only were we just wet; we were soaked to the bone. And this was before the day even had completely begun because this day we had something special planned. We were going on a boat tour… on the one day in Scotland it was pouring.

As we arrived at the boat, we could already see the waves crashing aggressively, making all the boats in the harbor aggressively go up and down, side to side. After giving us oversized rubber yellow ponchos to where, not that it mattered as we were already soaked by the rain -- After giving us oversized rubber yellow ponchos to where, I remember two rules that went over before the tour. One, feel free to climb to the upper deck where one would sway from the waves for the full “storm-in-a-boat” experience, but make sure you hang on tight to the handles lest you fly overboard. And two, feel free to huddle under one of the benches and hug a bucket if the storm is too much for you, but make sure hang out tight to that bucket lest its content soon become you or your neighbor’s newest outfit.

Fortunately for me, getting sea sick is not my affliction, and so a friend and I headed to the upper deck. Through wind and rain, we flew through the air, being tossed up and about by the boat racing through the storm. No weather would stop this vessel from crossing to the other side. And I admit, I felt no fear; only exhilaration.  But this physical experiencing of a storm while in a boat was a perfect metaphor for another moment I was currently experiencing.

You see, right before I left for Scotland for two weeks, a Mr. Chip Layfield, chair of the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee from First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, reached out to me saying a friend recommended the committee reach out to me and ask for me to apply for their Pastor for Youth and Faith Formation position. One of the very last things I did days before I left for my pilgrimage was send the APNC my application and resume. And I think just moments before I left for trip was we scheduled a time for my first interview with the team.  And for some reason, I think I knew in my heart of hearts, that no matter the outcome, that first conversation would be life-changing.

You see, every great moment of transition in which we are called to “go across to the other side,” whatever that other side may be, feels like there’s a storm we must navigate first. And that’s terrifying.

The moments before you marry your partner. Buying a house for the first time. Interviewing for the dream job. The birth of a child. Making a great move across the country. The death of a parent. Figuring out what to do in retirement. Graduating high school and figuring out what to do next. Navigating a pandemic. Staying with a church as it experiences an identity crisis. All of these moments have storms to cross. And for us, these storms are becoming quite familiar.

And although we weather through these storms together, we each have our own reactions to it. I think of our high schoolers. Those who graduation experience was nothing like ours. Our 2020 and 2021 graduates graduated in a pandemic, with virtual classrooms and mask requirements. With sports and productions always on risk of being cancelled because another student or teacher becomes sick. What did our students lose this year? And why did they continue to push to get to that other side? What can we learn from them?

At the very least, we must admire our students and learn from their journey. Because every day journeyed toward the “other side” – the what is to come. Every day our students crossed a barrier that had been built. Their strength and courage literally broke down the walls that were built to stop them in their tracks.

This story in the Gospel of Mark tells of a Savior who journeyed to the other even in a storm because when the Word became Flesh and shared in our humanity, Christ knew that his creation – humankind – would journey through storms of our own throughout our lives.

This year has a been a storm. The pandemic. Systematic racism. Political tension. Riots and uprisings. Murders and mass shootings. And a church that is figuring out its role in all of it.

Our students face another journey ahead of them – the what is to come. And so do we. Each of us, whether we like it or not, are on this boat in the storm. Some of us may feel the call to go the upper deck and embrace the full experience. And some of us may need to huddle under one of the benches just to stay healthy and sane. Each response is valid. No matter how we weather this storm, Christ is there with us.

Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of Mark following the stormy boat ride to the other side is full of stories of compassion, of healing, of feeding, of inclusion, of radical hospitality. The other side is a drawing of the kingdom of God here on earth. And we too are called to be a part of that kingdom.

So as we continue to navigate – to sway and to brace – the storms in our lives; what will our other side look like? Will there be more compassion, less consumption, more simplicity, less profit-taking, more neighborliness, less racism? Will there be more grace and less criticism? Will there be more community and less hierarchy? Will there be more love and less hate? Will the other side we are journeying toward be the kingdom of God like it is intended to be?

Are you willing to go there? God as guide; hang on tight. We’ll get through this. After all, we follow a Savior who even the wind and the sea obeys. Thanks be to God. Amen.

--

2021 Statements of Faith Sermon

 The “2021 Statements of Faith Sermon” was professed at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on June 6, 2021 by twelve confirmation students using excerpts from their own individually written faith statements. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 32:44.

--

Rev. Taylor Hall

This past year we had twelve of our ninth graders enroll in the confirmation program. They came together to learn more about the Presbyterian tradition and build a confidence in their own beliefs. We did this program virtually for nearly the entire year. It was also a time for our youth to discern whether they want to join the Presbyterian Church as full adult members. The twelve students before you have made the faithful request to join the church! And we get to celebrate it as we as a community return to the sanctuary for the first time in over a year.

Today we get the joy of seeing the Spirit at work as we hear our young people profess their faith before us. As part of confirmation, each of our ninth graders had to write a statement of faith. Through excerpts from each of their statements, you are about to hear one collaborative, cohesive, confirmation profession of faith.

As they profess their faith before you today, listen to the Word of God through their voices and their beliefs. Hearing them state what they believe about who God is and what God has done for us is the highest form of thanks and praise. And that is what Psalm 138 is telling us to do: to give God our thanks and praise!

The Lord will fulfill God’s purpose in each of us. The love of the Lord endures forever. Listen for the work of Christ’s hands in our confirmation students this day. Let us praise the Lord!

--

Ella

I believe that confirmation is an important part in my life that I will remember forever. I feel that I am ready to take this next step in my faith journey. Confirmation class has allowed me to open up my faith and really think deep into my relationship with God.

I believe in God and that God is the trinity. I believe in God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. God presents himself in many ways through the Holy Trinity. I believe that Jesus is the son of God who lived to spread God's word and died by sacrificing himself for our sins. Jesus is the “Christ, the Messiah.”. I believe that this means that Jesus is the leader or savior of the people. Jesus sets an example for us on how we are supposed to live by following God's word. The Holy Spirit is a reminder to us that God is always with us. I believe that the Holy Spirit guides us to God when we start to stray away from him and his word.

--

Tommy

God is one God in three - the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe each of this trinity represents a different aspect of God. First, I believe the Father represents the perfect all-powerful being, the lord of heaven, the one we think of when we hear “God”.

I believe in God. God is omnipotent, all powerful. God is omniscient, all knowing. God is omnipresent, always with us. God is within all of us, guiding our lives and our universe. I also believe in reason. I believe that God guides us to and through wisdom and God wants us to learn for ourselves and from our mistakes.

--

Maddie

Jesus was the son of God who spread God’s word to us all and helped form Christianity. We call Jesus “Christ, the Messiah” because he was our spiritual leader and savior. Calling him Christ signifies that he is connected to God. He was the savior of mankind. Jesus lived as a preacher of the word of God. He found 12 apostles and they all traveled across the country to spread God’s word. He lived trying to understand his role and gift in life. He was there as a guide and teacher for everyone. Jesus died for our sins on the cross. Resurrection can be described as rising from the dead. To us, Jesus was resurrected when he rose from the dead. When we die, we go to heaven. The easter story gives us hope that in the future people will still have faith in God and in Jesus Christ.

--

Mandy

I believe that the Holy Spirit is here to guide us through life and create a plan for our lives. The Holy Spirit is alive in our world today because of the constant guiding through life that the Holy Spirit continues to show. I have felt the Holy Spirit throughout many times in my life. I can feel the Holy Spirit's presence most when I am praying or during confusing times in my life. The Holy Spirit guides me through my entire life and I believe that the Holy Spirit knows me well and is able to give me power, truth, and strength, in times of need.

--

Brett

I believe that the Bible is the word of God and it teaches us as Christians to be kind, loving, and caring. My favorite bible passage is “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”. I think it emphasizes the importance of trusting God’s love over our own thoughts. I believe that mission and outreach is a way of spreading the word of God while also giving in a robust and literal fashion. It is a meaningful way of honoring God’s teachings to love thy neighbor. We can love our neighbor by being kind and caring, and by respecting their beliefs.

--

Lucas

The Bible to me is a book full of knowledge and teachings that can be used in our present day. These lessons show me how to be a true Cristian. If I am ever troubled about something, the Bible has the answer. The thing that I enjoy the most about the Bible is how it’s teaching can still be taught 2,000 years later. The Bible will always be special, it is the light in the darkness for me.

As I look to the future, I believe that God will guide me down the right path, through both hardships and times of great happiness. When I struggle, I believe that God has a plan for me. When I am happy, I will pause and give thanks to God for all the blessings he has provided me. Proverbs Chapter 3, verses 5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

--

Josh

A sin is an act or behavior that is considered to be breaking what God and Jesus believe to good for all people or to go against God’s expectations. I believe some people sin because they don’t think it will affect others and sometimes they don’t think it through all the way. Some people may not have been taught right from wrong in their lives and don’t know any better. I believe there is evil in the world because some people have mental problems and don’t get the help they need. And also that some people don’t think about others and how their actions may affect others. I often ask myself what God is doing about evil and how God could have been present in times when mass shootings happen or people dying during the pandemic. I struggle with this question and not sure anyone knows the answer to that. I believe that there are more good people than bad in the world. My mom always tells me to look for the people helping others in the bad situations. There are always those good people out there willing to help.

--

Olivia

The Bible says to love your neighbor as yourself. I believe mission and outreach are important for us to do, so we can share with our neighbors. Mission and outreach are when we go out into our community and share our faith with each other. I believe you can show love to your neighbors by giving back and helping one another. I have shown love to my neighbors when I have helped with various mission mornings as well as volunteering for VBS. We live in a Christian community so we can share our faith, pray together, and support one another.

--

Ashley

Mission and outreach are opportunities to go into the world and support fellowship with and be examples of God. I can help people in my daily life and provide support and love in every opportunity available to me. We should love our neighbors because you never truly know what someone is going through and it is God’s work to be kind to one another. We live in a Christian community to unite with each other and celebrate Him. When I join, I will be committing to the unification of love and God within the church. I like being a part of a church because it makes me feel like I belong somewhere. It gives me a sanctuary to go to no matter what.

--

Nash

The Church's mission is to carry out and continue the work of Jesus Christ on Earth. Community outreach is an essential part of a church's mission to be “salt and light” to those around them. Love other people more than yourself. By doing kind things in the world like saying nice things to people and doing favors for people.

Christian communities are important for our happiness and growth. Worshipping, going on missions and doing other church events.

The two Sacraments are Christian rites recognized as of particular importance and significance. Baptism is a symbol of being cleared of your sins, dying, and rising with Christ. Remembering Christ and he went over his promises with his people. Jesus loved us so much that He gave His body and blood for us when we take the Lord’s Supper.

--

Sam

I believe that my relationship with God is similar to my relationship with my family. I love God with all my heart. I believe that prayer is when you take a moment to talk to God about things you are going through. This is when I can talk and I know He is listening. My faith journey is far from over but I will continue to pray and learn.

I believe that our spirit goes to live with God when we die. The Easter story gives us hope because it is proof that when Jesus died, his soul went to heaven with God, and all of his pain was gone.

--

Victoria

I feel like my relationship with God is a friendship. He is someone I can always count on. You should always be able to turn to your friends just like we turn to God. Real friends are there for you in good moments and bad moments and God is always there for me no matter what is happening in my life. God will not leave me just like a true friend should not leave you.

The Bible gives us much advice on how to live our lives as humans in God’s world. The Bible tells us to live a simple life and do good to all. We should forgive each other and ourselves, just like God and Jesus forgave us and continue to forgive us when we make mistakes.

--

Ella

I want to be confirmed because I want to continue growing in my faith and learn more about the Presbyterian church. I do not believe that confirmation is the end of my faith journey but in fact is a step in the right direction to growing in my faith.

--

Tommy

I believe that I am still in the first steps of my journey of faith. I do not fully understand God, nor does anyone, but I want to be confirmed into this joyful community of Christianity under God so I can better strengthen my community and better serve God.

--

Maddie

I want to be confirmed because I want to continue learning about my faith and continue on my faith journey so that I can continue to develop my Christian values and continue to be a part of a church who’s beliefs, purpose, and values are similar to mine. I believe in family and not only my immediate family but also the family that I have at church and I will continue to support them as they support me.

--

Mandy

Being confirmed is a way for me to grow closer to God and build a stronger relationship with him and my own faith journey. I have always wanted to be confirmed and be able to begin the journey of my faith in a more educated way. The rite of this passage is showing to me how I still have a lot to learn about God and our congregation/church family. I want to be a member of this church because of how much I would like to grow in my faith journey and grow closer to God. I will continue to go to worship, participate in the youth group, youth choir, and go on our many mission trips to actively worship God, grow in my faith, and spread God's word throughout many different communities.

--

Brett

I believe that confirmation is the next natural step in my faith journey and it fits my path. Confirmation is meaningful to me because I feel it strengthens my connection with God and my faith community. We can be generous members of the church by contributing our love to the faith community.

--

Lucas

I believe I am ready to be confirmed. I am committed to living life as a child of God, and demonstrating his love through my actions. If a get confirmed I wish to go out into the world and help people through the works of god. I am ready to become a member of this church and use the gifts the Lord has given me to help others.

--

Josh

I believe that I want to be confirmed because it will make me a member of the church. This rite of passage to means continuing my faith journey as member of FPCA.

--

Olivia

Yes, I want to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed so I can be a part of the church and continue my faith journey. It’s important to me to become a member of the church I grew up in. I’m not exactly sure at this point what I want to be involved with, but I hope to figure something out.

--

Ashley

I want to be confirmed so that I can finally be a full-time member of the church and fully devote to my religion. I want to be a member because I want to fully commit to the love and happiness that comes with the Christian community. I will continue to spread the word of God through every chance I get.

--

Nash

Yes I want to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed because I agree with the church and I want to do more things surrounding God.

--

Sam

I do want to be confirmed because I want to share God’s word and give my time to others. I know that this means I have more responsibilities as a member of the church. I will come to youth group, do mission projects, sing in the choir, and come to church with my family on Sunday morning.

--

Victoria

I want to be confirmed. I think that getting confirmed is confirming my baptism and my promise to God and staying loyal to this church. I think it is very special that I was baptized at First Presbyterian Church and now I am able to become a confirmed member of this church fifteen years later.

--

Rev. Taylor Hall

Thanks be to God! Amen.

--

The Ascension of Our Lord

 “The Ascension of Our Lord” was preached at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, PA on May 16, 2021. You can hear/watch this sermon here, starting at 30:16.

--

Luke 24:44-53

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

--

The passage we just heard today is The Ascension of the Lord, or where Jesus ascends into heaven to be with God his Father. This story is only recorded in the Gospel of Luke, and is often skipped over in the liturgical year because we celebrate it the 40^th day after Easter, which falls on a Thursday every year and not on a Sunday. And since many churches don’t worship on Thursdays, although we have been during this easter season, sometimes we just miss this story. That is unless we take what was supposed to be celebrated on Thursday and celebrate it on the following Sunday, like we are doing today.

So today we are celebrating the Ascension of the Lord! We celebrate the risen Christ’s entrance into heaven and his rule over all the earth to be carried on forever.

And we do that as a chosen community of faith. You chose to be here with these family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. 

There was a time, and some of you remember this time, that going to church was the thing to do. Every Sunday morning, families were to be in church. Not only was it a normal practice; it was an expected practice. Over time, due to shifts in culture and a secularization of Sundays, what was once expected became more optional. Families with children and youth, due to busy weekend schedules for sports or performances, jobs and vacations, attending church became a less frequent practice. And as those children and youth became adults and due to even greater shifts in culture and a further secularization of Sundays, many of them quit attending church altogether. The pandemic has also had a great impact on whether or not people would spend their Sunday morning in a worship service, whether it be on the couch in their living room or here out in the garden.

Along the way, we know that attending church is now optional, and many Christians came to the conclusion that coming to church even occasionally is not necessary to the praise and worship of God.

And to an extent, I can agree with that. Coming to church is not a requirement for a Christian to follow Christ nor is it the only way any of us can praise, worship, or have a relationship with God.

Yet you all are still here, sitting out in the memorial garden this beautiful Sunday morning. Children, youth, and adults; young and old alike—all here gathered together in the name of Christ.

And I’m sure each of us have our own reasons as to why we are here this morning, but I think for some of us, we are here to sing praises for God with people who share a common experience, similar stories, and most importantly, love for one another. This is our own chosen community of faith and we want to be together.

And I know that next, we want to be with our chosen community of faith in the building. In the sanctuary and the fellowship hall and in the chapel. And we want to sing loud and we want to shake hands and hug – no more masks and no more social distancing. And all of that is coming!

But hear me out for a moment.

When Jesus ascends into heaven, two things happen. The first, Jesus starts he reign over us as King. The second, he tells the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit to descend on them.

Let’s talk about Jesus as King first.  When we think of kings or rulers today, we might associate them with controlling dictators or aggressive authoritarians. But not here; not Christ. Christ as king is one that holds all authority and power, but does so with love and mercy.

The Ascension isn’t the end to Christ’s divine story or his relationship with humankind; it’s the beginning! The point of the Ascension is not that Jesus left this world and is somewhere off in heaven waiting for us to die to go meet him there, but rather the Ascension closes the door to Jesus’ earthly life where he was only with his disciples in Jerusalem over 2000 years ago and opens the next door in which Jesus is now humans in every time and place, including this time and place. The Ascension completes the theology of who Jesus is. Jesus withdrew from his disciples not to leave them, but to finish his plan; Jesus the Incarnate Son of God who has been resurrected and glorified ascends into heaven to fulfill his role and take his proper place at the right hand of God as the Lord of Creation, the king of all the earth and the king over the nations. Reformed theologian Karl Barth puts it: “Christ holds in his hands the power of God. He governs in God’s name.”

Simultaneously, Christ as our King, now reigning from heaven, means that we have our very own holy advocate working for and interceding on behalf of humankind. Nothing can give us greater assurance than knowing the ascended Jesus Christ is continually acting on our behalf — in knowing our needs, in forgiving our sins, in mediating for us in the presence of God. Every day there is meaning and significance to all we do and feel because the ascended Christ is for us!

And the ascended Christ is with us.  It may seem paradoxical. Jesus transitions from life on earth to his ongoing life in heaven. He leaves his disciples. But yet he is closer to them, more intimately related to them and in union with them. After his Ascension, Jesus is no longer limited by a human body and human history. As Jesus promised his disciples and to us, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” We don’t have to visit a “holy place” to be nearer to our Lord. Jesus Christ is with us, wherever we are; and with us always! We definitely know this from this last year as we worshipped from our homes and out in our community!

So while all of this is happening, Christ taking up his reign, he tells the disciples to wait. To wait.

I want you to think of every electronic device you own that requires charging.

For me, it’s things like my cell phone and my tablet and my two laptops and my shaver and my drill. I even charge my portable charger.

Now you know with these things, whether it be your phone or your laptop, that eventually their batteries run out of power and the electronic devices power down, shut off, they die.

But of course, we all know that all we need to do is connect them back to a charger for a period of time to bring them back to life. And that every time we use them and their power declines, we must charge them back up again. We do this again and again. Charging is an ongoing process.

However, many of us may not know that there is an optimum period of time that a device should charge in order to maximize the battery’s life expectancy. Like let’s say for most smart phones, you have to charge it a minimum of 3 hours for it to be at full power. You cannot simply pull your device from the box and start to use it. If you get a little eager and use it before it has been fully charged, you are negatively impacting its future ability to perform. In other words, you will shorten the life expectancy of your battery if you do not allow the initial charge to be optimal.

For our electronic devices to be at their best, now and in the future, we must let them charge fully.

Jesus instructs the disciples to wait in the city. And reading Jesus’ instruction to the disciples through our own experiences of sheltering in place over this last year sheds new light on the necessity of waiting. Jesus has been carried up into the heavens and the disciples are waiting “until they have been clothed with power from on high.” There is no indication in the text that they knew how long they would have to wait. It seems that the Holy Spirit could have descended on them at the same moment that Jesus was leaving, but instead they are sent back to Jerusalem to wait.

 

Waiting is rarely easy and it can be difficult to endure when you do not know when the end will be. And it might be even harder to wait when it seems the end might be in sight.

But the disciples waited because Jesus told them they must. Their season of waiting seemed necessary in their journey. Much like we must wait to fully charge our electronic devices, the disciples likewise had to wait to be clothed with power. If their initial “charge” had not been full, they would not have been able to operate at their optimal levels. This time of waiting and preparation equipped the disciples to go out and spread the gospel, enabling the church to grow.

With the CDC rapidly changing their statements into what seem like messages of hope and progress, I’m sure we all feel our church should be just as rapid to follow. But let me just humbly suggest we fully charge and prepare ourselves for what is to come so that it is truly better for every single person.

On Friday, the moment the CDC declared masks are no longer required for those who are vaccinated, your pastors spent the morning reading and watching every news article and story to gather more information. We then released a statement sent through the Eblast. It was at that point that I reminded my two wonderful colleagues that we spent another day off working after working every Friday and occasional Saturday in both May and April after an entire year of overworking. This includes my “vacation” I was supposed to take last weekend. Your pastors are not charging fully. And neither is this congregation.

So… here is where we are at. The good news.

We wore masks today. Even those who are vaccinated. And we survived!

Next week we have one service to celebrate Pentecost as our English, Arabic, and Chin communities come together as the family of First Presbyterian.

The Session of this Church, who makes decisions for this church, will meet on May 26^th, and there, they will discuss mask-wearing among many other things. They’ll also vote to receive 12 new members – our confirmation students.

On June 6^th, we have a combination of outdoor, indoor, and virtual worship services, and we’ll kick-off moving back indoors with the celebration of newest members!

And best news of all?? Christ is still our King, working over us, for us, and with us. Let’s just take a moment; one moment and give thanks for that.

We might not have the answers you want today. We might not be doing exactly what you want today. But we are working toward a better future for all of us. For all of us. So please, be like the disciples, and take delight in the waiting.

There is no power without a season of preparation, without a period of waiting. May we be empowered to do the work of the Lord as we are reminded, that what is to come will always be worth the wait. 

We’re in this together.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

--

Ascension, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56522 [retrieved October 28, 2022]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/30430801@N06/5871511887/.