A young boy came home from school one day and said to his parents, “There is a small group of the PTA meeting at the school tomorrow. I think you need to be there.” The mother replied, “If it is so small do you think we really need to go?” To which the boy said, “I think so, it is just you, me and the principal.” 

The Bible seems to advocate smaller groups for good growth. In the Old Testament there is a story about Moses who was putting in long hours of intense work. His father-in-law came to him and said, “What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you. You can not do it alone.” His father-in-law’s suggestion was that Moses should nurture these people in smaller groups. 

In the New Testament Jesus did something very similar. He taught large crowds. He attracted large crowds, and then he trained the disciples in smaller settings. That is part of the message in the New Testament reading for today. Martin Marty suggests, “Jesus chose men as apostles because it was the only way he could get some of them into church.” 

In the 18^th century John Wesley picked up on this leadership style in England. Wesley was an organizational genius. He organized people called Methodists into societies, classes and bands for Christian nurture. Wesley used both men and women in this process. 

The implication of all of this is that we need to find ways to go deeper in life. It is so easy to slide along on the surface for months, maybe for years, maybe for a lifetime. The world is a pretty shallow place unto itself. It is not necessary to be a deep thinker or to read weighty books, but it is necessary to nurture our souls.  

How do you do that now? Some of you do it through the daily use of the Upper Room or perhaps the Upper Room Disciplines. Some of you read devotional books by Max Lucado or Rick Warren or Joel Olsteen. Maybe you use one of the three Guide to Prayer books that we have in our church book store. We cycle through those books every three years. Maybe your personal nurture is just with some quiet time for meditation. Maybe you walk the Labyrinth as I did on New Years Eve day. My Life is pretty linear. The twists and turns moving toward the center are very important to me. 

All of these can be valuable and nurturing. But some kind of small group experience seems to be the way of a disciple. Mike Slaughter who pastors one of the largest churches in Methodism says this, 

 “We are made for community. Since the beginning of time people have formed themselves into clans and tribes. Your identity comes from community. You cannot find your identity in isolation. Your esteem grows in community. Accomplishment occurs through community.”[a] 

Or reflect on this comment on American and church society - referencing one of the writings of Paul. 

“As Americans, freedom and independence are rights of citizenship, and are instilled in us from birth. Over the past 30 years, our culture has become more self-centered. The idea that ‘my business is not your business,’ and ‘you’re not going to tell me what to do’ pervades our American culture, and, to a large degree, our church culture…The myth that you can do your own thing as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone has been widely accepted. Yet, Paul makes it clear that though we are all different parts, we’re one body. One part of the body cannot isolate itself from the rest and survive.” 

I know that there is some resistance to small group life. Many of us were brought up in the old way of church life. I know that I was. The process looks something like this. First, you make a decision for Christ and join a church. Then you learn to live by Christian values. Then you support the church with your prayers, your presence, your gifts and your service. But how you live your life is your decision. The church may try to influence it but will not take responsibility for it. That is the way many of us including me came into the church. 

Today is somewhat different. We are learning some new things. There is a more Biblical way of “doing church.” First you form a community of those with whom you wish to journey. You stay focused on Jesus. You practice spiritual disciplines. And you become accountable to others for that practice. 

A few years ago a Christian Men’s movement spread across the Nation. It was called Promise Keepers founded by the former football coach Bill McCartney. Promise Keepers gathered large crowds of men in football stadiums. But Promise Keepers has faltered. I think it has faltered for at least two reasons: 

1. Huge groups gather mostly for the moment and not for the long hall.

2. Promise Keepers always suggested that my highest aspiration as man was to be “Mr. nice guy” to my wife, to my kids, to my neighbors. 

There is nothing wrong with that, but it left many men unfulfilled and unsure. There is a different kind of men’s movement out there today. Some of it is typified in a book called Wild at Heart.[b] (I am not to sure about that title!) This movement was born in Colorado just as Promise Keepers was. Instead of drawing huge crowds in stadiums, this sees men heading out into small groups. They learn together to walk intimately with God. And in so doing they find their true purpose in life. 

Is that not what Jesus was doing with the disciples?  

Yet we are somewhat resistant to this process. We have even become “seasoned resistors.” We want to stay with the old way, the old paradigm. “I’ll go to worship. I’ll try to live a good life. But don’t bother me with the new; don’t put me into some small group.” 

You and I are invited to live a different way in the world. We are invited to live the way to which Jesus calls us and invites us. And that may suggest some new ways of living. 

I have found that I need some private devotional time. I need to practice some of the disciplines. But then I need a small group (or two or three) to remind me that I need to practice those disciplines and to call me into a closer daily relationship with God. 

I think it was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who once said, “Only through discipline can a person learn to be free.”[c] I am not particularly good at disciplining myself. 

Some kind of small group is the way into the future. It is not magic or clever, but it is needed. I read a story about a woman about 70 years of age from the hills of Appalachia who visited the big city for the first time. She went with a friend. They were in a hotel lobby and she was looking at all the ornate trappings of that hotel lobby. She stood over near the bank of elevators and looked at these boxes where the doors constantly opened and closed. At one point she saw a very elderly man bent over with a cane walking into one of the elevators. She saw the mirrors that surrounded him from behind. The doors closed. Then she noticed that the numbers changed above the door 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Then they came back down again 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.   

The door opened and out walked a very young man dressed like someone out of Gentlemen’s Quarterly. The woman whispered to her friend, “I’m gonna bring my husband here and put him in that magic box.” 

Small groups are not a magic box. But they are a viable way. 

Someone wrote about an imaginary convention called by Satan. In his opening address to his angels he said: 

“We can’t keep Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them from reading their bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate relationship with Christ through smaller groups. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.” 

We advocate any number of smaller groups here. You can be in a Covenant Discipleship of 6 or 7 persons that meets weekly. You can be in a CBS group (Care, Bible, and Service). Some of these are for men, some women, some for couples, some for singles and some for mixed couples and singles. Usually about 10-12 people are in these groups. We also have women’s circles and men’s Bible studies.  We have Emmaus reunion groups for those who have been on the Walk to Emmaus. We even have one group which is called “Something More.” 

There is no one kind of group for everyone. Covenant Discipleship offers accountability. I need that at times. A CBS group is more informal and reflective in their time together. Just know that some kind of smaller group is Biblically endorsed and United Methodist re-energized. 

Listen to this testimony from about five years ago. I like this because it is from a pastor. 

“Four or five of us pastors meet for breakfast at a greasy local diner called Schultz’s Deli. The food is unremarkable, but the service is friendly. Sue, our waitress, knows our eating habits and asks about our children. The room is decorated with an American flag, beer signs, and pictures of duck hunting. Schultz’s is not sophisticated and glamorous, but it is more real and socially rich than any web site…

In a sense, the clergy group is a burdensome activity. I must rouse myself to attend. I must commit to participating. I must listen to interpretations of Scripture that do not directly help me prepare a sermon. But the clergy group engages me in ways the internet never can, feeding my body and tending my soul.

Most important, the practice of attending a clergy group grounds me in a local community. Our commitment to each other becomes the way in which the Body of Christ is knit together.”[d] 

If you think you might be ready for a small group, I invite you to respond today. If you are not yet a member of Christ Church it is still OK to respond as well. You can become a member of a small group without being a member of the congregation. 

There are at least two options on the insert today. Consider a new covenant with God as the New Year begins. Complete that insert if you are ready. Place it in the basket at the back behind the baptismal font. Be as flexible as you can. It does not help us a whole lot is you only want to be in a couples group that meets at 3 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. Try to give us some flexibility. Also important, “Be patient.” 

If you are not ready at this moment, that is OK too. Give the matter some prayerful thought over the coming week. Then bring the form or mail it to us by next weekend. 

In the tradition of Moses, in the tradition of Jesus’ earthly ministry and in the great tradition of Methodism; Trust yourself and your Christian formation to some kind of small group. I believe God will guide and sustain the process with you and for you. And I believe that your journey will be better than you could have possibly believed.