I remember clearly celebrating Valentine’s Day in elementary school...the images that come back to me of Harold W. Smith Elementary in Glendale, Arizona- its classrooms with external access to outdoor concourses and covered walkways--a simple nod towards shade in a land with a hard sun. But February in Arizona is cool, and the sun at its zenith this time of year doesn’t make it high enough in the sky to make the locals run for cover. The mornings are very cool, and the days pleasantly warm.
Valentine’s Day: a flurry in the exchange of Valentine’s Day cards and candies…and a very innocent hope for a card that represented a little bit more than the obligatory greetings of my peers in the classroom. I remember watching hearts saddened when they didn’t receive that special card from that special someone…and remember a few of those times myself.
Hearts are tender, delicate things you know. Every human being has one, the physical one that beats in your chest and the spiritual one that is built up by the caring of others, and hardened by hard words, abuse, or simple neglect.
How we care for each other in community is critical; how we care for each other in the Church even more so. To be truthful, this is a hard conversation, because for at least 1,000 years now the church has given the impression that the only valid place for caring to come from is its head, not Jesus, but those called to represent him and his gospel to the assembly of believers – the pastors of congregations. The problem with this is that in most congregations there is only one pastor, and many individuals in the body. And neglect becomes easy, not out of malice, but because the demands of ministry are many.
It’s not a new issue in the body of Christ. In its earliest days, we see the church struggling with how it cares for one another, and just who should be responsible for the caring.
During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers—“Hellenists”—toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care for the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.” The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose—Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.
Then they presented them to the Apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task. The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically.
--Acts 6:1-7, The Message
I am certain that this division of labor didn’t mean that the Apostles no longer cared for the members of the body. But this good organization capitalized on this truth: When we search it out, we all discover that we have a different call in the body of Christ. We will feel the inward tug, and if all goes right, it will have outward validation in the body of Christ.
When God acted on me to go to Seminary to become a pastor, it was quite a personal discovery and required a great act of faith because I didn’t believe I was qualified or able to preach and teach the Good News of Jesus. But I was inundated with people from that point on who said things like, “I was wondering when you were going to figure this out!” or, “I saw this call on your life a year ago!” I was initially put out! I felt like I was the last to figure out the punch line of a complicated joke!
I use this as an example, because in a healthy church you have both the internal discovery of purpose in the life of the body, and external validation. It assumes, of course, that the community is an honest one and tells the truth. But in the case of this early church in Acts, this discovery allowed the word of God to spread, the church to grow, and disciples to be made.
Here at St. Stephen, the ministry of caring has been shared by the pastor with our Care Team. Many of you know if you’ve been sick or ill, had a hospital stay, surgery, or are homebound that it’s not the pastor who comes to visit. Oh, on occasion it will be me, but chances are that if it is me, the situation is incredibly dire. Instead you see one of a cadre of individuals who comprise the Care Team. They provide conversation, scripture, communion, prayer, at times the laying on of hands, and support when life is dark and the day is dim. And they do an absolutely terrific job.
By the time this newsletter is published, I will have taken the individuals that comprise this Care Team and will have laid hands on them, installing each as a Care Deacon…individuals entrusted with making our ministries of caring for each other thrive and flourish so that I am increasingly free to help this body of Christ grow and flourish, and the heart of this congregation grows increasingly larger as it is tended and affirmed.
As these individuals make their way into your homes, hospital rooms, and hearts, recognize in them the ministry of Jesus and the heart of God, and the incredible servant spirit they embody. They bring with themselves both joy and God.
Growing the kingdom with you…
Pastor Nathan
Valentine’s Day: a flurry in the exchange of Valentine’s Day cards and candies…and a very innocent hope for a card that represented a little bit more than the obligatory greetings of my peers in the classroom. I remember watching hearts saddened when they didn’t receive that special card from that special someone…and remember a few of those times myself.
Hearts are tender, delicate things you know. Every human being has one, the physical one that beats in your chest and the spiritual one that is built up by the caring of others, and hardened by hard words, abuse, or simple neglect.
How we care for each other in community is critical; how we care for each other in the Church even more so. To be truthful, this is a hard conversation, because for at least 1,000 years now the church has given the impression that the only valid place for caring to come from is its head, not Jesus, but those called to represent him and his gospel to the assembly of believers – the pastors of congregations. The problem with this is that in most congregations there is only one pastor, and many individuals in the body. And neglect becomes easy, not out of malice, but because the demands of ministry are many.
It’s not a new issue in the body of Christ. In its earliest days, we see the church struggling with how it cares for one another, and just who should be responsible for the caring.
During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers—“Hellenists”—toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care for the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.” The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose—Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.
Then they presented them to the Apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task. The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically.
--Acts 6:1-7, The Message
I am certain that this division of labor didn’t mean that the Apostles no longer cared for the members of the body. But this good organization capitalized on this truth: When we search it out, we all discover that we have a different call in the body of Christ. We will feel the inward tug, and if all goes right, it will have outward validation in the body of Christ.
When God acted on me to go to Seminary to become a pastor, it was quite a personal discovery and required a great act of faith because I didn’t believe I was qualified or able to preach and teach the Good News of Jesus. But I was inundated with people from that point on who said things like, “I was wondering when you were going to figure this out!” or, “I saw this call on your life a year ago!” I was initially put out! I felt like I was the last to figure out the punch line of a complicated joke!
I use this as an example, because in a healthy church you have both the internal discovery of purpose in the life of the body, and external validation. It assumes, of course, that the community is an honest one and tells the truth. But in the case of this early church in Acts, this discovery allowed the word of God to spread, the church to grow, and disciples to be made.
Here at St. Stephen, the ministry of caring has been shared by the pastor with our Care Team. Many of you know if you’ve been sick or ill, had a hospital stay, surgery, or are homebound that it’s not the pastor who comes to visit. Oh, on occasion it will be me, but chances are that if it is me, the situation is incredibly dire. Instead you see one of a cadre of individuals who comprise the Care Team. They provide conversation, scripture, communion, prayer, at times the laying on of hands, and support when life is dark and the day is dim. And they do an absolutely terrific job.
By the time this newsletter is published, I will have taken the individuals that comprise this Care Team and will have laid hands on them, installing each as a Care Deacon…individuals entrusted with making our ministries of caring for each other thrive and flourish so that I am increasingly free to help this body of Christ grow and flourish, and the heart of this congregation grows increasingly larger as it is tended and affirmed.
As these individuals make their way into your homes, hospital rooms, and hearts, recognize in them the ministry of Jesus and the heart of God, and the incredible servant spirit they embody. They bring with themselves both joy and God.
Growing the kingdom with you…
Pastor Nathan
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