Increasing in Wisdom: Intentional Faith Development

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church

Luke 2: 52 Rev. Marianne Niesen March 7, 2010

In Luke’s gospel, immediately after Jesus was presented in the temple for his circumcision and was blessed and acclaimed by Simeon and Anna, Luke tells us that the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was on him. Then, the gospel writer recounts the well known childhood story about the time when Jesus was twelve and he went with his parents to Jerusalem for Passover. When they left for home, Jesus was accidentally left behind in the temple where they eventually found him discussing matters of faith with the teachers in the temple who were amazed at his knowledge. That story ends with the line that is today’s scripture text: And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor. Thus, in his early childhood, we are told Jesus became strong and wise. And in his adolescence and young adulthood, he increased in wisdom and years. Like you and me, Jesus did not come into this world ‘ready made.’ He did not come knowing all he needed to know. And even at that young adolescent age - the age of Confirmation for us and Bar Mitzvah for him - his learning wasn’t over.

For the past 2 weeks, we have been examining the first 2 of the ‘five practices of fruitful congregations’ that Bishop Robert Schnase, in his book, suggests are characteristic of vital, vibrant, growing congregations. First was the practice of radical hospitality - making room in our lives and in our church for strangers and friends alike. Last week, we considered passionate worship - worship that has room for many expressions. Worship that is both vertical (about God) and horizontal (about us). I suggested that the passion comes as those intersect - like the cross and flame behind me. Being willing to share in passionate worship means making room in our hearts and lives for a variety of expressions of worship and, even more, it demands an admission that no one of us has a corner on the sacred. And, all of that brings us to this week and intentional faith development. Quite simply, that is daring to grow in wisdom with our years, like Jesus did. Listen with me as once again, music sets the scene for this practice. ‘Old Time Religion’ sung by a small group at 8:30 and our chancel choir at 11:00.

It’s truly a great gospel song. It was Charles Davis Tillman, born in1861 in Tallassee, Alabama, who was the first to publish it. He heard a group of blacks singing it at a camp meeting in Lexington, South Carolina in 1889 and fell in love with it. It is perhaps best remembered as a song from the 1941 Academy Award winning movie, Sergeant York. As we hear the hymn, we can almost see images of newly freed slaves proclaiming their faithfulness to the traditions of their persecuted and oppressed parents and grandparents. I’ll keep the faith alive, Mom, it kept you safe, it’ll keep me too!

Here’s the problem for us. Too often keeping the faith alive and allowing our faith to grow have become mutually exclusive. The fact is, even that ‘Old Time Religion’ adapted to its time and was never meant to remain static. Jesus himself, a product of ‘old time religion,’ refused to stay there. And, I do not mean that he rejected Judaism and became a Christian. He didn’t. He grew in his Jewish faith, he challenged it, he came to new understandings and he kept the important things important: love God, love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus himself ‘grew in wisdom’ which is to say he ‘grew up’ in his faith. And he did it not by rigidly hanging on to how everything had always been done. He did it the way faith growth always happens - he prayed, he studied, he asked questions, he gathered with a small group of trusted friends. He continued his contact with his local synagogue - even when they and he didn’t agree. And he did so deliberately and faithfully. It’s called intentional faith development.

That old time religion is a good place to start. But if we let old time religion take the place of God’s ongoing spirit in our lives, we’ll never grow up. Increasing in years is a given - we will get older. Increasing in wisdom is a choice and it requires a commitment - and a plan. It requires an ongoing plan that continues throughout our lives. Faith growth does not lead to a graduation, a moment when we are finished. Rather, it leads to wisdom - and that search, as we know it, only ends when we pass from this world to the next.

At the moment I am in the middle of a book entitled The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. Jacobs grew up in a secular Jewish family which means - to use his words - “I’m officially Jewish, but I’m Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant.” He’s a writer, though, and in looking for his next project, he settles on the idea that he will spend a year trying to learn and keep all of the commandments of the Bible as closely and as literally as is humanly possible. So he begins by reading the entire Bible - 5 hours a day over a 4 week period - taking notes on every guideline, rule and nugget of advice he finds there. He ends up with 72 pages of rules and guidelines. His reading of that version of the Bible leads him to realize that there are different translations and that they make a difference so he buys ‘the proverbial stack of Bibles, almost waist high.’ He assembles a group of spiritual advisors - rabbis, ministers and priests, conservative to liberal and everything in between. He is definitely intentional!

And then he starts. Little by little he works at such things as not wearing clothes with mixed fibers. He learns that the issue isn’t with polyester and cotton or other blends. It’s with wool and linen. They can’t be mixed. He finds out there is actually a guy - a Mr. Berkowitz - who will come to his house and examine his clothes to determine which are OK to wear. Mr. Berkowitz does so gladly saying “If I can save someone from breaking a commandment, it gives me a little high . . . I’ve never taken drugs but I imagine this is what it feels like.” When Jacob asks if this blending wool and linen thing is really that big a deal, Mr. Berkowitz says absolutely. When Jacobs asks why, he responds we don’t know - but God knows and that should be good enough for us. Jacobs efforts lead him to stop telling lies and eating cheeseburgers (meat and dairy combination) . . . And to start giving to charity, praying and telling the truth. Early on in the project, a friend of his named Roger, makes the observation that Jacobs seems to think he can embark on this project as an uninvolved observer - like studying sumo wrestlers in Japan. Roger says, “You’re dealing with explosive stuff. People a lot smarter than you have devoted their lives to this. So you have to admit there is a possibility you will be profoundly changed by the end.” Jacobs is troubled by the comment because ‘he could be right. And it scares me. I hate losing control.” And then he says “The problem is, a lot of religion is about surrendering control and being open to radical change.”

And therein lies the rub . . . he is absolutely right. It is precisely because really being open to grow our faith, to learn more, to grapple with the actions of God in our lives will change us that we often resist. If we cling to the ‘old time religion’ we never need grow up - and growing us up is what religion is fundamentally about. Even in the Bible, the plethora of rules was about growing people up not keeping them down. I’m not yet finished with the book but at least so far it is a funny - and surprisingly insightful and intriguing - account. I resisted reading the book for a while because I thought it was just some guy’s silly project. And, in fact, I’ve learned that it did start out that way. But in the end, Roger was correct. The project became an experience of intentional - but unintended - faith development! Jacobs was changed in the process. And if growth can happen for a guy who didn’t have much in the way of faith to begin with, just imagine what could happen to you and me who are here because we care about this stuff.

As United Methodists, growing in faith - intentional faith development - is at the heart of things. John Wesley expected his small groups to ‘search’ the scriptures, to engage in ‘living biblically’ and to share the journey with others. He himself grew in his understanding of what following Jesus meant. Here’s my challenge to us all today. Commit to do something this year to grow your understanding of God’s work in your life - something beyond worship. It can be as simple as reading a book - and it doesn’t even need to be a ‘holy’ book. Good novels, biographies, autobiographies, historical novels, even fantasy and fiction can make us think and if they do they that, they can help us grow. I took the time on Friday to make a list of some of the books I’ve read over the past year. Most of them aren’t ‘holy’ books but most of them have helped me grow. There are copies available in the foyer if you’d like some ideas. Other possibilities - join a class, start a group, gather a group to read a book. See one of the many films that provoke thought and reflection - like Invictus - and talk about it with others. In other words, religion is not meant to be a compartment of our lives - something we do on Sundays and keep separate and safe from everything else. It is not meant to stay old. It is to be renewed. We live at a time when we have a myriad of ways to grow up. Perhaps the greatest sin of all is the sin of staying ignorant when we don’t have to, the sin of refusing to learn and grow, refusing to put ourselves in positions where our minds or opinions might be changed.

At the end of 13 months of ‘living biblically,’ A.J. Jacobs wrote: “I come away from this year with my own cafeteria religion (which, by the way, he has just said is not such a bad thing . . . . ‘the key is in choosing the right dishes.’). I’ll be doing things differently than I did thirteen months ago, things both big (resting on the Sabbath) and small (wearing more white clothes). And I’ll keep on saying prayers of thanksgiving. I’m not sure whom I’m thanking, but I’ve become addicted to the act of thanking.” And to my mind, that is old time religion growing up. May we who are part of this faith community of St. Paul’s have the courage to grow up, to question, to learn and to truly become “adults of God” - growing in wisdom and years as Jesus did.

To read Marianne's booklist.. click here... Marianne's Booklist