PARTY POOPERS F. DOUGLAS POWE, JR.. MATTHEW 25: 34-36 34 “THEN THE KING WILL SAY TO THOSE ON HIS RIGHT, ‘COME, YOU WHO ARE BLESSED BY MY FATHER; TAKE.

PARTY POOPERSF. DOUGLAS POWE, JR.

MATTHEW 25: 34-36

• 34 “THEN THE KING WILL SAY TO THOSE ON HIS RIGHT, ‘COME, YOU WHO ARE BLESSED BY MY FATHER; TAKE YOUR INHERITANCE, THE KINGDOM PREPARED FOR YOU SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. 35 FOR I WAS HUNGRY AND YOU GAVE ME SOMETHING TO EAT, I WAS THIRSTY AND YOU GAVE ME SOMETHING TO DRINK, I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU INVITED ME IN, 36 I NEEDED CLOTHES AND YOU CLOTHED ME, I WAS SICK AND YOU LOOKED AFTER ME, I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU CAME TO VISIT ME.

INVITE

• JESUS COMPELS US TO INVITE THE STRANGER

• WHAT IF THE STRANGER IS NOT COOPERATIVE?

PARTY• REMEMBER HAVING TO GO TO A PARTY, BUT NOT WANTING TO GO

• IT IS ONE OF THOSE DRESS UP AFFAIRS AND YOU ARE NOT IN THE MOOD

• FRIENDS HAVE INVITED YOU, BUT THEY WILL BE OFF TALKING TO OTHERS LEAVING YOU FENDING FOR YOURSELF

• FEEL LIKE A STRANGER FROM THE BEGINNING--PARTY POOPER

• YOU DID NOT WANT TO GO

• YOU ASK HOW LONG WILL WE STAY

• YOU ARE NON-PARTICIPATORY AT THE PARTY

CHURCH• WE THROW A CELEBRATION EVERY SUNDAY (PARTY)

• A LOT OF PARTY POOPERS WHO DON’T SEEM INTERESTED IN OUR CELEBRATION

• THEY ARE NON-PARTICIPATORY

• THEY WONDER WHEN IT WILL END

• THEY OFTEN DO NOT WANT TO COME IF THEY COME AT ALL

• THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR THOSE 35 AND UNDER

• MANY OF US DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DO NOT LIKE OUR PARTY

DISCONNECT

• MANY CONGREGATIONS ARE HAPPY WITH WHAT THEY ARE DOING, BUT DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THOSE UNDER 35 ARE PARTY POOPERS

• WHY DON’T THEY COME?

• WHY DON’T THEY PARTICIPATE?

I BELIEVE IN MANY WAYS THOSE UNDER 35 HAVE BECOME STRANGERS TO US

WE ARE CALLED IN MATTHEW 25:35 TO INVITE THE STRANGER

STRANGER

• A TYPICAL WAY WE THINK ABOUT STRANGER IN THIS TEXT IS AS ONE WE DO NOT KNOW

• STRANGER IS SOMEONE NOT FAMILIAR TO US

• HOMELESS PERSON

• PERSON ON THE METRO WE HAVE NEVER SEEN

STRANGER

• STRANGER AS ONE WHO IS POLITICALLY OR RELIGIOUSLY DIFFERENT THAN US

• TENSION BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND THE STRANGER

• STRANGER SHOULD BE WELCOMED INTO THE COMMUNITY, DOING SO WOULD MAKE THEM A PART OF COMMUNITY

• ISSUE IS BRINGING THEM INTO THE COMMUNITY—SHOULD WE BRING THEM? HOW SO?

DEUTORONOMY 10:19

• “YOU SHALL ALSO LOVE THE STRANGER, FOR YOU WERE STRANGERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT.”

• REMINDER THAT WE ALL AT ONE TIME WERE STRANGERS AND NEEDED WELCOMING INTO COMMUNITY

• AT SOME POINT WE ALL HAVE BEEN OUTSIDERS

ACTS 15: 1-3

• THEN CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS CAME DOWN FROM JUDEA AND WERE TEACHING THE BROTHERS, “UNLESS YOU ARE CIRCUMCISED ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOM OF MOSES, YOU CANNOT BE SAVED.” 2 AND AFTER PAUL AND BARNABAS HAD NO SMALL DISSENSION AND DEBATE WITH THEM, PAUL AND BARNABAS AND SOME OF THE OTHERS WERE APPOINTED TO GO UP TO JERUSALEM TO DISCUSS THIS QUESTION WITH THE APOSTLES AND THE ELDERS

• HOW DO WELCOME THE STRANGER? THE EARLY CHURCH ALSO HAD THIS ISSUE

STRANGERS TODAY

• THOSE 35 AND UNDER THAT I AM CALLING PARTY POOPERS ARE STRANGERS TO MANY OF US

• WE SEE THEM AS RELIGIOUSLY DIFFERENT—CREATES TENSION

• THEY ARE NOT CHRISTIAN IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE ARE

• MANY OF US HAVE FORGOTTEN WE WERE ONCE STRANGERS

• MANY OF US CONTINUE TO LIVE OUT THE JUDEAN COUNCIL BY DEBATING THE HURDLES FOR ENTRY

HOW DO WE INVITE THE “STRANGERS” AMONG US

• LET ME OFFER SEVEN OBSERVATIONS THAT WILL HELP US TO INVITE THOSE 35 AND UNDER

• THESE ARE NOT PRESCRIPTIVE, BUT IDEAS FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

• IDEAS ARE CENTERED AROUND BRIDGING THE DISCONNECT

• FOCUS IS ON HOLDING TOGETHER BOTH/AND PROPOSALS AND NOT EITHER/OR SOLUTIONS

SIMPLE/COMPLEX

• MANY OF THOSE UNDER 35 ARE SEEKING LESS RED TAPE FOR DOING THINGS (SIMPLE)

• WHY CAN’T WE SIMPLY START A NEW MINISTRY WITHOUT 15 MEETINGS

• THEY ARE ALSO COMPLEX IN TERMS OF NOT WANTING SIMPLE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

• MORE ROOM FOR EXPLORATION

• LESS PRESCRIPTIVE

SELF-IDENTITY/COMMUNITY

• MANY UNDER 35 ARE STILL FINDING THEMSELVES AND DEVELOPING A SELF-IDENTITY

• THEY SEEK TO DO THIS OFTEN THROUGH CONNECTIVITY

• SOCIAL MEDIA

TRADITIONAL/NON-TRADITIONAL

• MANY UNDER 35 LIKE THE ANCIENT TRADITIONS OF THE CHURCH

• MORNING SONG SERVICE

• THEY ARE NON-TRADITIONAL IN THINKING WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT A CERTAIN WAY BECAUSE WE ALWAYS HAVE DONE SO

• WE ALWAYS SING FROM THE BALCONY ON FIRST SUNDAY

INVOLVED/NON-COMMITTED

• THOSE UNDER 35 ARE OFTEN COMMITTED TO MISSIONAL WORK (COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT)

• HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

• THEY ARE NOT COMMITTED TO MEETINGS OR INSTITUTIONAL THINGS THAT SEEM SELF-ABSORBED

OPEN/CLOSED

• THOSE UNDER 35 ARE OPEN TO HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER IN WAYS WE WOULD NOT

• YOUNG MAN IN HAWAII WHO WAS CHRISTIAN, BUDHIST AND ISLAM

• CLOSED TO ACCEPTING LIMITATIONS ON THEIR FAITH

INTER-DEPENDENT/INDEPENDENT

• THOSE UNDER 35 ARE OFTEN INTER-DEPENDENT IN LIKING TO COLLABORATE OR PARTNER

• FLATTER HIERARCHY FOR LEADERSHIP WHERE ALL HAVE A VOICE

• THEY ARE INDEPENDENT IN SEEKING TO BREAK AWAY FROM NORMS

• AS LIKELY TO WORK FOR A NON-PROFIT THAT PAYS LESS AS A HIGHER PAYING CORPORATE JOB

GLOBAL/LOCAL

• THOSE UNDER 35 OFTEN HAVE A GLOBAL AWARENESS

• MISSIONS

• INTERNET

• THEY ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING LOCAL CAUSES

• LOCAL FARMERS

WHAT THIS MEANS• THOSE OF US IN THE CHURCH AT TIMES STRUGGLE WITH THE BOTH/AND

ATTITUDE OF THOSE UNDER 35

• WE TEND TO BE MORE BINARY

• WE LIKE RESOLVING SOME OF THE TENSIONS THEY ARE WILLING TO LIVE WITH

• HOW DO STRANGERS PERCEIVE OUR INVITATIONS?

• DO THEY PERCEIVE US AS SEEKING TO REALLY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

• DO THEY PERCEIVE AS PROMOTING BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD

WHAT THIS MEANS• WE HAVE TO RE-THINK OUR UNDERSTANDING OF STRANGER

• WE MAY IN FACT KNOW THE PERSON, BUT SEE THEM AS DIFFERENT THAN US

• WE HAVE TO RETHINK OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOSPITALITY

• OUR TENDENCY IS TOWARD ENTERTAINING—JUST TREAT THEM NICE

• WE HAVE TO MAKE SPACE FOR NEW IDEAS AND WAYS OF DOING THINGS

• WE HAVE TO EVALUATE OUR WILLINGNESS TO LIVE WITH CERTAIN TENSIONS

• ARE WE AS CONGREGATIONS OPEN TO HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER IN WAYS WE HAVE NOT IN THE PAST

NOT SAFE FOR CHURCH