antioch-350            Folks like Roger Bannister, Chuck Yeager, and William Beebe are important because they show us what is possible, make us redraw our boundaries. I think of our sister congregation at Antioch this way (Acts 11.19-30, 13.1-3). This congregation, planted without apostolic involvement, and the first to pursue mass evangelism among the Gentiles, stands (along with the Jerusalem congregation in Acts 2) as an ideal to which we aspire. It was a vibrant, growing, multi-cultural congregation before the apostles got involved. The apostles sent them Barnabas who further strengthened the work. Barnabas fetched Saul from Tarsus for the work. Disciples were called “Christians” first at Antioch. Although it is not altogether clear whether the outsiders who coined this phrase meant it as a good thing – the name stuck, because it fit. They were visibly Christ-like.

            And so, when Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, in Galatia, in Corinth, or in Ephesus about putting away malice, about loving each other, about “keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” (Ephesians 4.3) he was writing from experience. He knew congregational health and peace were possible because he had lived them. His admonitions and encouragements were not theoretical. He knew first hand that Jews and Gentiles; Asians, Europeans, and Africans; the rich, the working-class, and the poor could all be a loving, growing family together in Christ.

            As a boy growing up in a congregation where everyone was white, working-class, and related – a congregation devoted to studying the Bible, and to arguing about it – the congregation at Antioch seemed nearly mythical – like Utopia or Shangri-La. But I knew it wasn’t mythical because it was in the Bible. The example of Antioch wasn’t out of reach, but was attainable. More than that – it was expected. The natural result of conversion is such a congregation (Acts 2.41-47). From the time I started preaching 30 years ago it has been my determination to work towards attaining this state of congregational health.

            Some friends in Seminary were determined to drag the Church into the 21st Century, some were just as determined to seek the old paths. Some were passionate about world hunger, abortion, urban missions, youth ministry, advocating for the poor, saving the environment, promoting the King James Version, and ditching the King James Version.  I just wanted to serve a loving, healthy, sane, productive, congregation – a congregation at peace - unashamed of its identity, unafraid of the surrounding culture, unintimidated by the pressure to keep up with the mega-church-salvation-show down the street. I have always believed that this is enough – that this is everything.

            I thank God every day that I am blessed to serve such a church. I thank God for elders who are not tyrants or bullies, but who love the Lord, His word, and His flock. I thank God for brothers and sisters without chips on their shoulders - who pray for you, send you cards when you’re sick, carry food over when it is needed, and never expect you to walk on egg-shells around them. I am thankful for everyone with a great idea for a new act of service. I am thankful for everyone who reminds us that we can do better. I am even more thankful for those who make things better. I am thankful that on matters of opinion we are as diverse as a congregation can be, but that we are united on matters of faith.

            I am thankful that the many families who come our way only for a time can know that not every congregation is at war or adrift. I’m glad that our children have a diverse family. In an age of bistro-churches: cowboy churches, biker churches, trucker churches, rock-and-roll churches, young urban professional churches, downtown churches, uptown churches, progressive churches, reactionary churches – I am thankful that we are just a church.

            Everything we do we can do better. Some things we should be doing a lot better (I especially worry that we lack urgency for reaching the lost). Admitting that, let us also admit how much God has blessed us. Let us remember as well the Antioch church, and be reminded of what is possible – of what is expected.

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