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Sunday May 6, 2010 "Building on the Foundation" First Corinthians 3: 10-13 |
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Location: Blogs Brad's BlogBrad's Sermons |
 | | Posted by: Brad Miller | 6/2/2010 9:12 AM | How exactly did we get here?
There have been several times in my life when I have asked variations of that question. Sometimes, it was out of a sense of frustration as in, “How did I get myself into this mess?” Sometimes it has been out of sense of confusion and despair as in, “Why is this happening to me?” And sometimes, it has been with a sense of joy and wonder as in, “What did I do to deserve all of this?”
Today I ask that question out of that place of joy and wonder, but also, because I really want to understand what happened over the years that brought us to this day, in this place - this beautiful sanctuary - within this wonderful congregation, feeling God’s blessings all around.
So, how did we get here?
Many of us know the story: with the help of the Peachtree Christian Church, a small group of people gathered in a converted house on Colonial Drive on Mother’s Day 1948 and chartered a new church, a mission church in North Atlanta, a church to be called the Brookhaven Christian Church.
The congregation grew and prospered and finally a decision was made to sell the little church on Colonial Drive, and seek out property to build a larger building. They found the land, right here at the corner of Peachtree and Lanier, but they needed time to raise money, so for a few years, the congregation met next door in the Oglethorpe University auditorium. Eventually, through the hard work and sacrifice of members, some who actually put up there life insurance policies as collateral, the first building was erected here, dedicated in 1959.
But this congregation continued to grow and over the years, it expanded twice more – once in 1959 when the sanctuary was literally doubled in size and the narthex added, and again in 2001 when the entire physical plant was almost doubled in size including a new fellowship hall, offices and classroom space.
Then, just a few months ago, we renovated this sanctuary, updating and renewing this space so that worship might be enhanced.
All of those things are important mileposts in the story of this congregation, but they still don’t tell us how it was that we got here. These are all historical facts, and speak to the needs of the congregation, but they don’t tell us the whole story.
We could look at the different ministers that have served here and learn something about how we got here. Martha Low tells me that before the first called, paid, minister came to Brookhaven, the congregation was shepherded by a man named Bill Edge, a layman and business man who volunteered his time and energy. We can look at that first called minister and all those who have come after and see how they nurtured and grew this congregation. We can look at how each of them brought something different to this congregation.
We can look at the various ministries that have found their place at BCC over the years: a 50 year affiliation with the Boy Scouts; the support of various 12 step programs over the years, the enormous impact of the Christian Women’s Fellowship; the beauty added to our worship through the ministry of music; the reaching out to our brothers and sisters from China and from Cambodia in our partnerships with the Chinese Christian Church and the International Christian Church; the ongoing commitment to Christian Education for all ages at all times; the connection to those outside these walls through our partnerships with the Interfaith Outreach Home, the Campbell Stone Christian Centers, the Mission Angeles, and more.
Still, these are facts. They point to the spirit and ethos of the congregation at BCC, but still, they do not tell us exactly how it was we got here.
As is often the case, scripture might be of some help in this matter.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, alludes to the fact that it takes generation after generation to build a church. He writes that through God’s grace, he was given certain skills and using those skills he laid a foundation for those who would come later. It is up to those who come later to build on that foundation, in turn setting up a new foundation upon which others will build. But through all of this, there is the acknowledgment of Paul that the one true foundation is in fact, Jesus Christ.
All around us are the physical reminders that other have come before us. But more important are the spiritual reminders that we are not alone in this place. And it is those spiritual reminders that help me to more fully understand how exactly we got here.
It is a much uttered truth that the church is not a building, but the people of God who gather in worship and fellowship, prayer and play. The physical structure is but a by product of the people who, loving God and seeking to serve God well, took the teachings of Jesus to heart and moved into North Atlanta to make disciples of all they met.
It was the foundation laid by Jesus Christ that moved the people of Brookhaven to seek more and better ways to honor God. It was the foundation laid by Jesus Christ that allowed the congregation to weather tough times, to mourn their losses, to face up to economic realities that pressed in on them. It was the foundation laid by Jesus Christ that kept them worshipping and praying and praising God together. It was the foundation of Jesus Christ that reminded them that the purpose of Christ’s Church was to serve, not to be served. It was the foundation of Jesus Christ that gave allowed them to say thank you by building on that foundation so that we might be here today.
And that is exactly how we got here today: because good people, people in relationship with God as revealed through Jesus Christ, people who wanted to share that relationship with others, stepped out in faith and made it possible for us to be here today.
Now it’s our turn.
This congregation has worked hard and has sacrificed so that this sanctuary might reflect our love of God and might properly honor God’s worship and will. But we stand here today, only because we stand on the foundation of faithful people who came before us. And it will be our faithful witness that will allow the next generation and the next generation and the generation after that to one day stand here and celebrate God’s goodness in their lives. That is our legacy; that is our responsibility; that is our joy.
How did we get here? By building on the firm foundation so lovingly laid by 19 charter members of the Brookhaven Christian Church who were simply living out their faith and standing tall on the firm foundation that is Jesus Christ.
Today we acknowledge those who have come before us. Today we are in awe of their faithful work and pledge ourselves to follow their lead and continue their good work. Today we are pleased to be with so many who have meant so much to this church over the years. Today we celebrate the community of faith that is the Brookhaven Christian Church.
And we give thanks.
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