wfn.org | ABCUSA: Biennial Meeting Update #4: June 29, 2003

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Richard.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

ROLL CALL OF REGIONS, CONCERTS AND MESSAGE LIFT UP 'A WITNESSING PEOPLE'

(Richmond, Va. 6/29)-In an evening worship experience here June 28, charged
with the energetic response of a multigenerational audience, American
Baptist delegates and visitors to the denominational Biennial Meeting here
lifted up a theme of "Centered in Christ: A Witnessing People." 

A "Roll Call of Regions" showcased the regional executive ministers and the
38 regional youth representatives who are participating in the gathering.
An offering for the regional youth representative program, begun in 1999,
brought in $3,543.26.

A variety of stimulating musical styles entertained attendees.	The
three-member Christian rock band "One Way," from King's Mountain, N.C.,
performed their own compositions and their arrangements of several
traditional Christian hymns.  Also performing a mini-concert was The West
Virginians, from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, W.V., a group
familiar to many participants at previous Biennial Meetings and American
Baptist gatherings.  The University Baptist Church Praise Team, of the
Baptist Student Foundation, University of Illinois/Champaign, opened the
evening of worship and celebration.

Steve Fitzhugh, founder of the PowerMoves of Washington, D.C. and a former
member of the NFL Denver Broncos, brought a message on "The Power of a
Witness."  Listing "perspective, perseverance and purpose" as essential to
effective Christian witnessing, he shared moving personal experiences in his
motivational ministry outreach to youth.  "We lose the power of being a
witness," he said, "because we give up the moment we have to deny ourselves.
Perseverance is so precious today."  Drawing from his family and
professional experiences, he emphasized that "If you don't understand
purpose, abuse is inevitable." 

MEDLEY CALLS AMERICAN BAPTISTS TO BE 'PEOPLE OF HEART RELIGION'

(Richmond, Va. 6/29/03)-In a sermon here June 29 during morning worship,
American Baptist Churches USA General Secretary the Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley
told Biennial Meeting attendees that "God wants to rekindle our love and
passion and renew us as a people of heart religion."

In a service that included communion and music ranging from the
contemplative Taize lyrical prayers to the ebullience of the Haitian
Alliance Mass Choir, Medley focused his message on his vision for
centeredness in Christ.

"We serve an incredible God who has great plans and dreams for us!," Medley
said.  "'God's dreams for us are greater than we can imagine for this is a
God who can take a nobody-people and make them God's people; this is a God
who can raise up fishermen, tax collectors and prostitutes to turn the world
upside down.  This is a God who snatches life from death, and establishes
Jesus the Crucified as Lord of the universe; this is a God who confounds the
wise and destroys the strong, who lifts up the weak and empowers the humble.
This is a God who looks not on our outward strength but on the inner
intentions of our heart.  This is a God who takes a band of eight people and
makes of them a worldwide movement for spiritual renewal called Baptists.
This is a God who builds a worldwide mission movement through these despised
people called Baptists.  This is a God who thunders for justice and equality
through Baptist prophets Rauschenbusch and King.  This is a God who weaves
together into a coat of many colors a diverse people called American
Baptists.  This is a God!  This is a God that we serve!"

Medley's message lifted up the call to commitment and discipleship:

"How does one speak of the Holy One, of the ineffable mystery of God whose
ways are not our ways and whose thoughts are not our thoughts?	Human
language is not sufficient.  But it is God who dwells in the mystery of the
Trinity who takes the initiative and reaches across the barriers of language
and thought and becomes incarnate that we might see the face of the living
God and live.	Therefore, at the heart of our faith is not a philosophy,
not a program, not a process but a person:  Jesus Christ....

"Our faith is centered in Jesus of Nazareth for we confess that in him alone
have we seen and known the one true, living God.  In the poetic language of
the early church we confess that he is "God from God, Light from Light, true
God from true God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father."  ...

"American Baptists, God wants to rekindle our love and passion and renew us
as a people of heart religion.

"Heart religion speaks of the personal nature of faith that places each of
us in that terrible but wonderful personal encounter of the created with the
Creator, the finite with the Infinite, the sinful with the Just, the beloved
with the Redeemer.  Heart religion seeks not just to know about God but also
to know and be known by God.  Heart religion is experiential religion.	It
is Abraham and Sarah laughing at God's promise; it is Moses trembling on
Sinai in the presence of the Holy One of Israel; it is Elijah hearing a
small still voice of comfort and courage; it is the woman of Samaria finding
living water; it is Paul on the road to Damascus finding living hope.  Heart
religion is standing awestruck by God hanging on the cross dying for the
world.

"...heart religion is an offering of oneself to God in repentance,
surrender, and yielding.  It is the response of a heart overwhelmed by love,
grace and forgiveness.	It is a heart that has been captured by love so
profound and life-giving that it's sole/soul response to Jesus is 'yes.'
Heart religion is discipleship:  walking with Christ in intimacy and
obedience of heart.  Heart religion is yielding:  yielding to God in love
and in trust.	

"Like any love, heart religion must be nurtured for it is living and
dynamic.  It is not a set of facts mastered once and forever.  It is 'being
with' the person of Jesus. Like all relationships unless it is nurtured it
becomes formal, stale, and superficial.  

"God wants to rekindle your romance with Jesus.  He wants to make you giddy
with first love and passion.  God wants to set you singing, 'Oh how I love
Jesus, oh, how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus because he first loved
me.'...
"We are recognized as disciples of Jesus when the world sees the marks of
sacrificial love we bear as the body of Christ.  It as we take up the cross
and identify with the world in its lostness and alienation; it is as we take
up the cross in ministries of proclamation and evangelism; it is as we take
up the cross in ministries of justice and mercy; it is as we take up the
cross in selfless service to others that the world recognizes Christ living
in us.	Not in the imperial church but in the servant church does the world
see the Spirit of the living Christ. ...

"To live as a missional people is to understand that we have been called for
the sake of the world.	But, all too often, we shield and separate ourselves
from the world that we have been sent into.  Maybe we believe that the
contagion of the world is more powerful than the contagion of the gospel!
So we wrap it up in beautiful stained glass sanctuaries and sterilized
spiritual enclaves and we hide it from the rough and tumble of our work
world.	We remove it from our drug infested corners and our greed-filled
malls and our self-centered politics.  We take this talent of gold given to
us and we bury it out of fear that we shall lose what we have if we invest
it in the world.  We don't believe in the power of the gospel to change a
corrupt life more than we fear that a corrupt life will change the gospel.
But I serve a master who upon his return is going to ask me, how have you
invested the talent I gave you?  What return do you have to show for what
you have been given?  Don't tell me you went and buried it!"  

"The world could hardly be in a bigger mess.  It is bankrupt and it needs an
infusion of Christians who will invest their lives in the world in
self-giving love and service.  It needs an army of servants who live in the
power of God's reign and by that power bring healing and mercy to a broken
people.  The world needs not an imperial presence but an empowered presence.
Not a condemning presence but a compassionate presence.  Not a separated
church but a sanctifying church.

"And God cries out, 'Who will go for me, whom shall I send?  Will you take
up the cross and follow me?  Will you take this redeeming symbol of love
into the hate and strife-filled streets of the world and declare that in
Christ Jesus her warfare is finished.  Will you take this symbol of love
into the alleyways of alienation and separation and declare that in Christ
Jesus the walls that divide us have already been torn down.  Will you take
this symbol of love into the fortresses of fear and declare that God in
Christ Jesus casts out all fear through perfect love?  Will you take this
symbol of love into the ghettoes of guilt and declare the good news that in
Christ Jesus God has forgiven us.  Will you take this symbol of love into
the very valleys of death and declare that in Jesus there is life, new life,
abundant life, eternal life.  Will you take up the cross and follow?  Will
you bear the marks of sacrificial love?   Whom shall I send?  Who will go
for me?  Will you; will you; will you?'"