Our denomination is on the cusp of its 100th anniversary! The United Church is one of the oldest Canadian institutions. It has seen periods of growth….massive growth as church construction flourished. We have seen periods of massive decline…as we have seen more churches close than open since 1967. And what I would like to suggest this morning, is that we are entering a period of rebirth…we are seeing a rebirth of what it will mean to be the church into the next 100 years. I would like for us to use the story in Acts 16 as a ‘lens’ to consider, at our foundation, how we are being empowered to be the church as this rebirth begins. You will recall that we have been looking at different stories through the book of Acts. Stories that tell of how we are empowered to be people of Easter: empowered to receive a new vision; empowered to heal; and empowerment to a unity in creation. This morning, I would like to consider how we are empowered to participate in this rebirthing of the church.
The Acts story is a short, but powerful account of how the early church was deeply moved by the Spirit. It is a story of how the gospel crosses borders and changes lives. It is a story of how a woman named Lydia became the first convert in Europe. And in this story, we see not only how the church began to grow, but how WE are NOW being called and empowered to be part of the rebirthing of church today.
In the opening section, Paul receives a vision in the night: “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And to this vision, what does Paul do? Does he hesitate? Does he waffle? Paul discerns that God is calling him to help the faith spread in Macedonia, and he and his companions make their journey. Paul is not surprised, of course! Paul is the one, we recall, who received renewal in his vision. His vision was restored; he could see in ‘new ways’ as the scales fell from his eyes and he began to see the call God had for him. And we aren’t surprised that Paul’s story begins with a call for we are people of vision to see God’s call. God’s call to Paul, to the early church and God’s call to each of us! Sometimes that vision comes like Paul’s, clear and unmistakable. Other times, it emerges slowly through conversation, and prayer, and listening to the needs around us. But, make no mistake, we are empowered, through the Spirit, to receive God’s call. And after receiving God’s call, we respond.
This passage is about the growth of the early church throughout Europe. And we aren’t surprised to hear that to be the church is NOT just to gather in a building. Being the church has, and always been, about going where people are spiritually longing; going where hearts are seeking; going where God seeks to make a difference. I would suggest that God is still giving the church visions — not always of places, but of people. The neighbor who needs comfort. The co-worker who asks spiritual questions. The stranger who needs a smile. The young person who is hungry for purpose. The community who is struggling with injustice. God is calling. God is giving the church visions, just like what happened to Paul, of where we need to go. I believe that we are empowered to share the gospel: the life-giving, world-transforming news that Jesus’ Way brings life, and hope, and peace.
Paul and his companions hear the call, they answer it and make the trip. They arrive in Philippi, and on the Sabbath, they go outside the city gate to the river, expecting to find a place of prayer. What a purely beautiful moment that must have been: no synagogue, no stained-glass windows, no grand cathedral…just a group of women gathered at the water’s edge. This was the church to them: small, simple, yet always Spirit-filled. We often forget this amidst the busyness of church life; however, this is a good reminder! What makes a church is not walls or steeples (or beautiful new floors), but people gathered in the name of Jesus. Worship doesn’t require perfection or performance. Worship is simply a heart turned toward God. Wherever we gather: gathering in pews, in homes, or online, we participate in this heritage of the early church. We’re empowered to encourage each other, to lift one another in prayer, and to listen together for God’s voice. Fellowship is not an “extra” of church life; it is the very heart of it. Social time after worship, for example, has always been a significant part of worship! The Spirit works when we gather, even in twos or threes, and our community becomes the fuel that drives us forward.
Now enter Lydia. Lydia is a dealer in purple cloth. The colour is significant. Purple was the most expensive colour to create in biblical times. Thousands of murex sea snails, usually found in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, would be collected and the dye carefully extracted from gland for the dyeing of one garment. So, consider Lydia a woman of influence, wealth, and (as we learn in the story) she is also a woman of spiritual openness. The text says the Lord “opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.” Lydia is baptized, along with her whole household, and immediately she extends hospitality: “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And just like that, the church in Philippi is born. A significant observation here is that the church is not born in a temple. The church is birthed in a home. Lydia’s act of welcome becomes the foundation of a new Christian community. There is a lot for us to learn here, isn’t there? From Paul, we learn about the importance of responding to call. From Lydia we learn about hospitality and welcome. To be the church is to be a people of belonging. Our faith must be visible in our hospitality, not just tea and cookies (although that’s a great start), but hospitality is truly about creating spaces where people are seen, valued, and safe. How powerful it is when a church says: ‘You are welcome here; you belong here; God’s love is here for you’. Of all the places in the world where we are not welcomed, not included…Church is one shining light that proclaims one’s welcome through the gracious love of God. You belong. You’re welcome. You are loved. As Easter people, we’re empowered to build community where grace is the foundation and love is the language spoken.
The pioneers who purchased the land, amalgamating North Surrey and Fleetwood United Churches into Northwood had tremendous understanding of this story in action. What was once a busy area in Fleetwood that we served is about to grow exponentially! Projections of growth in this area are an increase in population of 100,000 by 2031 and an additional 100,000 by 2036. The Fleetwood Plan that many of have been following details the number of apartment and housing units as new builds continue. And in this all is our call to be the church. Just like Paul received; just like Lydia received…the call to be the growing, flourishing, welcoming church!
I always appreciate a church that aligns its focus with a vision and a mission because not all do! However, Northwood does! We have continually updated our vision and 5-year goals most recently in 2022. This is the kind of living witness to the church growing and flourishing that we see in this text! Ou vision is that of “embracing all of God’s creation with the love of God.” It is bold and broad vision. We see this as being exercised through four goals. One of the goals has seen a lot of work in the last year. The goal pertains to our physical plant. It reads “in 5 years, we, the followers of Jesus, pledge to: “have an infrastructure (staff, building, finances, property) that is visible, stable, sustainable, and beautiful in support of our ministry and mission.” And there has been a lot of activity in this area, indeed! Flooring, painting, a reliable heating/ cooling unit, and lots of work outside. When we look back on the story of Paul and Lydia, we see a story of call, answer, hospitality and growth. Are we seeing this?
Another area pertains to lay leadership. As we seek to “be leaders, as well, through the development, support, and empowerment of lay leadership.” Lay leadership is the opportunity for all of the congregation to get involved in their respective ministries, using their spiritual gifts and allow ministry to flow through them. You might think of the forming of the many ministries over the years. Most recently, the evening Bible Study as people identified a call and moved forward. A while ago, the food ministry expanded to the Cloverdale Community Kitchen and The Surrey Urban Mission. Lay ministry is that wonderful example of God’s gifts flowing through you as ministry begins and flows! When we look back on the story of Paul and Lydia, we see a story of call, answer, hospitality and growth. Are we seeing this?
Another area pertains to our depth of welcome. Are we a community where it is “our” church and people need to conform to be like “us” in order to attend? Or is this a community that celebrates diversity and view this as a blessing from God. The goal was for us to “be a welcoming community that nurtures spiritual growth with Christ Consciousness that reaches out into the larger community.” One measure that churches use is by looking at the demographics of the community around us. Is the community ‘inside’ the church reflective of the community that ‘outside’ that we serve? The most recent information we have is that our area is one of rich cultural diversity. Fleetwood is made up of 38% South Asian, 25% Caucasian, 10% Chinese, 9% Filipino, and 18% Other. When we look back on the story of Paul and Lydia, we see a story of call, answer, hospitality and growth. Are we seeing this?
And our 4th of the goals that we have been reviewing on a 5 year basis pertains to a focus on inclusivity and growth. The 4th goal is to “be an inclusive and growing Church that is responsive to the changing times in which we serve.” These metrics are not easy to measure because growth and inclusivity can mean many things. Is it a commitment by the membership of the church to learn and grow about the changing world and view this growth as a sign of God’s diversity? Does it mean a statement of welcome and a land acknowledgement as we gather. Is it a bolder statement on our social media? Or on our property? When we look back on the story of Paul and Lydia, we see a story of call, answer, hospitality and growth. Are we seeing this?
Being Easter people is both a gift and a responsibility to those who proclaim that “He is risen indeed!” It is about living the new life that God offers that benefits, not just our own lives, but of the larger world that God has created. Living with a renewed vision as scales fall from one’s eyes and we can see in ‘new ways’. Living in ways that allow for the healing of others. Living in ways that see a unity among all of creation. Living in ways that hear the call and answer, offering hospitality and growth.
Amen.