Sermon #1: To What or Whom Do We Listen? – J .D. Penner – Feb. 6, 2011
Ephesians 4:14-16
The late Elmer Iseler was a man of few words. Some who may not have worked with him might have thought this strange, seeing as he was a conductor of great skill and ability. But for those who sang or played under him, one quickly realized that his lack of verbosity could not be mistaken for lack of care or ability to get the sound he wanted.
Elmer Iseler was one of the pre-eminent choral conductors of his time, being the conductor of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Elmer Iseler Singers, arguably two of the best choirs in Canada, with the Elmer Iseler Singers being one of the only professional choirs in Canada at the time. He had a reputation of being tough, sometimes witheringly so, and producing excellent results. Thus it was, with some excitement and a little trepidation that 400 youth from across Canada, including me, waited to begin our first rehearsal with him at Walter Hall at U of T in November 1985. We were preparing the Canadian premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem, to be performed at Roy Thomson Hall on Remembrance Day in the evening and aired live on CBC Stereo to the entire nation. This was the culmination of a youth choir celebration, called Kaggik ’85. I was member of the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir at the time after only having been with the group for one year. Needless to say, with a group of youth that size, there was palpable excitement, tension and anticipation in the room. When Elmer walked in, he quietly took to the stage, went to his stand, opened his score, looked up into the assembled group, and uttered his first words:
“Page 17.”
No greeting, no words of welcome, no comments like “it’s great to be here” or comments about the auspicious nature of the event. He simply expected us, like a professional musician, to open our scores and be prepared to sing at his downbeat. Immediately, the room fell dead silent. This man meant business, and we were simply expected to deliver. He brought his hands down, and we sang in way that made our warm-up rehearsals seem like child’s play. With almost no words, he had caused us to pay attention, and, because we were paying attention, we watched him, and began hearing the music in the music.
During the rehearsal time that followed, at times, he would simply state “again”, meaning we were to go back to the point from which we had just started (and hopefully we remembered it), but he wouldn’t make any further comment. We would simply start again. Both he and we knew we hadn’t done what he wanted, and he expected that we knew enough to get it right the next time, either by watching him better, or, just as importantly, listen to the sound we were making so that we could jointly make the best music possible, improving on what we had done before. That is when music truly becomes artistry – when musicians, both conductors and the conducted are listening to each other and the whole sound and having that listening, not simply their own individual technique or work, inform the performance and make it a truly complete, artful experience.
We, as Mennonite Christians, are, in a sense, musicians. In order for us to serve effectively in the Kingdom of God, we need to listen to what God is calling us to do. But this listening takes skill. And it’s not a skill that one learns overnight. It’s even more challenging when we are asked to listen in an environment with a plethora of voices, coming from all directions and contexts. To whom should we listen? How do we know the right voice when we hear it? Who is speaking the truth?
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the various voices we hear in our world. For example,
- To listen to the voice of materialism and those who speak with that voice, we are told that by acquiring, we will find happiness.
- To listen to the voice of the meeting one’s own needs first without regard for others, we risk ignoring our call to be a people of God, losing our spiritual centre by thinking we can overcome all of our struggles on our own and not consider the consequences.
- By listening to the message touting redemptive violence, we easily justify destroying our brothers and sisters, accepting that the good for some outweighs the good for others.
There will always be those voices, calling us to act in ways that do not conform to the central gospel of living a life worthy of Christ. These voices come from sources that are often bent on greed, selfish desires, or a deep-seated mistrust of others. If we are not sure of ourselves, if do not have a deep connection to the Gospel message, then we will be easily led astray by these voices.
God calls us to do better. Ephesians 4:14
How do we know when we’re listening to the right voices? That depends, perhaps ironically, on how skilled we are at articulating our own voice. Just like a musician, you can’t begin to hear the music in the music one is performing, until one has some proficiency to actually play or sing the music in front of you, we must first learn how to speak the truth in love, before we are able to hear it in others. If the values we are taught do NOT lead us to speak in a way that honours God, we can’t expect to hear that voice in others. Paul writes, “We must no longer be children”. As children, if the circumstances are right, we learn the values that will guide our voices and our listening. If we have not learned those values, then we cannot speak using those values nor know when we are hearing them when others speak. TUMC’s Christian Education program is an example of teaching all of us the “competency” to speak proficiently the message of Christ. It’s one of the reasons that we want to work on a vision for Youth Ministry – so that we can get our young people to both see and hear the values of being in, and actively part of, the church – teaching them the skills to speak using the right starting point and to teach them how to discern what the right voices are to which they should be listening. However, it’s not just a matter of having the right knowledge of faith.
Early on in my career in banking, when I was learning to be a branch manager, the bank spoke of the competencies one had, and developing those competencies. One of those was the skill of “active listening”. I hadn’t heard the term before, although I have since learned that it has been around since 1977 when Thomas Gordon coined it in his book “Leadership Effectiveness Training”. Active listening means that the listener sets aside their own agenda, and other mental activities that might otherwise distract them, and fully engages with the speaker by focussing attention on them, looking for both the non-verbal and verbal messages that are informing the speaker’s message. Active listening, when practiced well, allows the listener to develop a more accurate understanding of the speaker’s message. Active listening isn’t really complex, but it takes practice and I’m still not always good at it. (Just ask my wife). Setting aside mental or physical distraction where multi-tasking is a societal value, takes disc
ipline. Learning to empathize and hear the whole message from a speaker is indeed a skill.
So, when we are truly committed to our faith, and in speaking from the heart of that faith, and we are engaged in active listening, then we can begin to discern when we are hearing God’s voice. We, as a Believer’s Church, have chosen to follow the teachings of a faith that calls us to speak truth, in love, and to live in harmony with others. By not only speaking but also actively listening to the voices of others with whom we are committed to finding the way, not just any way, but the way to follow Christ, we then begin to become the church envisioned by Paul in Ephesians. Ephesians 4:15
We at TUMC can and do listen to each other. This past year, much work was done in a number of areas that relied on the listening skills of many of us. Our Annual Meeting yesterday allowed many of us to speak and listen to each other as we considered what it means to be church in many areas. We can take comfort that by working and listening with each other, we are indeed making the church a welcoming place, where it is a safe place to speak and to listen for the voice of God. We have the confidence, the faith, that in working together and listening as a community, we can make a difference in our community, so that:
- we can build a welcoming place for all to worship and gather here
- we can invite others to join us in our walk with God, and,
- we can teach our youth by listening to them and supporting them so that they can make a decision to listen to the right voices.
And by the way, you never know who might be listening – last night while we were speaking about the importance of our youth ministry, the youth were hearing us through the speakers in the kitchen. Apparently, they were encouraged by what they heard. I don’t know if they were actively listening, of course, since they were cleaning up from a wonderful Spaghetti Supper after all, but it sounds like the message was heard.
As we move into a period of discernment of our vision for Youth Ministry and we consider the latest suggested revisions to our constitution, as well as how we will meet our needs with our space and what God is calling us to do and be in Toronto, let us continue to speak and listen to each other actively, speaking the truth in love, and listening for Christ’s message in all whom we engage. In this way, we can become the Mennonite – Christian musicians we are called to be, where our music becomes artistry of the highest order, worthy of the ultimate Artist.
Sermon #2: TUMC: Finding ourselves where we want to be – Jana Schmidt Lepp – Feb. 6, 2011
We all have difference answers to this question. Yet we are a varied community. You may have originally come for the worship music, or for the familiarity of a Mennonite congregation. Or perhaps you have stepped outside your comfort zone to worship here… you may have been called to turn your life upside-down by joining a community of faith like TUMC.
You may have been looking for friends of your own age, or friends of a different age. You may want accountability, or anonymity, or a place to learn. You may be here to see what being “TUMC” or being “Mennonite” or being “Church” feels like. Perhaps you have experienced many of these things at different times over the years.
We started this church year with a wonderful burst of reassessment. In giving our church constitution a much-needed overhaul, we have had the opportunity to look deeper into what it means to be a part of the TUMC community, what it means to be accountable, and called by God, and uncertain, what it means to live together with shared faith and shared decisions. We have launched a new look at youth ministry. We have discussed how we spend our money, which missions we will communally support, and we have encouraged each other to commit more time to service work.
— And it is barely February – I wonder what we will do with the next 11 months In the next few minutes, I’d like to share some two of the many themes that may I anticipate will play a large part of our next year. These themes are not new, but perhaps with a renewed perspective and different energy we will take them to new places.
1. Service & Mission Outside of TUMC Community
James writes us a reminder that faith without service is nothing: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? […]Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:14-17).
Let us find new ways to do things. What might this look like?
ng with the Dan and Joji Pantoja with MC Canada Witness family in the Philippines in a more intentional way
– Drawing up a list of short-term volunteer opportunities – and then doing them
– Asking for God’s spirit to work within us on [Outreaching Sunday], when we share what we are already accomplishing
– Thinking seriously about service as we plan what we want to do with 6 Lark, the house next door
– Tying volunteer service opportunities into our giving in the spending plan
– Being realistic in knowing that we can’t accomplish everything at the same time
2. Our Physical Space
Many of you may be anxiously anticipating a final decision to TUMC`s space concerns.And what will we do about our space? As we consider what to do with our congregation and our facilities, we are striving to keep God’s will at the forefront of our discussion. We know that the space that we have is extraordinary – we have space for Sunday morning worship and sharing of food and meeting space, w. We have grown in our relationships with the New Life Centre and New Life Church, w. We have a good location. We are blessed.
And I fear, at times, that our desire for more, for better, space arises, in part, from conceit and pride and wanting more. We are trained to see what is achievable, and then to achieve it. But the Psalms say: “Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendour of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendour will not descend with them” (Psalm 49:16-17). God does not intend that we build more than we need.
And yet, we feel that our space is limiting our ability to worship and fellowship in ways that might otherwise be possible. It may be limiting our ability to fully worshiprealize God`s purpose for TUMC. Our discussion of space is intrinsically linked to questions of welcoming, fellowship, service, environmental awareness and ministry to our children. It is also intrinsically linked to our individual and community vision for what TUMC will become. We recognize that there is a constant evolution in our mission to fulfill God`s will and it feels that we again find ourselves on the cusp of something new. These are discussions that have begun, and need to continue in prayerful ways over the next months and years.
3. I pray deeply and often to God that our solution to our space issue is filled with God’s holy guidance.
4. Our children
You have heard about a renewed vision for youth ministry from Maureen and Jonathan over the past month, and we had a great discussion about it last evening at our Annual General Meeting. I am very excited about where this vision could take us as a congregation, and while I’d love to discuss specific opportunities further, I’d like to step back to look at the broader theme for a moment – the theme of raising our children in a spiritual way to give them a lifelong and unshatterable joy for Christ.
The scriptures say: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” That was Proverbs 22:6. And Paul writes to Timothy to hold onto the faith he has learned even in the last days: “…Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).
The theme of raising our children is also strongly underlined by our conferences: Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s vision calls us to “extend the peace of Jesus Christ through making disciples, growing congregations and forming leaders.” Mennonite Church Canada (our national conference) calls us to “form a people of God, become a global church and grow leaders.” TUMC’s own values which we defined in 2008 read: “In listening to the Spirit of God as heard in congregational conversation we have identified several core values that give shape to the identity of TUMC: home; community; worship and music; spiritual formation and transformation; diversity and hospitality; and, service, peace and justice. When I consider all of these, one concept comes through loud and clear:
– Forming leaders.
– Growing leaders.
– Spiritual formation and transformation.
We have a responsibility and a willingness to teach our children so that they can grow their faith in God. We have made commitments to each other, to ourselves, to the wider church and to God. What will these look like? How will we balance our energy and resources to support this vision which we have so intentionally, repeatedly placed as a priority in our worship to God?
5. Service & Mission Outside our Community
Over the last several months, as we have discussed different aspects of our church life, I have heard the theme of service in the underlining – and sometimes overt – text. Many of you have said that you want to be more involved with service and mission opportunities outside our church community.
James writes us a reminder that faith without service is nothing: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)
Are we as a community at risk of having faith… and having pocketbooks… but perhaps not responding sufficiently in action? I acknowledge that many of you – as I suggest this – are already thinking about how full your calendars are. I know that we want to and perhaps 2011 will be a year when we consider more intentionally what we can put into action.
Let us find new ways to do things. What might this look like?
– Partnering with the Pantoja family in the Philippines in a more intentional way
– Drawing up a list of short-term volunteer opportunities
– Asking for God’s spirit to work within us on [Outreach Sunday]
– Thinking seriously about service as we plan what we want to do with 6 Lark, the house next door
– Tying volunteer service opportunities into our giving in the spending plan
– Being realistic in knowing that we can’t accomplish everything at the same time
We can become a more service-focused congregation if that is where we choose to place our resources and energy.
6. Our Physical Space
And what will we do about our space? As we consider what to do with our facilities, we are striving to keep God’s will at the forefront of our discussion. We know that the s
pace that we have is extraordinary – we have space for Sunday morning worship and sharing of food and meeting space, we have grown in our relationships with the New Life Centre and New Life Church, we have a good location. We are blessed.
And I fear, at times, that our desire for more, for better, space arises, in part, from conceit and pride and wanting more. We are trained to see what is achievable, and then achieve it. But the Psalms say: “Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendour of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendour will not descend with them” (Psalm 49:16-17). God does not intend that we build more than we need.
And yet, we feel that our space is limiting our ability to worship and fellowship in ways that might otherwise be possible. It may be limiting our ability to fully worship God. Our discussion of space is intrinsically linked to questions of welcoming, fellowship, service, environmental awareness and ministry to our children.
I pray deeply and often to God that our solution to our space issue is filled with God’s holy guidance.
7. Inclusion
“Welcoming” has been another buzz word at TUMC over the last few years. We want to be a congregation that welcomes anyone who walk through its doors, its neighbours, those who may feel uncomfortable in other churches, as well as to the wide diversity in our own congregation. We know how deeply based in scripture this is.
Verse after verse speaks of the intentionality of spreading God’s word to those who don’t know Him, and spreading God’s generosity and kindness even to those who wish not to know Him. Hebrews 13:2-3 reads: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” And in Ephesians we hear: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:2-5). As each of us finds ourselves a part of God, we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit among us.
• making our facilities more accessible
• reviving the Inclusion Team and hear and act on the wisdom they have for us
• pondering how our physical space works to keep the unity of God’s communal spirit among us
• finding new ways to reach out to strangers and our the diversity among our community through work done by the Congregational Life Committee and the Worship Committee and the Ushers & Greeters and so many more intentional groups
8. Leadership
Yesterday, we called and approved leaders for our community. We have named/will name them this morning. In addition, we have discussed what it means to be a leader in our community in our discussions about membership in the context of our constitution.
How do you view leadership in our church?
There are several more themes and approaches that I anticipate will play a strong role in our community this year.
• Looking 10 years into our future to see what me might want to become
• Celebrating the accomplishments that we have achieved
• Implementing creative ideas to offer spiritual growth for our children, including a vision for youth ministry
• And not stopping with our children but ensure that adults, and seniors, and all the stages in between are experiencing both spiritual growth and a sense of home
As both Matthew (19:26b) and Mark (10:27b) testify, “With God, all things are possible.”
And so, we have begun a new church year together. Let us open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, that whose mysterious power which can carry us with renewed energy to accomplish wonderful things. May God bless each person in our community and use our shared prayers and actions to further the kingdom of God. For we are all called to be leaders each in our own way, and each of us is called to respond as we are able.
Amen.
Sermon #3: From the TUMC Sunday School children
This was written by the Sunday School children and shared with the congregation as our third sermon on Sunday, February 6, 2011.
TUMC is our church. We feel part of our church because:
– We go to Sunday School.
– People help us and car
e about us.
– People are nice and talk to us.
– We are told we are a part of it.
– We sometimes do things in the service.
– We help in Sunday School.
– We have Venture Clubs.
– We eat together.
TUMC is our church. We wish we could:
– Do more singing.
– Talk to big kids and grown-ups more.
– Be more helpful.
– Have more fun.
– Have more puppet shows.
– Have more time to do stuff together after church.
– Do more crafts and games.
– Have more snack. TUMC is our church. We will help the church by:
– Cleaning up (mirrors, bathrooms, meals).
– Listening to pastors, teachers, and parents.
– Helping with the offertory.
– Giving our money to help others.
– Not bullying or teasing others.
– Singing or playing music in the service.
– Being kind to one another.
– Resolving conflict peacefully.
– Volunteering at church or in the community.
– Helping others who are sick or need help.