Aug 2009
Leave Taking- Part 4
08/02/09
Jesus, the Bread of Life
John 6:24-35
Final Sermon, St. Paul Lutheran church
Wyoming, MN
I’d like to begin this morning by reading a portion of a letter dated Dec. 20th, 1988 and addressed to Mr. Byron Olson, Congregational President, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wyoming, MN.
“Dear Mr. Olson,
It is with great joy that I accept the call to be Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church beginning February 1st, 1989. Throughout the call process I have regularly sought God’s guidance in prayer, and believe that this decision is the correct one for me, my family, and the congregation. The unanimous support at the Voter’s Assembly was very gratifying, and Melissa and I, along with our children, look forward to becoming part of the congregation and the community.”
The writer then went on to thank the call committee for dinner at the Char House, which, before it burned down was on the property adjacent to Berry’s Garage, and signed “Sincerely in Christ, the Rev. Geoffrey W. Beebe.” It seems like just yesterday that I wrote that letter and was sitting with the call committee at the Char House.
And then this was the opening paragraph of my first sermon which was Sunday, Feb. 5th, 1989, Transfiguration Sunday. “This morning, I begin a new chapter in my life and my ministry. More importantly, this morning, you who make up St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wyoming, MN. begin a new chapter in your history. We begin together, and it is exciting to start on what I hope and expect will be a long and meaningful ministry with you in this community.”
20 years, 6 months, and 5 days later this chapter comes to a close. I think by most reasonable measures, it did end up being a long time together, and it certainly was meaningful to me.
Since announcing the end of my call 4 weeks ago, I’ve tried to tie the lessons with my sermon to talk about ending this call and to share examples of some of the wonderful ministry we have done together. The first week I talked about the reality of grief and the emotions we feel at times of loss, and shared with you why I finally made the decision to conclude the call. Week 2 I talked about 5 qualities of ministry Jesus demonstrated- the importance of people, ministry taking place in the interruptions, shepherding, teaching, and healing. I shared examples of how we’ve done that together over the years. Last week I spoke about the feeding of the 5000 and the lessons we can learn from that miracle. It showed how Jesus cared for others. The hungry needed to be fed, and Jesus did that. Jesus made it clear that the resources were right there in the midst of the disciples, one boy had five loaves and two fish, and that’s all Jesus needed to do the miracle. And it showed how important it is to share those resources so God’ work can be done. I spoke about the wealth of talent and the tremendous giving that has been demonstrated again and again in my time here. If you missed any of those messages I’d encourage you to go to our website and read them, for in those sermons I speak about the scope of our ministries over the years and the many people that have made them possible.
This morning I’d like to conclude somewhat differently. While it is wonderful and important to recall the ministries we have done together, that’s not the most important thing. Many of you have read or heard of Pastor Rick Warren’s best selling book, The Purpose Driven Life. It has sold more than 30 million copies world wide. In the fall of 2003 we, as a congregation, participated in the 40 Days of Purpose, a 40 day spiritual emphasis where we all read the book daily, discussed it in small groups, and made the key themes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, service, and mission the focus of our worship services. It was the single, most successful, congregational wide emphasis we did in my 20 years. Worship attendance was at an all time high. We had many in the congregation involved in small groups, about 20 small groups in all. If you were here you will remember how we concluded in mid-November with an amazing potluck supper and program on the night of the first major snowfall of the year. I wondered if anyone would show up or if we should even have it, and we packed the fellowship hall.
The book begins with these four words, “It’s not about you.” Rick Warren goes on to say that to understand and ultimately find your purpose in life, you have to begin with God. It’s not about what you want, but what God wants for you. It’s about living life as God, our creator, would have us live. It’s not about you, it’s about God. Now I don’t agree with everything Warren says in his book. We had some good discussion about that in our groups at the time. But I do agree that for believers it is not about us, it is about God. God takes the first priority.
We see that pretty clearly in the teaching of Jesus in the gospel lesson today. The crowd had just been fed in the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. A short time later they were coming back to Jesus, wanting more. But they were seeking out Jesus not for who he was, God’s son, but for what he provided. They were like modern day consumers, wanting more food from Jesus to fill their need.
But what does Jesus tell them? “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” And later in the lesson he makes this crystal clear by saying, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” It’s not about you and your needs. It’s not about me and my needs. It’s about Jesus, the bread of life, who alone can sustain and nourish us always.
We have shared 20 years of ministry together. I never set out to be with you a certain length of time. I believed I was called by God until such time as it became clear that the call was completed. So one year became 2, 2 became four, four became eight, and before you know it, here we are, 20 years later. And I hope you understand that this call was never intended to be about me. It was about us, working together. I was one link in the chain, but all the links are necessary for that chain to be strong. When we’ve known success, it’s been because we worked together and God blessed those efforts. When we’ve known failure, we’ve all been part of that as well, and God has been every bit as present in the hard times as the good. Our unity in this work is clearly stated by Paul in Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” We’ve been in this together, always seeking to direct our worship and do our ministries for Jesus, the bread of life.
Here’s more of what I said in that first sermon in 1989. “One of my hopes for this church is that every time we gather together for worship, we might know that we are in the presence of God. My hope is that every Sunday morning we can experience a glimpse of the glory of God, much as the disciples experienced God’s presence on the Mount of Transfiguration.”
Well, I don’t know how successful we were at that. Some Sundays were better than others. I’m still waiting for the day I can go home and say, “That was a perfect worship service.” Maybe today’s the day. But the point is that what I tried to do, together with you, was to always keep the focus where it needs to be, on Jesus, the one who gave his life for us and in whom we have the hope for eternal life. That’s why we’re a church, to focus on Jesus, to serve him, and seek God’s guidance by the Holy Spirit.
I hope you hear this focus on Jesus as good news today. We have had a long chapter of ministry together, a full season, if you will. We’ve had joy, we’ve had sorrow. We’ve had peace, we’ve had conflict. We’ve had life, we’ve had death. In short, we’ve been the church, saints and sinners together in ministry. I’ve had a part, but it’s not about me. It’s not about any given pastor. If that’s the focus, then the church is in trouble. No pastor can carry the load alone in all that’s required for ministry. No pastor can meet everyone’s differing expectations. It’s an impossible job. The best you can do is to do some things right for part of the time. That’s why the whole body of Christ is necessary. The whole body has to work together, and the whole body has to look to Christ. To quote Ephesians 4:15 and 16, “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about Christ, the head of the body, and in whose name we gather, worship, and serve.
Some of you may be wondering what’s next for me. Well, I can’t answer that right now. Like Abraham, I know God is calling me. And, like Abraham, the exact path to the new land has not yet been revealed to me. But I do believe there is something new for me ahead that will fit for where I am at this point in life. So, I’m stepping out in faith. I’m going to take some time off, begin exploring different options both in and outside of the church, and see what doors open up. I trust God will lead, as God always has.
In 1989 I concluded my first sermon in this way:
“Helen Keller, blind and deaf from birth, was once asked if she ever felt cheated in life because she could not see. Her response was profound. “My friend,” she said, “It would be far worse if I could see, but had no vision.”
I went on to say in 1989, (quote)“Today marks a new beginning for all of us who are part of St. Paul Lutheran Church. I invite you to join with me in shaping a vision for the future. Through your participation and support, we can be a church where the glory of God is revealed in a variety of ways. Through your participation and support, we can be involved in mission in our community and the world, a mission that makes a difference. Through your participation and support, we can be the alive, enthusiastic, and growing congregation that I am confident God wants us to be. Together and led by the spirit of God we can make exciting things happen. Please join me in making some great possibilities for the future a reality at St. Paul Lutheran Church.” (Unquote)
To the extent that those things happened in this chapter of ministry, we give glory to God. In the ways we fell short, we ask forgiveness and mercy. But in the end, it’s not about me and it’s not about you. It’s about Jesus, our savior, the bread of life. In him alone are we eternally satisfied.
In the movie Apollo 13, astronaut Jim Lovell, played by Tom Hanks, says these final words to fellow astronauts Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise as the command module is about to re-enter earth’s atmosphere and bring them safely home.. “Gentlemen, it’s been a privilege flying with you.” As I complete this call, those are my words to you as well. “Members, friends, family of St. Paul Lutheran, it’s been a privilege flying with you.” Thank you, and may God richly bless you as you begin writing the next chapter in this great congregation’s history. Amen
John 6:24-35
Final Sermon, St. Paul Lutheran church
Wyoming, MN
I’d like to begin this morning by reading a portion of a letter dated Dec. 20th, 1988 and addressed to Mr. Byron Olson, Congregational President, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Wyoming, MN.
“Dear Mr. Olson,
It is with great joy that I accept the call to be Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church beginning February 1st, 1989. Throughout the call process I have regularly sought God’s guidance in prayer, and believe that this decision is the correct one for me, my family, and the congregation. The unanimous support at the Voter’s Assembly was very gratifying, and Melissa and I, along with our children, look forward to becoming part of the congregation and the community.”
The writer then went on to thank the call committee for dinner at the Char House, which, before it burned down was on the property adjacent to Berry’s Garage, and signed “Sincerely in Christ, the Rev. Geoffrey W. Beebe.” It seems like just yesterday that I wrote that letter and was sitting with the call committee at the Char House.
And then this was the opening paragraph of my first sermon which was Sunday, Feb. 5th, 1989, Transfiguration Sunday. “This morning, I begin a new chapter in my life and my ministry. More importantly, this morning, you who make up St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wyoming, MN. begin a new chapter in your history. We begin together, and it is exciting to start on what I hope and expect will be a long and meaningful ministry with you in this community.”
20 years, 6 months, and 5 days later this chapter comes to a close. I think by most reasonable measures, it did end up being a long time together, and it certainly was meaningful to me.
Since announcing the end of my call 4 weeks ago, I’ve tried to tie the lessons with my sermon to talk about ending this call and to share examples of some of the wonderful ministry we have done together. The first week I talked about the reality of grief and the emotions we feel at times of loss, and shared with you why I finally made the decision to conclude the call. Week 2 I talked about 5 qualities of ministry Jesus demonstrated- the importance of people, ministry taking place in the interruptions, shepherding, teaching, and healing. I shared examples of how we’ve done that together over the years. Last week I spoke about the feeding of the 5000 and the lessons we can learn from that miracle. It showed how Jesus cared for others. The hungry needed to be fed, and Jesus did that. Jesus made it clear that the resources were right there in the midst of the disciples, one boy had five loaves and two fish, and that’s all Jesus needed to do the miracle. And it showed how important it is to share those resources so God’ work can be done. I spoke about the wealth of talent and the tremendous giving that has been demonstrated again and again in my time here. If you missed any of those messages I’d encourage you to go to our website and read them, for in those sermons I speak about the scope of our ministries over the years and the many people that have made them possible.
This morning I’d like to conclude somewhat differently. While it is wonderful and important to recall the ministries we have done together, that’s not the most important thing. Many of you have read or heard of Pastor Rick Warren’s best selling book, The Purpose Driven Life. It has sold more than 30 million copies world wide. In the fall of 2003 we, as a congregation, participated in the 40 Days of Purpose, a 40 day spiritual emphasis where we all read the book daily, discussed it in small groups, and made the key themes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, service, and mission the focus of our worship services. It was the single, most successful, congregational wide emphasis we did in my 20 years. Worship attendance was at an all time high. We had many in the congregation involved in small groups, about 20 small groups in all. If you were here you will remember how we concluded in mid-November with an amazing potluck supper and program on the night of the first major snowfall of the year. I wondered if anyone would show up or if we should even have it, and we packed the fellowship hall.
The book begins with these four words, “It’s not about you.” Rick Warren goes on to say that to understand and ultimately find your purpose in life, you have to begin with God. It’s not about what you want, but what God wants for you. It’s about living life as God, our creator, would have us live. It’s not about you, it’s about God. Now I don’t agree with everything Warren says in his book. We had some good discussion about that in our groups at the time. But I do agree that for believers it is not about us, it is about God. God takes the first priority.
We see that pretty clearly in the teaching of Jesus in the gospel lesson today. The crowd had just been fed in the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. A short time later they were coming back to Jesus, wanting more. But they were seeking out Jesus not for who he was, God’s son, but for what he provided. They were like modern day consumers, wanting more food from Jesus to fill their need.
But what does Jesus tell them? “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” And later in the lesson he makes this crystal clear by saying, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” It’s not about you and your needs. It’s not about me and my needs. It’s about Jesus, the bread of life, who alone can sustain and nourish us always.
We have shared 20 years of ministry together. I never set out to be with you a certain length of time. I believed I was called by God until such time as it became clear that the call was completed. So one year became 2, 2 became four, four became eight, and before you know it, here we are, 20 years later. And I hope you understand that this call was never intended to be about me. It was about us, working together. I was one link in the chain, but all the links are necessary for that chain to be strong. When we’ve known success, it’s been because we worked together and God blessed those efforts. When we’ve known failure, we’ve all been part of that as well, and God has been every bit as present in the hard times as the good. Our unity in this work is clearly stated by Paul in Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” We’ve been in this together, always seeking to direct our worship and do our ministries for Jesus, the bread of life.
Here’s more of what I said in that first sermon in 1989. “One of my hopes for this church is that every time we gather together for worship, we might know that we are in the presence of God. My hope is that every Sunday morning we can experience a glimpse of the glory of God, much as the disciples experienced God’s presence on the Mount of Transfiguration.”
Well, I don’t know how successful we were at that. Some Sundays were better than others. I’m still waiting for the day I can go home and say, “That was a perfect worship service.” Maybe today’s the day. But the point is that what I tried to do, together with you, was to always keep the focus where it needs to be, on Jesus, the one who gave his life for us and in whom we have the hope for eternal life. That’s why we’re a church, to focus on Jesus, to serve him, and seek God’s guidance by the Holy Spirit.
I hope you hear this focus on Jesus as good news today. We have had a long chapter of ministry together, a full season, if you will. We’ve had joy, we’ve had sorrow. We’ve had peace, we’ve had conflict. We’ve had life, we’ve had death. In short, we’ve been the church, saints and sinners together in ministry. I’ve had a part, but it’s not about me. It’s not about any given pastor. If that’s the focus, then the church is in trouble. No pastor can carry the load alone in all that’s required for ministry. No pastor can meet everyone’s differing expectations. It’s an impossible job. The best you can do is to do some things right for part of the time. That’s why the whole body of Christ is necessary. The whole body has to work together, and the whole body has to look to Christ. To quote Ephesians 4:15 and 16, “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about Christ, the head of the body, and in whose name we gather, worship, and serve.
Some of you may be wondering what’s next for me. Well, I can’t answer that right now. Like Abraham, I know God is calling me. And, like Abraham, the exact path to the new land has not yet been revealed to me. But I do believe there is something new for me ahead that will fit for where I am at this point in life. So, I’m stepping out in faith. I’m going to take some time off, begin exploring different options both in and outside of the church, and see what doors open up. I trust God will lead, as God always has.
In 1989 I concluded my first sermon in this way:
“Helen Keller, blind and deaf from birth, was once asked if she ever felt cheated in life because she could not see. Her response was profound. “My friend,” she said, “It would be far worse if I could see, but had no vision.”
I went on to say in 1989, (quote)“Today marks a new beginning for all of us who are part of St. Paul Lutheran Church. I invite you to join with me in shaping a vision for the future. Through your participation and support, we can be a church where the glory of God is revealed in a variety of ways. Through your participation and support, we can be involved in mission in our community and the world, a mission that makes a difference. Through your participation and support, we can be the alive, enthusiastic, and growing congregation that I am confident God wants us to be. Together and led by the spirit of God we can make exciting things happen. Please join me in making some great possibilities for the future a reality at St. Paul Lutheran Church.” (Unquote)
To the extent that those things happened in this chapter of ministry, we give glory to God. In the ways we fell short, we ask forgiveness and mercy. But in the end, it’s not about me and it’s not about you. It’s about Jesus, our savior, the bread of life. In him alone are we eternally satisfied.
In the movie Apollo 13, astronaut Jim Lovell, played by Tom Hanks, says these final words to fellow astronauts Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise as the command module is about to re-enter earth’s atmosphere and bring them safely home.. “Gentlemen, it’s been a privilege flying with you.” As I complete this call, those are my words to you as well. “Members, friends, family of St. Paul Lutheran, it’s been a privilege flying with you.” Thank you, and may God richly bless you as you begin writing the next chapter in this great congregation’s history. Amen