Loving Community

Rev. Todd R. Lattig

Summer of Love • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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We witness to the love of God when we share our goods and gifts with the community.

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FOCUS STATEMENT

We witness to the love of God

when we share our goods and gifts with the community.

POINT OF RELATION

I have been blessed to serve all sorts of people during my life.

I started off in ministry serving the youth as a youth pastor.

From there, I have served as a pastor of people of all walks of life, aged from conception through death.

I have also served as a chaplain of retired folks in a continuing care retirement community.

When I came to my current appointment...

I was thrilled because this was a walking town…you know what I mean?

This was a town that had sidewalks and stores and restaurants, a library, a historical society museum…and it’s the county seat!

As a history buff and as a community builder...

Wow. Sooo coool. Far out man!

Like, God’s gonna do great things here in Newton!

And I do believe that! Why, you might wonder?

Because Newton is a great little town!

Because I have been a part of the Sussex County Merchant’s Association, which was started by Merchant’s on Spring Street...

and being a part of that group has really been eye opening to me.

I have seen the strengths and weaknesses of our community,

Areas to celebrate as well as areas of growth…that are not too unlike our own as a congregation.

Spring Street has a number of really committed, hard-working merchants who want to see business on the street boom.

They’ve gotten creative, as you know, and did things no one could have guessed possible.

Including attracting tens of thousands of people to a Harry Potter Festival.

We have an excellent and compassionate Police Department who truly do serve and protect with honor and integrity...

And excellent Fire and Ambulance First-Responders!

What’s more, we have a great high school, a great hospital, a great community college, and…when challenging things happen…we band together...

With that said, the town also resists change.

It has tremendous pride in its history, which is a good thing...

But that pride can get in the way of progress as well.

What’s more, we know within our community…as it is within all communities...

We have some haters in our midst.

You know who I mean. The ones who drive down the road with their flags flapping in your car’s face....oh wait…only kidding!

But seriously, you know who I mean...

People who like to draw swastikas on people’s houses…or others who spew hatred, division, and extreme partisanship.

Of course, no community is perfect…and certainly Newton is not…but still, we’re a pretty darn rockin’ community! Amen?

And I am encouraged by the give and take between the past and the future...

It’s good to progress but one must never lose their past…their roots either.

All of this to say that being a part of the community…like an active part…one who is even currently serving as the Vice President of Newton Rotary Club...

is such a blessing…and it has taught me about the ingenuity and resilience of this community I call home.

It has shown me who I am as a leader…I truly feel that each place I have served has shown me a little more about myself...

and made me realize what my capabilities are!

So, no doubt Newton has shaped me...

and no doubt being a part of Rotary and the Merchant’s Assoociation and other groups…have all been helpful parts of my life...

And they’ve kept me excited throughout the pandemic…even though I should have been bummed.

Things to Consider

One of the ways we find our sense of identity is by being part of groups.

What groups have you been a part of, maybe you still are?

What Scripture Says

The feeding of the 5000 is one of the signs in the gospel of John that witnesses to the identity of Jesus.

Apart from the resurrection, it is the only miracle or sign that is found in all four gospels.

The story is an example of the table fellowship that was at the center of Jesus’ ministry.

Jesus invites the crowd to break bread with him.

While Jesus could have performed this sign by himself,

he chooses to use the boy’s willingness to share what he had as an example to others.

The disciples, though doubtful at first, witness the boy’s generosity

and the way Jesus transforms that generous, though small gift into something much greater.

In asking the disciples to gather up the leftover bread, Jesus both emphasizes the miracle that has taken place

and invites them to participate in the community of table fellowship.

They become participants in Jesus’ work of serving and feeding.

Through the generosity and the gifts of the community, the crowd is fed.

We witness to the identity of Jesus by serving OUR community in mission.

When we share our gifts, we strengthen and build community.

We also claim our own identity as people who belong to Jesus’ community.

This is not a community characterized by insiders and outsiders

but, first and foremost by what it has received, the grace of Jesus Christ,

and secondarily by the way it witnesses to that grace by serving others.

It is important for us to recognize that

Jesus understood attending to basic physical needs as an essential piece of evangelism

and a tangible sign of God’s grace.

What this means for you

Let me quickly ask you this:

How is God calling you to use your resources and gifts to build and serve the greater community?

What gifts do you have to offer your God, your church, and your community?

What this means for us

Let’s put it this way, the building does not serve Christ…it serves us.

The question is, who do we serve?

If the answer is CHRIST, as I am sure it is…then that means that this building being used by us to serve Christ.

THE CHURCH is always, always, always the people....

and as the CHURCH we are called to bring more people to know Christ and into the fold.

How is God calling us to deepen conversation and broaden the circle by increasing conversation partners?

Who might we have overlooked, thinking,

like the disciples did of the little boy, that they did not have much contribute?

If we begin think as Christ is calling us to think…

it won’t be long before we begin to see the impossible become possible

through the power of Jesus Christ. Amen? Amen!