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?