FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Sermon by Dr. George Bryant Wirth

 

Annual Meeting Sunday

May 3, 2009

 

CHRIST AT THE CENTER: THE FAMILY OF FAITH

SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER?

 

Scripture:  Acts 16:6-40

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Years ago, when we replaced the old red hymnal with the new blue hymnal, some people were disappointed (and a few were upset) that “Onward Christian Soldiers” had been left out of the new edition.

 

Perhaps you remember that the much beloved Herb Archer (rest his soul) was the chairperson of that hymnal committee, and after doing a little research, he discovered that we hadn’t sung “Onward Christian Soldiers” in a Sunday morning worship service for more than a decade.

 

So he suggested that any time we wanted to sing that hymn again, we could simply put the words in our bulletin.  The congregation seemed to like that solution, and in typical Presbyterian fashion – “decently and in order” – we voted in favor of the recommendation.  But there was one other factor in Rev. Archer’s report – he told us that the old red hymnal was going out of print, and to secure enough copies to keep us supplied for the duration would cost a great deal of money.  If I recall correctly, I think that was the end of the discussion.

 

I

 

Now, there is another hymn which was never included in either the red or the blue hymnals, and it has always been one of my favorites.  I have heard it from time to time at funerals, and this morning, our choir sang it ever so beautifully: “Shall We Gather at the River?”  I always thought it was an old southern spiritual, but not long ago, Charlie Whittaker did his own research and found out that the words and music were written in 1864 during the Civil War by The Rev. Robert Lowry, pastor of the Hanson Place Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York.

 

It was on a hot summer’s day in July, and Rev. Lowry described his condition as “exhausted.”  He was overwhelmed by the deaths of so many soldiers on both sides, and with these words, he began “to wonder…about the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God,” depicted in the Book of Revelation, chapter 22.  Then came the question in his mind “Shall we gather at the River?”, followed by the answer, which led to the chorus lines:

 

          “Yes, we’ll gather at the river,

          The beautiful, the beautiful river;

          Gather with the saints at the river,

          That flows from the throne of God”

 

And so, with that vision, Rev. Lowry created one of the most inspiring hymns ever written.

 

But did you know that beginning with the creation story in the Book of Genesis, and concluding with the final chapter of Revelation, there are more than 144 references to rivers, winding and meandering in and out of the words of scripture?

 

Just as Norman MacLean entitled his popular book “A River Runs Through It,” that is surely true throughout the entire Bible.  And there is one particular river scene in Acts 16 which I invite all of us to look at this morning, for I believe it describes the way that God wants life in the church to be like today.

 

II

 

Sometime around 49 A.D., as the Apostle Paul and his close friend Silas were traveling on their first missionary journey into Asia Minor (which is now Turkey), Paul had a vision of someone calling him in the night, saying “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9).

 

So Luke, who wrote the story in Acts 16, reports that Paul and Silas set sail across the Aegean Sea to the city of Philippi in Macedonia (modern day Greece) which was then a strategic colony of the Roman Empire.

 

Philippi was occupied primarily by Greeks and Romans and also a small number of Jews, the latter of whom worshipped, as Luke tells us, “on the Sabbath Day…outside the city gate…where (Paul and Silas) found a place of prayer, and sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there” (Acts 16:12-13).

 

And then, as they were gathered by the river, something happened that changed the course of the church forever.  Paul and Silas met a woman named Lydia, who was a worshipper of God, originally from the city of Thyatira in Asia Minor, a prominent citizen of Philippi, and successful businesswoman who sold cloth colored with a purple dye.

 

The Bible says that “The Lord opened her heart” as Paul preached the gospel, and Lydia became the first Christian convert in Europe.  Moreover, when she and her household were baptized, Lydia invited Paul and Silas to come live in her home so that she could support their missionary enterprise.

 

Not long after, a Philippian slave girl and then a jailer also became believers, and they, together with Lydia their leader, helped to establish the first church which opened the door for the Christian faith to enter the European Continent.  As they say, “The rest of the story is history,” part of the history of Christianity in our western civilization.  And it all began with a businesswoman named Lydia, a slave girl, a jailer and two Jewish missionaries named Paul and Silas.

 

Now the name of that river in Philippi is Gangites.  Four years ago, some of us from this church visited that place, we gathered at the river where Lydia and her household were baptized, and we celebrated communion there.

 

It was an unforgettable moment for me, and I thought to myself then, and want to share with you now, how I believe that we have at least three things in common with that ancient church in Philippi, and the first is our identity as an urban congregation.

 

The Philippians church was located not only by the River Gangites – it was also strategically situated in the city which stood at the center of the major commercial and military route leading from Asia to the west, known in Roman Times as the via egnatia (See The Interpreters’ Dictionary of the Bibl, “Philippi,” page 786).

 

And so are we strategically placed here in the heart, near to the center of this great city at the Corner of 16th and Peachtree.  As most of you know, we moved from downtown to this spot in the early 1900’s, and today, midtown Atlanta is booming and growing up all around us.  This is where God has called us to be – our identity is to serve in this metropolitan region as an urban Christian congregation.

 

I have told you before about a phone call I received back in 1990, just prior to moving here from suburban Pittsburgh.  The voice at the other end of the line said to me, “This is General Chuck Graham, chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee,” and after we had talked for a few minutes about this and that, he declared: “There’s just one thing I need to tell you.  Don’t even think about moving our church to another location.  We are right where we belong, and that’s where we should stay.”  I replied, “General, the thought hadn’t even occurred to me,” and he said “Good, then we agree,” and that was pretty much the end of the conversation.

 

Reflecting back on that phone call, I believe General Graham had correctly discerned one of the keys to our identity as the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.  We are an urban Christian congregation in the heart of the city.  So it has been since 1848 when we were _____ downtown, and so it is today, 2009 here in midtown, this is where God wants us to be … and we’re not moving!

 

A second thing we have in common with the first century church in Philippi is our diversity as a congregation that welcomes people from all walks of life.

 

The Biblical image, of course, is the Body of Christ, where Paul describes in his letters to the Romans (chapter 12), Corinthians (chapter 12) and Ephesians (chapter 4) how the church is like a body with many different members, which are all joined together with Christ as the Head and Center.

 

The Philippian church knew that was true also, because their charter members embraced diversity from the get-go: Lydia, an affluent businesswoman from Thyatira and her household, including family members young and old; a slave girl who had an evil spirit cast out of her by Silas and Paul; and a jailer who joined the congregation with all of his family too.  They were as different and diverse as any church could be, but one thing was true: they belonged to each other and grew into a family of faith.

 

How do we know?  Paul’s letter to the Philippians and chapter two of II Corinthians tell us so.  They were his favorite church, and the apostle gave thanks for their diversity and their generosity as they supported his missionary work every step of the way.

 

I believe that we have been given and share that same vision of diversity here in this congregation.  And that is why this year’s theme, “Christ at the Center: The Family of Faith,” has helped us as sisters and brothers to grow closer in God’s grace, and to reach out to others across this city and around the world with the warm embrace of hospitality and generosity.

 

Just the other day, an e-mail came across my radar screen which was so encouraging to me that I want to share it with you:

 

Dear Dr. Wirth,

          This message is intended to thank you and all of the members and staff at First Presbyterian for their wisdom, tact, kindness, faith, and a deep understanding of strengths and weaknesses of those that follow.  On the last Sunday of the month, you can count on another new member to join the ranks.

          This morning…I witnessed Rev. Black on crutches assisting a man that needed his help.  I would like to help others in similar fashion through the church…

Cordially yours,

 

My friends, the more we accept the diversity of people here which Jesus intends for us to embrace, the more He will bless us with His Spirit of hospitality and generosity in this family of faith.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Like the Philippian church, we claim our identity as an urban Christian congregation.  We also embrace diversity as the family of faith.  And one thing more: as long as we honor and follow Christ at the Center, He will bless us with unity in our life together.

 

The Philippian church was far from perfect.  They had personal disagreements, theological differences of opinion, even some controversial issues which were difficult to resolve.  But the Biblical record shows that they stuck together through thick and thin, and the healing, reconciling Spirit of Christ was alive and at work among them.

 

Just so, when the next generation looks back at us and writes the history about what happened here in this church during one of the most traumatic years our nation has ever faced, and a financial crisis that our congregation did not create but had to navigate through, I hope and pray that they will say we joined hearts and hands together in unity, and learned more than ever before, to trust in the Lord.

 

As we ordain and install our officers today, one of the questions we will ask them is “Do you promise to further the peace, unity and purity of the church?”  And they will answer “We do.”  By the grace and guidance of God, that has been true this past year for the elders and staff leaders and members of this congregation.

 

And as we “Gather at the River” to hold our Annual Meeting after this worship service is over, I believe we will have much to be thankful for and good reason to praise the Lord…just as Paul wrote to the Philippians toward the end of his life:

 

          “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!  The Lord is near.  Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).

 

When all is said and done, my friends, how much more could any church ask for than that?

 

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.