Presbyterians Sharing... Celebrate Living Stones
Texts: 1 Chronicles 29:1-9;14-18 and 1 Peter 2:4-5; 9-10
Note: Scripture readings are from "The Message" contemporary translation.
The original version of this sermon was prepared by Olywn Coughlin for the Presbyterian Church in Canada for resources to be used on Presbyterians Sharing... Sunday. This version was modified for the service at Clarkson Road Presbyterian Church. Readers included John Crowdis (minister), Barb Sypher, and Jordan Wall ensured that the appropriate slides were up at the appropriate time.
John: It was so fitting, that as a community of faith they came together as a community of people… building from stones cast away. From 1st Peter:The stone that the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone.
Barb: It was their faith in Christ, the cornerstone, and their trust in God that brought them together. The building was just that, a building. The real church, the real community as they brought together friends and families to celebrate God’s goodness and generosity.
John: Like the stones of the field used to build Duff’s Presbyterian Church, God takes us, the rough fieldstones that we are, to build a church of living stones!
Barb: Through the seasons and over the years, friends and neighbours gathered in church buildings to worship God, proclaiming that God’s goodness and justice extends to all people in all nations. Our worshipping and caring communities became our churches, and the physical building of a church became the metaphor for a developing community of faith.
John: We celebrate the living church of Jesus Christ, participating through our denomination, the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Together we share in building the church.
Barb: How do you build a church?
John: In this slide, you can see a group of people gathered in a field, some raising their arms to form a “roof” of sorts… Showing that it is the people that form the community.
Barb: This is the congregation of Tantallon St. Margaret’s Bay in Nova Scotia, who currently worship in a gymnasium with moveable furniture, a portable keyboard. Similar to our own congregation nearly fifty years ago, this community of faith is waiting patiently to build a facility on land that has been purchased, in part with the help of Presbyterians Sharing…
John: Yet the church is the people, not the structures. Once at the local Superstore, a cashier asked the minister, Ken Stright, if they were building the church yet.
Barb: Ken replied, without missing a beat, “Yes we are building it! One person at a time!”
John: At Clarkson Road, here we are fifty years later, and we are still building the church in this place, in this community one person at a time.
Barb: We are a part of Christ’s ministry, as our mission statement appears in the bulletin each week “to embrace all with the love and friendship of Jesus Christ.” Once we benefited from the larger church community, supporting new ministry here in Clarkson. In the same way, we can “pay it forward” giving similar support to new Presbyterian Church Communities through Presbyterians Sharing…
John: Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary, vibrant with life; in which you’ll serve as holy priests, offering Christ-approved lives up to God.
Barb: The sanctuary, the building that appears in first Peter is metaphorical. It is God’s realm, made up of people and communities, including our Presbyterian Church communities all across Canada. Stones fit together, building upon around the cornerstone, supporting one another. Together, we are building God’s realm of peace and justice throughout our land. Through Presbyterians Sharing, these are some of those things that we are doing together:
John: The living church of Christ extends all across Canada.
Barb: Friendly faces, warm welcomes, hot cups of coffee, emergency food and clothing, listening ears, heartfelt stories, courage, and hope. This is the Edmonton Urban Native Ministry’ drop in centre at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. The centre creates opportunities for aboriginal people in partnership with non-aboriginal people to experience physical, emotional, and spiritual support.
John: Drawing inspiration from the national church’s vision of healing and reconciliation with First Nations people, Presbyterian churches in Edmonton sought to create a place where First Nations people could come together, find strength, and form mutual relationships with non-aboriginal people… listening to dreams, leading to a future filled with confidence, dignity and opportunity.
Barb: The living church of Christ extends all across Canada.
John: We are “living stones” when we do not condemn or reject those who society casts aside; when we accept, befriend, care for and advocate for people needing to experience God’s love. In Montreal, Action Refugies Montreal takes on the role of providing care and support to refugees, as well as advocacy for some of the world’s most vulnerable people. The Rev. Glynnis Williams is our key staff in this very important ministry.
Barb: “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do God’s work and speak out for God, to tell others of the night and day difference God has made for you –From nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”
John: Doing God’s priestly work, building God’s realm, includes being involved in communities around the world so that the message of God’s love can transform our lives and the lives of our church partners. Through words and actions, we show that God’s abundant love is alive and at work in the world.
Barb: The living church of Christ extends to many lands.
John: For the past ten years, we have been working with the Hungarian Reformed Church in Cluj, Romania. Mission staff person Brian Johnston, a music and English teacher, directs the men’s choir at the seminary. The students love for choral music, their talents, and their Christian faith have touched the lives of many in Romania.
Barb: The living church of Christ extends to many lands.
John: Our mission staff in Malawi and their faith community there reveal God’s love at work daily. The Rev. Joel Sherbino is the associate minister at St. Columba Presbyterian Church, a massive congregation of some 10,000 members. Comprised of a central church plus a number of smaller house churches, this congregation has a church school numbering in the hundreds.
Barb: Along with the elders and members of the church, Joel visits the sick and the dying, offering comfort and encouragement. In a land devastated by HIV/AIDS and famine, “people-centred” development projects have become the cornerstone of the church’s mission.
John: The living church of Christ extends to many lands.
Barb: Our church’s partnership with the Guyana Presbyterian Church has spanned many decades. Believe it or not there is a shortage of clergy to serve in this denomination. The Rev. Ian Shaw and his wife Linda are welcomed into the Guyanese communities with open arms, working together, learning one another’s customs, and praying together for both the Guyanese and Canadian Presbyterian Churches and their people.>/p>
John: The living church of Christ works together to build a stronger, more faithful church.
Barb: Training people for the work of ministry is part of the church’s responsibility as a whole. Our theological seminaries prepare people who will serve in our congregations, staff members at the national office prepare resources for our congregations, and the General Assembly is where we meet together to discern the work of the church.
John: There are many ministries that extend beyond our walls, helping us to be faithful servants, sent out to continue God’s work in partnership with people in our congregations and communities.
Barb: From Hebrew Scriptures is the account in Chronicles about the Temple in Jerusalem. King David had a vision for a temple, as a monument to God. While David himself would not live to see his own vision realized, he offered great gifts of his own personal fortune to see it done. His son Solomon would see his dream realized.
John: David knew that all he had and all that he gave came from God in the first place. Not only did he give of himself, but encouraged others to participate in this venture.
Barb: And David said to the people, “And now, how about you? Who among you is ready and willing to join in the giving?”
John: The leaders, commanders and officers responded… Everyone caught wind of David’s vision, and they shared in this monumental task with a sense of joy and accomplishment, of returning to God what they had received.
Barb: Our temple is not of bricks and mortar, but of living stones, brought together to be the living church of Christ!
John: Like the stones of the field in this early church, we come together to form the church.
Barb: Like King David’s people, we bring our financial wealth in response to programs like Presbyterians Sharing… as it enables us to share what God has given us with others, both across Canada and around the world.
John: Through this we are transformed by participating in those partnerships that are creating a world of God’s peace and justice, becoming living stones, and being a part of God’s work.
Barb: Presbyterians Sharing… helps us do that in very tangible ways, such as:
John: When we support Presbyterians Sharing… we join with partners across the country and the world, working with God, in building the church, and bringing about God’s realm. It is both a privilege and a joy! Amen.
Note: Scripture readings are from "The Message" contemporary translation.
The original version of this sermon was prepared by Olywn Coughlin for the Presbyterian Church in Canada for resources to be used on Presbyterians Sharing... Sunday. This version was modified for the service at Clarkson Road Presbyterian Church. Readers included John Crowdis (minister), Barb Sypher, and Jordan Wall ensured that the appropriate slides were up at the appropriate time.
John: This is a picture of Duff’s Presbyterian Church in South-western Ontario. Local settlers built the original building in 1854 on land donated by one family. They built it from the stones farmers cleared from their fields, and wood from around their community.
Barb: The stones were rough fieldstones. Nuisances to plows, needing to be cleared every year, farmers would take them and throw them into piles in the corner of the field.
John: Useless, rough stones that came together to become this church building.
John: It was so fitting, that as a community of faith they came together as a community of people… building from stones cast away. From 1st Peter:The stone that the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone.Barb: It was their faith in Christ, the cornerstone, and their trust in God that brought them together. The building was just that, a building. The real church, the real community as they brought together friends and families to celebrate God’s goodness and generosity.
John: Like the stones of the field used to build Duff’s Presbyterian Church, God takes us, the rough fieldstones that we are, to build a church of living stones!
Barb: Through the seasons and over the years, friends and neighbours gathered in church buildings to worship God, proclaiming that God’s goodness and justice extends to all people in all nations. Our worshipping and caring communities became our churches, and the physical building of a church became the metaphor for a developing community of faith.John: We celebrate the living church of Jesus Christ, participating through our denomination, the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Together we share in building the church.
Barb: How do you build a church?John: In this slide, you can see a group of people gathered in a field, some raising their arms to form a “roof” of sorts… Showing that it is the people that form the community.
Barb: This is the congregation of Tantallon St. Margaret’s Bay in Nova Scotia, who currently worship in a gymnasium with moveable furniture, a portable keyboard. Similar to our own congregation nearly fifty years ago, this community of faith is waiting patiently to build a facility on land that has been purchased, in part with the help of Presbyterians Sharing…
John: Yet the church is the people, not the structures. Once at the local Superstore, a cashier asked the minister, Ken Stright, if they were building the church yet.
Barb: Ken replied, without missing a beat, “Yes we are building it! One person at a time!”
John: At Clarkson Road, here we are fifty years later, and we are still building the church in this place, in this community one person at a time.
Barb: We are a part of Christ’s ministry, as our mission statement appears in the bulletin each week “to embrace all with the love and friendship of Jesus Christ.” Once we benefited from the larger church community, supporting new ministry here in Clarkson. In the same way, we can “pay it forward” giving similar support to new Presbyterian Church Communities through Presbyterians Sharing…
John: Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary, vibrant with life; in which you’ll serve as holy priests, offering Christ-approved lives up to God.Barb: The sanctuary, the building that appears in first Peter is metaphorical. It is God’s realm, made up of people and communities, including our Presbyterian Church communities all across Canada. Stones fit together, building upon around the cornerstone, supporting one another. Together, we are building God’s realm of peace and justice throughout our land. Through Presbyterians Sharing, these are some of those things that we are doing together:
John: The living church of Christ extends all across Canada.Barb: Friendly faces, warm welcomes, hot cups of coffee, emergency food and clothing, listening ears, heartfelt stories, courage, and hope. This is the Edmonton Urban Native Ministry’ drop in centre at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. The centre creates opportunities for aboriginal people in partnership with non-aboriginal people to experience physical, emotional, and spiritual support.
John: Drawing inspiration from the national church’s vision of healing and reconciliation with First Nations people, Presbyterian churches in Edmonton sought to create a place where First Nations people could come together, find strength, and form mutual relationships with non-aboriginal people… listening to dreams, leading to a future filled with confidence, dignity and opportunity.
Barb: The living church of Christ extends all across Canada.John: We are “living stones” when we do not condemn or reject those who society casts aside; when we accept, befriend, care for and advocate for people needing to experience God’s love. In Montreal, Action Refugies Montreal takes on the role of providing care and support to refugees, as well as advocacy for some of the world’s most vulnerable people. The Rev. Glynnis Williams is our key staff in this very important ministry.
Barb: “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do God’s work and speak out for God, to tell others of the night and day difference God has made for you –From nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”
John: Doing God’s priestly work, building God’s realm, includes being involved in communities around the world so that the message of God’s love can transform our lives and the lives of our church partners. Through words and actions, we show that God’s abundant love is alive and at work in the world.
Barb: The living church of Christ extends to many lands.John: For the past ten years, we have been working with the Hungarian Reformed Church in Cluj, Romania. Mission staff person Brian Johnston, a music and English teacher, directs the men’s choir at the seminary. The students love for choral music, their talents, and their Christian faith have touched the lives of many in Romania.
Barb: The living church of Christ extends to many lands.John: Our mission staff in Malawi and their faith community there reveal God’s love at work daily. The Rev. Joel Sherbino is the associate minister at St. Columba Presbyterian Church, a massive congregation of some 10,000 members. Comprised of a central church plus a number of smaller house churches, this congregation has a church school numbering in the hundreds.
Barb: Along with the elders and members of the church, Joel visits the sick and the dying, offering comfort and encouragement. In a land devastated by HIV/AIDS and famine, “people-centred” development projects have become the cornerstone of the church’s mission.
John: The living church of Christ extends to many lands.
Barb: Our church’s partnership with the Guyana Presbyterian Church has spanned many decades. Believe it or not there is a shortage of clergy to serve in this denomination. The Rev. Ian Shaw and his wife Linda are welcomed into the Guyanese communities with open arms, working together, learning one another’s customs, and praying together for both the Guyanese and Canadian Presbyterian Churches and their people.>/p>
John: The living church of Christ works together to build a stronger, more faithful church.Barb: Training people for the work of ministry is part of the church’s responsibility as a whole. Our theological seminaries prepare people who will serve in our congregations, staff members at the national office prepare resources for our congregations, and the General Assembly is where we meet together to discern the work of the church.
John: There are many ministries that extend beyond our walls, helping us to be faithful servants, sent out to continue God’s work in partnership with people in our congregations and communities.
Barb: From Hebrew Scriptures is the account in Chronicles about the Temple in Jerusalem. King David had a vision for a temple, as a monument to God. While David himself would not live to see his own vision realized, he offered great gifts of his own personal fortune to see it done. His son Solomon would see his dream realized.John: David knew that all he had and all that he gave came from God in the first place. Not only did he give of himself, but encouraged others to participate in this venture.
Barb: And David said to the people, “And now, how about you? Who among you is ready and willing to join in the giving?”John: The leaders, commanders and officers responded… Everyone caught wind of David’s vision, and they shared in this monumental task with a sense of joy and accomplishment, of returning to God what they had received.
Barb: Our temple is not of bricks and mortar, but of living stones, brought together to be the living church of Christ!John: Like the stones of the field in this early church, we come together to form the church.
Barb: Like King David’s people, we bring our financial wealth in response to programs like Presbyterians Sharing… as it enables us to share what God has given us with others, both across Canada and around the world.
John: Through this we are transformed by participating in those partnerships that are creating a world of God’s peace and justice, becoming living stones, and being a part of God’s work.
Barb: Presbyterians Sharing… helps us do that in very tangible ways, such as:
John: Building Tantallon-St. Margaret’s Bay Presbyterian Church in Nova Scotia.
Barb: Enabling Aboriginal people in Edmonton’s inner city to work towards a hopeful future.
John: Singing the Good News in Romania.>
Barb: Leading worship and providing pastoral care with the Church of Central Africa in Blantyre, Malawi.
John: Leading worship, developing Christian Education programs, and training both lay and ordained leaders with the Guyana Presbyterian Church.
Barb: Educating and training new generations for ministry through programs like Youth in Mission, Canada Youth, as well as providing theological education through our Church’s three seminaries.
John: When we support Presbyterians Sharing… we join with partners across the country and the world, working with God, in building the church, and bringing about God’s realm. It is both a privilege and a joy! Amen.Special thanks to Olywn Coughlin for her development of this resource for congregational use.
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