The Great Ends of the Church: Introduction
I Peter 2:4-10
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” This honor, then, is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” and “A stone that makes them stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
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Today we begin our journey exploring the "Great Ends of the Church," which is a cornerstone of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Why the "Great Ends of the Church?" Because we've reached a point where we can and should be thinking critically about the mission of our church as it relates to the future of our lives together in this community of faith. Do we know what our church's cornerstone/foundation is? If not then it’s appropriate then that we start with a consideration of the cornerstone that supports the mission of our church and as those who carry out the work of people who belong to this royal priesthood.
It might be tempting for us to think the cornerstone of our church is the mission statement (or at least it can be a starting point). After all, mission statements are a string of words that tell the world what you're about and what you stand for in life. However, the problem with mission statements (as you may remember from my email newsletter this week) is that they are often diluted or idealized versions of reality. A mission statement can say you want to "be good," or "follow Jesus," or "we welcome you," but those words mean nothing if we don't live them out and allow them to hold us accountable to that work.
The cornerstone of our faith, the cornerstone of our community, needs to be aligned in such a way that shapes the rest of the discernment and building process. That is the role of a cornerstone, sure, in today's world, they have a largely ceremonial purpose, but in years past a cornerstone would dictate the rest of the construction of a building. That is why we have the "Great Ends of the Church," where our mission studies and statements fall short; we have the foundation of our tradition. Joseph D. Small writes, "With an economy of words and a surplus of meaning, the church has six great aims to direct our life together, six basic works of the church that are foundational to who the church is and what the church is called to do."
Oh, wait, where are my manners? I've been going on and on about the "Great Ends of the Church" yet have failed to mention what they are! The "Great Ends of the Church" are found within the Presbyterian "Book of Order" (F-1.0304) and draw upon theological reflection and Scripture to formulate six guiding principles that state, as Small wrote, "who the church is and what it is called to do." They are also challenging (or challenges) because a good mission statement will not accept mediocrity or comfort (no room for the status quo). Within these six foundational elements, we hear a call to embrace the unknown future the Spirit of God casts in front of us.
the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;
What is the gospel, and what is salvation? The answer may seem self-evident, but the Church, throughout time, has not shared in one articulation of the gospel and salvation. For example, does salvation apply to the forgiveness of sins? Does it apply to eternal life or the abundant life in the here and now? These are the questions we will ask.
the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;
All these components could be sermons on their own, yet they are found in this grouping that asks the complicated questions of what it means to be the body of Christ. In our culture driven by markets and services, what does it look like for us to be the body of Christ led by Christ who is "above all, through all, and in all"?
the maintenance of divine worship;
In regards to the maintenance of divine worship, "maintenance" doesn't sound exciting, does it? Is worship about music? Is it about the sound of children in the sanctuary? What is worship? And perhaps more importantly, how do we arrive at a place where our worship of God supersedes all the priorities set by a culture that values wealth, status, or possessions?
the preservation of the truth;
We've wrestled with the truth, not just as a country but as churches and individuals. What truths are we choosing to ignore? What truths are we propping up on pedestals or placing in the mind palace museums that actually are, in fact, not true? What truths as a church are we not addressing or clinging onto that we need to assess or reassess?
the promotion of social righteousness;
Justice and social righteousness have undoubtedly been hot-button issues in our times. We ask, "Whose justice" and "Whose social righteousness are we advocating for as a Church?" It goes back to the age-old question of whether we will allow tribalism and partisan politics to supersede the justice and righteousness of God, or will we let the Spirit lead us in the work of reconciliation and guide us?
and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.
Will people who find our church know that we are Christians by our love? Or will they know us as people who are sectarian? Will they know us as welcoming in name only? Or will they know us as that church that only asks for money and is concerned with their internal fears? Given the growing suspicions toward organized religion, we must ask how we will create a community of faith that faces head-on the new realities of our times.
In our reading for today, Peter reminds the Church that the cornerstone of our faith, the cornerstone of our lives together, is found in the life and death of Christ. As we hear these words from the apostle and consider what the cornerstone of our own spiritual lives is, let us pray that we identify and what that cornerstone is, and let us pray that we embark on this journey, we will be able to formulate a clearer sense of our call and identity as God's people. May Christ, the Head of the Church, and the cornerstone, be the foundation that sets a place for everything else that is key for our lives together with God.