This sermon was shared during the Holy Closure worship service for Grace Lutheran Church in Driscoll, ND, a congregation that was planted in July 1905.
Sisters and brothers, friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, the one in whom we abide. Amen.
One my mentors always responds to a question like “how are you doing?” by saying “I’m grateful.” The world around her might be collapsing, everything in her recent life might be terrible, nothing is making sense, and still, she will reply with a smile and say, “I’m grateful.” She has had a significant impact on my faith journey.
Now, on the other hand, if you are even a little bit like me, whenever someone asks you “How are you doing?” or “How’s it going?” or “What’s new with you?” your response is similar to mine, “okay” or “fine” or “not much.”
Before I met Patricia, rarely, if ever, did I respond with “I’m grateful.”
Today, we gather together, on All Saint’s Sunday of all days, we carry many feelings with us during this time of worship – sadness, grief, a sense of loss, memories past.
I hope we can also be together in this time, resting in the sacredness of this day – and say that we are “grateful.”
A couple days ago, I was struggling to find the words that the Holy Spirit wanted me to share today. I touched base with Pr. Mark to see if the church was open. He let me use his keys by the way.
I was feeling pulled to simply come and sit in this holy place and pray for a while.
As I sat and thought about all of the stories contained within these walls, all of the hymns sung from hymnals like the ones in front of you today, all of the cups of coffee shared over crazy conversation in the basement, all of the meals served to care for families grieving the death of a loved one or celebrating a milestone of faith like a baptism, all of the ways that God’s children who have called this part of the North Dakota prairie their faith home have been fed and nourished because God decided to inspire a few folks more than a century ago to plant a Lutheran church in Driscoll, North Dakota.
As I prayed and thought about all of those things, I couldn’t help but be grateful.
So today, if you ask me how I’m doing, I’ll simply say “I’m grateful.”
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus says to us, “Abide in me as I abide in you.”
I’ve always loved the word abide in holy scripture.
It speaks so deeply to our identity as people of faith who follow Jesus. In every way, our life together in Christ Jesus begins, ends, and eternally unfolds as we abide.
Abide literally means “To remain. To continue. To stay.”
God is constantly meeting us where we are, in the places we are living right now, transforming us, and making us new with each new day.
God abiding in us.
Jesus abiding in us.
Scripture abiding in us.
And you and I abiding in each other.
With all of this abiding going on, I’m grateful.
I’m grateful for the people who have called Grace Lutheran Church their home for worship for well over 100 years.
We may remember times when this sanctuary was packed to overflowing – so full that an addition had to be built to hold everyone. Our worship life together may change locations after today, and the sanctuary may not have been packed to overflowing in recent years, but the truth is that the memories shared among generations of people who have gathered in this place for worship will live on eternally.
As we abide in Christ and Christ abides in us, I’m grateful.
I’m grateful for the compassion and care which has been a hallmark of this sacred community’s mission and ministry since the first cornerstone was laid in July 1905. A cornerstone not made with bricks and mortar, but within a gathered community of God’s people meeting in locations all across this community for the first several decades of its ministry and mission.
Grace Lutheran has always been a community that has less to do with a physical building and way more to do with people of faith reaching out and caring for anyone who needed to be cared for with the quiet, steady hand of Christ’s love.
As we abide in Christ and Christ abides in us, I’m grateful.
I’m grateful for the ways that God has worked through you to raise young people in the faith through bible camps, mission trips, Sunday school and confirmation. And for lifelong learning that you have challenged one another with during bible studies, conversations, and debate over theology and daily life.
As we abide in Christ and Christ abides in us, I’m grateful.
I’m grateful for the many ways you have helped form and shape leaders to serve across this church. Leaders with names like Olson, Hagerty, Ruggles, Stevens, Baker, Schauer, and Neuharth.
And for the many ways you shared the financial gifts God has entrusted you to steward beyond the walls of this building – through generous mission support to our synod, care for church ministries like Camp of the Cross and Lutheran Social Services, and support of hunger and disaster ministries that have saved the lives of God’s children around the world.
As we abide in Christ and Christ abides in us, I’m grateful.
Today, sisters and brothers in Christ, as we mark the holy closure of Grace Lutheran Church, we acknowledge and name the grief that comes with this day.
It’s hard to say goodbye to a place where so much life and love has been shared.
It’s okay to mourn.
It’s quite faithful to mourn.
It’s also important to not forget that the vine is still alive. And the fruit of Grace Lutheran Church will continue to grow beyond this day.
The ministries and mission that started and happened in and through this holy place will keep bearing fruit – in the lives you’ve touched, in the leaders you’ve nurtured, in the young people you’ve formed, and in the love of Christ that continues to abide in you.
I’m grateful for Grace Lutheran Church – for every faithful heart, every servant hand, every moment of grace shared in and through this place. As we release this congregation to God’s eternal care, we trust that the One who has been faithful to this congregation from its beginning will remain faithful still.
For the vine still grows. Christ still abides. And the joy that Jesus promised – “that your joy may be complete” – still finds its way into the world, through you.
How am I doing today you ask?
I’m grateful.
How are you doing today?
I’m grateful.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
Bishop Craig Schweitzer 