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Service of Installation of the Rev. Dr. Christopher Carlson as Senior Pastor, Faith Presbyterian Church of Minnetonka February 29, 2004
Sermon The Rev. Fred Thrower Associate Pastor, Kingwood Presbyterian Church Kingwood, Texas
There are two Scriptures I will be sharing. First, is a very short passage from the book of Job. It's chapter 2, verses 11 through 13.
When Job's three friends Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come on him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go to sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
And from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 28. A very familiar passage to many, the Great Commission, verses 16 through 20.
Then the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have taught you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Let's pray. Gracious God, we ask that you would send your Spirit down upon us. May your Spirit speak to us that we may hear your Words. We pray all this in Christ's holy name. Amen.
As Chris was talking to me last fall about Faith Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka, he would tell me about it and I would think, "Man! This sounds like quite a church! If it weren't that I haven't been here very long, maybe I should send my PIF up here, too!" Then, after having arrived yesterday, I was able to look around and worship with you this morning. This is a great place. I've been truly impressed with you all. You are a marvelous, marvelous congregation and I'm so happy for Chris and Cindy to be here with you all and say that you all are a blessed congregation to get Chris, and certainly to get Cindy.
Chris has many gifts. We strongly miss him back there. But I must let you know that one of the things that you have found about Chris is he has a hard time letting the children go. This is not anything new. As preachers, we like to have as many people out in the congregation as we can, but we had this same problem back in Kingwood as well. But let us move on.
There was a man, and this man hadn't worked for a while. He was looking for a job, but nothing ever seemed to quite suit him. He would look on the Internet, or he would look in the newspaper, and he would say, "I really should apply for something," but nothing fancied him. One day he looked in the newspaper and he saw there was a position open at the zoo. "I might be able to go over to the zoo. I might be able to be a trainer and train animals. I could get to know these animals, and that would be a lot of fun. Or, you know, I could work for the president of the zoo and maybe slip in when he retires and become the new president." So the man went to the zoo the very next day and he said, "I'm here to apply for a job." And they said, "Oh, good! We're so glad you're here!" They said, "You know, it's spring and we're getting ready to approach the zoo's very busiest time. In fact, tomorrow all the neighborhood elementary schools are bringing their children to the zoo, and we have a problem: Our monkey died. We have a suit that would fit you perfectly--and you can be our monkey!" "You know, that's not really what I came down to pursue." "Just give it a try--we're desperate--and we will give you all the bananas you can eat. There's a great rope swing. You can play around. And the kids will love you." "I guess it's just one day. I'll do it." So the next day he gets in his car, and he's ready, and he goes out there and is just kind of monkeying around. The kids start showing up, and looking at him, and he's eating a banana, and they're ooh-ing and aah-ing and thinking, "Oh! This is great!" And then he thinks, "I'll try the rope swing." And he gets on that rope swing and he swings around a little bit, and the kids love it! They think this is the best monkey they have ever seen. So he gets excited and he starts climbing things. He's itching, scratching, twirling around, and the children are loving it. He thinks, "You know what? I'm going to swing on that swing and land over in the pond!" He got going really fast and, you know what? Instead of the pond, he went over the fence, out of the cage. When he landed, he was a little discombobulated. He started to look up and he thought, "Oh! That's a lion!" Then the lion started coming towards him. Well, he had had enough of being a monkey. He started yelling, "Hey! I'm not a monkey!" The lion came over and said, "If you don't be quiet you'll get us both fired!"
You know, many people are afraid to let others know who they really are. We become imprisoned by our own delusions and what other people will think about us if they find out who we are, so we don't let people know who we really are. But, you know, we want to be known.
In my first position as an ordained pastor, I was a youth pastor. And I took our confirmation students in Atlanta, Georgia on a retreat. It was the first night and we didn't have a whole lot of things to do. We had finished all of them--the discussion time, and it was just a chance from 9 o'clock until we could get the kids to go to sleep to just get to know each other. We were in a room that was somewhat like Faith Hall--not quite as big as that. And it had a little galley kitchen in it. And there were chairs stacked everywhere so if we needed to have big groups . . . So we said, "Let's play hide and seek." There were twenty-six of us plus and a few adults, so we decided no, we wouldn't do that. We would play hide and seek in the dark. I was like horrible (this big adult here). So these little kids, they could squirm under chairs, and they could hide there and kids would go around feeling under chairs until they found bodies and start pulling them out. So I walked around looking for places as we would go through different rounds of this game, and I walked through the galley kitchen and I said, "You know what? I could get on top of that refrigerator!" And I climbed up on top of that refrigerator and I sat there. And these little seventh graders walked around the refrigerator all night long. Twenty minutes it took them before I finally started thinking, "You know what? I really don't want to stay up here any longer." And so I loudly cleared my throat and they found me.
We want to be found. People want to be known. A friend of mine says, "Stick your foot out when you're playing hide and go seek." If you're playing for a long time, if you're hidden for a long time, it makes you want to be found. You might cough, you might stick your foot out. But you want to be found.
God created us to be in relationship with one another. He created us in the same way that God is in relationship with God--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--and He says that we're to be connected. And even those people you know that don't like to spend any time with people, they're connected, even if it's the most basic connection of all. They speak the same language that we do, even if they don't do it very often.
About two months ago, I think, the movie Castaway was on TV. Seeing that I'm a parent with a three-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl, my wife and I don't get to see many movies. So we decided, "Let's watch it on TV." In the movie (and I'm sure many of you have seen it) someone is stranded on an island. And after some frustrating time on the island, he decided, "I'm going make a fire," and in doing that he really cuts his hand. And he hits this volleyball and later, when he goes and finds it, he realizes from the blood on his hand, there is a face on the volleyball. And for the next four years, Tom Hanks would talk to Mr. Wilson, the volleyball. There was that connection. It was that idea of, "I need to be in community." And as I watched that, and I watched close to the end, and I watched Wilson float off away from him, a tear came to my eye because of his loss of that community.
Now, when you heard me read that first Scripture, you were probably like, "Hey! It's not that bad a church!" But what was important there is Job's three friends. They knew him so well, they cared about him so much, that when Job was hurting, they went to him and they sat with him for seven days without saying anything, because they loved him. Chris and I, over the three years that we worked together, talked about what was important to us. And one of the things that came up time and time again was making disciples. And in the second passage, the Great Commission, it talks about how we are to make disciples. We are to go out and make disciples. We are to teach as we make disciples. We're to baptize as we make disciples.
The people at Zionsville Presbyterian Church in Zionsville, Indiana came up with a picture of what a disciple looks like. This person would have a heart for Christ alone. They would have a mind that is transformed by the Word of God. They would have arms of love. They will have knees for prayer. They will have a voice to share the Good News. They will have a spirit of sacrifice.
I say for this church, for all churches, that spirit of sacrifice means that we need to be able to be known. We need to stick our foot out. We need to get to know the people that are around us in our community. They may be sitting right beside you in the pew. We need to know them. We need to come together as a community, as a body of believers, so that as people look at Faith Church they will say, "they will know you are Christians by your love" because you are willing to go out and reach out. You are willing to sacrifice to come to know someone.
When I was in seminary I was in Boston. There was this guy that I had met at a wedding back in Dallas. I was at a wedding and I didn't know anybody, but he remembered me. Everybody at the wedding was from King College in Tennessee except me. So I didn't really know too many people at this wedding, but John knew me. So when he saw me at Gordon Conwell as we walked down the hall, he'd go, "Hi, Fred!" After a semester of this I finally stopped and said, "Who are you?" And you know what? John was the one to stick his foot out, to say "hi" to me time and time again when all he was getting in return was this blank stare like, "I have no clue who you are!" John is now one of my very best friends, and it's because he took that time to do that.
As Faith Church, I call you all to take time to know Cindy and Chris. To stick your feet out and let them know you. It will make such a difference in your ministry. I'm excited about this church. I know you're going to do great things. You're involved in Cursillo. This is terrific. This morning after church I was talking to Pat Mahin about traveling down to Tiajuana. What a great opportunity! Another place where you need to sacrifice.
Let this be a place, let this be a church, where anyone can come and stick their foot out and find a safe haven to be loved and to be cared for. And each of you take that, too, and stick your foot out and get to know all those around you and see the many things that God is calling you to do in this time.
Let us pray. Gracious God, we thank you. We thank you for your call on our lives, to live in community, to love. Help us to have a spirit of sacrifice, one that says, "Even when I am scared, I will stick my foot out and get to know those around me." We pray this in Christ's holy name. Amen.
Charge to the Pastor The Rev. Dr. Bob Dickson Pastor Emeritus, Hope Presbyterian Church Richfield, Minnesota
Mr. Moderator, distinguished class, and newly-installed Senior Pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church, Chris: I just met you about an hour ago, but I want to welcome you on behalf of all of us who have been around the block a few dozen times. We're happy to have you in this area and in the presbytery. You know, since my retirement from a sister-church, Hope Presbyterian--Chris, I've had frequent opportunities to be able to teach and preach to the people of Faith Presbyterian Church. I've always found it to be a very loving and caring people. And I don't say that so I'll get out of the room safely tonight, but I say it from my heart. They're very lovable, very responsive, and I'm sure you'll have a great ministry. I'm sure the Lord's going to create a very rich and strong relationship between you and your flock.
I also offer greetings to your family. You're here in the land of loons and mosquitoes. I assume you've been the recipient of a book about Ole and Sven. And with the name "Carlson," I think you're going to fit in very well.
Chris, there was a service to install an Associate Pastor in a church. And the pastor who was doing the sermon had a bouquet of 12 roses on the pulpit. He proceeded to have a point for each of the roses. I ordered two dozen roses, but for your sake, I'm delighted to say they have not been delivered. So, Chris, I'm going to spare you two dozen points. It's probably the nicest thing I could do for you!
Very seriously, Chris, I want to read a few verses from 1 Peter. I'm using Phillips translation, with which you may be familiar. Chapter 5, verses 1 through 3.
Now may I, who am myself an elder, say a word to you, my fellow elder. I speak as one who actually saw Christ suffer and as one who will share with you the glories that are to be unfolded to us. I urge you, then, to see that your flock of God is properly fed and cared for. Accept the responsibility of looking after them willingly, and not because you feel you can't get out of it, doing and being concerned for their well-being. You should aim not at being little tin gods, but as an example of Christian living in the eyes of the flock committed to your charge. And then when the Chief Shepherd reveals Himself, you will receive that crown of glory which cannot fade.
Chris, I've been a pastor for 53 years. (I was 12 years old when I was ordained!) For 40 years, Chris, I served as a pastor in three different congregations: one in Oklahoma City, one in Duluth, Minnesota, and then my last pastorate at Hope Presbyterian in Richfield. For 13 of my years, I have been a retired pastor. I know something of the ups, and the downs, and the challenges of being the pastor of a church.
To properly feed and care for the people of God--Chris, and I'm sure you know this--requires prayer, patience, compassion and courage. Years ago someone made the observation that a good pastor and preacher does two things: he comforts the afflicted and he afflicts the comfortable, and manages to keep a good balance between these two duties. And it isn't easy, Chris, to keep that balance. Take it from a guy who has some battle scars.
I recall being invited to lunch one time by two of my good parishioners. I loved them dearly and they reciprocated that Christian love, but they wanted to admonish me lovingly. They said that I'm a little too tough on the congregation when I preach and teach--a little too demanding. Couldn't I ease up just a little bit and be gentler and more loving? Chris, I'm not making this up. The same afternoon of my encounter with my two friends, a young woman in the church had asked to see me. And do you know what her concern was? "Bob," she said, "you're too loving, too gentle. Come down on us. Don't be so nice. Challenge us more." There you have it, Chris! You can't win 'em all!
However, dear brother, you know this. It's not the voice of the people that the pastor needs to listen to half so much as the voice of the Holy Spirit. Take time--lots of it--as you pray, as you prepare to teach and to preach, to ask the Spirit of God to help you speak words of comfort and love to the hurting and the afflicted and to offer a challenge to those comfortable pew-sitters who come, that they might come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord, that they might come to grow up in His likeness, and to go into our scriptureless world with the best news humankind is ever going to hear. Comfort the afflicted, Chris, by all means. And afflict the comfortable, by all means.
Chris, one parting word to you: As your colleague in ministry and a brother in Jesus Christ, I promise you something. I'm going to pray for you on a regular basis, for your wife, and your children. We all need to be bathed in prayer by our fellow laborers in Christ. I pledge to do that for you, and your staff, and the people entrusted to your care. You are blessed, Chris, with a great flock of God. And they, as far as I know so far, are being blessed by your presence and will be blessed by your leadership. God bless you and grant you at least 50 years here in the pulpit.
Charge to the Congregation The Rev. Gail Robb Associate Pastor, House of Hope Presbyterian Church St. Paul, Minnesota
What an amazing, and joyful and wonderful day in the life of Faith Presbyterian Church! Thanks be to God for this moment in time when we have gathered to give thanks for Chris' ministry here among us. I am so honored to be part of this service. I worked with your Pastor Nominating Committee for almost a year, and I couldn't be more honored than to give this charge to the congregation.
It's a time to remind the congregation of the covenant we have now entered into, which is a sacred covenant, many-faceted. It involves you as a congregation, both corporately and individually, your new pastor, and your mutual relationship, and your relationship and his with God and God's with you. It is a time when promises and commitments are made, when the vision for the future is filled with hope, and the life of the church is surrounded by prayer as you begin this new journey. I am struck by the fact that this journey has started in Lent, a season of the church year around which we use a lot of journey-language. "Journey" implies that you will end up somewhere different than where you began. And my prayer would be that that will be true as you begin this journey with Chris.
I'm already aware of the time we've spent together. The need to provide for pastoral care--or maybe I should say for "pastor care"--can get lost in the excitement of a new pastor. And sometimes means that journey ends far sooner and in a different place than you ever imagined. When I was in seminary, one of the best pieces of advice I got was from one of my professors, who said, "All they really want is for you to love them." And I've never forgotten that, and I can remember very clearly the moment I knew that I loved each one in the congregation that I serve. Most of us go into this line of work believing that if we just love people enough, it will all work out for the best. We tend to forget that there is another side to that equation.
So I want to charge you tonight with loving and caring for your new pastor by giving him several very specific gifts. The first is the gift of time. Pay attention to how many hours he is at the church and make sure he spends at least that much time with Cindy and his family. Give him time alone--time to pray, time to read and study Scripture, time with God. Understand what sabbath means, and make sure that Chris has sabbath-time. Pay attention to vacation time and study. Talk about a sabbatical policy for the church. Give him the same amount of time away from you as you expect to have away from your work.
The second is the gift of space. That means, at the very basic level, a room of his own--an office complete with the technology (and maybe bookcases) pastors need to make his job easier. A quiet place where he can have time alone. A welcoming place where he can have time with you. Give him room to breathe and to get to know you. Give him space to grow in his faith as he gives you space to grow in yours. Respect his need for personal space as you respect his time. Give him a chance to close the door when he needs to.
And last is the gift of yourself. When we join a church, we commit to certain things. In our Presbyterian Book of Order, we have a section called "Marks of membership." It's what we base our confirmation curriculum around. I always read it to new member classes. It really says what we believe about being a faithful disciple. I charge you with being a faithful member, to respect Christ's call to get involved in some aspect of the ministry of this church.
Now, it's not a long list. You can look it up in the Book of Order. There's a stack of them in the office. But it boils down to a few things. First of all, show up. Woody Allen reminds us that (I can't remember), "Eighty percent of life is showing up." So show up. Show up for worship. It's the most important thing we do together as the body of Christ. And show up for other stuff--committee meetings, choir practice, work days, fellowship times, whatever. When you are here, your staff, your pastors, are surrounded, and encouraged, and held up, and love to do what they do.
Next, work on a relationship with God through prayer, and Bible study, conversation, mission and outreach. Support the church with your money, time and talents. God loves a cheerful giver and not only the one who just writes a check.
And finally, allow yourselves to be transformed by this ministry so that you really do come out at a different place. It is a wonderful time to recommit yourselves to faithful membership which will allow you to give Chris what he needs to make his pastorate a long and happy one.
May God's blessing go with you as you begin this journey together, to the glory of God.
[Transcribed from an audiotape of the worship service at 6:00 p.m. on February 29, 2004.] |
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