A Dwelling Place For God by Mary Cory

Our Vision Statement is about building. It tells us that Sunnyside Presbyterian Church was built by God, and that it was built as a house of worship. We have been blessed with a beautiful building, rich in tradition and history, but also expanded and updated to meet the needs of the congregation. No matter how impressive the physical structure may be, a building is just a building unless God is there. The Old Testament scripture lesson for this week – Exodus 33:7-11 – tells us that it makes no difference where worship occurs. We can encounter God in the humblest of circumstances. Moses met God in a tent, as a friend, when He descended as a pillar of cloud. We cannot predict how God will appear to us as we move forward as a congregation, so we must be open and receptive to His guidance in whatever form it may take.

How do we make Sunnyside a dwelling place for God? Worship and praise are important, but they are not enough. Our Vision Statement tells us that we are called to build bridges of faith. We are called to connect with other people within and beyond the walls of Sunnyside to fulfill our mission.

Peter and John, in the name of Jesus, raised up the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple (Acts 3:1-11). We too are capable of enacting great change, but only if we acknowledge Jesus as the cornerstone upon which we build.


· What is this Vision calling you to become?

· What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?

· In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.

· What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

Built Together Spiritually by Mila Pierce

In the Ephesians 2:19-22 passage, Paul reminded Gentile believers that they were not excluded and were equal in status with Jews as members of God's house. The two groups were united to form one new humanity. Jews and Gentiles had been separated by racial, religious, cultural and social barriers. These differences created large gulfs between them. Jesus bridged the gulfs, and his death meant unity for all.

In some Bible verses, the family of God is referred to as a building . This summer we have been looking to Jesus as the cornerstone, the apostles and prophets as the foundation, and individual believers as building stones. Back in Paul's time the believers, Jews and Gentiles, were being built together spiritually. This described creating the church, but not as a physical building. The church is people, individual members like you and me.

Every individual stone has a place into which it is fitted as a building is made. Every individual has an indispensable part to play in the life of the church. This was true back then and is true today. When we are built together spiritually we include millions of Christians throughout time in whom God's spirit lives.

Paul told the church in Corinth that there were different kinds of gifts, different kinds of service, and different kinds of activities, but with the same God at work. “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Cor 12:7) Some of the diverse gifts listed are wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirit, and tongues. Today in our congregation, we may think that individual stones (members) do not have all that much in common. We have different economic situations, different interests and obligations, and even different ethnic backgrounds. But Jesus, like an architect and builder, can take us, piece us together, and join us together spiritually in his building.

Last fall a few of us were asked to join a committee to think into the future for a vision for Sunnyside, to study scripture and then together write a vision by the time summer arrived. None of us probably had much prior experience in vision writing, but we came with our diverse backgrounds, gifts, and willing hearts to do the work we had been asked to do. As the weeks went by, we were built together spiritually and were able to study and then write and rewrite drafts of a vision for Sunnyside. Good humor, honest concern, and tasty refreshments helped us build the bridges.

As Sunnyside's future unfolds, I hope the church is a loving and caring community in which the power of the Holy Spirit is present and operates through the unique and complementary gifts of each of you. What a great thing it would be if we are built together spiritually again and again.



Questions for Reflection:

· What is this Vision calling you to become?

· What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?

· In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.

· What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

We are the Temple by Bill Lamie

Last Sunday’s “Call To Worship” asked the question, “What does the Holy One require of us,” and the congregational response was, “but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.”

We as individuals and as a community of faith are called to recognize that the value of Salvation comes to us through the sufferings of Jesus Christ. We are called to conduct our lives as a Holy person, and we are called to Holiness so that we may reveal Jesus Christ to the world around us both near and far. As 1Peter1:15 says, “Instead, as He (God) who calls you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct.” How close do we come to being holy? What are the characteristics of holiness? Is it someone who is loving, truthful, sincere, obedient, honest, God fearing?

I have often heard it said that the only Christ some people ever see is the Christ that they see in others (me). Although we are imperfect, Christ calls us to be his hands and feet, and he challenges us to reach out to our fellow man and share His blessings. He is calling us to reveal the wonder and preciousness of His Love, Grace and Mercy.

Our new Guiding Vision Statement has a “road map” attached to it. I haven’t seen the map just yet, but I am beginning to truly, and deeply appreciate the immensity of God’s call to us to be His holy temple…the place where He can dwell and reach to the world. I have faith that once we see the “road map”, it can take us anywhere God wants us to be.

Each time I read our Vision Statement, I am finding greater understanding of what is expected of me and the much-needed adjustments to my self-centered existence. Building a holy temple takes time, adjustments, and faithful staying power.


Questions for Reflection:

· What is this Vision calling you to become?

· What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?

· In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.

· What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

Growing Together in God's Temple by Jenica Cory

Diversity is a common subject of discussion at Sunnyside. We generally consider it to be a strength, but it is also something that we strive to improve upon. With this new vision statement, we have made clear that our vision for the future of the church involves the inclusion of all people, in our immediate community and throughout the world. While this can often seem like a daunting task (Where do we begin? How do we reach out to people we don't know? Are we really capable of being open and inclusive of everyone?), our task is made easier because we have a unifying spirit as our guide.

"In Christ the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord." What a beautiful concept - this relationship that each of us has with Christ, uniting us into a single structure. Having all drunk of the same spirit - no matter what our particular race, age, nationality, political views, or station in life - we create a holy temple and ponder God's steadfast love in the midst of that temple. And, in Christ, we do it together. He joins us to one another and serves as the deep shared foundation - the cornerstone - that allows us to utilize and learn from our many differences and unique perspectives, while still maintaining our collective identity as Christians.

With Christ as the cornerstone, Sunnyside is able to grow as a congregation. We should be emboldened and encouraged by the knowledge, as the vision statement recognizes, that the holy spirit is our guide. This allows us to reach into new areas and do new things with confidence in who we are as Sunnysiders. Similarly, the worldwide Christian church is joined together and grows when Christ is truly placed first and recognized as the foundation of all that we do.

I really love the scope of the vision statement - we want to serve people in our neighborhood, but also around the globe......from South Bend to South America. And I love that it's possible, with this unifying spirit, for Sunnyside to have that kind of impact, and to make those kinds of connections. As the author says of Mount Zion in Psalm 48, perhaps some day someone will say about Sunnyside, "go all around it, count it's [bell] towers, consider well its [gathering space]; go through its [sanctuary], that you may tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever."


Questions for Reflection:
• What is this Vision calling you to become?
• What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?
• In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.
• What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

Built Upon the Rock by Amy Gardine

You do remember that song from childhood, right? The one where the wise man builds his house upon the rock and the foolish man builds his house upon the sand? Then (in my favorite part of the song) the rains come down and the floods come up, and the house on the sand goes “SPLAT”! Ohhh…. as a child I used to adore that “splat” at the end! And I must admit, I have been humming that song this whole week! Mostly because I have had to think deeply and intentionally about this passage – not only having Christ as our chief cornerstone, but also having a true and unwavering faith, just as Simon Peter did.

I must say that I have always thought I understood this particular passage, but as I looked deeper into it, I began to wonder about the final verse in Matthew’s passage. Jesus sternly orders the disciples NOT to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. It seems like such a hard request. By this point in our study, the righteous have entered through the gates and the faithful have become the rocks on which the church will be built! So, why keep that a secret? Is that our call? Is that what we, as disciples, are to do? Keep it all hush-hush?
Hmmmm….

After looking more closely at the passage, I think I started to see why the disciples were to keep the Messiah so anonymous. I think that Jesus knew exactly what would happen if the revelation of his divinity came from a third party. It would be the same thing that happens when we - as humans – reveal something as a third party in our day and age. Misinformation! It is true! These men would have gone forward with information that was skewed by personal perceptions and understandings. I think that Christ understood fully that in God’s time all would be revealed. When that revelation came to light, all the world would be shaken to the foundation, leaving His cornerstone on which all else would be built. Patience and faith. These two never seem too far apart in these gospels OR in the pursuit of a missional church.

So, back to the sand. Are we ready to build? Do we have the proper ground? I believe we are ready to build and do have the proper foundation. We are called to be builders of a congregation that can withstand the storms, floods, and shifts of culture. And, most importantly, we are called to share God’s grace and love. However, we are called to first listen and wait for the revelation of God’s will. Only then, we will gain a mission built in and of God’s grace and vision.

Questions for Reflection:
• What is this Vision calling you to become?
• What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?
• In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.
• What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

What do we bring with our offering? by Larry Savage

The Stepping Stones Journey continues this Sunday with Jamie’s sermon on Isaiah 6:1-18 and Acts 4:32-37 “Built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets”. In the scripture, we see the willingness of Christ’s followers to commit themselves bodily, spiritually, and materially to God’s will. Now, the question is what can we bring to the apostle’s feet?

Many years ago, in the time of Robyn and Robert McMullin, I was asked to be the liturgist for a Sunday. This “event” for me (as I am not good in the role) was pretty stressful. Dyslexic, emotionally on the edge, and weak kneed; I struggled through the service and came to the time of commitment of our offering. I had spent some time thinking about this prayer.
What do we bring with our offering?

The answer, I think, holds for us today:
“Triune God, we bring to you today part of the many gifts you have given us. For some it is the gift of wealth. For others it is the gift of wisdom, or energy, or vision, or simply the gift of being a good listener in time of need. Help us use these, your varied gifts, to lead the Christian life this week”.

We are approaching the phase in our Stepping Stones Journey in which we look at all our individual gifts. How we can apply them to the wide variety of human needs we find about us? How can we sustain ourselves in mission work that not only benefits the poor in spirit or circumstance, but also ties us more closely as a living expression of the Triune God’s will through a vibrant Sunnyside congregation?

I am expectant and confident that we will find the foundation for our future as we listen to the apostles and prophets as well as trust the gifts among us.

Questions for Reflection:
• What is this Vision calling you to become?
• What images used in this Vision are familiar to you; What elements are unfamiliar?
• In what respects does this Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation.
• What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?

The Gift of a Vision, by Ken Baierl

Sunnyside Church received a gift a couple of weeks ago. It was delivered quietly, with little fanfare. The gift was a beautiful vision statement crafted by the Vision Panel – a group of Sunnysiders who didn’t know each other very well at the beginning but who were bound together by a common cause. They listened to God and did their work brilliantly. Now it is our turn, as a congregation, to build on what they have given us.


This summer we have started a Stepping Stones sermon series to reflect on the vision statement and the scriptures that support it. Last week more than 20 people gathered in the Music Room for the first discussion in the series. The conversation revolved around “Together we are called to build bridges of faith” sentence in the vision statement.


This Sunday, Jamie will preach on Genesis 12: 1-9 and Ephesians 1: 1-14 and their link to the vision statement. In reading the scriptures, I was struck by the line from Paul saying “In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance…” I feel like I inherited a lot of things from Christ, including Sunnyside Church and all of you. I am grateful for that and want to use that inheritance wisely. Reflection and discussion of the vision statement seems to me like the wise thing to do with my inheritance from Christ this summer. I hope you will join us.


Questions for reflection:
• What is the Vision calling you to become?
• What images used in this Vision are familiar to you? What elements are unfamiliar?
• In what respects does the Vision call us together to greater faith and courage than what is commonly expressed in our congregation?
• What difference do you hope this Vision will make in the life of our congregation?