Haggai 2:1-9
Introduction
The Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion published a study several years ago on the combined financial impact of religion on the economy. Now the study is from a few years ago, but it’s some of the most recent research available on the topic.
The study showed— which you may find surprising—Religious institutions and industries in America contribute roughly $1.2 trillion a year to the U.S. economy and society. $1.2 trillion. In terms of wealth, that’s more than the value of Apple, Amazon and Google… combined.
Now you might be scratching your head thinking how is that possible? That’s an unbelievable amount of money all stemming from religious institutions and industries. So that figure includes: church-run hospitals, church-related colleges, and other institutions birthed by churches and other religious groups. And, it also includes, local churches and parishes, of all sizes—mega to small, all across our country.
Which means, the small college founded by Alexander Campbell in Bethany, West Virginia nearly 200 years ago—and many other schools we know with church and religious affiliation— are all having an economic and societal impact today. It means, this church, with its 180 year long history is still having an economic and societal impact today.
On and on, this study shows how people of faith, who built a legacy of faith, are still having an impact. It means that what once was…still is…making a difference.
Move 1
Today we look back on that “great cloud of witnesses” as the writer of Hebrews spoke about so long ago—those who have gone before us, but left behind a legacy of faithfulness to God and God’s work in the world.
We look back on these “difference makers”— those who made a difference throughout their lives and ministry— by remembering them, honoring them, sharing their stories, and using their work and lives as a source of encouragement for all of us to continue their difference making work.
And we’re going to hear a firsthand accounting of the difference making this church has done, and is still doing.
Move 2
But first, with past difference making in mind, we turn to our reading from Haggai. It’s from the time after the Jews have returned to their homeland following the exile in Babylon.
The Babylonian army had previously overrun Jerusalem and destroyed the temple— the one King Solomon had built. The returning people had by now constructed a replacement temple under the urging of prophets Haggai and Zechariah, but it was a modest structure in comparison to the first one.
We’re talking they went from the most opulent and magnificent temple ever built to… a temple that was nice and certainly faithful, but might have been something like… oh I don’t know… an old building that was once used for something else… say a city hall, and then it was moved to a new spot and turned into a little white chapel—I mean a modest little temple. Again, it was nice and lovely and sacred for sure—but these folks wanted a fancy temple!
And because this was the case, Haggai had to deal with this issue that should not have been an issue—but it was because those who remembered the former temple, with all its majestic appointments, who could not envision what God could do for them with only this basic temple.
This led Haggai to say to the people “Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing?” This was Haggai saying to the people that this temple was still the temple of God—it wasn’t nothing, and they should not look at it as nothing. Then Haggai proceeds to tell the people, not once or twice, but three times to “take courage” and work according to the promise God made “when you came out of Egypt.” Haggai reminds the people of God’s promise—and that now, amongst that promise is the eventual “splendor of this house shall be greater than the former [splendor] and in this place [the Lord] will give prosperity.”
The people could not see what God could see. They saw something rudimentary, undeveloped, basic, and simple. But God saw what was to be—and it was going to be better than ever.
Move 3
In early October I had the privilege to see and speak with a Timothy of our church—the Rev. Jack Veatch. Jack was back in the area officiating the wedding of longtime friend, and First Christian Stow member, Gabe Lorenz.
During our conversation Jack shared with me what was happening in his life and ministry—which led me to ask him if he would be open to sharing such with his home church. And he gladly accepted. Upon reading his piece I felt moved to forgo putting this in the church newsletter and instead share it with you on this All Saints Sunday because 1.) it’s always good to hear how our church Timothies are doing, and 2.) a part of his story was fitting for our recognition of today. Jack writes…
Hey FCC Stow. It’s been a while since I have checked in, except all of those times I checked in to a FB Live service. I see Jonathan has been so inspired by my long mane of hair that he has decided to emulate the look. Results vary, I suppose.
Since my ordination in 2019 (which might be the last time I was at FCC Stow!) I have: Completed a 5 month certificate program in Switzerland; ;oved back to the United States in late February of 2020, after accepting a call to a church in Evergreen Colorado; I unexpectedly moved in with [my girlfriend] Aneesah who came to visit me from L.A (where her mother lives) during the pandemic to help me move in my furniture, but the furniture came almost an entire month late. At that point we decided she should just stay since everything was online anyways!
I then pastored a church, my first ever church, in the depths of a hopefully once in a lifetime pandemic (unless you were alive during the 1918 pandemic). Aneesah got ordained. We moved back to Chicago. Got engaged (there’s a whole story about that.) Had the honor of officiating Gabe Lorenz’s wedding. Got married on October 15th! And, lastly, I stepped down from my pastoral position in Colorado, and accepted a full time position at the Disciples Divinity House at the University of Chicago.
I guess I have some explaining to do:
I loved pastoring at Evergreen Christian Church, and felt called to be a pastor. But then Aneesah interviewed for, and accepted, an amazing position at the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago. It was the kind of job position that is a foot in to exactly the kind of career and work she wants to do and it’s at a place she really loves.
The move also puts me closer to home and since moving back to Chicago I have had the blessing to go to Camp Christian for a week of Advance Conference, and back to NE Ohio for Gabe’s bachelor party and wedding. I hope you will forgive me for not attending church after a couple of weekends full of “good times” in which I had to drive the seven hours back home on Sunday. But I did get Swenson’s.
As for the engagement and wedding; a lot of you met Aneesah at my ordination, although I forgive you if you don’t remember much from that day. Rumor has it that there were too many speakers and it was too long of a service. (Typical Rumburg being a windbag preacher).
When in Colorado we knew we wanted to get married and we were looking at rings but nothing seemed right. We then made the decision to move and decided we would have a small wedding in Chicago, and to actually keep it small (except it’s hard to think in terms of small when your extended family has about 90 people in it) that we would only invite our parents.
Having still not found a ring yet, we decided maybe we would get little signet rings to symbolize our commitment, but that didn’t feel right either. Still, every time we looked at a ring it seemed like Aneesah liked it for a week or two, but then she soured on the ring a few weeks later. Some may call this “wishy-washy” but as a member of the board of the Disciples Divinity House helpfully stated “She’s an artist.”
So we were preparing to do the ceremony ring-less and maybe do something nice for an anniversary. Then we actually found rings we felt were beautiful and timeless. And when we finally found a ring that stuck, I felt that if I had a ring, it only felt right to do a formal proposal. So I proposed 3 weeks before our wedding day.
It’s not the first time Aneesah and I have done things backward, and it won’t be the last, but it is what works for us, and I am thankful for that.
*******
I saw Ron Neaffer at Gabe’s wedding and he commented about how nice it was to see the “kids” of the church grow up and become adults and have successful and fulfilling lives.
I too am thankful I have “grown up” (kind of anyway) and am living a fulfilling life. And I am especially thankful for the people who brought me to this place. Seeing my family, church family, and my friends in the midst of celebrating another one of those church “kids” growing up into an successful and fulfilling life and now marriage, it all made me so thankful for how First Christian Church of Stow was, and continues to be, a presence in my life.
Hopefully I will see you soon. I promise (tentatively… it’s a long drive home!) to come to a service the next time I am in town.
In peace and love, Rev. Jack Veatch
Conclusion
Last week we talked about how we can become difference makers—despite the “unthinkable” landscape the church finds itself in today. And today we are led to again think about the “unthinkable”—this time however, that which once was, still is, even though it may look different today. This church is making a difference— economically and societally—1.2 trillion dollars is no chump change.
The presence of the church— from mega churches of opulence to little white chapels—we show the world we live by faith, hope, peace, joy, and love. And when we hear and know the stories of those who served and are serving the church we are inspired to “take courage” because we know “the splendor of the Lord’s house will be greater than ever.” When we embrace these truths–and live an action response to them–we are not only part of the difference making–we are the difference makers. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer November 6, 2022
Holy God, on this all Saints Sunday we remember and honor those who have been vehicles of your blessings, wisdom, revelation, grace, and love.
Whether it was a parent, grandparent, or family member; whether it was a friend, spouse, or child; whether it was someone anonymous or even a stranger, each of us has been blessed by someone who changed our lives and were saints to us—and we give you thanks for all they said and did that had a lasting, life giving impact on us. We would not be the people we are without the saints you blessed us with.
And we pray you will make this a day to remember the unseen cloud of witnesses who encircle us:
Those who in every age and generation witnessed to their faith in life and in death;
Those who by their courage and sacrifice won for us the freedom and liberty we enjoy;
Those whom we have loved and who have gone on to be with you, and whose names are written on our hearts.
Still, we want this day to go even deeper, and pray you would help us live lives that reflect the work of saints before us.
We pray you help us to have in our lives: their courage in challenges; their steadfastness in trial; their perseverance in difficulty; their loyalty when loyalty is costly; their joy in the dimmest of times; their love for the unlovable.
We pray you make us into your living saints—those who are aware of the needs of others, those who are willing to go and serve others and be vehicles of your blessings to those who need them, just as so many were such to us so that one day we too will be remembered in celebration of that great cloud of witnesses.
We ask that you would listen now to the prayers we offer to you, in this time of Holy Silence.
All this we pray in the name of Jesus the Christ, who taught us to pray saying, “Our …”