Latest Updates from TUCO

Galatians 5: 22-23
Philippians 3: 12-14

I’m sure that some of you remember the movie released in 1993 called Groundhog Day. Self-centered and sour TV meteorologist Phil Connors played by Bill Murray, news producer Rita and cameraman Larry all from fictional Pittsburgh television station WPBH-TV9 travel to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities with Punxsutawney Phil. Having grown tired of this assignment, Phil grudgingly gives his report and attempts to return to Pittsburgh when a blizzard shuts down the roads. Phil and his team are forced to return to Punxsutawney and stay in town overnight.

Phil wakes up the next morning to find that he is reliving February 2. The day plays out exactly as it did before, with no one else aware of the time loop, and only Phil aware of past events. At first he is confused, but, when the phenomenon continues on subsequent days, he decides to take advantage of the situation with no fear of long-term consequences: he learns secrets from the town’s residents, seduces women, steals money, drives recklessly, and gets thrown into jail. However, his attempts to get closer to Rita repeatedly fail.

Eventually, Phil becomes despondent and tries more drastically to end the time loop; he gives ridiculous and offensive reports on the festival, abuses residents, and eventually kidnaps Punxsutawney Phil and, after a police chase, drives into a quarry, evidently killing both himself and the groundhog. However, Phil wakes up and finds that nothing has changed. Further attempts at suicide are just as fruitless as he continues to find himself awaking at 6:00 A.M. on the morning of February 2 with the clock-radio on his bed side table playing “I Got You, Babe” by Sonny & Cher.

When Phil explains the situation to Rita, she suggests that he should take advantage of it to improve himself. Inspired, Phil endeavors to try to learn more about Rita, building upon his knowledge of her and the town each day. He begins to use his by-now vast experience of the day to help as many people around town as possible. He uses the time to learn, among other things, to play piano, ice sculpt and speak French.

Eventually, Phil is able to befriend almost everyone he meets during the day, using his experiences to save lives, help townspeople, and to get closer to Rita. He crafts a report on the Groundhog Day celebration so eloquent that all the other stations turn their microphones to him. After the evening dance, Rita and Phil retire together to Phil’s room. He wakes the next morning and finds the time loop is broken; it is now February 3 and Rita is still with him. After going outside, Phil talks about living in Punxsutawney with Rita.

Thank goodness!  There is nothing more BORING in a movie or a book than characters that never grow, change or develop! It is amazing how many times Phil must relieve the same experience to finally understand that he must learn and grow, but for some of us, we have to pass up many learning experiences before we FINALLY take a hint and make a change.

Sometimes we are changed by the seismic events of our lives: the loss of a job, the death of a child, a spouse’s chronic illness.  Most of the time we change because we try to, we plan to, we intend to.  That is why I wanted to take a moment and talk about INTENTIONAL faith development.  We don’t just decide to be in relationship with God and suddenly become deeply spiritual people.  Growth in the spiritual realm takes intention, study and practice as individuals and as a community. “Intentional” means that our faith development has a plan.  We each make a deliberate effort to learn and grow. We take purposeful action and we make our learning a high priority.

Certainly we see examples of this all throughout the Bible. Jesus gathered his followers and taught them not only by word, but also by deed.  Following the formation of the church by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the earliest communities thrived as “they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers.”  The apostle Paul sprinkles his instructions to the followers of Christ with encouragements to learn, grow, teach and mature.

Intentional Faith Development build’s community.  When we learn together and share ourselves with one another, we draw closer to each other.  I remember one of the first adult education classes I taught here, I made up all of these statements about faith, theology and the Bible that were polar opposites and asked the class to line themselves up on a continuum closest to the statement that they agreed with. Not only did we have people all up and down the line, but also people who stood on the other side of the room who noted that they couldn’t relate at all to the statements. We all looked around at one another without judgment, accepting each wherever they preferred to stand, but with greater knowledge of one another. (and of course a few giggles.) As we share our lives and our stories, our hopes, fears and dreams with one another we discover that our doubts, questions temptations and missteps are not unusual, but just part of the journey. We become a closer community.

Intentional Faith Development communicates content!  We don’t just haphazardly jump on every passing thought. Your Christian Education Committee through its Children, Youth and Adult Programs thoughtfully plan out programs and select curriculum so that we have a variety of Biblical, theological and spiritual content.  Staff and teachers prepare class materials for students, and we long to do more!  Brochures will soon be available for our Sunday morning Adult Education program with a variety of wonderful classes. The children’s ministry program is embarking on a new rotational Sunday school model this fall that will engage children in a wide variety of learning activities.  And, as your child participates and as you teach, your faith and knowledge will grow. I plan to offer a Tuesday morning Bible study for people who are available so that we can talk about the scriptures for upcoming sermons early in the week. The sky is the limit. We can offer small groups in homes for any age group. I know we have a myriad of other groups that regularly meet and do faith development together such as the Choir, the Pastor Seeking Committee, our Youth Fellowship Groups, the Men’s breakfast, book groups, Stephen Ministry and so on.  In every arena, we can grow in faith.

Intentional Faith Development supports disciple making. As we practice study and prayer we place ourselves before God so that God can transform us.  Bible study is not just about self improvement but about setting ourselves where God can shape us, intentionally opening ourselves to God’s word and call.  One of God’s children who has entered into the process of intentional faith development is Irish rock singer Bono. Famous for his music and his band U2, Bono has always been up-front about his Christian faith, and in the last few years has been very involved in social issues, such as the AIDS crisis in Africa. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, knighted by the Queen, and was Time’s Man of the Year. He talks about the process of his faith development: He says

Your nature is a hard thing to change; it takes time…. I have heard of people who have life-changing, miraculous turnarounds, people set free from addiction after a single prayer, relationships saved where both parties “let go, and let God.” But it was not like that for me. For all that “I was lost, I am found,” it is probably more accurate to say, “I was really lost. I’m a little less so at the moment.”[1] And then a little less and a little less again. That to me is the spiritual life. The slow reworking and rebooting the computer at regular intervals, reading the small print of the service manual. It has slowly rebuilt me in a better image. It has taken years, though, and it is not over yet.

Intentional Faith Development requires that we make and effort.  Think of the other areas of your life you put out effort and reap rewards.  You want to stay healthy so you go to the gym or take walks outside. That means you are setting aside the time to work out.  You take time to prepare healthy meals or grow a garden.  Perhaps you want to play an instrument, so you take time to practice.  Everything we want to grow at takes investment on our part.

God is not through with any of us yet. Jesus invites us into the process anew or for the first time. He welcomes us with radical hospitality. He touches our spirit through passionate worship. We engage with Christ in intentional faith development. In the process, we are transformed. Next week, we will talk about how that transformation propels us into risk-taking mission and service.

Today, Christ invites us to this table. We celebrate this communion to remember him. But we also do it to develop our faith—intentionally. We gather here to build community. Here we communicate the content of our faith. Here we support the process of our salvation. And we are better because of it. This is the true bread of life. Come and worship. Come and enjoy. Amen!