About Reaching

It was Mickie’s first time in her seventy something years to teach a Children’s message in front of the whole church. You would never have thought that by her regal character and dignity, her mastered eloquence and educational background, and the way that she dresses with class, that her insides were a jumbled mix of joy and worry and panic; butterflies on steroids. She had carefully prepared for this children’s message, wrapping shoeboxes and typing out her notes, her Bible opened and scripture ready, and like most good public speakers she had checked with others as to where the microphone needs to go and where she needed to sit and where her props needed to be. With her outward appearance in tact, her teaching moment well prepared, and her insides fluttering, she bumped into one of our deacons who offered a prayer for Mickie on the spot. Mickie’s hands were opened to be held, their heads bowed in a moment of peace and encouragement, as God worked on Mickie’s internal combustion preparing her for something wonderful.

I’m not sure how the Spirit reassured her into a moment of peaceful love. It may have been her grandmother’s heart as the children gathered at her feet. It may have been her husband beaming from the front row in love. It may have been the children asking questions and getting involved. At one splendid moment she took a big breath, and when she did she relaxed and grew comfortable with the children congregated. It was as if there came wisdom from a life filled with faith and understanding, allowing her mind to give into the love she felt in her heart for these children. At that precise moment, one of the children named Rosemary became a picturesque blessing for the congregation. Little Rosemary, sitting beneath the shadow of Mickie’s Bible, reached up with her tiny hand and touched the gold leafy pages with her fingers, running them ever so gently up and down, back and forth, unbeknownst to Mickie. Then she reached out and touched Mickie’s skirt, getting lost in a most comfortable place most children do when they gather round love. Mickie was smiling and teaching, and Rosemary was caught up in it all, both of them at peace with each other in worship.

Little Rosemary united everyone. Her heart full of peace and wonder, connecting with the big bible and the familiarity of friends and grandmothers, was a moment of clarity and joy; and for Rosemary it was worth exploring. In an instant God’s grace and gentleness, through these two children of God, ushered the church into a worshiping moment clarifying their own identity. I thought to myself, “This is who they are, this is what God’s Kingdom looks like, this is what they are all about.”

The celebration of children in worship is what Mickie’s smile and nervousness, and all of the other folk who brave a children’s message, captured for me. Rosemary’s stretched out hand, and all of the children who come forward for a children’s message, show us the kingdom of God from a child’s heart of discovery searching for truth.

As I pen this story I am filled with this understanding: all children’s messages illustrate their church’s purpose and proclaim who they are. What defined this church during their children’s moment? Was it the message of mission for homeless street teens in need of practical shoeboxes filled with socks and toiletries, or was it Mickie’s heart melting into the moment with these children? Was it the children listening to her, or was it the congregation being caught up in a moment of spiritual clarity of who they are: Children and elderly together learning God’s will. Was it Christ’s presence reminding them that as they search for Jesus he promises to find them in the Bible and in the faces and lives of the stranger (like those of the street teens, or guests who join them on Sunday)? Was it the Spirit binding them together? For me it will always be that beautiful hand reaching for the Bible as the teacher opened herself in love to those who came to hear.

Just a thought,

Pastor Tom

About New Shoes

I was asked to give a report on the church I serve in Las Vegas to the governing body of all of the churches in Nevada. This governing body is called the Presbytery. This small congregation is a new church development and the work and effort that many people at this church put in is an inspiration and a blessing. This was my report.

"Got a new pair of dress shoes last week. I needed them. My old ones were worn out. The new ones look great … and I have blisters. This past week my feet hurt as the shoes try to conform to my walking style and my weight.

One of the writers of the Bible, John, says in his book about Jesus in chapter 6, “This is the will of my father, that all who see the son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”

Summerlin Presbyterian Church is a new church development. I wonder what that means for you … this is what it means for us. NEW: Reminds us of what our deepest hope is, our greatest desire. When we think of NEW, we begin to dream, and NEW means we can think outside the box of Presbytery or what it means to “do” church. God promises, “Behold, I will make all things new.” CHURCH: All that is the body of Christ and following where Jesus leads. DEVELOPMENT: Walking around in the NEW.

I believe we are all doing our best to be helpers and leaders and children of God with gifts of the Spirit promoting God’s Kingdom, working for the reconciliation of the world in Jesus, by bridging the gap between gospel and culture within our local mission fields. At Summerlin Presbyterian Church we’re just NEW. We are no different or unique than any of our churches. We have the same sinful people and problems and issues that every church has. We have the same saints and experience the same blessings of God. We’re just NEW at it. We are about two years old in Presbyterian years. Our birth year, the same year we share with our brothers at the new church in Sparks, Nevada (Spanish Spring), is the year we chartered, 2005. Do you remember what it is like raising a toddler and a two year old as they learn to walk and talk and teethe and learn to grow into their personality? Raising little ones takes patience, hand holding, face recognition, encouragement, and the responsibility of letting them go a little at a time to learn about who they are. As Spanish Spring and Summerlin Presbyterian Church continue to grow, walk with us in creative ways that are nurturing, patient, and give plenty of face recognition.

I had a preaching professor at seminary ask me a question that forever changed my way of preaching. After a sermon I had preached to the class with my best effort at exegesis and form and historical criticism, and delivering what I thought was great biblical insight that would change the world (or at least get me B+), he said, “So what?” So what. What’s the point of all of the good work and effort? What’s the “So what” about the passage that is meaningful for the people who are listening, and I thought about my report today ...

So what? So, what’s NEW; What’s Church; What’s Developing at Summerlin Pres?

It’s not about:

The Land or buildings to be built (even though we have invested seven long years of time and effort and thousands of dollars in the hope of taking the land for Kingdom of God)

The million dollar loan or capital campaigns (even though we are grateful for the new opportunity to borrow and are excited to raise the money needing to build)

Schism or struggles our church faces and the thousand deaths we die when someone leaves (even though we’ve lost some forty families … 20 who just up and left because they didn’t like this or that; and another twenty who have just moved away)

Traditions, or history or legacies (even though we are now keeping record of our events with great hope and joy calling them the 'Third annual')

Setting up and tearing down every Sunday for worship for the last seven years

Holding every church function at someone’s home for five years (even though our underlying motto is, 'Have Bible, will travel.' Think about for a moment what this means … every church meeting at someone’s home: youth groups, bible studies, deacons, session, every commission meeting, all fellowships; what a blessing!)

Chartering (even though we love to celebrate our birth day every April 13)

The Book of Order or the Book of Confession

Blended, Classic, or contemporary worship styles and wars people feel the need to wage (even though we have a praise team and a choir and a children’s choir)

Political differences with who has the upper hand

Theology (even though Summerlin celebrates Worship, Discipleship, and Evangelism as our core values that correspond with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)

Membership growth and increasing worship attendance (even though we have 185 members and we are trying to plug members and guests into ministry and mission to get beyond the 200 member mark and continue to grow as God directs)

Two cultures sharing land and space (even though we are grateful for our Korean brothers and sisters, and the new day of working with our presbytery in a new way)

Celebrating mission experiences (even though we have missionaries to feed the homeless every month, missionaries to minister to street teens, and missionaries to the Gulf Coast)

So, what’s it about, if it’s not about all of these good efforts?

It’s about being sent by God; sent into the places of our lives with the Good News of God’s love in Jesus. All of our good efforts and issues and struggles and celebrations we encounter are in service to being sent. Summerlin Presbyterian Church celebrates being missional. We celebrate every member being a missionary. We celebrate the activities and the wonder of a people sent by God to establish a new church. We celebrate guests and members connecting with mission and ministry. We celebrate living our witness.

For this little church, the 'so what' is:

'This is the will of my father, that all who see the son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.'

Walk with us, learn with us, grow with us as we expereince all things new.

Just a thought,
Pastor Tom