Mission of God

Pastor Page, December 11, 2007

When I think of the church, I think of a group of disparate people, bound together in Christ. Of course, they aren’t all that disparate, most churches cover a fairly narrow socio-economic slice—upper middle class, blue-collar, white collar, etc. But still: churches are distinctive in that they’re collections of people drawn together not around a love for flowers, or a love of early 20^th-century model railroads, but a mission, the Mission of God to be exact, which is to proclaim Christ in thought, word and deed.

And we’ve surely done that at Covenant, over the years . . . fifty-eight of them, to be exact. We have faithfully stood at the corner of Hargrove and Prince, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, the Good News of the one who comes at this time of year, and who will come again in peace and justice. We’ve done our part, through our worship over the years, but also through significant programs like Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels. And as Meals on Wheels has continued, we’ve added Arts ‘n Autism and Chance to Dance/On Angels Wings, and we provide financial and logistical support to organizations like Caring Days and the Alabama Blues Project. Our programs have had an impact upon the lives of our community, and it hasn’t just been outside our walls. Our children’s and youth programs have ministered to the most vulnerable among us for decades; they have had a significant impact upon young lives. Covenant Presbyterian Church has truly been a blessing to its members and this community since its inception half a century ago.

What has held us together all those years? What has been the glue that has bound us together through thick and thin, through hard times and lean, and through five (now six) pastors? I’ll give you a hint: it is not a what, but a who . . . it is Christ who holds us together. Paul puts it quite beautifully in his letter to the Colossians: speaking of Christ, he writes “all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16c-17). Christ is at the center of our church just as he is at the center of our world. But there’s one other thing: all things (the church included) have been created through him and for him. Covenant doesn’t belong to the session, the pastor, or even to its members. It belongs to Christ, and it is Christ’s mission that it does.

Brothers and sisters, at this Advent, as we celebrate the once and future coming of Christ, it is important to remember who we are. It’s important to look back and celebrate the faithful past of Covenant Presbyterian Church. And to never fear that we will continue that ministry, continue that presence, through God’s good agency and in God’s good grace. In Christ we are held together, through Christ we are who we are. May God bless you and keep you at this sacred holiday season.