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3D"Text <= br style=3D'mso-ignore:vglayout' clear=3DALL> Psalm 84
Isaiah 43:1-2a, 16-21

Who will make it new? Aren’t we pretty well convinced we make things new? We are completely enmeshed, drowning in a cul= ture that claims to make it new. Every new gadget of technology, from fashion to foods, from the latest spiritual fad, to the newest self help books and DVD’s, fitness programs to cars, and of course, to the Nieman Marcus Christmas catalogue: we are only a dollar away from life that is new!<= /o:p>

“Who will make it new?” the Hebrew people wondered. They were in exile in Babylon. Their homeland is desolate. The wa= lls of the city of Jerusalem, once symbols of strength and security lay in pile= s of rubble. The temple,

the center of religious life, and the repository of = the core meaning of Israel’s communal life, destroyed. Who will make it n= ew? Some of the Hebrews looked for the new in Babylonian life. They entered into commerce, family life, and intermarried with the Babylonians and some became wealthy. But others remained loyal to the faith of their ancestors. They lo= nged for the past and sang their lament in the words of the Psalmist: “By = the rivers of Babylon – there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zio= n. On the willows there we hung up our harps, for there our captors asked us f= or songs…How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither! Let my tongue cling to t= he roof of my mouth…if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.̶= 1;

Isaiah, the prophet who had gone with them into exil= e, hears their lament and brings a word of hope from the Lord: “Remember= who I am. I make a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters. Do not remember= the former things…I will make a way in the wilderness.” It is a theme that runs through al= l of scripture , and at the end, in the Book of Revelation, God proclaims again, “Behold, I am making all things new!”

Faithful Presbyterians are wondering in these days, “How will things be made new?” If God is the one, we aren’= ;t quite hearing God. Or we aren’t listening to God. Or we aren’t convinced God is the being of new life. Or we have forgotten that God works through a gathered people who live in covenant relationships with each othe= r. Yes, how will things be made new. Has a renovated Church House brought new life? It has brought spectacular new spaces. It has engendered a lot of grumbling. It has birthed controversies over ultimately unimportant things.= It has led to conversations revealing that some people want the new spaces to = look exactly like the old spaces. I am sure there were some Hebrews in Babylon t= hat said to Isaiah: “You go back and tell the Lord, yes, we want to go ho= me. But we don’t want a New Jerusalem. We want the old Jerusalem; the wal= ls like they always were, and the Temple exactly as we knew it. Yes. Lord, giv= e us a road through the wilderness, but let it lead to the same old places!

For you, the family in this place, a lot has happene= d over the past few years. A tremendous amount of planning for the renovation; a Capital Funds Campaign to make the renovation a reality; and a lot of think= ing about program and ministry. Then came February 27, 2005, the day of the fin= al, irrevocable decision. It was = a 4.6 million dollar project with 2.5 million dollars raised in the campaign. Aft= er amendments to add mission support to the project were defeated, the minutes= say a voice vote was taken. The voices were in the affirmative; there were no opposing voices in the room.

Well, let’s think further about that day in th= e life of this family. When we had f= amily conferences with our teen age daughters, I never would have attempted to put things in a theological context. They really would have been rolling their eyes! It was already enough of a burden to have a father who was a minister. But we are the gathered family of God in this place, in covenant with one a= nother and with God. Can we put this in a theological context? Let’s try thi= s: that what happened on that day in February was God’s first step in do= ing a new thing in the life of First Presbyterian Church. The renovation was not the new thing, but a step toward many new things that God has in mind for us here. Can I assume that it was a great act of faith that day to step forward with a program that was only half funded? And that the covenant community w= as saying: “We will support this project to the end and beyond, and disc= over the new things God has for us in this place? That we really are people of God’s promise?

And here we are now. In the midst of the transition = to a new pastor, which was unexpected in the beginning of all this. Let’s consider the reality of our situation. The pledges to the Capital Fund conc= lude on December 31st. In January of 2008, we face a debt of 2.3 million dollars. What are the next steps? How = do we take the next steps toward the promise of God, including the calling of a n= ew pastor? Can’t we just carry the debt like the government does or like= so many families do? The reality is this. 2.3 million stretched out over 20 ye= ars would take $230,000 out of the operating budget every year. It would destroy life, energy and enthusiasm for the gospel in this place. If we believe God is in this with = us, we have to take the next step; a second Capital Funds Campaign. Many of the pe= ople I have spoken with have said that is what they anticipated would have to be done from the beginning. This is the reality the Session has faced, and the action they have taken.

Members of the Session and the finance committee interviewed representatives from two Church fundraising firms. We felt we d= id not need to go beyond the second interview. They offered what would put sev= eral processes together for us and put us on track for the search for a pastor. = It puts us on a six month journey; an intense, focused time for where we have = to believe God is leading us. We have contracted for this journey with Cargill= Associates of Fort worth, Texas, who guided you through the first campaign. We have contracted with them for three processes: an annual stewardship campaign; a capital funds campaign, and an Infocus Congregational Workshop.<= /p>

The journey begins on Sunday, November 18, with the Infocus Congregational Workshop. It begins in worship, continues with a sim= ple lunch, and guided congregational conversations around the tables. It is one= of the spiritual components of the journey where we consider what God is calli= ng us to be and do in this time and place. That will be explored through various questions, culminating in a discussion of the skills, expertise, background, theological understandings needed in a new pastor to guide us where God wan= ts us to be. It is the basis of everything else in this six month journey. It = is your opportunity to have input into the pastoral search.

If you care about the future life of this congregati= on you need to participate, and we will be doing everything we can think of to encourage people to do so. It would be unfortunate for any member of this church to feel their voice is not important. That would be a denial of who = we are as the covenant people of God.

In early December preparations will be made for runn= ing two campaigns at the same time; an annual stewardship campaign and the capi= tal funds campaign. The process will not be unlike what you experienced a few y= ears ago. Details of the workshop and campaigns will come to you at appropriate times. The timeline has not y= et be established, but we anticipate the campaigns will take place January through April. Several hundred people will be working hard at various times to make this journey meaningful. And remember, it is not just about money. It is ab= out coming together as a people, believing that God has called this church to unique and adventuresome new things that we have not yet even been able to name.

Do not demean the journey. I have heard comments that take th= is journey far, far away from the purposes of God. Let me be candid. Some have said this is David VanArsdale’s project, and he left. Others have sai= d to me it is the pet project of a few leaders with stars in their eyes. Others = have said it is nothing more than an attempt to atone for the failures of the pa= st. If we forget that God is the purveyor of all things new and good, we are lo= st. If we further forget that in our Reformed Tradition, God brings things new through the people he gathers in covenant relationships, who learn together, pray together, listen and serve together, we are of all people most to be pitied.

The next six months will be challenging. A lot of pe= ople are going to have to work very hard. The first six months of 2008 are going= to find us with a very slim budget as we service the debt while the campaigns = are taking place. Let us not get stuck where we are. Moving out is painful business. The road is the wilderness – where you have to work your way out – it is strategy, using our intelligence, time, prayer, trust, ingenuity effort and hope. But we do it in the presence and the strength of= the one who says: “Do not remember the former things…I am about to = do a new thing…I will make a way in the wilderness.”