As our stewardship
season began we took as our theme “We are Beckley Presbyterian Church” a theme that has been re-enforced by articles
in the Pipe Line, reports from different ministry groups, and in correspondence some of you have received in the mail.
Based on our Bible reading this morning BPC
doesn’t just stand for Beckley Presbyterian Church, it also stands for what we should seek to be as the Beckley Presbyterian
Church!
- BPC
stands for BOLDLY PRAYING CHRISTIANS
Our scripture reading concerned a widow who is persistent in petitioning her local judge to hear her case. The judge
is a character described as ‘fearing neither God nor man’. The woman
wears the judge down with her persistence and sees her request granted.
The widow exemplifies a boldness in her asking
that can be applied to how we should approach our lives of prayer. In fact, as Jesus explains in the parable, we can afford
to be bolder than she was, because we don’t offer our prayers to a corrupt judge, but to a loving God who has chosen
us to be His children. Verse 7. “And will not God vindicate His elect who cry
to Him day and night?”
I don’t know how prayer works. I do know
that it is does work. One person put it to me this way, “I’ve noticed that when I stop praying co-incidences stop
happening.” Another told me that when their prayer life slips, for a while
it’s as though everything is just as it was. But then they wake up and realize that the center has disappeared from
their life.
This widow was centered; she was focused. She
knew what she needed and she knew how it needed to be done. Prayer isn’t just about asking. Before we ask we need to
allow God to center us, to put us in a place where we are praying for the right things in the right way. That widow was already
there! Sometimes our first prayer needs to be “God, take me there! Show me what the big issues are. Show me how I can
be praying in concert with Your will, not from out of my personal desires.”
That verse where Jesus says, “Whatsoever you ask in my name I will do It,” does not mean we have the right to reorder the agenda of God’s
Kingdom. It doesn’t mean, “Hey, I’ve always fancied a white Mercedes… if only I keep asking God, one
will show up.” The prayer behind the prayer about asking is the one that says, “Lord, not my will, but thy will be done.” That one has to come first because it is of the first importance.
Jesus said “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and
then all these things shall be added unto you.” Jesus did not say, “Spend
your life going after all the stuff you ever dreamed of and I’ll throw in the Kingdom as well.” It takes prayer to sort out worldly ‘stuff’ from Kingdom ‘stuff’.
BPC…
boldly praying Christians. That’s what we need to keep focused, to stay on track and build God’s Kingdom in
this place.
- BPC
also stands for BEING PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS
Throughout the history of this church God has blessed this church with people whose gifts and talents not only nurtured
their church congregation but also their community, their state and their nation. The
first ever member of Beckley Presbyterian Church was Senator John Wallace McCreery, who was not only a state Senator but helped
form the Bank of Raleigh and became its president, was president of Beckley Seminary, the old Beckley Electric Light and Power
Company, and the Piney Coking Coal Land Company.
Since Senator McCreery founding and joining the
church in 1872, numerous other members have distinguished themselves through service to their state and this community. You
only have to drive around and read some of the road signs and names of some of the parks in this city to realize that this
church has always been about more than just what goes on inside its walls. That
tradition continues through many of our present day members. Such is a vision that we can easily lose sight of. That the Kingdom of God isn’t just about my and mine, it is about
changing the world.
Our reading gave us a picture of a man who was
in a position to do great things. A judge. Sadly he had to be coerced into action before acting in a just way towards a widow
whose rights he should have stood up for. He was a corrupt judge. All it takes
for corruption to take hold of a community is that those in positions of influence don’t face up to their responsibilities.
Neglecting to take responsibility is sometimes far worse than taking some individual misguided action.
Every one of us has a different sphere of influence.
For some it is the home where they live. For others it is their workplace. For others it is through different community organizations.
For some it is in school. For some it is the care community of which they are part.
Never think that because you are not on a huge stage that you have no influence, no power, and no ability.
One of the most influential Christians in my
life was a frail lady in my home church known as Mrs. Packer. Mrs. Packer lived alone in sheltered accommodation. I turned
up at her door one day because I’d volunteered to do some yard work, and she was listed as one needing some help. She had heart problems and was often short of breath.
But, no joke, the love of God shone out through
that lady like she was an angel. She could capture how you were feeling, make it feel like she’d prayed for you and
lift a burden from your shoulders all in one sentence. And she loved to be in church. She couldn’t often get there,
and when she did she’d often have a dizzy spell, and it would end up that
she needed assistance before the service was over. Nobody minded too much, because for many of us she redefined what it meant
to be faithful.
When I felt like not going to church I’d
think of how much church meant to Mrs. Packer. When I felt like I had something to complain about I’d remember that
I never heard a complaining word from her lips. When I felt like saying something bad about somebody, I’d remember little
old Mrs. Packer who, at a time a lot of older folk didn’t have much good to say about youth, carried us in her prayers
and always made us feel welcome and accepted.
It doesn’t matter if God has granted us
the ear of Kings and Presidents or little children and lost souls; our call is the same…. be faithful. Faithfulness
produces good things. Faithfulness plants seeds in people’s hearts that grow and bloom. Faithfulness creates hope where
previously there was despair.
B.P.C stands for boldly praying Christians.
B.P.C stands for being productive citizens.
- Finally
B.P.C stands for BELIEVERS PROCLAIMING CHRIST
Every organization needs a bottom line. When,
as we do here in this church, we can be caught up in a whirlwind of programs and different demands, and have bills to pay
and changing opportunities to respond to, it is good to remind ourselves of our core values.
Sometimes churches need reminding that they are churches!
Here is our mandate as it is found in Matthew
28, 19-20; “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”
We need to pray, not simply that God will nourish our souls personally, but that God will also empower us to fulfill
the mission to which we are called. Jesus says, “GO and make disciples.” That’s what the church is supposed to be about. We’re not just a community
builder or a spiritual get fit club or a civic group. As Jake and Elwood keep saying in the first Blues Brothers movie, “We
are on a mission from God.”
We believe in Jesus Christ. That His life makes all the difference. That without His love all is lost. That through His
love beautiful things can happen. That our God alone is worthy of worship, honor and praise. That though we are weak, God’s
love shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit is powerful. We are on a mission from God, we are boldly praying Christians,
being productive citizens, believer’s proclaiming Christ… we are BPC…Beckley Presbyterian Church!
I guess it’s right now I should bring on the band and the cheerleaders or launch into a patriotic song… but
that’s not going to happen. Instead… I want to finish on this note.
As a church we are in our stewardship season. I think in stewardship sermons I’m supposed to talk about money.
But stewardship is about so much more than money. It’s about time, time spent in prayer and service. It’s
about talents, being productive citizens by being ourselves in Jesus so that He can touch other lives through ours. It’s about treasures, treasuring the heritage we have and investing our lives in positive ways that
will continue the mission of this church.
Folks, I’m not going to be like that widow woman and keep pestering you to make your pledges and support this church
with your contributions. Instead I am going to say, don’t be like the judge. As members you have a responsibility to
face up to, and part of that responsibility is a financial one. Nothing grows without investment, investment of time, investment
of talents, and investments of treasures. You know that!
And investing in the Kingdom of God is like no other you ever have to make. It’s an investment in hope. It’s something
that says to the world there’s a better way, the way of Jesus Christ. It is investing in bringing others to share in
this great thing we have going on here called Beckley Presbyterian Church.
We are Beckley Presbyterian Church.
Boldly Praying
Christians.
Being Productive
Citizens.
Believers Proclaiming
Christ.
In the name
of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
AMEN!
