St. Paul’s Sermon 2004

The Rededication of St. Paul’s - October 24, 2004

Lessons:1 Kings 8:22-30; Psalm 84:1-12; Hebrews 10:19-27; John 17:20-26; John 15:1-8

“Remain In Me”

Introduction:

There are a lot of things we can and will commemorate today: - 40 years ago this congregation dedicated itself to serving this city, and marched to this location to place its claim. The question that was asked then is just as pertinent today: “Where is a church more needed than here?”

- 115 years ago this building was dedicated for the first time.

- 100 years ago this past August 20, the great cyclone of ‘04 tore through the tiny city of Minneapolis and dropped the steeple of this church into the Sanctuary we’re sitting in. 100 years ago this fall the repaired sanctuary was rededicated in time for Thanksgiving.

- And, reflecting on Pastor Satre’s 30 years of faithful service here, we’re going to dedicate the “Caroll O. Satre” room.

I) Why do we Dedicate a Church?

Most of our Bible texts today were the texts used on April 26, 1964 when this Sanctuary was dedicated. Why did they do that? Because after sitting boarded up and derelict for a few years, it was time to give this building to the Lord once again, to serve in his service.

When Jesus died, the curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. That signified that God’s presence now was no longer confined on this earth to one geographic space, or any geographic place. The writers of the New Testament make clear that the Temple of the Holy Spirit is the Church of God, the assembly of believers themselves. They are built into a new holy temple; wherever Jesus is, there will his servants be. We are his temple. And as his church, we use buildings, but those buildings can’t hold God, nor are they more holy than any other building. In the New Testament era the Assembly is the sanctified temple, wherever two or three are gathered in his name.

So, we don’t dedicate it to make it holy or to set it apart as a holy place. We set it aside as a place of service and for the use of God’s people. We offer the work of our hands for service. We offer it to others as well, knowing that for this generation we are simply stewards of a remarkable building set aside for the use of God’s people. It’s not ours, we gave it back to God, for his service. It’s for the work of God. The fact that this congregation always used buildings built by others has always reminded us that this is not ours but for God’s use. And that’s really, really refreshing.

II) We Dedicate Ourselves

Really, on that day in 1964, on Palm Sunday, March 22, that action of walking over here was a dedication. By physically moving their bodies, walking through this neighborhood to show up for service at 1901 Portland, this congregation offered themselves. Some of you made that hike. I wonder what you were thinking? “I’m so excited about the newly remodeled church building!” “Did we do the right thing when we decided not to move to the suburbs?” “Wow, the new church will be right by the Lutheran Bible Institute!” “ How are we ever going to pay for this?” “Are we there yet?” “I wonder how the freeways will change this neighborhood?” or “Why did I wear these shoes? My feet hurt!” “Just think of the great things we will be able to accomplish in that nice big, modern building!”

The dedication of the building happened a couple weeks later. But before the dedication of the building came the physical act of presenting yourselves to this place and this neighborhood. It was a carefully measured, hard decision to stay. It wasn’t made quickly. While over a hundred churches left the city, St. Paul’s stayed. Like the happenings of holy week, it was not until Jesus presented himself to the city on that Palm Sunday could Good Friday or Easter happen. Did you realize what you were doing or what it would cost when you gave yourselves to the city on Palm Sunday? You can get killed that way. But you were in good company.

When Paul is telling the Corinthians about the wonderful faithfulness of the Macedonian churches, he says, first they gave themselves to the Lord (2 Cor 7:5) That’s what this congregation did. That act set the theme for the next 40 years. First they gave themselves to the Lord...

That walk, that offering of yourselves is the image of this congregation. It is to us what the crossing of the Red Sea was for Israel. It was the action that gave them their identity. It was a walk by faith to a new land of great challenges.

It’s been 40 years. Forty’s a big number in the Bible. 40 days and nights of rain; Moses on the mountain for 40 days; the spies in Canaan for 40 days; 40 years in the wilderness; David and Solomon each reigned 40 years; 40 days of testing for Jesus; Lent has 40 days; the Resurrected Jesus remained 40 days. 40 is the number of the turning point.

In many ways, we’ve had our 40 years in the wilderness and 40 days of testing, too. There have been tremendous struggles, but marked by faithfulness, not faithlessness and murmuring. As we see downtown moving this way, we dream about entering a new promised land. We dream of being a strong, growing church in a healthy, vibrant, renewed community.

We’re in the final approval period for the Urban Cross-Cultural College Consortium. When this is approved, we may have students living in our houses and taking classes in this building as soon as next fall.

Just last Tuesday we received word that on November 17 ground will be broken for the next phase of the Portland Gateway Project. The southwest corner will begin construction in February. And the northeast corner, on the other side of our parking lot, should begin construction before the end of the year.

But these things won’t save us. Nor is real estate going to make this the promised land. We are changing from neighbors to do ministry to, to a neighbors we can do ministry with. But we are still called to do ministry. Our forms of outreach will change; but we will still need to go out and invite, reach, witness, cajole, listen to, teach and equip these new neighbors. It will be a whole new kind of ministry. But it’s the same old, old story. It’s the same faithful Lord. It’s the same task we set about to do 132 years ago and 40 years ago.

Are we ready for that? Are we open to that? Are we going to obedient to that? In our Gospel text Jesus uses a very interesting word, “remain. ” (John 15:4-5) “Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, neither can you, unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

That word, “remain” or “abide” means to “dwell inside of, long term.” You don’t “remain” in a hotel; you don’t “abide” in a tent. This word speaks of permanence and relationship. Your house belongs to you, but also you belong to your house. That’s where your tax documents are sent. That’s the address on your driver’s license. You abide there; you belong there.

So it is in Christ. He says he abides in us and we abide in him. You belong in him. It’s a long-term, covenantal relationship. It’s that relationship of the Hebrew word, “chesed” we talked about a couple weeks ago. It is a word of commitment, a commitment on both sides. It’s about God’s faithfulness, and it’s about our faithfulness.

III) What Will you do Today?

So, on this day of Rededication, what will you do? March 22, 1964 was a turning point. It was a point of dedication and declaration. It was symbolically acted out by the walk. The congregation gave themselves to this ministry in the city.

What will you do today? Is 40 years “enough?”- “That was fun. Now let’s do something else?” How will you respond today? “That’s not my history.” or “Our memory of the past is enough.” “Let’s go look at the displays and have coffee!”

No, this day is not about the past. The past has been a good teacher, and set us on a good trajectory. But that is just dead history if we don’t relive it today. When the Israelites annually brought their first fruits to the Lord, they relived the story of God’s action in their past-

Deut 26:5-9: "And you shall make response before the LORD your God, `A wandering Aramean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. 7 Then we cried to the LORD the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression; 8 and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Every year the people were called to remember where they started out. They were called back to their identity as those people who had made that trip. The memory wasn’t enough. They were called to act, and to re-dedicate themselves in their offerings.

So, what will you do today? How will you respond to the task set before us? How will you respond to God’s call to this place at this time? Will you pause and dedicate yourself and this place in surrender that God’s will shall be done here? Done here by you? Will you respond wholeheartedly and without reservation? Will you remember this day by reliving the dedication of each member, as was done here 40 years ago?

Let’s go to our time of prayer. Invitation Amen

Rededication of St. Paul’s - October 24, 2004

1 Kings 8:22-30

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven [23] and said:

"O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below--you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. [24] You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it--as it is today.

[25] "Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.' [26] And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.

[27] "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! [28] Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. [29] May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. [30] Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

Psalm 84:1-12

For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!

[2] My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

[3] Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young– a place near your altar,

O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

[4] Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.

[5] Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

[6] As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs;

the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

[7] They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

[8] Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob.

[9] Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.

[10] Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

[11] For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

[12] O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Hebrews 10:19-27

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, [20] by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, [21] and since we have a great priest over the house of God, [22] let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. [24] And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. [25] Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

[26] If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, [27] but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

John 17:20-26

[20] "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, [21] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22] I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: [23] I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

[24] "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

[25] "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. [26] I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

John 15:1-8

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. [2] He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. [3] You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. [4] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

[5] "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. [7] If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. [8] This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.