You may wondering why there is half a person [a stuffed pair of trousers] sitting on this seat here. Apparently her name is Penny. Of course that may not be what you are wondering about. What you are wondering about instead may be why on earth there is a see-through ceiling a few feet above your head…
I will explain … eventually.
But first - go back 5 weeks to our first Stewardship Sunday. In that sermon we celebrated the many ways in which so many of you are so generous. I was just thinking at last Saturday’s Barbecue how wonderful it was that so many people produced so many cakes - that when we had an enormous baptism on the Sunday morning we had so many cakes left over we had enough to feed all the baptism guests. So 5 weeks ago we celebrated the huge amount of generosity that is already going on here. Then I explained how the second sermon would talk about God’s generosity - God’s giving of himself on the cross. And then I asked what you would like the thrid Stewardship Sermon to be on.
And you chose. Out of the 11 things offered to you, you chose “The Vision Thing: The difference we could make in the local community and the ways we could build God’s kingdom if we had more money.”
The first reading that David read to us was very short - but is very powerful. “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. This is a phrase that has been taken up by secular motivational speakers all over the world - but at it’s heart it is a biblical phrase - where there is no vision the people perish.
I would like to coupl that with another phrase that isn’t in the bible but which I have come across many times and which I firmly believe to be true- “Where there is vision, there is pro-vision”. “Where there is vision, there is pro-vision”. That’s why I am glad you chose “The Vision Thing” as the topic for today’s sermon - because in churches where people grasp the vision, there is no problem getting the funds. As I am sure you will agree, people will give when they agree what they are giving to.
There is a story told about a man who goes to a building site. He see’s three labourers there. He goes up to the first one (who looks a bit depressed) and asks “What are you doing?” “well - I put these bricks here, and then I put some cement on the top and then some more bricks and then more cement - and then five o clock I get to go home.”
So the man asks the second labourer “What are you doing?” “Well” says the man “ I am not just putting bricks on top of one another, I’m part of a team making a building appear- and when it’s finished we’ll look back and think “we built that””
So the man asks the third labourer “What are you doing?””I’m saving lives” “What?” “well I may only be putting bricks on top of each other and adding cement - but I am part of a team putting this building together. And when it’s finished it’s going to be a hospital, and people are going to be brought here and there lives will be saved. And I know my bricks are a small part of it, but without my bricks their lives wouldn’t be saved”
Which of the three labourers do you think is the happiest and most fulfilled?
“Where there is no vision, the people perish”
I could talk to you today about some specifics about how the all the extra money you have already pledged so far, and the money some of you will pledge today might be spent
About how if we get enough, some it might be seed money to help us get interns, young people taking a year out to work with the church
About other other money might go to improving our building - perhaps a new heating system for example so visitors don’t freeze in winter
about how other money will go towards paying the bills such as Common Fund, and general repairs and the heating bill and so.
Yes - in a moment I will talk about interns and building improvements AND paying the bills but that is not vision.
“Paying the bills” might be thought of as like the man who when asked ““What are you doing?” replies “well - I put these bricks here, and then I put some cement on the top and then some more bricks and then more cement” It’s true. It’s vital, but it’s not vision.
what of “a new heating system” or “interns” might be compared to the second labourer who says “ I am not just putting bricks on top of one another, I’m part of a team making a building appear- and when it’s finished we’ll look back and think “we built that”” It’s true. It’s vitalising, but it’s not vision.
Vision is like the 3rd labourer who says ”I’m saving lives. l I may only be putting bricks on top of each other - but I am part of a team putting this building together. And when it’s finished it’s going to be a hospital, and people are going to be brought here and there lives will be saved.”
Last Saturday at our Patronal Festival we blessed our new Notice Boards.
I know it has taken ten years to get there - but wasn’t it wonderful that you as a church had the vision to put those noticeboards up?
Yes? [wait for agreement]
Actually “NO” - that was a trick question. The vision is not Noticeboards- the vision is why we have them in the first place - what we saw in the prayer that Fr Peter Denton prayed when he blessed them - “That people might see the noticeboards and be drawn into this church to meet with God and his people”
So yes - I will talk about interns and building improvements AND paying bills ….BUT those are only tools.
The Vision is summed up in this [point to the pair of trousers sitting on the chair] and this [point to the ceiling made of cling wrap].
In our reading from Revelation - we see a new heaven and a new earth - and the church, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven like a bride adorned for her husband. tears are wiped away, mourning and crying are no more as myriad people hear God say to them “I will be your God and you will be my child”
Isn’t that our vision? That friends of ours and others we live amongst might be brought into relationship with God so that might enjoy for all eternity that heaven and earth made new.
So we come to the parable of the mustard seed. A tiny seed that grows into an enormous plant - and here is the bit that is often not noticed - where the birds of the air can “come and make nests in it’s branches” The birds of the air - is a symbol for the gentiles. Jesus is saying that from something small the church can grow into something big where people of every race and nation can find a home.
So this is my vision? Our vision? God’s vision! [point at the trousers] - “bums on seats”
Well actually of course - Penny here is faulty- because she is nothing but a bottom on a seat - but the reason why “bums on seats” matter to God is because “bums” are attached to people - and people matter to God.
The other part of it is this “ glass ceiling” that is above your heads. As we have been learning as a PCC, it is very hard for churches to grow above about 150 people. They grow to about 150 people and then they encounter a series of obstacles - a glass ceiling that stops them growing. As new people come in, existing people leave and the church doesn’t grow. A glass ceiling. So as a church we need to learn what those obstacles are, and break this glass ceiling
My vision? Our vision? God’s vision? to break this glass ceiling [smash it]
The good news is that even though we are asking for money - some of the most important things to get bums on seats and break the glass ceiling don’t cost any money
fristlty - you remember how successful our Lent groups were this year? We need to find a way to build a small group structure that fits in with people’s busy lives - it won’t be for everyone - but for as many as possible, so that when the church get’s big it still feels small and cosy. As one book puts it “Act small, whatever your size”
Secondly - This is a church where many people volunteer. We need to find ways of unlocking your tallents and gifts so no gift goes wasted.
Thirdly - For the last ten years this church has had no noticeboards, and yet new people have kept turning up. Why? Because you have invited them. We mustn’t let the noticeboards stop you doing what you do best. We must build on that culture of invitation to get bums on seats
All that costs NOTHING
But there are things - tools like the noticeboards - for this vision of smashing the glass ceiling and getting bums on seats that do COST money. Luckily where there is vision there is pro-vision and I know you are giving generously
Interns - young people taking a year out to work for the church. We have got a flat above the vicarage which if we can persuade the Diocese we can put four young people in. Think of the extra projects we could do if we had four extra full time pairs of hands. Projects like Kitchen table that at the moment we can only run once a month that we could run once a week? Or homegroups that parents would love to get to but they need a babysitter and suddenly we have got a babysitter on tap. We would not have to find the full money for paying for interns because yes, there are grants we can get, but we need to raise some money as seed capital so that they will give us the grants.
More basic than that - there are various improvements we need to make to this building - it’s freezing in Winter! We all agree don’t we that we want to be a welcoming church where newcomers coming in feel welcome - so we need to get a better heating system than this so it’s not frozen in winter. We are unlikely to get this done for this winter- but lets make this happen for next winter
More basic than this - we need to pay our bills. We need to pay the common Fund that pays for having a priest here (we don’t actually pay all of the costs, because generous richer parishes subsidise us) but we need to pay what we need to pay. We also need to pay the heating, the electricity, boring repairs that sort of thing...
Now if we forget interns, forget new heating systems just think about bills - in the medium term we are OK. Because of what you have already pledged - by the end of 2016 we should be OK. That’s the medium term, The problem is the short term. 2015 - Our curate’s house in Vernon rise is needing major repairs done on it and at the same time we are not getting any rent on it. Just before I arrived, we lost a major hall hirer and we haven’t replaced it - and of course all that money you have promised - well by the end of 2016 it will have added up to a lot but it takes time to come in. So in the medium term we are OK - but in the short term - well take a look at Carolyn’s [The treasurer's] face…
What have boring bills got to do with our vision of bums on seats and breaking the glass ceiling?
Last week - our PCC meeting finished half an hour late, mainly because we had to spend so long talking about our finance problems. Now every moment we are spending talking about how we are going to pay the bills, we are not spending talking about how we are going to share our faith. By taking away that anxiety - you give us the freedom to concentrate on what really matters - bringing people to Jesus.
I want to thank you for all of you who have responded so generously to Stewardship campaign so far. I have shared with you WHY we want to respond - to break the glass ceiling and get bums on seats. At the notices - I’ll share with you HOW we can respond
