St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

St. Andrew's exists to proclaim the Gospel and to share the love of God in our church and in our community

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June 27, 2021

Sunday, June 27 “Equip the Saints” Psalm 136, Micah 6: 8, John 15: 1-11, Ephesians 4: 11-16 When I was just starting out in ministry, before I had even completed my seminary studies in Vancouver, in-fact, I took a job (an internship) at Grace Presbyterian Church in Calgary under the guidance of the amazing Rev. Dr. Jean Morris. Now, that is all a rather polite way of saying that by the time I reached my final year of M.Div studies, I could not stand to be in Vancouver one second longer. After three very full years, three years of study, of transformation, of getting knocked to my knees again and again and finally accepting that the reason I was down there so often was so that I could learn to pray with my full heart (which I eventually did). After three years of major life changes, after three years of surviving off of student loans and part-time work in one of the world’s most expensive cities, after three years of not feeling that I was ever truly grounded in a community church, a congregation, the way I knew I needed to be, I was ready for a change. I was ready to leave, not to quit on the church, not to quit on ministry, but I was ready to come “home” A feeling that was compounded by the fact that I didn’t know where “home” was. As I stared out the window of my cold and drafty apartment one January evening, at the rain that refused to stop pouring, I recall thinking that anywhere would be better than here. The last fifteen months of Covid-19 have reminded me often of that moment. The isolation, the frustration, the heavy rain of bad news that refused to end, and the yearning for a place and a community to call “home”. And through it all, we here at St. Andrew’s have worshipped God, and we have sung songs, and we have prayed prayers, not only for our lives as they are but in hope of the life to come for ourselves, for our neighbours, and for this world. Life in these last fifteen months has been difficult, it has been stressful, it has been isolating; and yet, through the tireless work of our friends in Christ, we have remained together in those prayers that have kept us united and in the mission God has called us to live here at St. Andrew’s. By the May following that cold January evening, just four months later, I found myself in a new space, sitting in-front of Rev. Dr. Jean Morris’ desk at Grace Presbyterian Church in Calgary. And while I do not remember exactly what we talked about that first meeting, as she welcomed me on to lead Youth and Young Adult Ministry there, I know that it must have included a Bible verse, a bible verse that she would quote to me no less than (I am sure) 200 times in my thirteen months at Grace: Ephesians 4: 12 “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” What is the purpose of the church? “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” What is the minister’s purpose? “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” What is the purpose of any ministry that is being considered by the church? “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” Over. And Over. And Over. As many times as it took until I could anticipate that this verse would be the answer to whatever problem was before me. Friends, today, as we give thanks to God and to the saints He has equipped to equip us for the work of the church, this is what we are giving thanks for: Not merely talent… Not merely personal gifts… Not merely commitment… But also (and more importantly) the way God has worked through these people, to keep our “home” a home here at St. Andrew’s. Each of these people, and more, whom we will name in thanksgiving this morning, each of these people has understood the purpose of the church: to not only be a place to call “home” (a community to belong to) but to be a place where the saints (that is all of you) can be equipped in your own ministries to serve the Lord. When I left Vancouver for Calgary I knew I needed a home, I knew I needed to be closer to my friends, and yet, what I found when I went looking for “home” wasn’t just a home, it was a call, a mission, a way to participate in God’s mission for the world: “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” It is always a good practise, in dealing with Scripture, not to focus too narrowly on one verse but to always try to understand it in its context, let us hear again the Apostle Paul’s words to the churches in Ephesus this morning: 11 The gifts [God] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. Friends, a portion of the truth witnessed to in these words by Paul is that when we are talking about building up the Body of Christ, when we are talking about building up the church in faith, when we are talking about our mission in the world to be “salt and light” and to partner with God in His mission of reconciliation for all creation, God equips people to do this work. Let me say that again because it’s easy to gloss over the significance of this: God equips people (normal, everyday, sitting in the pews and at home right now people) to participate in His mission of healing the world through Jesus Christ. At this point you may be saying to yourself “Yeah. Right. Other people!” No! Not other people. You. That is why it is so important that when we do the work of the church, when we participate faithfully with the God who calls us in this mission, we don’t keep it all to ourselves. We who find ourselves in positions of leadership, it is not our job to “lead” for the sake of leading, but rather to “equip the saints for this work of ministry.” When God’s people “equip the saints for the work of ministry” when we do so in order to participate in “building up the body of Christ” it is so that this chain reaction can continue. So that as more people come to know not only their “home” but the “mission” God has called them into, this chain of events can continue: those, formerly strangers to us, and who feel themselves as strangers to God, become saints, they become witnesses to the love of Christ and His reconciling power, and these saints, in turn do the work of ministry (as apostles or priests, evangelists, pastors, or teachers) and they give witness so that others may know the God of all Love and Peace. This is the body of Christ at work. Each of us. Each one of us can name a person, a witness, a saint who helped point us the way to life in Christ. Even if they were a stranger in a chance encounter, someone is responsible for us being here worshipping today. And for that “someone” it is the same thing, on and on through the years, the centuries, through a line of witnesses, of saints, that all meet at the point of the first apostles and their Lord Jesus Christ. The maintenance of this line of apostleship, of witness, of this line of equipping saints, is a big part of what it means to be the church, but it is not the only part. As we have tragically been reminded over the last few weeks here in Canada, it is entirely possible to have a church, to have a line of witnesses who claim faith and belonging in Christ, who do not treat one another with the love Christ calls us to treat each other. Tragically, as we know, it is possible to have a church in which people, rather than being equipped with love to be Christ’s witnesses, are treated cruelly and with all of the evil and politics of this broken world in order that some might exercise power over them and even end their lives. The news out of Kamloops and out of Marieval has shown us that there is much more to being a church than just the name or the cross on the outside of the building. Paul named this “deceitful scheme” in his letter to the Ephesians this morning, but he did not stop there; rather, he named the true purpose of the church: 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. “In building itself up in love” “In the body of Christ, the church’s building itself up in love” That is what it means to be the church. A place to call “home,” a place to find our mission, a place where the saints are equipped, not only in the outward appearance of the church, but also in the Holy Love of Christ for which it exists to proclaim. This is the church. The body of Christ. As we gather this morning. To praise God, to sing songs, to pray prayers, to come before His Word, we do so today also to give thanks to those saints who have seen us through these past fifteen months. Those who have equipped us in order that we may find our own mission to equip. Those who have done so with not just talent and commitment but more importantly love, we give thanks to God for each one of them. Thanks be to God for you, all of you, for your ongoing faith, your ongoing support of St. Andrew’s, and for all of the many ways you are equipping the saints, for building up of the body of Christ. Amen.