THE KIRK OF KILDAIRE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

CARY, NC

www.kirkofkildaire.org

A sermon preached by Joseph Welker, Jr.

What Makes them So Strong?

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

February 4, 2007

Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of the Trinity UCC in Chicago also teaches a sort of cohort group for a seminary. In this group are young pastors or interns. He received a long distance call from one of his young students, a young man in his first pastorate who was doing a fantastic job pasturing a Southern Baptist Church. He asked his mentor this:"Does life in this piranha bowl (he didn't call it a fish bowl) ever get any better? Is it always this bad? Does it ever change? Does the mess ever let up? Do people ever stop being petty? Does the gossip ever go away? Do the personal attacks ever ease off?" He said, "Dr. Wright, you've been pasturing four times as long as I have. Tell me. Is it always this bad? And is this what I said yes to in serving as a pastor?" "He (Jeremiah Wright) said, "As I listened to my student, I heard (a couple of ) things.

First, I heard myself posing the same questions across the years-questions that I still ask from time to time, questions about the perils and pitfalls of pastoring. How is it when you're pastoring that you can't get to the people in trouble because of the troublesome people? First I heard the questions that I had asked. I heard myself as I listened to my student.

Second, I heard questions that I have heard asked all over this country. Christians and church members have asked me, "How come ever since I joined the church, everything has seemed to go wrong- the bottom done fell out?" "How come when you try to do right, everything in the world seems to go wrong? You take two steps forward, and you get knocked down three." "Why is it, some ask me, that when I was in the world I didn't have these problems." One woman said, "Reverend, don't you know that my husband and I had a perfect marriage, and the stronger my faith got, the weaker the bonds of matrimony got?" "How come this thing don't work out like the Bible says it's supposed to work out? What is God trying to tell me?" "Does it ever get any better? Is it always this bad? "If God is so powerful, another asked, "why am I still having problems" One church person, trying to stay in Christ, caught his wife in bed with an officer of the church. Another man, who was a hard-working, God-fearing church member, watched in agony as his wife died in her thirties from a brain aneurysm. And he asked me, "Reverend, what kind of God does this?" Wright says, "As I listened to my student on the phone that night, I heard questions that I have asked myself, and I heard questions that Christians all over the country have asked me." [1]

If you have read the letter to the Christians in Corinth, and read between the lines, I think you will find them asking similar questions. This is a church with troublesome people. This is a church that could have easily asked, "if God is so powerful, why are we having so much trouble?" Paul has been asked questions about a church member who is living with his stepmother-his father's wife.
In this church there are people who are sexually promiscuous… thieves… drunks. Did you know this stuff was in the there? You need to start reading your Bible! If Christ is so powerful, some might have asked, why are they still that way? Members are taking each other to court. Apparently there are questions about what we tastefully call, conjugal rights between husband and wife. Questions about divorce. It is clear that some members are eating food others consider unclean… sort of like drinking in front of a tee totaler. Even at the Lord's supper there are some factions… revealing the disparity between the rich members and the poor members. I have no doubt that someone is asking Paul-If God is so powerful, why am I… why are we still having problems? "Does it ever get any better?"

And do you know what I hear underneath the questions, is a faith on life support. A young faith, struggling with the complexities of believing and belonging, trying to survive. I also wonder if Paul asked questions like that young pastor- "Is this what I said yes to , when I agreed to follow you Lord?"

But actually, I don't hear Paul asking that question. I hear Paul standing firm… unshaken… strong and secure as he faces what surely looked like a young congregation in crisis. In today's passage I hear Paul trying to encourage them-literally trying to bring courage and strength to them.
"Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which in turn you received, in which also you stand, through which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you-unless you have come to believe in vain." With words like "I would remind you… " and "hold firmly"… talking about "the faith in which you stand"-do you hear him trying to help them hold on?

And what is it that they are to hold on to here? Resurrection. Specfically, the resurrection of Jesus Christ as he appeared to Peter and many others.

That's an interesting response don't you think? It's also a revealing response. When I want to know how Paul made it through all of this … where Paul found his strength, I discover it is resurrection that grounds him.

And while resurrection brings us great assurance about life to come… a promise of heaven and eternal life… resurrection had power for Paul to deal with life and it's complexities as he lived them now. Resurrection for Paul was not only for the after life, it was the strength he found for this life. He would agree with the pastor who said, that so much that passes itself off as religion is so heavenly focused that it does no earthly good. For Paul the resurrection of Christ did a world of earthly good. Resurrection reminded him that we are not alone… the risen Christ is alive and well and with us. Present. Among us. To help us as he helped Peter, Paul, and all the others who were believers and followers who try to deal with the complexities of life.

How did Jesus say it to his followers in Matthew's gospel?" Lo I am with you to the end of the world"

John Bell put it to song…
"Lo I am with you to the end of the world
Lo…. When you leave self behind
Lo… when you suffer for love
Lo I am with you in the changes of life
Lo…. In the darkness of death
Lo… to the end of the world…

I think this is a good word for us to remember in dealing with our questions… our fears… our struggles. While they may not vanish away, the risen Christ is with us… promising to help us if we but ask….trying to help us work through it all. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ for Paul was not then a day we celebrate in April… it was the most important, most urgent, most compelling matter in the world. Resurrection meant that Jesus was alive and with us-trying to help us live faithfully now-even and maybe especially in times of doubt, struggle and when faith begins to waiver a bit.

Walter Brueggemann, well respected Bible scholar, spoke to a group of pastors of large churches… many who are considered very successful if you measure success by the size of the church you serve, which I think is a dubious measure of success to put it nicely. Professor Bruggemann, one of the most sophisticated intellectuals in the church today, told this group of fairly sophisticated preachers:
"Remember when you awoke in the middle of the night as a child and were certain that the shadows outside your window were some kind of terrible monster, and the creaking of the stairs assured you that something awful was about to happen, and you cried out and your mother or father appeared in your room and took you in his or her arms and said the most important words in the world, "Don't be afraid. It's all right!" That, Professor Brueggeman said, is what Christian faith is about. I might add, that is what resurrection was about for Paul. Because Christ was raised from the dead, the fear that can undermine faith has no power. Don't be afraid. It's all right. [2]

Because of the resurrection, the fear of being alone is gone because Christ is with us. The resurrection of Jesus Christ means we can look at life and deal with all of our questions openly and honestly and not be afraid, because the risen Christ is going to help us.

But I guess you knew that, didn't you. On our website we proclaim to the world that the Kirk is a reformed community of faith that celebrates the risen Christ among us. What a great affirmation of faith to hold on to. Think about what that means. It means we are people who believe Christ is with us… still… today-ready to help us when we are weak… to give us strength and courage… ready to help us live life fully and joyfully in the present as Christ guides us into our future. For that we can be eternally grateful. Amen.

[1] Page 47-49 What Makes You so Strong
[2] From a sermon from John Buchanon at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago