Loading...Sermon June 4, 2017
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, LSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen, Newport, PA
Pentecost Year A 130th Anniversary of Church of the Nativity
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To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. …To one is given through the spirit wisdom…to another prophecy…. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10
Please be seated
This is the season of high school graduations. Today we pray for the graduates we know – Grace Klauer who will attend Tulane University, Maddie Shepley who will attend HACC, and Fayth Stephenson, who will attend Penn State Harrisburg.
On Tuesday this past week, I attended the senior awards night at Newport High School to present the Perry County Rotary scholarship. On Wednesday, I attended the Newport Baccalaureate where I helped present pocket crosses from the Newport Ministerium to the graduating seniors. On Friday, I attended the high school graduation at Greenwood High School at the invitation of Fayth Stephenson. So, I have been drawn back to those memories of high school graduation…of excitement and sadness, knowing life is making a huge shift.
One of the things I was reminded of, was the “most likely…” lists that high schools often make. You know, “Most likely to succeed” and the like. Those are prophecies or trying to predict the future based upon the current reality and all things being equal. Sometimes those prophecies are very good…sometimes not.
In our reading from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, Paul talks about all of the god-given gifts within the church community. He emphasizes that every person is given the “manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” We all have something important and necessary for our common life together and for our common life in this world.
Now in Corinth, the members of the church were ranking the gifts, as if some were better than others. Paul corrects them to say that all of these gifts are necessary for the community. Today, I’d like to focus on the gift of prophecy found in verse 10.
According to The Interpreter’s Bible (p. 154, vol. 10, 1953) those endowed with the gift of prophecy were “the recipients of that prophetic revelation which yielded insight into the purposes of God, so far as these bore upon the existing state of affairs or indicated future developments.” Those endowed with the gift of prophecy received revelation that gave insight into the purposes of God.
As we celebrate 130 years since the laying of the cornerstone of this church, I believe we have had prophets along the way who knew or received the revelation that the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement in Newport, PA was and is part of God’s purpose.
Look at our history… in 1875, a few people begin meeting in at the home of Mrs. Bechtel. Two years later, the group became an Itinerant Mission Station and met in the railroad supervisor’s office. For eight years, the group met every 2-4 weeks. In 1885, The Rev. James Stoddard took charge and in June of 1886, this piece of property was purchased. In June of 1887, the cornerstone was laid and in 1889, after the Bechtels financed the building of the church, the church was consecrated.
Only a few people, who just kept meeting and meeting and praying and praying together. Just a few people. Yet, they decided to build a church…build this building. They heard God’s call…they saw God’s purpose that this particular branch of the Jesus movement was needed in this place.
I know in our day and age denominations are losing favor and declining in number. This Episcopal Church in Newport was never very large, I’m told. I know at times it had a very large choir and Sunday school, but all-in-all, it’s never been very large. What is God’s purpose then, if this branch of the Jesus Movement doesn’t really appeal to very many people???
Because this branch of the Jesus Movement and this particular community does appeal to some, who otherwise would have a difficult time following Jesus and finding a place to be the community of God. Our branch of the Jesus movement does not have doctrines that have been developed. Yes, we have the 39 Articles, yet what we say is that praying shapes believing. It’s our very act of common prayer…of praying together that shapes and guides our beliefs.
We have some common understandings of faith and belief and we allow for difference. Again, it’s our common prayer that’s important. We allow for questions about faith and belief in God. We believe in growth in faith and understanding. We believe that God is constantly revealing new understandings to us. We understand that sometimes we as human beings who form the church get things wrong and that God is there correcting us and changing us. We’ve seen this in the changes that have occurred in our church regarding things like slavery, divorce, and gender identity and orientation.
Our service is ancient, with parts going back to the earliest churches. It is liturgical. It may not be the most popular type of service in this particular geographic area, yet it’s important for those of us here.
So, those early few who were persistent in their coming together, were also prophetic in understanding that this particular church was needed right here.
But our prophetic history does not end with the building of this church building. In 1936, the Bechtel’s daughter, Nellie Agnew Bechtel, signed her Last Will and Testament. In it, she directed that ½ of any Trust remaining after the death of her sister-in-law should be given to the Diocese of Harrisburg for the “support and betterment of the Nativity Church at Newport, Perry County, Pennsylvania, of which church, my mother and father were founders, and in loving remembrance of whom this bequest is made.”
Nearly 50 years after the church was built by the Bechtels, her daughter, who was living in Cincinnati, Ohio, still remembered our church…still knew in her heart that the Episcopal Church and in particular, this Episcopal Church was important to God’s purpose in this community. And since 1954, we have received the benefits of Nellie Agnew Bechtel’s prophetic gift.
Without Nellie Agnew Bechtel’s faith, remembrance, listening to the voice of God and of the Holy Spirit, I don’t think there’d be as robust branch of the Jesus Movement here today. Look at all of the things Ms. Bechtel’s prophetic gift allows us to do…. We can maintain this beautiful church her parents built, which for nearly 130 years has been prayed in, has been sung in, has celebrated the feasts of our church, has shared the meal. We have been a place of meeting and the beginning of many needs for the community, including Episcopal Commons and Gardens.
Every year we give away at least $20,000 for important ministries and needs in our community. I say at least because that’s what’s in our GTO, but we also take additional offerings, like today for Caring for Nativity’s Neighbors. We raise money through the grocery gift cards and use that to support important projects. Susan Rice works closely with Join Hands Ministry and we give generously throughout the year to meet the needs that come to their attention.
Because Ms. Bechtel’s prophetic gift allows us to support much of our budget, what is required of each of us is not as much as it would be otherwise; yet, I know in many instances, you then give much to the important needs of our community.
Out there in Cincinnati, Ms. Bechtel had “prophetic revelation which yielded insight into the purposes of God, so far as these bore upon the existing state of affairs or indicated future developments.” She knew having this church here at the end of Second Street in Newport, Pennsylvania was part of God’s purpose for the future. And we here today who continue to meet every week together, bear out her prophecy.
We thank God for the gifts through the Holy Spirit, gifts for the Common Good. We especially thank God for the gift of prophecy given to Nellie Agnew Bechtel, which allows us to carry out God’s purpose to this day and into the future.
Amen
