November 5, 2017                   Mission                                

         This is the second week of our stewardship program, this week we focused on the mission of Christ's church, and of the mission accomplished here at Union Congregational. On this Sunday, we invited 4 people to come forward and share their passion for mission. At the conclusion of their presentations, I shared these remarks. 

         When I was in seminary, we read that passage from Matthew that we had in our gospel reading this morning, and then we were asked, what was the difference between Judaism and Christianity in Jesus day?  The difference between Judaism and Christianity in the first century, is that Judaism  believed God’s salvation was somewhere far off in the future, and the followers of Jesus believed that God's salvation was something that could be realized here and now, through faith in Jesus Christ!

         In 25 years of ministry, I have been blessed with being a part of three congregations, who have sought to realize the kingdom of heaven in their communities here and now. All of these churches have provide money and food donations to feed those who are hungry, they have delivered meals on wheels to those who could not feed themselves, some have provided shelters and meals for those who are homeless, some have provide water filters to villages that had no clean water, helped renovate homes for single families to afford, helped build homes for those who could not afford them, provided funds to send not just food overseas, but agricultural expertise to help third world farmers, some of them have created scholarships to help women and men learn to manage their crops, animals, and create new businesses. Some of these churches, have advocated for the rights of immigrants to fair wages and treatment, for the rights of the handicapped, for farmers who were losing their farms, for the sick, the elderly, and the mentally challenged. Some of these churches, provided grief counseling for children and parents, nursing home worship services, marriage enrichment groups, and provided space for those addicted to drugs and alcohol. Some of these churches held educational seminars to deal with racism, nationalism, homophobia, and religious intolerance.

         In all of these ministries, the members of these churches have not sat and waited for a better day to come, for Jesus to come on the clouds, or waited for God to do it all for us. In faith, they have sought to realize God’s kingdom and presence in the work they do together, and at times their work has been rewarded with moments when they have experience God’s kingdom breaking into their midst. 

         Last week, at the close of our service, I mentioned far to small a list of the things this church does in it’s mission to community, in it’s seeking to realize the kingdom of heaven here in Somonauk. And so I thought some more about it this week. The members of Union Congregational in the past year has had an angel fund to help out with gas, food, and other emergency aid. They have contributed to the Good Samaritan clergy fund, that helps people in both Sandwich and Somonauk, they have hosted community feasts to feed the hungry, and promote fellowship in the community, they have delivered meals on wheels for three months to feed people who are unable to make meals themselves, they provide space for the girl scouts, the lion’s, and alcoholics anonymous in their building. They support a Sunday School program, and a weekly joint youth ministry group with 2 other churches. They have participated and contributed to the Food Resource Bank, CROP Walk, Hurricane Relief Efforts. They have a choir that sings not just on Sunday, but is the core of a community choir. The Sunshine band not only gives of their time to church functions, but also gives over $1000 per year to local missions. They support the work of the Illinois Conference, helping churches to participate in the ministries of the conference, help churches with clergy searches, an outdoor ministry program and more.

         The church supports a pastor, who preaches the gospel on Sunday mornings, participates in seasonal and special community services, provides wedding and funeral services and the counseling and visits that go with them.  The pastor attends conference, association, DeKalb clergy, Sandwich Somonauk Clergy, and Hospital and Lectionary groups, and even drops in monthly at the barber shop, country kitchen, and Sandwich men’s fellowship. Leads Nursing home services, visits the sick and shut-ins, visits with those who have lost loved ones, and takes communions to those shut-in. Meets with Deacons, Council, Trustees, Adult Sunday School, Christian Ed, and Stewardship groups in the church.

           Spiritually, the church has been a place for people to be comforted in time of sorrow, helped in time of need, a peaceful place to experience God’s presence. It has proclaimed a message of God’s justice, love, mercy, forgiveness and hope for our lives, when the world has seemed dark. It has been a place of learning, a place of celebration, and a place to draw strength for the living of our lives. As our Sunday School group noted last week, we are rich in God’s blessings through the work of Union Congregational Church, but we don’t often stop to see or appreciate it! We don’t often realize that in our work together, we are realizing God’s kingdom and presence in our lives, in our community, and throughout the world.

        One final thought, could you imagine what the world would look like without your church, without all it has done in your community, without all the missions of your denomination, without it ministering to your parents, grandparents and great grandparents, without it weekly proclaiming the gospel and being there to sustain those who walk in faith. For the last 2,000 years, through it's mission, the church has been a light in the darkness. It has brought the kingdom of heaven into being in people's lives and to their communities, we would be lost without it! And that's the Good News of Jesus Christ.