"Worship: We Participate"

So…

I gotta tell you this little story.

On Monday of this past week, we gathered with the Byrne family to say goodbye to Dottie Byrne.

Dottie was a long-time member of the church along with her husband Bill. They introduced their kids to the church and then Kim became really active and after marrying Scott Ferrier had their kids participate here.

Over the years lots of things went on, and Bill in particular was a big part, not only the choir for a time, but our drama’s, and in particular church sports.

Bill had been a physical education teacher and coach, and so he was instrumental in helping us not only have some great times playing volleyball together, but also helped us put together a softball team.

We actually not only played pickup set of games just with church folks and youth, but also played a game against First Presbyterian Church in Middletown and then First Presbyterian Church in Port Jervis.

So, I had to laugh when I looked at my email Monday morning and there was an invitation from a local church softball league asking if we were interested in fielding a team. 

I told Bill about it and he thought it was a great idea. Because doing stuff together helps us grow!
Not only is it an opportunity for more people to participate – people who perhaps don’t see themselves so much participating in activities and leadership in other ways - but are pretty comfortable with playing softball. Or working in the food pantry. Or fixing things.

More participation, which is always good, but it is also a time when our lives can grow together!

When the event is a multi-aged activity, it can even help our teens grow and develop a whole new set of mentors, while allowing some of our older members the opportunity to share some pretty cool skills, knowledge - and even faith!

Today’s scripture talks about Ezra and Nehemiah speaking to the gathered Jews in Jerusalem.

It is set in the post Babylonian period in Israel’s life. Many years before, the northern tribes of Israel had been carried off into captivity by the Assyrians. 

Then the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin and the city of Jerusalem were captured by the Babylonians. Jerusalem was destroyed and its wall torn down and the Temple was destroyed as well.

Some seventy years later as described in the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah himself a cup bearer to the king, was allowed to go and rebuild the walls around Jerusalem by the then Persian king Cyrus, who had conquered Babylonia. 

That story in in the book of Daniel.

The bottom line is that Jerusalem in this recounting has walls and is rebuilding as a city and  Ezra the priest has begun to rebuild the temple and wants to reestablish regular worship.

And so, he, along with the appointed governor Nehemiah, call the people together to get things started. And where he starts is by reading the Torah, what we know as the first five books of the Old Testament.

In it is the outline of Jewish worship and Jewish life, what Yahweh, the God of Israel, proscribes as the thinking, doing and believing life of those who are his chosen people.

And it begins with a gathering! Doing stuff together helps us grow!

Yes, you can grow on your own! Certainly! But you can grow faster, stronger, with more focus and more purpose when you do it with others.

Just think about it? Why does having a coach or a trainer or a mentor matter? 

Why is it that when we really want to get better - we do it with others? 

Because it works!

I play a trumpet and I am fabulous! Well in my own estimation. But you know what? The more I play with others the harder I work to be better. 

Sometimes those others introduce we to a new way to play. Sometimes they point out ways I can be more in tune. And sometimes they just help me adjust my playing because I finally hear a more skilled player actually play the right rhythms. 
I can’t tell you how many times I have played a piece of music for months, only to hear a trumpeter like Peter Gehres or Tom Stickney play it right and go, “oh, that’s how that goes”!

 Doing stuff together helps us grow!

That’s what Ezra and Nehemiah are inviting this newly gathered group of Israelites to do. Be together and grow!

We’ve been talking about getting a men’s group together for breakfast.

We don’t really have an agenda other than eating! 

But we know from experience that it will make a difference just getting to know each other, to know each other’s names, what we do for work, what we do for fun, where geographically we live, and where we are located in terms of family: single, married, young kids, grandkids. 

Because as we connect, we can begin the process of growing in new, different, and possibly exciting ways. 

So, here’s the thing: If you have decided you want to grow - especially in faith – you need to find a group to grow with. A group that will be your coach but also your friend in the adventure.

Sunday morning worship together is a really good start. 

But a small group like one of our many task groups or a bible study would add another level of growing. 

It’s up to you. But know this, the only way to grow in faith is to put that faith to work. And worship is key.

May your faith continue to grow as we together celebrate the presence of Jesus among us!

And all of it in Jesus’ name! Amen.