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October
14, 2007
Loreen Kleinschmidt
Proper 23, Year C
RCL
To read the lessons for the day click here:
http://www.io.com/~kellywp/YearC_RCL/Pentecost/CProp23_RCL.html
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7; Psalm 66:1-12; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke
17:11-19
Pray for me, that the words I speak may be those God wants
us to hear.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the
exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem
to Babylon:
Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take
wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your
daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there,
and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you
into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will
find your welfare.
This passage from the Old Testament lesson is part of a
letter sent from Jeremiah, who was in Jerusalem,
to the leaders of Judah, who had been exiled to Babylon. Contrary to what false prophets led
them to believe, Jeremiah tells them that this exile will not be over soon, but
will last a long time, as long as 70 years. So he sends them survival
instructions. They are not to put their lives on hold. They are to live full
lives in this new place. Build houses, have families, plant gardens. Put down
roots.
And even more than that…they are to seek the welfare of the
city where they live. They are not to be just a bunch of Judean exiles living
in a foreign land, waiting around to go home, but a people engaged in making it
a better place for all who live there. A people working and praying for the
welfare of the place they live, because if the city they live in doesn’t do
well, neither will they.
Back in 1849, God planted this congregation in the midst of
a growing, bustling town. Many people were just traveling through Sacramento on their way to
the gold fields, but some set down roots and formed an Episcopal congregation,
and endeavored to call a priest. Priests came and went; church buildings came
and went, and in an attempt to build a more permanent church building, this
structure was put up—state of the art for its day, steel frame and granite
blocks. It took them over 10 years to build it, they got discouraged and ran
out of money more than once, but here it is, a beautiful and holy place right
in the middle of town. At its dedication in 1909, Bishop Moreland said, “It is to
your credit that you conceived a grand building, an immortal edifice… It is fitting that it should be massive,
costly... Here stands the church, the
possession not of St. Paul’s
Parishioners alone, but the whole community.” The neighborhood has changed
around it, and the congregation has responded to its changing needs as the
years have gone by.
We sit on an extraordinary corner. If you walk 7 blocks in
one direction, you arrive at the State Capitol; walk 13 blocks in the opposite
direction and you will be at Loaves and Fishes. Go west and you are downtown;
east and you are in midtown. Walk next door, and you will be at the Sacramento Convention Center; walk across the
street, and you will be at the Memorial Auditorium. One block up J Street you will find
a favored spot to protest, since slow traffic really lends itself to sign
reading and engaging the great exodus of cars to the suburbs each workday
evening. Think about this city…you might even want to go out and walk in the
neighborhood a bit. How can we seek its welfare? The welfare of this city is
our welfare, too. And it is the reason we are planted here, stubbornly sticking
it out on this particular corner. God continues to have work to do here in this
part of town, and he draws each of us, with our particular personalities,
talents, and gifts, here to do it together.
What is God’s vision for St. Paul’s congregation? Can we catch that
vision and work as co-creators with God to bring it into being?
Next week the people of St. Paul’s will gather for Sunday service at
9 a.m., rather than our usual 8 and 10. Directly after the service there will
be a potluck lunch, and those gathered will engage in a planning meeting. It is
very important between then and now, that we think and pray about our common life
together at St. Paul’s,
and also our life as a church within this community. What is your vision for St. Paul’s? Come prepared
to share. Through the eyes and minds of our congregation, from the hearts and
voices of our members shared together, we will sense what we are called to do
and begin to find ways to do it.
Some among us are already working and living out parts of
our vision. Can you share in their vision? In what ways can you personally
support that shared vision and become a living part of it?
A mailing went out this week with some questions for you to
consider in preparation for the coming meeting. I will read them to you.
What are St.
Paul’s current resources and assets?
Who is our congregation?
What communities do we serve?
How do we serve these communities?
How can we improve our ministry to our
congregation and the communities we currently serve with the assets we have?
What new communities could we reach out to with
our current assets and resources?
What resources (time, talent, treasure) do I
bring to St. Paul’s
that will enable this congregation to improve its ministries?
What other resources/assets are needed to
improve our ministries?
These questions will be discussed at the meeting, and the
responses will be compiled and shared with the vestry. So consider them
prayerfully, and come prepared to share.
Let us pray.
Creator, Savior, Giver of life and truth,
Reveal the possibilities within us.
Fill us with your vision for us.
Empower us for the work of ministry on this corner,
And in the city all around us.
That your love may be known, and your name be honored and praised.
Amen.