Sunday, November 16, 2008 
Scripture reading: Luke 13:20-21
20 And again he said, ‘To what should I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with* three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.’
Sermon Title: "WHAT KIND OF CHURCH DO YOU WANT?" Sunday, November 16, 2008
PASTOR HUDSON: As we reflect on
stewardship, we understand as United Methodists
stewardship is not only about what we give in terms of
fiscal resources, but also revolves around our prayer,
our presence, our gifts, and our service. So I would
hope today as a part of the act of worship, we would
think far more comprehensively in those terms.
Our stewardship, as it is called forth in the
Kingdom of God, is a total-package deal. It is a
comprehensive investment of ourselves into Jesus
Christ our Lord. It is not just about showing up here
on a Sunday and eating a donut and having a cup of
coffee. It's far more than that.
I think some of our very best moments at Wesley
include images of how within our community of faith we
have been successful and effective in being nurturing
to one another. We celebrate moments when it all
comes together, and people have been affirmed and
nurtured and cared for in significant ways.
Some of our very best moments of celebration are
those moments when we have gone out of this building
and done something on behalf of the Kingdom creating
something marvelous in the lives of people and we
realized that we made a difference, whether it be a
spiritual, tangible, or physical difference in the
life of a person, and sometimes it was even a
combination of both.
So perhaps today as we think about how we would
answer the question of what kind of church do you
want, maybe the best cornerstone text that would
resonate with many is the image of a loaf of bread.
Bread is an image that God used to describe the
Kingdom of Heaven because it takes many different
ingredients or resources to make. I think we as
individuals want our church to be the most effective
expression of this loaf-of-bread image. We want to be
a soul-saving, soul-nurturing, life-changing presence
in our community.
We say, Lord, part of my stewardship is you have
given me the ability through the Holy Spirit to create
a loaf of bread that represents changed lives and
changed hearts and effective mission in all kinds of
places, as well as effective nurturing in our
building.
Our presence is important. Our service is
important. We live in a culture today where the
ministry of our church is empowered by our giving. So
it is appropriate to ask, Lord, number one, what do
you want me to do? Secondly, ask what do I want my
church to be? Do I want it to be that image that is
fulfilled by a marvelous loaf of bread? If so, that
should inspire our heart in those dimensions.
So let me leave you with this question: What
would our church look like in 2009 in terms of our
prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service?
That's the question that's before us today, each to
answer individually what is most appropriate as God
tugs at our heart.