Have you ever received a belated birthday card? I am at the age now where I appreciate cards being late. In fact I appreciate it if they are forgotten altogether. A clergy colleague told me that he was invited to a once-a-year birthday party for retired clergy. The card said, “We are getting together to see who’s falling apart.” He didn’t go. 

Today is like a belated birthday party for the church. It is a week late. The birthday of the church is Pentecost – 50 days after Easter. The Bible says a lot of excitement happened in Jerusalem that day. The book of Acts records that excitement and then records the church’s earliest stories. I heard a very fine Pentecost sermon in Virginia last Sunday.  

We changed Pentecost here to today. (I did it actually.) We invited you to wear red and stay for a picnic on the grounds. But more important we decided to have it today to celebrate the birthday of a new church start in Homestead. Today is our birthday party for the church. 

Today is also a day to consider the first of four final words from me to you. I call these June messages “The Final Four.” All of them are from letters in the New Testament. All of them begin with the phrase, “And now, finally…” Today’s text is from Ephesians, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” 

This is a true Pentecost theme. It is repeated several times. In Luke 24:49 Jesus says, “Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on High.” In the New Testament reading this morning from Acts, Jesus says again, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Now that same theme is echoed in the words of the text. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his strength.” 

Apparently, the writer of Ephesians knew the difficulties that lay ahead for God’s people. Just after the text he adds these words, “For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Those are some powerful images. I am not sure what the writer meant. But what he is saying is that we have to be strong in order to be able to stand against whatever comes. 

Being strong is more than happy talk. It means more than simply saying, “Have a good day.” It is more than Chicken Soup for the Soul. This is about some substantial stuff. It is a very important word for now. 

Some people suggest today that we are headed into a dangerous time. We sing in the hymn, “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come.” Some feel that is exactly where we are headed. However, I tend to think that our dangers are more seductive in nature. The dangers of affluence, of leisure and the passion for entertainment. We are living complacent, secure, well-protected lives. So we tend to neglect the call to be strong. We say, “My faith in God is OK.” Or “I get to worship as often as I can.” Or I offer a prayer of thanks at meals several times each week.” Or “I read the Bible some.” But we are undisciplined about the strengthening of the soul. 

There is a story that I first read in a newsletter by Ernest Campbell who was the former pastor of riverside church in New York City.  

A women went into a pet store to purchase a parrot for some companionship.  She was feeling lonely. The next day she returned to the pet store to say that the parrot had not said a word yet. The shop keeper said, “Does it have a mirror?” “No”, said the woman, “I don’t have a mirror.” So she purchased a mirror and took it home. The next day she went back to the pet store. “My parrot still has not talked.” She said. “Well, does he have a ladder? Parrots like to climb up and down ladders.” “No” she said, “He doesn’t have a ladder.” So she bought a ladder and took it home. The third day she came back to the store again saying that her parrot still had not talked. “How about getting him a swing. “Said the store owner. So she purchased the swing and took it home. 

The woman returned for the fourth time on the fourth day to report that the bird had died. The store owner expressed his sympathy and then said, “Did the bird say anything before it died?” Replied the woman, “Yes, it said ‘don’t they sell any food at that pet store?’” 

Campbell then comments this way:

   “We readily buy mirrors in which to primp, ladders by which  

    we try to climb higher, swings by which we seek pleasure. 

    But where is the food for the soul?” 

That may be the greatest dilemma of our time. This is also may be a parable for the 21^st century. We may spend a lot of time dressing in front of mirrors or climbing higher on the ladder or entertaining ourselves. But where is the food for strengthening our souls? “Finally brothers and sisters, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” 

Albert Edward Day was a Methodist preacher in the 20^th century. He wrote in one of his books these words. 

We Protestants are an undisciplined people…Revolting, as we did, from the legalistic regimens of the medieval church, we have forgotten almost completely the necessity which inspired those regimens, and the faith practices which have given to Christendom some of its noblest saints…. 

The spiritual vitality of the church depends, not on complicated organization or creative eloquent preaching or adequate theology, valuable as they are… 

What the church primarily needs now, as always, is the presence within it of God-conscious, God –centered souls.   

I am here to say, “Do not neglect to build strength of soul.” 

Many of you remember Dr. Benjamin Spock. He died in 1998 at age 94. In one of his last books before he died, he did not write about temper tantrums or bed-wetting in the life of children. Rather he wrote about the formation of a child. He said that we have to be doing formation toward helpfulness, kindness, peacefulness and human dignity. Then he added, these are needed for a society that is speeding downhill. 

I will baptize five children this month – one of those is being baptized today. The ritual for baptism is suggested in the Book of Worship of the United Methodist church. Basically it says, it suggests three basic questions.

1. Do you have faith in Christ?

2. Will you raise this child in a Christian home?

3 Will you raise this child in the life of the church?

I have added one question of my own over the years. It is actually the number 2 question that I ask. For many years now I have asked this, “Do you promise to do everything in your power to protect your child from all forms of evil, injustice, selfishness and greed as a part of your parental care?” I think it is a very important question for our time. Most parents nod in agreement with me when I tell them this. “Evil, injustice, selfishness, and greed are very real temptations today.” 

We need strength of soul. We need strength in the Lord to meet the challenge. We need a proactive strength. “Finally, be strong in the Lord.” 

Ezra Earl Jones is the retired general secretary of the General Board of Discipleship. Awhile ago he had a conversation with a clergy regarding evangelism. The clergyman said this, “Evangelism means reaching out and receiving all who come…even if the church does not have a system in place for the rest of the process.” 

Dr. Jones responded directly and unequivocally:

I disagree.  Don’t invite me to your church if you don’t have

the ability to put me all the way through.  I don’t want to get

invited in and get lost looking for what is next.  If you can’t

provide settings for me to listen and respond to God and

prepare me for a life of following Jesus, then don’t bother me. 

So my challenge to you is to make the time to build the strength of soul. My challenge to graduating seniors today is make time for the equivalent of your Huddle Groups or your CBS group or your Covenant Discipleship Groups as you move on. Take time to develop and maintain strength of soul. It is a challenge I offer myself as well. As I step into retirement a few weeks hence, I will be forming a spiritual disciplines group of retired clergy. I cannot afford to lose the call to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 

A boy went shopping with his dad. In one store there was figure of a man formed by a large heavy plastic balloon. The little boy could not resist the temptation to swat the tall balloon. He hit it hard with his fist. Down went the balloon, and then it popped right back up. Somewhat surprised and frustrated the boy reached out and hit it again a second time. Again, the figurine went down and then popped right back up. The boy looked at his father and said, “Why does it do that?” “I don’t know for sure,” replied his father. “Why do think he keeps doing that?”  

The boy thought for a while and then he said this, “I think it is because he must be standing up on the inside.” Followers of Jesus are called and given strength to stand up on the inside. 

Bishop Robert Schnase is the second youngest Bishop in the United Methodist connection. He is the Bishop of Missouri. He has just published a new book called Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.

One of those practices is this: Intentional faith formation. Bishop Schnase says that the adjective here is important. It is not just faith formation, but Intentional faith formation. 

Faith formation has been a priority here at Christ Church for many years. Cindy Olszewski is our Director of Christian Formation. We have all kinds of small groups for formation. We are continually watching for new opportunities to develop new groups.  

Someone has suggested that we have had a lot of CD’s over recent decades. There was a decade of Civil Defense. There was the decade of Civil Disobedience. Then there was the decade of the Certificates of Deposit and one for compact discs. The suggestion has been made that in the next few decades the real issue will be Christian Disciplines. Intentional Christian Disciplines. Life long disciplines for faith formation. 

A five year old had just learned to tie his shoes himself. His mother found him crying in his room. “What is the matter?” she asked. “I just learned how to tie my shoes myself.” He said. “That is wonderful! Why are you crying?” To which the boy responded, “Now I have to do this for the rest of my life.” 

“Finally be strong in the Lord…” Strength for living and loving and learning. Strength for Kingdom matters. Strength for Nyadire and Homestead and Bethel Park. Strength and compassion for an unknown 2007 hurricane season. Strength for a fifth worship setting here beginning in the Fall. Strength for whatever the future may hold. 

A friend of mine wrote recently. A few days before my 26^th birthday my first wife died. She had a three day illness complicated by childhood rheumatic fever. She was 24 and she was pregnant with what would have been our first child. 

I had some pretty heavy conversations with God in those days. I came however, to a conviction. Strengthened and confirmed in the ensuing years. One should work out his or her theology in advance. When we are hurting is a pretty difficult time to reflect on it all.                                          

Always and continuously be strong in the Lord. 

So here are two questions for you today.

1. What are you planning to do that you can not possibly achieve without help from beyond yourself?

2. What is this church planning to do that you can not possibly achieve without help from beyond yourselves?

Phillips Brooks the great New England preacher of another time said this, “Do not pray for an easy life. Pray to be stronger men and women. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.” 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might every day for the rest of your life.