It was 187 years ago, in April, 1837, that the first gathering of First Christian Church took place, in William T. Major’s parlor at the corner of East and Front Streets. Major founded First Christian Church, and chose to affiliate with the Disciples of Christ movement, which was itself just getting started under the leadership of men like Barton Warren Stone, Alexander Campbell, and Walter Scott. Major chose the Disciples of Christ movement because of its emphasis on the Bible as the only rule of faith, and because the Disciples refused to support or endorse slavery.
Several U.S. Presidents have been members of the Disciples of Christ over the years; can you name them? James Garfield (an ordained DOC clergy, and the only ordained clergy to ever be elected president), Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan. Andy Beshear, the current governor of Kentucky, is also a member of the Disciples of Christ. Other well-known Disciples include our General Minister, Terri Hord Owens, and William Barber, co-director of the Poor People's Campaign.
From our beginning, the Disciples of Christ have extended an open invitation to gather at the Lord’s Table, and we have emphasized the unity of all Christians.
We at FCC remain bound in covenant with other Disciples congregations throughout the United States and Canada; we can do so much more together than we can on our own!
When able, I’ve attended Disciples of Christ General Assemblies…Five years ago, the 2019 General Assembly met in Des Moines, Iowa, and Ethan and I planned on going. However, the day before we were to leave, I was taken by ambulance to the hospital and diagnosed with appendicitis.
Sometimes things don’t always go according to plan.
So, Ethan ended up going to the assembly by himself, and I ended up watching the assembly worship services on my laptop, from my hospital bed.
The theme for the assembly that year was “Abide,” based on the same scripture we just heard.
In one of those worship services that I watched from my hospital bed, our General Minister Terri Hord Owens said that if we aren’t connected to the vine - if we aren’t connected to Christ - then nothing else is really going to work for us. In church we are focused on programs and growth and building maintenance and musical styles and so many other things, and sometimes, in the midst of it all, we neglect our connection with Christ. We neglect to abide with Christ.
And when we neglect that connection, the fruit we bear begins to wither.
We must abide in Christ. We must remain connected to Christ, the way the branches are connected to the vine.
On another night of that same assembly, Ruben del Pilar - from Gardena, California - was the preacher. He built on this theme by saying: “If there's no fruit, check the root.” If the branch is not connected to the root, it gets cut off. "If I remain in myself but not in the vine…"
You gotta be connected to the vine. You gotta be connected to the root. Otherwise, there will be no fruit.
Ruben del Pilar mentioned that his church had launched a new prayer program, to stay connected with Christ. Every day (I think he said), their church was open for prayer from 6 to 7 a.m.
Well, soon after that, people started coming into the church. New people. And they would ask these new people, “What brought you to church?” And they would answer, “I don’t know. Something just made me come in here…”
That’s the power of prayer that connects us to the root. That’s the holy power of a church that is connected to the root, connected to the vine, connected to Christ. That’s a church that has Jesus - and following Jesus - at the center of all they do.
And it’s why every so often, I remind you to pray; to pray for your church.
And I know you are praying. You’re praying at home. You’re praying in worship. You’re praying in small groups. You’re praying in meetings and other gatherings.
And all this praying is helping us stay connected to Christ.
Many of you have mentioned to me the new life you’ve been seeing lately here at First Christian Church: the new energy, the new vitality, and the new people.
And some of you have given me credit for this.
But I know this new life started before I arrived. I sensed this vitality in my conversations with the search committee, last summer and last fall.
In 2023, I had conversations with quite a few search committees, from many wonderful congregations…but none of them were as passionate about praying as the search committee here… And I knew that your search committee’s commitment to prayer and belief in the power of prayer was indicative of the entire congregation, and I knew even then that this was making a huge difference.
And I continue to see that today. Your prayers are making a difference.
We have a long, proud history here at First Christian Church, something that we’re celebrating today. A lot has changed over the years. Our congregation has grown and evolved in so many ways. There’s been highs and lows…But a commitment to prayer, and a commitment to abiding in Christ, has remained, and has grown only stronger.
And I believe that that, more than anything, is what is moving us forward today.
As long as we maintain the disciplines that keep us grounded in Christ and rooted in God’s spirit, I know that our history will continue for many generations to come.
Thank you for being a part of First Christian Church. Thank you for your commitment to the church, and for your commitment to prayer. Thank you for doing all you can to stay connected to the church, and connected to Christ.
Together, with God’s help and guidance, I know our ministry here will continue to flourish… perhaps even for another 187 years.
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