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John 15:26-16:15      The Holy Spirit is with Us           June 6, 2010

    I have often heard people in South Carolina say that if you do not like the weather, just wait and it will soon change.  That is so true.  Well, much of life is always changing.  When I look back over my own life, I could never have imagined my journey.  Ten years ago, this spring, I was working at the Methodist College and anticipating moving to Rock Hill where I would work with the Wesley Fellowship at Winthrop University.  Marley and I had already looked at some houses in the area.  But then, that April, I was told that a church in the Greenville District wanted to build a new church and that the Bishop wanted me to go there.  You just never know what changes will come in your life.  I know many of you have faced so many changes in life.  Events have not been as you thought they would be.  Life is just always changing.

    In our scripture today, life is about to change for the disciples.  Jesus is going to leave them and he is giving them a farewell speech.  And I have thought that in these last weeks that I am with you, I would like to give you a few farewell remarks.  We saw a couple of weeks ago that the first thing we can learn from Jesus’ farewell remarks is that we are called to follow the example of Jesus in our lives and that example is in serving our neighbor.  Today I want to see that Jesus gives confidence to his disciples that even though he is leaving, the Holy Spirit will always be with them as they embrace the changes of life.  The same is true for us today.

     We often think that change is some modern phenomenon, but change has always occurred.  In John Wesley’s day, there was great change in the England of the 1730s.  In the past, most people had lived in rural areas, working on farms.  Naturally that is where most churches were located, near the people.  But in the 1700s, with the Industrial Revolution, many people moved to the cities.  Places like Bristol were boom towns.  But there were few places where they could attend worship.  So George Whitefield and John Wesley hit on a new idea.  Preach to the people in the fields.  Actually John Wesley did not like the idea at first.  He wrote in his diary that it seemed almost a sin to talk to people about God outside a church building.  It was just too different and Wesley was just not ready for change. 

      Augusta Road Church is going to have some changes.  A new pastor will be with you next month.  He comes well qualified and well loved by the congregation where he is leaving.  I pray you will embrace him with all the love you have given to me.  He will be different from me.  He will bring new gifts to your church and to your lives.  It is often hard to change.  But John Wesley saw that the change brought new opportunities.  As Wesley embraced new ways of worship, many new people came to hear the good news of God.   

     I pray over the coming years, you will embrace new ideas.  We have had good success, but like ten years ago, it is time to change again.  I pray you will start a second worship service that will bring in new people who are not served by our current single service.  That worship service could be at a different time and could be a different style, maybe more traditional, that will appeal to different people.  It will take hard work, almost like building a whole new church.  Such change may seem hard to accept.  The disciples certainly had a hard time accepting that Jesus was about to leave.  But Jesus told them that this change was for their benefit.  Jesus actually told them that it was for the best.  Now they could just not understand that.

     Many people in Methodism do not understand why we move our pastors.  But Methodists since the 1740s have believed that change is for the best.  Change brings growth and new opportunities.  And change causes us to rely not on human leadership but to rely on the actual Holy Spirit of God.  That is what Jesus told his disciples.  He was not leaving them alone.  The Holy Spirit, the paraclete in Greek, would be with them.  This word paraclete comes from two Greek words meaning “called along side.”  This word was used in a court of law for an advocate or a defense attorney.  This word could also mean a counselor.  In either case, this word signifies someone who comes to be with us in hard times, in times of change, and to walk along beside us.  That is the meaning of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said the disciples would not be alone but would have this Spirit with them.  So will you.  In this time of change in our church and in times of change in your own life, the Spirit will guide you.  In whatever trials you face, the Holy Spirit of God will walk beside you every step of the way.  And it will be for the best.

    I have already shared that in late January I felt moved that change was in the air.  In prayer about a new worship service and other ministries here at this church, I felt moved that I would not be the one to do that work.  I did not share this feeling with anyone and I did not ask to move from here.  But when the call came from the District Superintendent, I did not resist as I had done in the past.  I knew this was from God and that this for the best. 

     You see, I have a vision for this church.  We have laid some good foundation in this community.  But this community is growing.  You will need new services and new ministries in this church.  You will see new growth and new people.  I envision this church as much more than it is today.  It will take new commitments.  It will take all of you giving in your time and in your money.  If you have been sitting on the side line waiting to get involved, now is your time.  If you have been waiting to start really giving money in a sacrificial way to this church, then the need is now.  Over the years, I have talked many times about this kind of commitment, and yet, I know that many of you still are waiting.  You cannot seem to get up the commitment to really give your time, talents, and finances to the work of God.  Let me ask you—Are you moving toward that goal in your life to be committed to God?  And if not, then what are you moving toward?   You have some great leadership among you in this church.  You have a fine pastor coming to guide you in new ways.  Most important, the Holy Spirit is with you.  If you will move toward God in a real commitment, the Holy Spirit will guide you to the next place, the next level that is meant for you to reach in your life and in the life of this church.   It was just not for me to take you to that next place.  In the blowing winds of the Holy Spirit, it is time for change. 

    In the 1950s, the March of Dimes was founded to fight polio in children.  They literally asked people to donate their dimes to help eradicate polio.  They were successful and with the development of vaccines, polio was ended in this nation.  But that was not the end of the March of Dimes.  Their original mission was changed.  They moved in new directions to combat birth defects in children.  Over the years, vast sums of money have been raised and vast numbers of children have been helped.  But the March of Dimes had to change with the times to do new work.  It was all for the best.  God is asking each one of us to change.  To embrace the new and to give ourselves in support of what is coming next.  And it will be more, much more, than you envision today.  It will be the very best from God.  Amen