"Church Bears Fruit"

a sermon by Sid Burgess, Edgewood PC
Third Sunday of Lent, March 15, l998
Text: Luke 13:1-9

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Some of you know that I got my start in radio at the age of 17 working for WLBB, "We love the Beach Boys," in my hometown of Bugger Hollow. From there I went WHMA--"Hit-Me-Again" radio in Anniston, AL, until I hit the big-time at WYAM on the Banks of the Valley Creek in Bessemer, AL.

Working in a radio as an impressionable youth, I learned a lot especially about language you can’t use on the air. And I learned about "payola," special gifts--bribes, if you will-- provided to disk jockeys by the record companies to influence the selection of music. The practice began in the early days of "rock and roll," but it never quite reached the backwater stations where I worked, so that I was never a beneficiary. And that’s good, because the practice was outlawed by the FCC.

Now "fast-forward" the tape a quarter of a century, and I am back at the microphone, pitching a far better "product," and operating in a sphere where payola is entirely legal. "Pastoral payola" consists of gifts--cakes, pies, and preserves--given to the pastor at Christmastime and on his birthday. Trust me, there is no attempt to influence hymn selection, but if some of the purveyors of pastoral payola were to see a connection to the biblical texts I had missed, I would certainly listen.

I am hesitate to call names here for fear that the elders on Session might demand equal treatment. However, I will use my ministerial license to let you know that two of the chief purveyors of pastoral payola are Millie Albright and Nell Barron. For years, these two women have kept the pastor’s family well supplied with that marvelous Southern delicacy, pear preserves. Now, I do not know where they get their pears. Both women do have connections in certain rural locations in Alabama. But, as I have contemplated the parable Jesus tells today, I have imagined Nell and Millie with a pear tree that will not will not bear fruit. ‘Christmas is a comin,’ pastor gotta be paid, and this same old tree won’t produce a single pear.’

Of course, any tree ought to know better than to mess with Miss Millie or Momma Nell, either one. These women are not without their resources. I can see ‘em headed out of the house and into the yard, apron flying the breeze, hatchet raised in their arms, ready to whack any uncooperative tree to the ground. But like Abraham, with his arm poised above Issac, an angel of the Lord stops these women in mid-swing, and the Gardner says, "Give that tree another chance. Give it another year. And during that year I’ll give it special care. I’ll aerate the soul at the base. I’ll prune and fertilize. Then, if your tree doesn’t bear fruit, you can cut it down."

In the parable Jesus tells we never know what happens to the fig tree. We are left in suspense. Does the vineyard owner grant the gardener’s request? We don’t know. Does the tree get a reprieve, another year to produce? We don’t know. Do the gardener’s special efforts succeed? Does the tree bear fruit and live, or does it remain barren and die? We don’t know. As Jesus tells the story, it could go either way.

So it was with Edgewood Church just a few years ago. The church had fallen on hard times. It was surviving year-by-year but not producing fruit, not growing. Some said, ‘Time to close it down.’ Disperse the remaining congregation to other churches. Start over. But, the Gardner pleads for more time. Give the church another chance. Another opportunity, and the resources to succeed. Then, if it does not bear fruit, you can cut it down.

And, let me tell you, it was ‘nip and tuck’ there for a while. We got off to a fast start. We quickly took the first step--we embraced the change. "Miss a Sunday, miss a change" was our rallying cry. And some new folks--some of you--began to trickle in. The Gardner was digging around the base of the tree. Then came the dramatic church revitalization grant-- the fertilizer this ‘tree of a church’ needed to grow. We geared up in ministry and mission, and more of you came. Membership doubled and worship attendance tripled, but still, you kept the pastor in suspense. Would we be able to pay the bills?

Financially, we were supposed to have turned the corner two years ago, but the pledges fell short. Not to worry, we had some reserves left over from the grant, so we had another year of grace. We were supposed to have turned the corner last year. Again, the pledges fell short. This time we had to slice the budget--cut our mission giving. Even so, we had to adopted a deficit budget. But then, by year’s end, we were able to balance that budget, and with some generous, outside help, even pay off our new and expanded parking lot.

Now, this year Edgewood Church is ‘bearing fruit--big time.’ We were late with our l998 pledge campaign, but now most of the financial pledges are in. And with your faithfulness to the tithe, Session will be able to restore our full mission budget-- the church itself tithing all pledges and contributions to help support ministries of compassion in our community, and--through our denomination--around the world. Miles Jackson, our church treasurer, report that our pledges are up this year an astounding 27%!

The amount pledged for the current year’s ministry is $131,000.

Of course, down on 20th Street, in Birmingham’s financial center, $130,000 is one person’s modest annual salary, not even a living wage to many doctors, lawyers, and business executives in this town. And to many of the big churches that surround us, this number wouldn’t even pay the preacher!

But to us, to Edgewood Church, this number is further proof of the "new day dawning." Here is further evidence that God is truly doing a "new thing" here. Here is a "living parable," demonstrating God’s promise of rebirth, divine rescue and redemption.

We don’t know the outcome of the story Jesus tells, but then, again, is there really any doubt? Anyone who had followed the story of Israel, the people, the nation who so often rebelled against God, but were always forgiven, always loved, always brought home. . . . Anyone who had followed the story of Israel, knows this fig tree is going to get a second chance. And any one who knows the story-teller, Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy One of God, who lays down his life for the sake of all humankind, knows this tree is going to get another opportunity to live, and bear fruit.

Friends, we are going to make it. By the time of our centennial celebration in the year 2012, this church will be alive and well. We won’t be big. We won’t be rich. But, by the power of the Holy Spirit with in us, we will be bearing fruit.

It is a marvelous story--this tale of rebirth and renewal of a church. But there is more. With each pledge card submitted, with each tithe committed, there is evidence of the Holy Spirit stirring in a human heart. There is evidence of the Gardner at work. Turning up ground in the soul, applying food the roots of the tree.

In Anne Tyler’s wonderful novel, A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANING, the protagonist is a faithful member of a storefront church called, "The Church of the Second Chance." Not a very prestigious name for a church--not with all of the "First" churches around--but "Church of the Second Chance" captures the essence of the Gospel. God gives people--and churches--more than one shot at getting it right. God gives people, and churches, and fruit trees more than one opportunity to bear fruit. For our God is a "God of mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love"

To the God of all grace,
who calls you to share God's eternal glory
in union with Christ,
be the power forever! 1 Peter 5:10,11

Amen.