Thank you for this privilege of being with you this morning and sharing on a topic that is an extremely important one, I believe. How is it that a collection of individuals, called a congregation, goes about the critical task of enlarging life spiritually?

I must admit that when I discovered what the lectionary passages happened to be for this Sunday, I wondered bow the gospel lesson might answer such a question. The story in Mark that we'll be hearing is one with which we are all familiar. I've never used it before as a spring board for thinking about congregational spiritual growth.

However, as the Spirit is quick to do, some amazing things began to emerge as I read. yet again, about a paralytic man who was taken by friends to a place of healing, where Jesus was doing his radical thing. Let's set this story in its context and then hear it.

Context: Already, and we are only in chapter 2 of Mark's gospel, Jesus' authority to give orders To evil spirits and have them obey him has been demonstrated; Jesus' authority to preach/teach unlike the teachers of the Law has been established; News spreads quickly through the province of Galilee about this "one like no other" he heals many people, including Peter's mother-in-law; he tells the disciples they must move on to other villages since, he says, "I have to preach in them, also, because that is why I came." he heals a man with a dreaded skin disease.

As this story opens we are told that he and the disciples are back in Capernaum and the news spreads that he was "at home". Listen for the Word of God.

MARK 2:1-12

A FEW DAYS LATER, JESUS WENT BACK TO CAPERNAUM, AND THE NEWS SPREAD THAT HE WAS AT HOME SO MANY PEOPLE CAME. TOGETHER THAT THERE WAS NO ROOM LEFT, NOT EVEN OUT IN FRONT OF THE DOORWAY.

JESUS WAS PREACHING THE MESSAGE TO THEM WHEN FOUR MEN ARRIVED, CARRYING A PARALYZED MAN TO JESUS.

BECAUSE OF THE CROWD, HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT GET THE MAN TO JESUS. SO THEY MADE A HOLE IN THE ROOF, RIGHT ABOVE THE PLACE WHERE JESUS WAS BELOW. WHEN THEY HAD MADE THE OPENING, THEY LET THE. MAN DOWN, LYING ON HIS MAT. SEEING HOW MUCH FAITH THE FRIENDS HAD, JESUS SAID TO THE PARALYZED MAN, "MY SON, YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN."

SOME.. TEACHERS OF THE LAW WHO WERE SITTING THERE THOUGHT TO THEMSELVES "HOW DOES HE DARE TALK LIKE THIS? THIS IS BLASPHAMY! GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN FORGIVE SINS!"

AT ONCE JESUS KNEW WHAT THEY WERE THINKING. SO HE SAD TO THEM, "WHO DO YOU THINK SUCH THINGS? IS IT EASIER TO SAY TO THIS PARALYZED MAN, 'YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN', OR TO SAY, 'GET UP, PICK UP YOUR MAT, AND WALK? I WILL PROVE TO YOU, THEN, THAT THE DIVINE HUMAN ONE. HAS AUTHORITY ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SINS." AT THIS HE SAID TO THE PARALYZED MAN, " I TELL YOU, GET UP, PICK UP YOUR MAT, AND GO HOME!"

WHILE THEY ALL, WATCHED, THE MAN GOT UP, PICKED UP HIS MAT, AND HURRIED AWAY. THOSE WHO WITNESSED THIS WERE COMPLETELY AMAZED AND PRAISED GOD, SAYING, "WE HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS!"

THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD. THANKS BE TO GOD.

" Constancy: The call for Congregational Spiritual Growth" 

Isaiah, the prophet: speaking for God, had said: "Don't dwell in the past. Look! I am doing a new thing... I am the God who forgives sins and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you."

And, here, in the midst of a culture that believed that sins were the cause of illness, disease, disability - here is One who is doing a brand new amazing thing! With authority, this One is forgiving sin, reading peoples' thoughts, inviting wholeness and health, and affirming the faith of friends!

What does this story have to do with a spiritually maturing congregation? I want to suggest that there are at least 4 marks of a spiritually maturing congregation suggested by this story, and, then, to look at several ways that a congregation might mature spiritually.

(Represented by, the 4 friends in this story) The spiritually maturing congregation

makes a way, 
creates a space 
            so that Jesus can be seen and heard, especially by those who would otherwise be excluded.

The best efforts of the 4 friends in the story focused on making a way, creating a space, so Jesus can be seen and heard and experienced even though their efforts may seem extreme, the 4 in the story seem to have come prepared to do whatever necessary to get their friend to Jesus; even though their efforts may seem risky and costly - whose house is this, anyway and what will the repair bill be? It seemed not to matter. even though their efforts may offend the status quo - this paralyzed one's presence and the four friends who brought him will make the whole gathering ritually unclean.

So much of the time in the church we find ourselves creating obstacles that block our primary focus: 

JESUS. 

• We spend time worrying about how we are going to pay for things - this new building, salaries, utilities, insurance and the list goes on. 
• We spend time arguing about details, and planning events and keeping the calendar - it's almost Lent and are we prepared yet? 
• We spend time using political moves to get things happening the way we think they should happen.

BEFORE WE KNOW  IT, WE'VE CROWDED OUT A VIEW OF JESUS...Jesus doing and being God's new thing!

So, the best efforts of the congregation desiring to be spiritually maturing need to be focused on making a way, creating a space, so Jesus can be seen and hear and experienced---

• even though the efforts seem extreme, 
• even though the efforts may seem risky and costly, 
• even though the efforts may offend the status quo.

The spiritually maturing congregation shows by its second mark that it doesn't run away from, or deny the reality of sin, nor the cotnsequences of sin. Rather it CONFRONTS, ACTS, BELIEVES -. that sin can be forgiven.

We have to believe that Jesus was aware of the work party destroying the roof long before the man is let down through the hole on his mat. Yet, he doesn't stop order the men to stop what they're doing. He doesn't reprimand them for interrupting what he's doing. And when this "unclean", contaminated soul is in front of him he affirms the faith of the men, the congregation, and forgives this paralyzed Son of God! Say, isn't that what Jesus, himself, is called?

You, as a congregation, have a long history of faithfulness in this arena. You are a Just Peace congregation. You are an Open and Affirming Congregation, You have amazed the community with your actions that established Silver Spring Community Vision. You have an intimacy with compassion for those who are sick and dying.

But there is still more to DO and more to CONTINUE ... remember Isaiah's report of God saying, "Do not dwell in the past. Watch! I am doing a new thing."

WHAT NEW THING MIGHT GOD HAVE IN MIND FOR THIS CONGREGATION AS OUR NATION STANDS ON THE. BRINK OF WAR?

WHAT NEW THING MIGHT GOD HAVE IN- MIND FOR THIS CONGREGATION AS 22 MILLION AMERICANS BATTLE SCHIZOPHRENIA - to be sure, no telethons, walkathons, marathons raising money for research for a cure for this psychiatric illness!

What motivated those four friends of a paralyzed man to go to extreme lengths to confront what they believed to be his sin and take it on as if it were their own so that healing and health and wholeness might result? It was love that propelled them... love that always makes us brave or foolish, some might say!

A 3rd mark of. the spiritually maturing congregation is that it realizes that it has the authority, in Jesus' name, 

to name what is sinful AND what is NOT,
and thus invite people to become whole.

As he was going away from them physically, Jesus gave his followers the AUTHORITY that was his to bring people out of their tombs and help them unwind their Lazarus cloths.

Faith communities MUST claim this AUTHORITY.

We know that war is sinful under any circumstances, but, particularly when waged against a population where 50% of the population is under the age of 15! A massive unprovoked military attack on a nation which is over 50% children can never be "in the highest moral traditions of our country. We know that murder, abuse, spoiling of God's good world, greed are sinful.

By contrast, we also know that illness, failure, not being fertile, disability, natural catastrophes are not sinful, to name only a few. are not sinful, to name only a few.

It's amazing, isn't it, that Jesus seems to say to the man on the mat - 

"Hey! I don't really care what it is that has made you unable to function. I care deeply that your friends love you and went to such incredible lengths so you might be freed to live. Don't dwell in the past. You are freed of anything flint has interfered with being whole Stand up. Pick up that mat. Walk out of here a freed, whole person."

Finally, the spiritually maturing congregation always has as its' focii:

healing, restoring, renewing, reconnecting, resurrecting.

Many times during his ministry Jesus would remind the religious authorities that the law required first and foremost to heal, to save, to show compassion, to show hospitality. 

As we mature spiritually we must have the attitude of

• building up, not tearing down 
• affirming, not negating 
• including, not excluding
• acting, not being passive                and the list could go on.

How is it then that a congregation takes on such marks and matures spiritually? I believe it all revolves around the word constancy - ongoing, disciplined, consistent, as simple as breathing . . .

constancv of proper priorities: 

• each time something is being planned, projected, envisioned the question needs to be: 
  • will Jesus be able to be seen and heard and experienced?
  • does this promote forgiveness, healing, wholeness? 
  • is what we are doing here life giving?

Overwhelmed?

Remember: it is our gracious and loving God who is in charge. God's beloved Child, Jesus, says to us -- 

"Stand up,  pick up your mat, walk. And, lo, I will be in the midst of you, sharing the yoke, loving you all the way,"

So, let it be!

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