Making Disciples: Men in Ministry
Back in the dark ages, when our church was debating whether or not to ordain women to offices within the church, either as elders or as ministers of Word and Sacrament, the fear was voiced that, if women were ordained, men would abandon the church. Why? Because it was believed that not much of the work of the church appealed to men. For the most part, it is not the chest-thumping, trophy-hunting, sports-loving outdoor-living environment where the macho-elite triumph in a male-stereotyped world. (Just try to find a Father’s Day card without a sports theme or a hunting theme and you will know what I mean.) But then, the work of the church never really has been a part of that world. Yet, throughout the ages, men have provided an invaluable service to the church, primarily by the way in which they inform and shape the future of that church through the committees that they serve, the activities they lead, and the young people that they mentor. In these ways, they pass on the heritage that is ours to new generations of Christians and new leaders within the Presbyterian Church.
Why do men need the church today? Television, talk radio and the news media provide the expectations for our lives today. Whatever we miss through those channels of communication is usually filled in by Hollywood in the form of the latest blockbuster movie. And, if we have any questions, Facebook or MySpace can answer them through an unlimited network of people who are willing to give us their opinion on any topic at any time. We don’t even need to leave our homes to access any of these things, so what relevance does a small group of people who believe in the writings captured in a book thousands of years old have for men trying to live in the world today?
If you were listening when Ralph Taeuber read our first lesson today, then you will have at least one answer to that question. Society as we know it, and as Paul and Timothy knew it many centuries ago, is not the healthiest environment in which to live. And, if we immerse ourselves in its rhetoric, we will find ourselves drowning in the conflicting demands of a fickle, self-indulgent world. In the shifting sands of changing fads, how do we discover those things which are constant? Where do we find a compass to point the way? Fortunately, for young Timothy, the Apostle Paul was there to serve as mentor and guide, reminding him of the teachings of Jesus and encouraging him to hold on to what was important and reject the empty promises of the world around him.
Our young people today need the same guidance and encouragement. That is often the role that fathers play in our lives, whether those fathers are the biological ones we accidentally acquired at birth… or others who have stepped in to teach, coach or mentor us as we made our way through life. I am deeply indebted to the many men who stepped in to counsel Julian as he was growing up and the ones who continue to mentor him as he makes his way in the world today. There were those who volunteered to lead youth activities in the church. There were those who encouraged him in his academic pursuits. There were those who went on scouting or mission trips with him. There were those who taught him during the leadership seminars he attended. There were those who invited him to go with them when they went scuba diving… or to a baseball game… or to play video games… or to play ultimate Frisbee… or to just hang out together. In high school and college, these men gave him a safe place to test his own abilities and to tap his deepest beliefs about God, life, and our world.
I see the same things happening in our church today. The men of our church are the role models for our young people. Through their example and through specific actions, they teach our young people mission outreach… leadership… and how to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, these relationships are formalized, as they were during our recent Confirmation Class. But, more often, they simply happen when one of our men provides instruction… or guidance… or a listening ear to one of our young people. For that to happen, obviously, men need to be where those young people are… whether it is at a football game… a pool party… a track meet… a mission trip… or some other venue that brings men and boys together. This year, our men have made a conscious effort to be in the stands during football games… to attend track meets where our young people are competing… to involve our young people in the work of the church through various committees… and to encourage and support them whenever they lead us in worship… or share their musical talents. The new relationships that have been formed will further strengthen our youth in their growth in faith and service in the church.
But it is not just the youth who need those relationships… for it is not just the youth who face a bewildering array of choices… or hear the siren sounds of all those things which can distract us from what is truly important in life. When the “stuff” of life overwhelms us, we turn to those who are on the journey with us to find answers to the questions we have difficulty answering ourselves. It is in the hope of finding such relationships within our church that our Presbyterian Men meet. Lately, our Presbyterian Men have been meeting for a meal and study and, mostly to prepare for our 150th Anniversary, they have worked on projects around our church building. What they have done has transformed this building… cleaning… painting… repairing ceilings… replacing light bulbs… replacing rotten wood… hanging works of art… maintaining the lawn… and landscaping our property. They have even cut up the wood from dead trees on our property… creating firewood that was delivered to people in our congregation. But, beyond the maintenance of our building and grounds… and the outreach to our youth that was mentioned earlier, there are other ways that our men have built relationships with each other and with others in our community. At various times, our men have organized to meet specific needs in our congregation and community… fixing up or maintaining the homes of the elderly… doing yard work for those who are disabled… or transporting belongings and furniture for those who are unable to do it for themselves. Many of our men have taken training to prepare to help victims of disaster… or have worked as volunteers to aid victims of disaster through mission trips to build houses… or volunteering at local food pantries... or delivering needed supplies to orphans and the poor along the border. In all these ways, they teach others by example what it means to be a man of God in today’s world. They have also strengthened this body of Christ through the relationships they have built within the church.
It is said that a church that plays together, stays together. While the worship of God is the focus of our activity in this building, it does not represent the totality of our life together as Christians. Enjoying fellowship activities and building relationships with others who are part of this congregation is a critical part of what it means to be church today. Our church picnic this afternoon is one of the ways in which we gather to share our lives and strengthen our relationships… and I want to take this opportunity to thank the Taeuber family for continuing the long tradition of this congregation for having an annual church picnic. But coming together with a single purpose in mind is more important that we sometimes realize. I would say that whatever we do together, as a congregation focused upon a single objective… whether it is a picnic… a fellowship meal… an All-Church Work Day… or a mission trip… is something that strengthens us as a church.
Several years ago, the Session of this church adopted the vision statement that hangs in our Fellowship Hall. According to that statement, we are a church that is glorifying God by making disciples and sharing God’s love in service to others. This morning, I have shared several ways in which I believe the men of this church are doing exactly that: making disciples and sharing God’s love in service to others. But are we, as a church, united under a common vision with a common goal? Or are we stumbling about haphazardly… with different people going off in different directions… each with their own interpretation of what that vision means? How are we making disciples? Do we have a common objective in teaching our young people what it means to follow Jesus Christ? Are we organized in our approach to those in our community who do not attend any church? How do we invite them into our fellowship and into worship? How do we, as a congregation, respond to the needs of our community? Is there a vision we share about mission and ministry? We have identified our core strengths and we have identified areas of service where we can excel and fill a gap within our community. Are we moving toward a vision of service that builds on these strengths? How can we bring together the disparate activities of our men… our women… and our youth to focus on a common goal? How can we work together to strengthen relationships within our congregation and continue our legacy of service to this community?
Perhaps the most interesting part of celebrating 150 years of ministry in this place is reading our history and seeing the common threads that weave through time, defining who we are and what we believe. Charlene Moser has worked hard to help us learn from our past… by sharing stories of our past through the Trivia Quiz… through skits presented at Fellowship Meals… by capturing what is important in a book of our history. Her work is priceless… for when we can see what the saints before us have done, we can better understand what we are called to do in the future. We have never been a large church, but we have faithfully followed God’s call to ministry in this place. The men of our church have been leaders in answering that call and I suspect that they will continue to be leaders whom we look to for guidance in the years to come. What does the next 150 years hold? Someday, someone will write our story.
Matthew 28:18-20