Bigger is not always Better

So Bethlehem is a small congregation, and I'm not knocking large churches in this sermon, I'm just hoping to point out that there is a place, reason and ministry for smaller congregations. The sermon is based on the gospel lesson from this week Mark 13:1-8 as well as references to the second lesson Hebrews 10:11-25

If you were to describe Bethlehem to a friend who knew nothing about this congregation what would you say?

How would you answer the question about how large the congregation is? About how many worship here and what the facilities are like?

In many of my conversations with you all over the last 5 months, there have been concerns about our congregation’s size. That we are small, that we tiny. There is no denying that we are a small congregation. Our average worship attendance is around 25, even less in the summer. So do you admit to others that we are a small church? Or do you skirt around the issue, maybe even apologizing that we are small, or justifying it – “well we only worship about 25 but we are a very active group.” I’m guilty of this too. At bishop’s convocation last month when I talked to pastor friends and they were asking me about this congregation I often said things like “Well we worship around 25 a Sunday, but at least that many people are involved in the congregation outside of worship every month.”

So here we are, people who attend a small church, even when the world is telling us that bigger is better.

Have you ever worshipped at a mega-church? They have programs galore! The calendars alone almost frighten me. Most mega churches have more things going on each day of the week than we have schedule within a entire month. And people go to them, flock to them. I know of people who drive over an hour one way to attend a mega church when hundreds, if not thousands, gather to worship together. Their Sundays school attendance is in the hundreds, a small group consist of 20 people. If you listen to some theologians and worship leaders - Mega-churches are the wave of the future! They are the way modern American’s do church. Bigger is better!

Then why? Why do you come here? Why do you worship here? Why do you participate in the faith community of this place? Why do you worship with only a handful of people? A place where we are happy if we get 5 people for Bible Study, a place where we have 6 Sunday school students in all the grades combined.

The disciples too were caught up in the bigger is better mentality. “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” They were in awe at the size of the temple in Jerusalem. They were like first time visitors to New York – constantly looking up – about to be hit by taxis because they can’t take their eyes away from all the big buildings, all the people, all bright lights. They were in awe by the size of the temple, and probably even felt a little ashamed that their group was so small.

But yet Jesus reminds them that bigger is not always better, that buildings are just buildings, things that will not last forever. Jesus warns the disciples that “not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” Jesus cautions his disciples to reject the things of this world, for the disciples are focused on the things of this world, on buildings and our bodies, on the when and the what, on when and what will happen when the world ends. Instead Jesus wants us to focus on the things of heaven, to focus on the spirit, on our heart’s intent on the how and the why, on the how and why we are loved by God and the how and the why we can show that love to others.

Things of this earth do not matter. The temple fell and yet Judaism continued. This building could be destroyed but yet Bethlehem Lutheran Church will continue. The church, with a small c, as in the building, is temporary, a thing of this world, and will someday no longer exist. But the Church, with a large C, as in the community of believers, is a thing of heaven and is everlasting. So when you get right down to it, I think none of us come to church (with a small c) here because of the excellent facilities – yes we may like the feel of this building, the look of the stain glass and the architecture, but that is all secondary. So why do you come here?

I laughed on Monday when I first read this gospel reading. All I could think of when I read the first verse “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” was Little Red Riding Hood. “Grandma, what large eyes you have” “The better to see you with my dear.” “Grandma, what large teeth you have.” “The better to eat you with my dear.” Bigger is not always better – for little red riding hood, the wolf’s bigger eyes meant less places to hide, the wolf’s bigger teeth meant she was much easier to be killed. For churches, bigger buildings mean more maintenance; bigger congregations mean less personal connection. And it is the personal connections, the personal relationship with one another and with Christ, that make us the Church (with a large C).

Ahh did I touch on it? Did I say maybe why you come to worship here? So it is not about the building, as blessed as we are to have it, as much as we have been entrusted to care for it. But it, the reason why we worship here, is not about the building, it is about the relationship. When you worship here you know most of the people here, not just their names but something about them, something about who they are. When you aren’t here you know that you are missed, and if you don’t show up a few weeks in a row, someone is probably going to call you and ask if you are okay, to see how you have been.

See that is the how and the why. The how and the why we worship here, the how and the why we are Christians. Jesus doesn’t care about the what and when, or even the where. Where you worship, what you do there, and when you do it. When the end times will happen or what will happen. Jesus cares about the how and the why. How and why do we care for others, how and why we, to use the example from our reading in Hebrews, provoke one another to love and good deeds, the how and the why we meet together and encourage one another.

Bigger is not always better. Bigger does not mean a better understanding of how and why we do things. In fact for many people it is the opposite, the larger the community, the less connected we are to each other, the less we care about how and why do things that we do as a community including worship and service. But here in this small community, we know some of the how and why we worship here. And yes sometimes we come just to make sure that others don’t call us to see if we have been sick.

As a community, we worship because of the relationship, but more importantly we worship because Jesus died for us. How? Jesus was crucified, died and was buried. Why? Because God loves us.

As a community, we are weekly given reminders of God’s grace. How? Through the waters of baptism and the bread and wine of the Lord’s Table. Why? Because we are beloved children of God, marked with the cross of Christ forever.

As a community, we provoke one another to love and good deeds. How? Through the community relationship that have developed, through our service to the greater community. Why? Because Christ loves us and we have been sent out to share Christ’s love with others.

As a community, we are reminded that our sins are forgiven, our faith is lifted, our lives are recharged. As a community, we sing with joy and thanksgiving. As a community, we celebrate and mourn. As a community, we are the Church…with a capital C.