“Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ saith, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
When I say the words Strategic Plan, what is your reaction? I don’t mean just any strategic plan, but our strategic plan here at Redeemer. We’ve been talking about it in small segments for the last five weeks. And we have had inserts in your bulletins during that period of time. I have found, when talking about the strategic plan, that there are two basic, and very different, reactions when I mention the phrase “strategic plan” to individuals and groups. One reaction is that of great interest, in which the person or persons really obviously want to know what the plans for the immediate future of the parish are, and how they might fit into those plans. These persons are usually familiar with the value of strategic planning and have made good use of such planning in their businesses or other organizations.
In the other reaction, the person or persons take on an immediate glazed look, as if I have said a magic word that puts them into a different realm of consciousness, and in which their eyes roll up into their heads and there is an expectation of impending boredom of a kind rarely equaled, except perhaps when I say the word stewardship. In my sermon this morning I am going to talk about our strategic plan as well as stewardship, and by saying that I hope I haven’t put some of you into a hypnotic state that you will only emerge from when I say Amen at the end! Beware, I might not say the word amen at the end and you might not wake up until after the prayers! That could be embarrassing!
Let me start by telling a true story about a relatively new couple in the parish. I suppose it was a year ago or so when I met this new couple. Let’s call them John and Mary. Those aren’t their real names. Before John and Mary moved to Sarasota an Episcopal priest they knew recommended that they come to Redeemer, so after they got settled they eventually made their way here and felt that it was a good fit right from that first visit. So they worshipped here every Sunday, and pretty much from the beginning, after mass they made their way to the coffee hour. At the coffee hour, whether it was after the 9 or the 11 o’clock mass, they got to know some of the members of the parish right away.
After several weeks of worshiping here every Sunday, Mary and John made an appointment to meet with me in my office. When we met, Mary and John told me that they really liked Redeemer and that they would like to have their membership transferred. We met for only about 20 minutes or so, because we had already gotten acquainted through short visits on Sunday mornings. As they left my office, they said they of course intended to pledge and how could they get a pledge card. I told them that we just happened to have a pledge card right there in the office that they could take with them and return at their convenience. By the way, one of the distinguishing characteristics of mature churchmen is that they don’t have to be asked to pledge, they assume that one of the responsibilities of membership in a parish is pledging to the general fund.
John and Mary are long time Episcopalians, so they have a great deal of knowledge about the Episcopal Church and what it means to be an Episcopalian from years of participating in an Episcopal parish. Still, they thought a good way for them to be introduced to the parish and learn more about it was through attending the Inquirer’s Class. So they took my 8 week class, and they said it was interesting and informative, but they also added a tremendous amount to the class because of their long history in the Church.
Before long, John and Mary were standing at the front door of the church one Sunday morning, greeting people and handing out bulletins. They had become ushers. Mary joined the Flower Committee of the Altar Guild. John also is a regular member of one of the morning men’s prayer breakfasts. I really knew they had been fully incorporated into the parish when they asked me about how a particular parishioner was doing who has been sick, and they told me this person has been in their prayers. When we had the Day of Hope, in which we helped 179 homeless children prepare for their first day of school, John and Mary were here volunteering in that wonderful outreach ministry to the neediest of the needy.
I have spent a great deal of time telling you about Mary and John because they are an icon of our strategic plan. They have obviously taken their place at the Church of the Redeemer. They are grounded in worship, being at mass every Sunday and major holy day. They are involved in Christian Formation, participating in educational opportunities. They volunteer for various ministries, giving generously of their time, talent, and treasure. In a formal way, through their ushering, they are sharing Christ; but I have no doubt that they are sharing Christ in more informal ways in their daily life. And as they have gotten to know various members of the parish, they are involved in pastoral care through their prayers and through showing concern in other ways.
You may have noticed that in one way or another John and Mary are involved in all five of the Redeemer Ministry pillars (Look at your booklet. Open it to the middle and look at the right side): Christian Formation, Service to Others, Sharing Christ, Pastoral Care, and Worship. That’s the goal of the strategic plan. One of my favorite sayings is, “It’s not rocket science.” And it isn’t rocket science. What it is is a statement of what mature Christian faith and practice looks like. If any one of those things is missing in your life as a Christian, something essential to the Christian life is missing. If you want to feel a part of this parish in as full a way as possible, you’ve got to be doing all of these things in one way or another.
Our Lord Jesus said that the summary of the law and the prophets is the love of God with all of one’s heart, soul, and mind and the love of one’s neighbor as oneself. Our new strategic plan isn’t new at all, for that is what it is about: a concrete plan to enable us to love God and one another.
Sermon preached by the Very Rev. Fredrick A. Robinson
The Church of the Redeemer
Sarasota, Florida
The 23rd Sunday after Pentecost
27 October 2013