ST. STEPHEN / STEPHEN MINISTRY SUNDAY The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 16A! August 21, 2011

Transcript

1 ST. STEPHEN / STEPHEN MINISTRY SUNDAY The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 16A! August 21, 2011 This Sundayʼs Lessons Isaiah 51:1-6 Psalm 138 (8) Romans 12:1-8 St. Matthew 16:13-20 Semicontinuous Series Exodus 1:8-2:10 Psalm 124 (7) Pastor David J. Risendal drisendal@stplc.org facebook Dave Risendal Twitter: drisendal Saint Peter Lutheran Church 9300 East Belleview Avenue Greenwood Village, Colorado voice: 303/ fax: 303/ facebook Saint Peter Lutheran Church Prayer of the Day O God, with all your faithful followers of every age, we praise you, the rock of our life. Be our strong foundation and form us into the body of your Son, that we may gladly minister to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. Stephen: caregiver filled with faith, grace and power agent of God s love Sermon Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Today our first lesson introduces us to St. Stephen; and his is a story that offers us some remarkable insights into the first century disciple community. Stephen emerges in a time of controversy in the church. (And you thought that only happened these days!) Back then there wasn t any kind of a social safety net for vulnerable people. There weren t insurance policies or retirement funds or Social Security checks. Widows and orphans were especially at-risk. If they had nobody to take care of them, they didn t last for long. Consequently, it had traditionally been the church s responsibility to care for them. God made it particularly clear through the prophets that this was to be a hallmark of faithful communities. Leaders of Israel were judged by how well they cared for widows and orphans. Not long after Pentecost, though, complaints surfaced that the Apostles were so busy proclaiming the Gospel and preaching the word, that they were failing in their responsibility to care for the widows in their community. The Apostles took this criticism seriously, and

2 The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 16A (August 21, 2011) " 2 appointed seven men to serve tables; to make sure that nobody was neglected in the daily serving of food. Stephen was among these seven men, and Luke describes him as full of faith and the Holy Spirit, full of grace and power, and one who did great wonders and signs among the people. Today s text concludes on this rosy note, and the firsttime reader of the Bible is left to assume that St. Stephen carried out his responsibilities with faith and dignity, and from that time on no Christian widow ever went without food. We know the rest of the story, though, don t we? A group that opposed the disciples accused Stephen of blasphemy. They stirred up the people and the leaders against him, and brought him to trial before the council. (Do you see any kind of a pattern emerging here?) Stephen gave a powerful defense. He presented a history of the faith that began with Abraham and led to Jesus Christ. Those in attendance at the trial became so enraged that they dragged him out of the city and put him to death, and Stephen became the first martyr of the faith. Martyr, of course, is the Greek word for witness and in Stephen s day, many of those who made a public witness of their Christian faith ended up dying for the cause. What is most remarkable about Stephen is this: that even though he is appointed to carry out what many might think of as a menial task seeing that widows were included in the daily distribution of food he does so in such a way that the power of Christ moves through him, and opponents of the faith become just as threatened by him as they were by Jesus himself. We are remembering this story today, because we are lifting in worship a ministry that is named after Stephen. We are one of some 11,000 Christian congregations that are involved with Stephen Ministry. In these congregations, volunteers are chosen and trained and set apart for a ministry of caring just as St. Stephen was in the first century. Stephen Ministry is an equipping ministry: it seeks to prepare believers to carry out the ministry that God has gifted them to accomplish. They receive fifty hours of training in one-onone caregiving, supervision from Stephen Ministry leaders, and the prayers of many of us who are supportive of what they do. Once prepared to be Stephen Ministers, they are connected to people who find themselves in challenging circumstances. They meet with their care receivers, often once each week, and usually face-to-face. They listen and encourage and support and pray and serve as the presence of Christ. I can t even begin to tell you how many stories I ve heard about people who find that their Stephen Minister was the person who helped them to stay sane and steady and faithful through a particularly difficult time. This morning, we are excited to celebrate here at Saint Peter with Bruce and Sharon Stokes, members of our congregation who have just been trained to lead this ministry. As we remember them, we are also remembering all of our Stephen ministers, those who have served in the past and those who are currently involved, and thanking them for the ministry they carry out among us.

3 The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 16A (August 21, 2011) " 3 Saint Peter has been a Stephen Ministry congregation for decades, and as you ll see in a few minutes, there are quite a few people here who have been trained as Stephen Ministers. Throughout the years, Saint Peter has been blessed in many ways by our Stephen Ministers, and this morning I am thinking of three of those ways. The first blessing is that Stephen ministers experience a rich opportunity to live out their baptismal calling as followers of Jesus Christ. In baptism, each of us is claimed by the promise of the Gospel, and assured that God will be with us and for us, even beyond this life. At the same time, we are also anointed to be workers for the kingdom of God. Part of what it means to be faithful has to do with discerning what sort of gifts and abilities we have been given, and how we can put them to work for what matters most to God. Our Stephen Ministers are people who have discerned within themselves the gift of compassion, and who have offered to put their caring instinct to work in caring for God s people. Stephen Ministry then becomes an opportunity for people to make use of their gifts and abilities in a way that honors God, and strengthens God s church. The second blessing is that through the caring work of our Stephen Ministers, and through the leadership of people like Bruce, Sharon, Lynn, Donna and Steve, people in our community of faith who are struggling, or in the midst of transitions, can find comfort and peace. Stephen Ministry is a healing ministry and hearts and souls are touched by God through the efforts of our Stephen Ministers. It used to be that only the Pastor was considered capable of offering support to members who were struggling. When that was the case, then only as many people as one person could manage received that kind of care. Now, we have a whole group of volunteers who work along with me to provide that care, and the result is that we are able to touch so many more people. Finally, the third blessing is that as Bruce and Sharon and the rest of our Stephen Ministers serve in this capacity, they will be a model and a reminder for each of us about how central caring for each other is to the life of faith. We may not all be called to sign up for a 50 hour training program and become Stephen Ministers. But we are all called to love and support one another as best we can. Stephen Ministry reminds us of that calling, and challenges us to look for those ways that God can work through each of us to bring strength and healing to one another. I can t begin to tell you how proud I am of our Stephen Ministers, and how thankful I am for their ministry. I hope you will consider becoming involved too. Maybe you have the gift of compassion, and would like to be trained to serve as a Stephen Minister. Maybe you are in a time of difficulty or transition, and could benefit from receiving care from one of our Stephen Ministers. Or maybe you know of someone else who might like to have a Stephen Minister for a time. Let us know. We d love to help you get involved. Please join me in praying for these servants of Christ every day. Their work is an important piece of what makes Saint Peter such a strong congregation. For that, and for them, we give God thanks. Amen. David J. Risendal, Pastor

4 The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 16A (August 21, 2011) " 4 Gospel Lesson; English Text: 1 16:13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? 14 And they said, Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 15 He said to them, But who do you say that I am? 16 Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. 28 Peter answered him, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. 29 He said, Come. So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me! 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, You of little faith, why did you doubt? 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God. 2 Gospel Lesson; Greek Text: 16:13 Ἐλθὼν δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὰ µέρη Καισαρείας τῆς Φιλίππου ἠρώτα τοὺς µαθητὰς αὐτοῦ λέγων τίνα λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου; 14 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν οἱ µὲν Ἰωάννην τὸν βαπτιστήν, ἄλλοι δὲ Ἠλίαν, ἕτεροι δὲ Ἰερεµίαν ἢ ἕνα τῶν προφητῶν. 15 λέγει αὐτοῖς ὑµεῖς δὲ τίνα µε λέγετε εἶναι; 16 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Σίµων Πέτρος εἶπεν σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. 17 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ µακάριος εἶ, Σίµων Βαριωνᾶ, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷµα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψεν σοι ἀλλ ὁ πατήρ µου ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. 18 καγὼ δέ σοι λέγω ὅτι σὺ εἶ Πέτρος, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδοµήσω µου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς. 19 δώσω σοι τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ὃ ἐὰν δήσῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται δεδεµένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ ὃ ἐὰν λύσῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται λελυµένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. 20 τότε διεστείλατο τοῖς µαθηταῖς ἵνα µηδενὶ εἴπωσιν ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ χριστός. 3 First Lesson: English Text 6:1 Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. 2 And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word. 5 What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. 1 A list of Bible lessons for the coming weeks is available at 2 St. Matthew 16:13-20, New Revised Standard Version Bible ( 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America). 3 St. Matthew 16:13-20, The Greek New Testament, Aland, Kurt, Black, Matthew, Martini, Carlo M., Metzger, Bruce M., and Wikgren, Allen, ( 1983, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart).

5 The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 16A (August 21, 2011) " 5 8 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 4 First Lesson; Greek Text 6:1 Ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις πληθυνόντων τῶν μαθητῶν ἐγένετο γογγυσμὸς τῶν Ἑλληνιστῶν πρὸς τοὺς Ἑβραίους, ὅτι παρεθεωροῦντο ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῇ καθημερινῇ αἱ χῆραι αὐτῶν. 2 προσκαλεσάμενοι δὲ οἱ δώδεκα τὸ πλῆθος τῶν μαθητῶν εἶπαν οὐκ ἀρεστόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς καταλείψαντας τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ διακονεῖν τραπέζαις. 3 ἐπισκέψασθε δέ, ἀδελφοί, ἄνδρας ἐξ ὑμῶν μαρτυρουμένους ἑπτά, πλήρεις πνεύματος καὶ σοφίας, οὓς καταστήσομεν ἐπὶ τῆς χρείας ταύτης, 4 ἡμεῖς δὲ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ διακονίᾳ τοῦ λόγου προσκαρτερήσομεν. 5 καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους καὶ ἐξελέξαντο Στέφανον, ἄνδρα πλήρης πίστεως καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ Πρόχορον καὶ Νικάνορα καὶ Τίμωνα καὶ Παρμενᾶν καὶ Νικόλαον προσήλυτον Ἀντιοχέα, 6 οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ προσευξάμενοι ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας. 7 Καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἠύξανεν καὶ ἐπληθύνετο ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν μαθητῶν ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ σφόδρα, πολύς τε ὄχλος τῶν ἱερέων ὑπήκουον τῇ πίστει. 8 Στέφανος δὲ πλήρης χάριτος καὶ δυνάμεως ἐποίει τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα μεγάλα ἐν τῷ λαῷ. 5 4! Acts 6:1-8, New Revised Standard Version Bible ( 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America). 5 Acts 6:1-8, The Greek New Testament, Aland, Kurt, Black, Matthew, Martini, Carlo M., Metzger, Bruce M., and Wikgren, Allen, ( 1983, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart).