"All Things New!"

Revelation 21:1-6 “A new car!” Let me try that again, “a new car! ” Who did I just sound like? Whose voice was I trying to imitate? Did I sound like Bob Barker? You know who Bob Barker is don’t you? A famous TV game show host. “A new car!” Bob Barker is retired now, but you remember what would happen when he said that. It was during the last segment of the show, when the one remaining contestant was given a chance to win the fabulous prize of a new car. When the brand new car was revealed behind door number one or behind the blue curtain, the happy contestant was overwhelmed with joy, wobbly in the knees, tears of joy, hands clutched together in wild hope with that new car so close to being theirs! “A new car!” Anyone want to try the Bob Barker voice? In our reading from the Book of Revelation, a heavenly voice addresses the faithful with this ringing promise, “Behold, I make all things new!” Not just a new car, or a new dining room set, or a new billiard table, or any of those other fabulous prizes, God’s promise is that everything will be new in this season of the resurrection. “All things new!” What new thing would you like to find when the heavenly door opens, or the heavenly curtain is raised? I think we’re all thoughtful enough to know that the answer to our problems is not a new car, or a new dining room set, or a new billiard table, but a different kind of new: new love, new life, new peace, new hope, even a new church. (repeat) A new church. Do we need a new church? Possibly. Our building was constructed about 190 years ago. That’s a long time. Back before there was electricity or oil heat. Way back then, volunteers had to come in before dawn to load up the coal furnace. And for light, a chandelier was lowered from the ceiling by a hand crank, and then volunteers had to light all the candles. Many of you, had you been living back then, would have been the volunteers to shovel the coal or to light those candles. 190 years. That’s a long time. A lot of things have happened over that time. I wonder when people started driving cars to church instead of riding a horse-drawn carriage? I wonder what kind of hats they wore? I wonder if they had an organ to accompany the singing? I wonder when women were first elected to the office of elder or pastor? I wonder if they always had a Sunday School here? Sunday School probably began around the year 1890 or so, that’s when Sunday School was first invented. Before that children just worshipped with their parents. But some people with foresight came to understand that young children would benefit from a specialized program geared to their young minds. And ever since, for more than 100 years there has been a Sunday School here. Sunday School. Did you know that our youth program is envied by a lot of churches in our Presbytery? It’s true. For a small church we have an incredibly active youth ministry – faith journaling, mission projects, summer camp, and the national Presbyterian Youth Triennium. I am very proud of the ministry that we have here with middle and high school youth. But we have a big problem with youth ministry. Have you spotted it? The problem is that there are almost no active children under the age of 6th grade. This is a serious matter, something worth talking about as a church. I think we all need to be talking about this. Let me tell you that when a church one day looks around and sees almost no children involved, it is very hard to revive a Sunday School or youth ministry. There needs to be a critical mass of young children. So if we are concerned about the participation of children into the future, the time to act is now. Let’s name some of the things we could do to revitalize our ministry with young children, things we could do to inv younger children and their families into the life of our church. [ ] Invite children you know, your children, your grand-children, your neighbors. We could purchase ads on billboards, arrange for newspaper and radio ads, but the best outreach is always church folks inviting the people they know. [ ] There are some children we know who have been missing? What can be done to invite them back? [ ] Create some special outreach programs over the course of the summer. Terrific Tuesdays. [ ] Hand out fliers on Memorial Day. What else could we do? What can YOU do? Because we will only succeed in this if everyone here, including you, understands the importance of acting on this important matter. All things new. New love, new life, new peace, new hope, a new church. These are things offered to the faithful in the hope and power of the resurrection. Not a new car, or a new house, or a new dining room set, or a new billiard table. All things new, the things that really matter. Can we open our hands and hearts to these new things, can we multiply all that God has given for the sake of those who follow?