"Wandering Home"	May 17, 2009
Deuteronomy 26: 1-11/Romans 8: 31-39	6th Sunday of Easter
Colesville Presbyterian Church	Pastoral Associate Aaron D. Frank

As I was thinking about the anniversary that we’re celebrating this weekend, I thought I should call the Presbytery office to try and learn a little bit about what was happening around these parts in 1959.  "Hi Rob, this is Aaron Frank over at Colesville.  How are you this afternoon?"  "Doing fine," he says, "What can I do for you?"  "Well, we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the church and I'm interested in learning about what was happening in the Presbytery in the late fifties.  What can you tell me?"  Haa Haa!!  He let out a hearty laugh.  "Aaron, I think you get the prize for the strangest question of the week.  What do you want to know?"  "Let's start with, who was the executive presbyter?"  Another hearty laugh.  "It's not the strangest question I've ever heard, but that's pretty good.  Let's see what we have." 

I learned that back in the late 1980's the presbytery compiled a single document recording all the finite details of its history. That document was later scanned and now resides on a disc at the presbytery offices.  As Rob was searching, he asked whether I was aware that the first protestant church in the region was the Presbyterian church of Hyattsville.  The Queen of England gave a special dispensation in 1706 for the formation of the congregation.  And, today when presbytery celebrates communion, they use the chalice and plate given by the queen to Hyattsville in their liturgy.  Pretty cool, I thought.

 

By the time Rob finished his story, he had found the entry for the 1950's, including Colesville's founding and he read to me that General Presbyter Ralph Merker retired in 1958 and was then replaced in 1959 by Arthur Romig.  During his tenure in the 1950's, Merker had overseen the founding 15 churches, including four in 1959--our beloved Colesville, as well as Faith on South Capitol Street, Rockville United and John Calvin in Annandale, VA.

 

These four churches, along with the other 11 Presbyterian churches, founded during the 1950's, and not to mention the numerous churches and synagogues founded by various other groups sought to create faith communities for the individuals and families who were streaming to the Washington area after World War II.  The Washington area had jobs aplenty as new Federal agencies and research facilities, military installations, and various professional and labor organizations sought to fill positions with talented employees.

 

And so the wandering Arameans came.  GI's and war brides, sons and daughters of farmers, lawyers and preachers, scientists and labor organizers and a host of other folks came to Washington and its suburbs to work and serve and settle down.  Their nomadic wandering days done.  A new home was found. 

 

From a shopping center storefront to White Oak junior high to the Jackson Road elementary school, or some other order of temporary homes, a seed was planted and germinated and grew and was tended by numerous caring hands. Until it was permanently planted here in this place on a large open lush piece of ground, suitable to growth and further cultivation. 

 

Throughout the years, beloved Pastors have come and gone.  They have tended this seedling from germination until today as it continues to blossom.  Inspired teaching and preaching have cultivated the soil.  New growth has been encouraged.  Withered limbs of outdated thinking and programs have been removed and branches of new thinking have been grafted to the sturdy trunk.  And throughout these many years there has been one constant.  We are assured that Christ's grace has been upon this congregation over some 2600 Sundays, across these fifty years, but that is not the singular constant.  Through many pastors, store fronts and school auditoriums, one thing has remained constant.  YOU.  You the membership, ever growing and contracting, faithful and finite.  YOU. The people.  The reason the whole thing happened in the first place.  You, who stood and stand beside one another in birth & baptism, marriage and divorce, and in the mourning and celebration of life at funerals.  You are the singular constant.

 

[Let me interrupt myself for a moment.  How many of you were married here, or by a pastor of this church?  How many of you had, or will have, a child baptized here?  How many of you have been through a life changing event or sickness here?  How many of you have had a funeral here? Look around at your neighbors.  Think of your presence at those events.  Think about those times standing inside sharing a cup of coffee. Think about the times those people called or visited you when you were in need. Or, vice versa. Think about those baptisms.  In the baptismal ritual, we take an oath to protect, to educate and to support that child.  In welcoming new members, we do the same.  We commit to teaching one another and to serving one another in Christ.  This folks, is what it means to be a community of believers.]

 

So, you the congregation are the constant.  Whether you were born here or came here from a far flung place.  You have wandered home.  Here at CPC you are home.  Hear again portions of this morning's scripture readings.  Deuteronomy 26 welcomes us home.

8The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.’ You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. 11Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.

 

Romans:

 34…It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.* 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?... ...37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

We live in a land of milk and honey.  Even in a time of recession, of war and anxiety, this land still flows with milk and honey.  This community celebrates its place and embraces its call to serve one another and to let Christ's light shine out from this place.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God.  Nothing. 

 

Interesting item to note.  The last time this church celebrated an anniversary, in 1999, the membership was somewhere around 450.  Today, we stand at 473.  In the intervening years pastors have come and gone, members have left and new members have arrived.  The congregation has remained the constant.  Nationally, from 1999 to 2007, the latest numbers available, the denomination has lost 460,000 members and some 400 churches.  Yet, you have remained strong.  Neither death nor life, nor denominational and cultural changes shall separate you from the love of God. 

 

Yet, your work is not done.  IT is not enough to be an exception to the mainline trend.  Year fifty-one is upon us.  Year fifty-one of Christ's mission in this place is here.  A few weeks back, I asked the question, what are you committed to?  What are you willing to die for?  The questioned stands.  The time of discernment is now.  You stand upon a strong foundation on this land, in this place.  You, the congregation of Colesville Presbyterian Church, stand amidst the great Presbyterian tradition that settled the Piedmont and this Potomac valley.  There is a great cloud of witnesses cheering you on today and into the next fifty years.  The years gone by are to be celebrated.  The accomplishments of yesterday are to be marveled at.  But who among you will be the catalyst for the next great change?  What existing program will be reinvigorated?  What coalition will be formed to rally this congregation around the next goal?  What social or political stand will you take as a congregation? 

 

Pray upon this.  Pray deeply and fervently.  Talk to one another, talk with me.  Discern what 12800 NH Ave will next be.  Amos.  Bruce. Mary. Courtney. Ted. Teresa. Mike. Andy. Me. We celebrate Christ's resurrection and unwavering grace with you.  But you are the church you are God's feet walking with the downtrodden. You are Christ's hands marred by the work of the world.  Yours are the eyes of the Holy Spirit meeting those who are ignored.  God is doing a great thing among you.  I pray that God's grace be upon you this day and into year fifty one and well beyond. 
 

Amen.