I'm preaching this Sunday. Preaching to a congregation that I don't yet really know. Actually, come August, I still won't know who they are. I have found that ten weeks gives you very little time to develop relationships with the people you are working with and serving. I do remember it being said in Counsel and Care that five years even, is not enough time to get to know the congregation. I'm told that the most effective time for ministry for most pastors is year seven to ten at a parish. Given that, it's little wonder that these summer internships make me feel as if I'm a peace corps volunteer being parachuted into a remote village, only to be withdrawn soon after. Like I said, building trust and relationships takes time. It is one of the many reasons why I hope to not move around much as a pastor. I would love to be able to stay at least ten years at each church I serve. So, if I remain a pastor my whole adult life, I'm looking at serving in maybe three or four churches. That's the plan that I have.
The passage from scripture that I'm preaching on this Sunday could have something to say concerning that plan. I'm preaching from Acts 5:27-42. It is a story about how the Apostles were dragged before the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews. Now the reason for this is simple. For the Jewish leaders, the Apostles were preaching a teaching that was heretical, that Jesus was the messiah. Now this can't be the case, since "cursed is the one who hangs on the tree (Deuteronomy 21:23)." So this teaching was quite threatening and it had to be stopped. There is also a political dimension as well. The people of first century Judea were under occupation by the Romans. At the first sign of trouble, Caesar's Legions would march forth and crush anyone the got in their way and some of those who didn't. The Sanhedrin was afraid that this new teaching would stir up trouble. If the Romans marched in, the Sanhedrin was also afraid that it would lose the political power that it held. So they had resolved to kill the Apostles for heresy and to appease the Roman desire for order.
Then we get Gamaliel, a more moderate member of the Sanhedrin who says something quite odd. He tells them to leave the Apostles alone. He says that if what they are doing is something that they have contrived on their own, then it will fail, much like the many other false messiahs that have come along through the years. However, if what they are doing is something that is from God, then the Sanhedrin will not only be unable to stop them, they'll be opposing God. So the Apostles are flogged and told to stop preaching and stay out of trouble. We know the rest of the story, they couldn't keep themselves out of trouble. Indeed, a couple chapters later, we'll see the account of the first Christian martyr, Stephen.
But who is Gamaliel? Well Acts tells us that Gamaliel was a highly respected teacher of the Law. Later in Acts, Paul testifies that he studied at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). There are some who believe that Gamaliel was secretly a follower of Christ, like Nicodemus, keeping his faith secret so that he might aid the Apostles. The account given to us by Acts could lead one to believe that this might possibly be the case. I tend to stand with those who are more pragmatic. I believe that Gamaliel said this in order to marginalize the Apostles. He basically told the Sanhedrin to ignore them and let this run its course. Then Jesus and his followers would go the way of Judas the Galilean and Theudas. Gamaliel was merely being practical here. For him, I believe that it was a political trick. I don't know about whether or not he eventually was baptized into the way of Christ. I hope that later on he was. Scripture doesn't tell us though.
Gamaliel was attempting to marginalize the message of Jesus here. I have no doubt about that. Yet he said something that was very profound. Acts 5:38-39 says that if we are doing things on our own, we are bound to fail. However, if what we are doing is from God, then there is nothing that can stop us. Let's first make sure though that we are listening to what God has to say, lest we go the way of Judas the Galilean or Theudas. Gamaliel said something quite wise here. Indeed, subsequent testimony from Acts shows that it is quite hard to oppose what God is doing in the world.
It is also quite hard to oppose what God is doing in our own lives as well. It was not my plan to come to Baldwin. It was actually Plan C for this summer. I had been planning on going to a church in South Dakota or working for building and grounds at Western. Both of those plans fell through on the same day back in March. This chance came up and I put in an inquiry. It worked out for me and I have ended up here. I take it that God had other ideas. There is little doubt in my mind that God has me here for a reason. One of the things that I have been asking God concerning this summer is, "what do you have to teach me this summer Lord?" There is something that the people here in Baldwin can teach me about this thing called ministry. Now later this summer, I may have a chance to reflect on that and I may end up deciding that this was the worst summer ever and that I wish I had never come here. More likely though, should I listen, I will be able to reflect on what I've learned and appreciate the people here. Either outcome though, I think, will be a reflection of what God has planned to teach me. I have a feeling that this is a summer with great potential, more so than if I were still in Holland. For there, I would only be doing pulpit supply at this point. I'm not sure how much I would be able to learn from that. I suppose my preaching would improve. Yet it is better to learn how to preach while living among the people you are preaching to. Pulpit supply doesn't always give us that opportunity.
Remember my first paragraph? About how I said that I plan on staying at least ten years in any one place and serving maybe three or four churches in my lifetime? That plan will fail if it is not what God has in store. If I stick to my plan, I will be miserable in the end. So it is imperative that I take the time to listen for what God has to say. This is done through careful study and prayer, in solitude and with others, letting the scripture master me rather than I mastering the scripture. The coming summer will be interesting. The coming years even more so. I hope that this post finds you well. I have been doing well here in Baldwin. Pray for me as I preach this coming Sunday morning. That the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be found pleasing in the sight of Jesus. May each of you be blessed.
Wisdom beyond your years!
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