Dorothy Day’s friends where a group of fast-living, well-educated, intellectuals who did not want to be bound by anyone else’s rules. A common phrase among the men to their girlfriends was “no one is going to tie me down.” But they all drifted somewhat aimlessly. Dorothy was restless. She had a sense that she was meant to do something important with her life. But she needed some grounding. She needed a center-point from which to do the important work she would eventually do.
While living on Long Island, she stumbled upon a humble little ministry run by a Catholic nun. It was a feeding ministry, outside, in back of a Catholic church, where they made soup out of whatever folks could gather together each week. It was simple, but it made a difference to hungry people. And it was not just about the food, it was about the relationships that were formed. Dorothy Day started reading the Bible in that place, with those folks. And when her baby Tamar was born, she and her baby were baptized in that little church. She said “yes” to Jesus. She said “yes” to something beyond herself, and that made all the difference. She made a CHOICE to be a follower of Jesus.
Let’s look again at our scripture for today, from The Message Translation, John 6: 60-69 for those of you playing the home game:
60Many among his disciples heard this and said, "This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow."
61-65Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, "Does this throw you completely? What would happen if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he came from? The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don't make anything happen. Every word I've spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making. But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this." (Jesus knew from the start that some weren't going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.) He went on to say, "This is why I told you earlier that no one is capable of coming to me on his own. You get to me only as a gift from the Father."
66-67After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him. Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: "Do you also want to leave?"
68-69Peter replied, "Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We've already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God."
Cheri said “yes” too, back when I was in the 5th grade, for Kurt it was 8th Grade and again at the age of 28.
And since then, there have been times in our lives when we have had to say “yes” over and over again, when my commitment has been tested. Cheri has those daily setbacks, doubt, fear, etc. Kurt left organized religion from the ages of 18 to 28. Others have left and wandered away from God, others still from Jesus. But like the disciples I think I have more or less said: “where would I go, Jesus? You are the Way of Life. We’ve already committed ourselves, we believe you are the Holy One of God.”BUT, that does not mean that we do not get discouraged. How about you?
When Cheri was at her last Church, after about 7 years there, she began to get a vision for what we are now experiencing as The Village Church. And she thought she could plant something like The Village out of that congregation. It was a 100 year old church, with a great legacy of doing justice, and taking risks. And I began to challenge that congregation to consider dying to much of what it had been in terms of location and ministry style, keeping those justice values, but going to the next level with some risk taking. .
We found ourselves in a predicament much like Jesus. Some of the folks just didn’t want to go forward with us in that vision. In fact, truth be told, NONE of them wanted to go with us. And the District Superintendent and the Methodist establishment didn’t want really think much of the idea either. But some other colleagues and the odd person here and there who had no church home – well, their eyes would light up when Cheri started going on about this idea Cheri had of a new sort of church she was calling The Village.
We had to choose – whether or not to live into God’s call for our lives. It meant leaving behind people we loved and a dream of what Central was and was to become and of Cheri serving Central to the end of her career. It meant leaving behind the safety and security of a church that had been our family, our children’s ONLY church home for their entire lives. But in the end, there was really no question – because the step forward into the unknown was LIFE-GIVING. And staying behind the in old and familiar, well, it had become death for Cheri and Kurt both. Their work there was done. It had been life giving. The work there was absolutely valuable for a season. But Cheri was done there. Now this story not a perfect metaphor for the scripture passage for today, no one betrayed Cheri and I. Quite the contrary, our friends sent us out with love and support. But we think it’s close enough for you to get Cheri’s point.
Friends, we all come to crossroads in our lives. We come to points where saying “yes” to Jesus means that we go one way and not the other. And not everyone will go with us. Sometimes even our friends or family will not go with us – and it’s hard to accept that. It does not seem fair – and that’s just one of those things we won’t understand in this life.
But here is the bottom line – THE CHOICE TO FOLLOW JESUS ALWAYS LEADS TO LIFE. Again, the choice to follow Jesus always leads to life. The disciples who chose to go forward with Jesus – they found LIFE! Abundant life! Dorothy Day, in stepping outside that crowd of intellectuals who looked down their noses at religion – and going to that little Catholic church and getting baptized with her baby, they looked down their noses at her, Dorothy Day chose LIFE. And so many people have benefitted from the ministry that came out of her life of service as a result. We chose to move on from one church, where our work was done, and step out on faith to plant a new church. We did not know what we were doing, and lots of folks tried to tell us we were crazy. And we are, but we are crazy for Jesus – so that’s ok. We chose LIFE and this church is giving LIFE and will give LIFE to so many hurting people who need the healing message of Jesus that they’re not finding somewhere else.
Friends, we will all face many choices in this life, sorry to break this to you. We will face choices to go against the status quo, what friends & family want us to do. Like Jesus, some of our friends will not go forward with us in the choices that we make, and that will be hard. But this is my prayer: that we will choose LIFE – choose to go the Way with God. It’s the risky way, but as Jesus’ disciples said, “Honestly, where else would we go?”
If you haven’t found where else you would go to find Jesus, to follow Jesus, join us at the Village, Sundays @ 10:30, and starting at October 3rd @ 12:30 PM. We’re following Jesus and changing the world at the corner of Central & Monroe in Toledo. Come find the trail head of the path with Jesus with us.
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