Practicing Resurrection: 6th Sunday of Eastertide

May 5, 2024 – Practicing Resurrection – Worship Around the Tables 

We moved our worship around the tables Sunday to today, partly because we missed the last 5thSunday to worship around the tables since it would have been on Easter Sunday. We decided not to wait to meet this way again because we wanted to have an important discussion about the future of our church and wanted to have it in the context of worship. So here we are for this 6th Sunday of Eastertide meeting around the tables.

Welcome. Being with you in this intimate space is always good. We can see and hear one another well, and conversation is easier. We are not online for this worship experience, simply because that gets complicated down here and is, I’m sure, frustrating for the online community. I gave a brief message to that community earlier this morning.

I hope you are ready for some heart-to-heart conversation today. We need to take a serious look at our future, who we are and who we want to be and how we can do that. Liturgy, or the words we use for worship, is from the Greek word which means the work of the people. So having these conversations as a part of our worship experience makes all kinds of sense. It also helps us to remember that the Spirit inhabits our prayers and songs and conversations.

Just a reminder, we’re not making decisions today – simply looking at what steps we may need to take. We may make one decision today – setting a date for a formal decision to be made based on our conversation today.

Conversation Around the Tables - What is our church’s current financial situation? What does it mean for the church’s future?        

I look at our monthly need on the back of the bulletin and the amount received for the month and feel a little shiver of dread some weeks – most weeks truly. Have you noticed those figures on the back of the bulletin? If not, you might look there now. Some (our financial secretary and treasurer, as well as our assets management representative to the board) would describe our situation as dire. The financial health of our church or lack thereof has ramifications for our future. Our treasurer, Connie Adams, will explain a little more with help from some visuals prepared by Sabreena Anowar, our assets management team leader. 

Connie has shown us what our current financial situation is. What does it mean for our future?

Responses:

If something doesn’t change, we will run out of our reserve fund sometime during this year.

We will either have to find more income or reduce our expenses.

We could reduce the hours of our current staff, but most of the staff put in more hours than they’re paid for now.

We could eliminate the pastor position and simply meet together with volunteers.

If we don’t increase our membership, we won’t have a church in a few years anyway.

If we don’t add members or income, what would we need to do to increase funds?

Conversation Around the Tables - Why should we continue as a church?                                                                                                           

Our resurrection stories for today will be from our history – times when we have been in similar kinds of situations and how we found a way to continue, how God brought us through. I understand that many of us who are here today have been a part of this congregation when the future of the church looked grim. Tell me about those times. How did we continue? What happened to bring us back from the brink?

How do we discern how God might still be using us to further God’s reign? My sense is that we want to survive as a church, and part of that is wanting to continue what we know and love as Bethel Church. Is there more? Should there be more?

Responses:

Folks back then gave money to bridge the gap when we were in a similar situation.

Land was sold.

Our doors have always been open and welcoming to everyone. This is where it has to start.

Missions giving is good.

We identify mission partners every month and give generously to them.

Conversation Around the Tables - How will we continue as a church? What is our resurrection story?

Perhaps we will be practicing resurrection once again. Perhaps God is not finished with us just yet. Let’s hear now about one possibility and then talk about others as well. Linda Coats will lead this discussion.

Proposed Land Sale

Circle 1 - land the church would keep, which includes the buildings, playground, and cemetery, as well as the land to the west of the sanctuary building.

Circle 2 - the land we would be selling, which includes what is now the community garden, the field behind that and the trees at the north end of this parcel.

There are about 3 acres (of the 7 the church owns) on the east side of the lower parking lot that could be sold.  This includes where the community garden is and goes north to the property line, including the area of invasive Bradford pear trees up near the water tower.

One market analysis from a realtor said it might be worth $30,000 - $50,000/acre. 

A five-acre tract a little further south on Rt. K sold for $60,000/acre recently.

It would need to be surveyed and divided into 2 parcels (one to sell and one to keep for the church).  Allstate Consultants said the survey would cost $1500-$2000.

It could stay in county zoning as residential.

One interested developer has offered to pay for an appraisal and says he will pay whatever it appraises at.  He would ask for first right of refusal.

Another option is to put it out for bids to developers and builders who have built duplexes in the area.  It could be developed into 8-9 duplex lots with a street running up through it.

We could see who would pay the most for the land.

If we sell it, the church would no longer have to pay to have it mowed. 

A smaller garden could possibly be put somewhere else on the church property, but since John and Linda Coats have not had much help with the garden, they might just plant some extra things at their home garden to share with the congregation.  They are getting too old to maintain a garden that large.  Another member has also volunteered to share extra produce.

Responses:

We have sold property in the past to help make ends meet. Once this land is gone, there won’t be anything left to sell.

Would the City want to use our field for soccer?  - We have asked in the recent past and they are not interested. 

What would we do with the money from the sale of the land? – Invest it in our Jones account which last year yielded an average of 12% interest.

Sale of land is just a short-term fix. We would need to be thinking about other ways to generate income, other ways to grow.

Could possibly rent space to another congregation that needs a meeting space.

Could rent sanctuary and fellowship hall for other events. We do have policies already in place for this. 

The land should bring more than $60,000/acre.

Membership needs to increase – we can not survive on land sale. 

Hard to invite younger families here because we do not have very many activities for them – not like larger churches can offer. 

What can we do to help the preschool? – This is one of the things we identified in our ReShape process – finding ways to connect with the preschool. We have provided a blessing of the backpacks. Are there other things we can do? When preschool families come to our meal events, we need to connect with them.

Could we send out flyers to the neighbors with our events on them?

Perhaps connecting with the apartment complex across the street to learn of needs would be good. 

Grants might be possible – COMO Gives, Great Rivers Region (this one might be good for creating a ministry for our children)

We should pay for our own appraisal to ensure we would get the best price. 

Consensus was reached to empower the board to look into an appraisal for the land and go ahead and have it done if we can afford it. 

We identified June 2 as the date when we would decide whether or not to move forward on sale of the property based on the appraisal. 

Expect the end of the world. Laugh. 
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful 
though you have considered all the facts…
Practice resurrection.

— Wendell Berry

Celebrating Communion                                                                                                                               

Before his awful death on the cross, Jesus met with his friends around the tables, just like we are doing today. The scripture from the Gospel of John that Aileen read for us earlier was part of the teaching Jesus gave to his disciples, his friends, as they gathered for that last Passover meal. He gave them a new commandment that night – to love one another as he loved them. He said there was no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one another, which is, of course, what he was about to do.

He took a loaf from the table and broke it and said, “This is my body broken for you. Take and eat and remember.” Then he took the cup  and said, “This is the cup of the new covenant. It is my lifeblood, poured out for you. Drink it and remember.”

Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup, we are practicing resurrection Every time we show love to one another, we are practicing resurrection. Let us practice resurrection once again.

Susan and I will bring you bread and drink. We will serve one another around the table, passing them to each other and reminding one another the bread is Christ’s body broken for us, the cup is new covenant.

Pray with me

God of love, bless this cup and this bread that we now share with one another. As it nourishes us, let us nourish one another with your love. Amen.

[The bread and cup are shared.]

Diana Butler Bass writes about the scripture passage for today

Once, we were created by that hand that reached to dust and rib; now that same hand joins ours, the clasp of the unfailing friend, pulling us up from the grave of violence and death to new life. We rise to the light of a new sunrise: Love.

At Easter, we begin again. We retrace creation and find ourselves in an ancient story anew. In a vineyard. Friends with God and one another. See, touch, embrace. Be fruitful. The creative breath blows still: Peace be with you. 

And, in this garden, the only command is love. [Sunday Musings – by Diana Butler Bass - The Cottage]

These are good words for us to hear today, as we face another resurrection story – our own. Whether it is the new life of this church or the new life we begin each day, our only command is love. Let us begin again.