Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations Intentional Faith Development I want to start this message with a bit of a disclaimer. I m using the metaphor of a race, or a marathon, to explain the concept of Intentional Faith Development. But like any metaphor, if you push it too hard it falls down. The Life of Faith is a Marathon that we run intentionally. It isn t a sprint or even a middle distance race. It is a long haul! I think that this is what Paul was trying to tell us in many of his writings. But listen to this one again: Philip. 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Here is Paul, the one who started most of the churches that he wrote to, the deeply committed and serious Jew who a deeply profound and life-changing experience with Jesus Christ, the one everyone looked to as the man, saying that he wasn t done growing in faith, that he was pressing onward as if in a long distance race. What is the reason to run? In an actual marathon there are a couple of motivations. One is the motivation of conquering something within yourself to finish the race or beat your best time. Another is to win some kind of prize. Now, in the marathon of faith development those two things are present to some degree. But the difference is that in faith development the race develops a relationship outside of our self. So, the reason to run the marathon race of faith is to become better and eventually end up with the prize of eternal life. But, the focus is always on relationships. If we are reading the Bible to grow in faith and understanding, but we don t understand that the Bible is trying to direct us toward a relationship with God and neighbor, we miss the point. If we pray to just get something but fail to recognize that the primary reason for prayer is connection with God, we miss the point. If we go to worship but make no real connection with the one we say we worship, we miss the point. Intentionality of beginning Some might argue that the actual beginning of running a marathon is not the moment that the gun goes off, but the moment you decide to run it and begin training. The actual race requires months of preparation beforehand.
Choosing to follow Christ is in some ways the beginning of the race because it may take a long time of learning about Christ that we actually decide to follow. I would argue that there are many people in churches, including this one, who are not in the race yet. But they are in training. If you are in church on Sunday morning, there was an intentional decision to be there. The question is, have you gotten past the stretching phase. If you only come to worship you are really only stretching. That s not a bad thing, but you really need to start the running phase. What that means here is that you need to be in some kind of intentional study. You need to be reading the Bible, you need to be in a Sunday School class, you need to be in a small group. I m going to touch on this part more in a minute, but our training needs to get past just stretching. Intentionality of pace Sometimes we grow and learn quickly. Other times we need to slow down and take our time in the place where we are. There s a verse in that Sunday School hymn We Are the Church that says, Sometimes the church is marching, sometimes it s bravely burning, sometimes it s riding, sometimes hiding, always it s learning. That is how is with us as individuals. We don t run this race at the same pace all the time. I remember when I was in my mid-twenties and Nola and I had gotten involved with a small group. Something in me was inspired to dig deeper and learn as much as possible. I would read the Bible a lot every day and was growing in my understanding and faith by leaps and bounds. But that has not always been the case. Actually, it seems like most of the time I plod along. Most of the time I think I m moving forward, but not always. We get frustrated when we get stuck or seem to be creeping along, but that is a natural part of the life of faith. Psalm 13:1-6 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? [2] How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? [3] Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; [4] my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. [5] But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. [6] I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me. If it seems like we aren t getting anywhere, maybe God has something specific we need to learn. Maybe instead of trying to rush ahead we should be looking around where we are. Maybe what God is trying to say in those times is, It s time for you to put what you have learned into action. You know enough about me right now, but how well do you know me? Or maybe God is trying to tell us that there is something important here that we are missing. There is a lesson from God that you haven t really absorbed yet. Intentionality of striving There are times in marathons where runners talk about hitting the wall. It s usually somewhere late in the race where all of a sudden it feels like they can t go on. All of their physical energy is gone and their mind is telling them to quit. It is in those moments that they have to make the intentional choice to continue. Everything in their body and mind is telling them to quit, but there is something in their spirit that chooses to drive on. There are moments in your Christian journey that you will feel like quitting. It just doesn t seem to be worth it. Is all of this really making a difference? Would my life really be all that different if I quit all of this God stuff? Philippians 3:13 [13] Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead I think that the key word in this verse is straining. Paul is saying that this life, this journey of faith is not always easy, but he strains to keep moving forward. He fights through the times he feels like quitting, he keeps his eyes fixed on the one who makes it all worthwhile. I need to be honest and tell you that there have been times I have felt like giving up. There have been times when I felt like giving up being a pastor because it was always a battle with people and myself, because I didn t see any results, because I didn t seem to be making a difference.
There have been times when I wondered if being a Christian really mattered. Why not just live like the rest of the people in our country and world? They seemed to be getting along fine! But the problem is that I know the truth. Not just the truth that is in Jesus Christ, but the truth that all is not well in the rest of the world. The truth that it isn t just about individuals, but about humanity. And if all of humanity isn t alright than none of us are. The truth that you don t always see the difference that is being made. The truth that growth in faith isn t about feelings and emotions. The truth that I know life without a relationship with Christ is without direction or purpose or real power or any of a number of things. And so I choose to strain forward! Intentionality of running in packs Philippians 3:17 [17] Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. Most people who are serious runners know that it is best to train with others. It keeps them accountable to train when they don t feel like it. It motivates them to go beyond what they would do on their own. It keeps boredom away. And in an actual race you draw encouragement from each other, and you work with each other to help make the race easier. It isn t really much different for us. Paul says join with others and take note of what others are doing. Paul knew that the life of faith was not meant to be lived alone and that growth in faith was difficult alone. Run in packs! So the choice really is up to you! You don t have to get in the race at all. You can continue on the sidelines stretching all day or you can begin training and get in the race. My next step today is to: Read Philippians 3:12-4:1 Become intentional about my faith development Commit to joining a Sunday School class Commit to joining a small group Help lead a class or group
Philippians 3:12-4:1 I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. [13] No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. [15] I hope all of you who are mature Christians will agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. [16] But we must be sure to obey the truth we have learned already. [17] Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. [18] For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth. [20] But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. [21] He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere. [4:1] Dear brothers and sisters, I love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward for my work. So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends. Do you see yourself on a journey of faith? In other words, do you see faith as not so much a destination to arrive at, but the pathway itself? Is that pathway the end in and of itself, or is the pathway a place where developing our faith means growing in our love of God and others? Are you trying to do it alone, or do you recognize your need for traveling companions?
Psalm 13:1-6 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? [2] How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? [3] Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; [4] my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. [5] But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. [6] I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me. Have you ever felt like your faith journey had hit the wall? Like you were working hard at it but getting nowhere? How did you feel? What else was going on in your life at the time? In times like those, God may be trying to slow us down and teach us something very specific that we might miss is we press to hard and fast. When you finally came through, was there something you recognized as an insight or new understanding from God? If you haven t come through that dry time, have you spent quiet time with God, waiting for him to show you why? Have you looked at your life circumstances and seen where God s hand might be directing you to something new? No matter where you are, can you trust in God s unfailing love, rejoice in God s salvation, and sing to the Lord because he has been good to you? Twentieth century archaeologists uncovered some interesting things about the ancient Temple Mount in Jerusalem, one of which is the seemingly random design of the southern stairs. It was by these stairs that weary travelers climbed several hundred feet from the valley to the actual Temple. The rise of the steps varies in some instances by several inches. The stretch or depth of the steps varies in no discernible pattern by several feet! Now, some might conclude that the design engineers were either under the influence of mind-altering chemicals or incompetent. But not the ancient rabbis. They saw the random, sometimes treacherous state of the southern stairs as a powerful metaphor for Intentional Faith Development. They argued that the engineers were not stoned but were persons of faith who knew that to ascend the hill of the Lord hurriedly and without thought would be spiritually dangerous. Rather, those who would approach God must do so with intention, caution, and measured steps paying attention and learning all along the way. The previous paragraph is an excerpt from a message on Intentional Faith Development by Rev. Melissa Bailey-Kirk. How does it connect with the Psalm and questions above?
Romans 12:2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Ephesians 4:21-24 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. [22] You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; [23] to be made new in the attitude of your minds; [24] and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Write down your thoughts on being recreated and/or transformed by God through the process of learning about him. Are you allowing God to recreate and/or transform you into his image, or are you trying to create a God in your image (one who fits your preconceived beliefs)?
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice Intentional Faith Development. From the first generations of Christians to the earliest Methodists to the youngest generations of faithful members today, the followers of Jesus Christ mature by learning together in community. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development offer high quality learning experiences that help people understand Scripture, faith, and life in the supportive nurturing of caring relationships. (Bishop Robert Schnaase, The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Abingdon Press, 2007; p. 62) As humans, we can go only so far on our own. Growth whether spiritual, physical, social, or emotional happens in a network of relationships and interdependencies. We need each other. Excerpt from a message on Intentional Faith Development by Melissa Bailey-Kirk Both of the previous 2 quotes push the idea of learning and growing along with others. Have you ever been involved in an ongoing group whose express purpose was to help people grow in their faith? (It could be a Sunday School class or small group study or something similar.) Did you learn something from the other people participating in the experience? Did you contribute to the discussion? If you are not and/or never have been involved in a class or small group, what is stopping you? Look for opportunities to join one this fall!