Bible Text:

 Text:“Enlarge the site of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.                                                               (Isaiah 54:2)

Ten years ago this month we set in motion a new vision for this church. It was a carefully articulated vision, including a Christian Life Center, a music wing, classrooms, a new entranceway, and a kitchen. Can you believe that was ten years ago? That vision caught your attention and engaged your passion.

That capital vision was linked to a vision statement of Christ Church. “We are an open and hospitable community of believers who eagerly invite everyone to connect with God and follow Jesus.” The capital vision, plus the vision statement, began to transform who we are and who we are becoming as a church. 

Today, almost exactly 10 years later, the vision statement continues. But I offer you another new vision. This one is smaller in some ways; it is larger in others. But it’s a worthy dream, equally worthy of your energy and passion. 

Both of these visions, the one for 1993 and the one for 2003, are rooted in the same text from the words of Isaiah in the 54^th chapter: “Enlarge the site of your tent and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.” I believe that vision can be transformational for Christ Church. As in 1993, this vision can set us on a new course for the next few years. I call this vision, “Tent-making 2003.” 

Let me use the text to frame the vision. 

ENLARGE THE SITE OF YOUR TENT 

First, the prophet says, “Enlarge the site of your tent; let the curtains of your habitation be drawn back.” In the original Old Testament context this had to do with some physical expansion of the influence of the people of Israel. 

Across Highland Road and about 200 feet to the east lie 2.2 acres of vacant property. This property has been on the real estate market for at least 20 years. For most of those years it has been vacant. 

Over the years some members of the staff and church members kept nudging me. “We need that land.” I said, “Why do we need it?” The answer came back, “We don’t know. We just know we need it.” The issue would come up every few months. 

About a year ago I began to cave a bit under the nudging and pressure and onslaught. Or perhaps the Spirit began to move. Or perhaps it was a combination of both. We contacted the owners of the property. We discovered that they had a heart for the ministry of the church. We ascertained their asking price. It was quickly established that that price was too high—both in terms of the value of the land and in terms of what we were willing to pay. 

Negotiations went back and forth between the owners, some property development experts and ourselves. 

We said of the price, “Come down. Come on down.” They did, and then we said, “The price is right.” The result is an excellent price for that piece of property. 

Then, a few months ago, a generous unrestricted gift was given by a family in this congregation. The donors offered to have that gift used to pay one half the cost of that land. I believe the Spirit of God was moving in the entire process. It simply had to happen in God’s time. 

What will we do with that 2 acres of land? I said once before and I will say again, “I do not know.” I only know that we can’t let it pass us by. There are some visions fluttering out there. In the next few weeks we will raise up a vision team as we begin to dream. 

Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” I think I agree with that. 

There are some human and mechanical issues which may impede our progress. We need to work carefully with the neighbors. There will be zoning guidelines. The infrastructure needs to be examined. However, it says in Ecclesiastes 5:30, “Dreams come with many cares.” Nowhere does it say we should not dream. 

I am convinced that that 2.2 acres of land will be a valuable addition entrusted to our care. Martin Luther, the great reformer once said, “If I knew I would die tomorrow, I would still plant an apple tree.” I agree. 

LENGTHEN YOUR CORDS 

The second thing we are encouraged to do is to lengthen our cords. I have many friends in the Larger Membership Church network across the country. Many of them have been engaged for the past 5 or 6 years in mission contacts in the developing world—some in Africa, some in Central and South America, many of them in Russia. I have said to myself, “Why not Christ Church?” But nothing seemed to connect. Nothing seemed to be a true leading until recently. 

Last year we learned about the need for hospital revitalization in Africa. Our United Methodist mission hospitals need care and attention. We began to explore options. We focused on the country of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is a country suffering from civil war and multiple land ownership issues. It is also a country ruled by a hard-line leader. Yet United Methodist missions in Zimbabwe have remained unmolested. 

Last summer four Christ Church members made a journey to that country. They examined two sites. On one they found an especially excellent facility, a small, well-built hospital, but without physician or without medication. 

If you will join me in lengthening our cords, we will place a doctor and medication in that hospital by July of this year. We can do enormous good in the name of Him who came preaching, teaching, and healing. 

Here at Christ Church, healing has been a major theme for many decades. We have a regular service of communion and healing every Wednesday night at 7:00. That service dates back almost to the beginning of this church. Six or seven years ago we raised up an active Intercessory Prayer Team which now consists of 80-90 persons. Some of you are a part of that team. Three years ago we engaged in a health ministry in this church, employing a parish nurse and putting together a large health ministries team. Two years ago we began a service of Taizé worship, with an emphasis upon healing, using candles and anointing oil. 

Now we can lengthen those cords to meet the health needs in Zimbabwe. We can lengthen the cords in the name and Spirit of Jesus. 

STRENGTHEN THE STAKES 

Finally, we also need to strengthen the stakes at home base. Here on site there is another need; the west parking lot needs a lot of work. Parts of it are crumbling. It can be dangerous for walking, especially in cold weather. We wanted to re-do it last year. We delayed until this season, until this effort. But your trustees feel very certain that it must be done. 

A SPECIAL OFFERING 

So I lift before you a special offering for a worthy vision. It has been aptly and creatively named, “The A to Z offering: asphalt, property, Zimbabwe.” I invite you to give a one-time gift, or a gift over 18 months, or both. We need to raise $300,000. It can be designated for one of the three areas, or it can be undesignated to be evenly divided among all of them. 

I am confident you will find this vision contagious. To stretch out the site of the sacred tent, to lengthen our cords into the developing world, to strengthen our stakes at home. 

I took my first typing class (on a typewriter! Remember those?) in 1956. Most of us learned to type by beginning to write the words, “Now is the time for every good man to come to the aid of his country.” 2003 is a time for all good people of faith to step up to a vision. This is a time to invest in the future. That’s exactly what we are doing here. 

Ten years ago it was a huge dream. The total cost was 3.3 million dollars. In 2003 it is not nearly so large, but it is equally worthy: $300,000. 

Someone has said that a church begins to die when we cease to dream. There is no shortage of dreams here. They are unfolding all the time. The A to Z offering will set another dream, another vision, in motion. 

I hold a vision of a church that deeply wants to reach people for Jesus. I hold a vision of a church that wants to challenge the powers of the secular culture. I hold a vision of a church that wants to engage the years ahead with the message that the future is in Christ. This vision—as I hope all visions are—is proactive. 

This past week I heard a colleague say something that struck a responsive chord in me. This is what he said: “I want to spend my last years in ministry casting toward the future, not living in the past.” Those are my sentiments exactly. 

DO NOT HOLD BACK 

There is one other line in this text. It says simply, “Do not hold back.” There may be a strong tendency for us to do that right now. The economy of the nation seems reluctant to grow. Investment confidence is wary and cautious. 

I read an interesting story about the East Liberty Presbyterian Church, here in Pittsburgh. East Liberty made the decision to build that great church in 1930. You will recall that the huge financial crash came in October of 1929. Writing about that decision in 1930, someone said this: “Whatever difficulties the Depression may have presented to the nation, East Liberty Church represents American Presbyterianism in its most self-confident moment.”[i] 

I would like to massage and change that statement just a bit to read this way: “Whatever difficulties the economy of 2003 presented to Christ Church, the A to Z campaign of 2003 represented Methodism in a God-confident moment.” 

Investment confidence in God’s work is always wise. Therefore I give you another stretching and strengthening faith exercise today. 

Do you remember the lines from the song, “The Rose”? 

It’s the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance;

It’s the dream afraid of waking that never takes a chance. 

This is a congregation that has learned to dance. We have learned to take a chance. We are a community of believers who have our confidence in God. 

I give you today a proactive vision that is worthy of the name of Jesus. Hear again what the Spirit says to the church: “Enlarge the site of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.”