Years ago, Warren Wilson College had this unique tag line. On their website, promotional materials, and in job postings, you’d see this phrase, “We’re not for everyone. But then again, maybe you’re not everyone.”  

Warren Wilson is a countercultural kind of school nestled in the mountains outside of Asheville, North Carolina. I was at a job fair looking for my first job out of college. Warren Wilson had a job open that appealed to me. When I sat down with the supervisor, she quoted that line to me and asked that I carefully review the college. If I felt like their mission and way of life appealed to me, then they’d love for me to go further in the process. But if not, then they respected that and wished me well. In the end, I decided it was not for me. 

That was almost twenty years ago and Warren Wilson has since changed their tagline. But I’ve remembered it ever since because of its clarity. So many colleges try to be everything to everyone, wanting to attract in as many people as possible. But by doing so, they all look about the same and end up competing for the same declining pool of applicants, which leaves many colleges struggling financially. You may have seen recent news about this, especially about small liberal arts colleges.

But Warren Wilson was clear: we’re different on purpose, proud of who we are, and would love for you to join us if you believe in who we are. That tag line, we’re not for everyone. But then again, maybe you’re not everyone, proclaimed they had clarity of purpose and identity. 

I can hear the Apostle Paul praising the church in Thessalonika for having the same clarity of purpose and identity. Let’s hear our scripture this morning from the first chapter of the first letter to the Thessalonian church. 

Scripture 

Paul lauds this church, celebrates what they’re doing, gives thanks for what God is doing through them, because they’re different. The gospel at this time is countercultural. All around them is a culture built on the religious cult of Roman gods. That same culture is built on the oppression of peoples by Rome, in order to further the economic gain of the empire. Christians, members of The Way as they were then called, these nascent churches, dared to be different. 

And the ways they were different made a tangible difference across the communities they served. 

In Roman culture, for example, weary travelers who left home, looking for opportunity, would often have to sleep in the streets and beg for food. Churches like the church in Thessalonika fed and housed them. In Roman culture, unwanted babies were left at the town garbage dump to die. Churches like the church in Thessalonika rescued them and raised them as their own children. 

They were different. And people took notice. Those who did not follow The Way persecuted the church. They socially ostracized and refused to do business with members of the church. It didn’t help that rumors flew about what Christians were really like. For example, they were thought of as cannibals because they ate the blood and body of someone named Jesus Christ. 

But the church persevered anyway. And so Paul writes this letter to thank them for their perseverance, their adherence to the gospel, their labor to follow the principles of Jesus. They have clear purpose and identity and they live that out in ways that make a tangible difference. 

In Paul’s day, letters like this one followed a formula: introduction, reason for writing, and benediction. That ought to sound pretty familiar; it’s exceedingly similar to our letter structure. Think of all the emails you write with some formality. For example, Good morning, my name is Ted Goshorn and I hope this email finds you well. I’m writing today to see if you would be interested in joining our work. Here are some details about that work. Take care, Ted. Paul’s letters are structured in just the same fashion.

Except Paul adds something else. After the introduction, he writes a thanksgiving; a litany of why he’s grateful for the particular church or people or person to whom he’s writing. Every letter in the New Testament, except Galatians, has a thanksgiving. And Galatians is notable because Paul’s really, really, really, angry and annoyed with the churches in Galatia! 

First Thessalonians stands out among all the other letters with thanksgivings because of how effusive Paul’s praise is. He really appreciates this church. Maybe that’s because 1 Thessalonians is the oldest of all the books of the New Testament and all of Paul’s letters. It’s the first one we have. But I don’t think that’s the reason for his effusive thanksgiving; I think Paul is genuinely grateful that the church is willing to take risks, be bold. He’s grateful that they have clear purpose and identity and for how they live that out in ways that make a tangible difference.

Let me say, when I think of Mulberry, I echo Paul’s sentiments. 

For me, it feels bold that we chose to adopt this missional focus to foster healing for the broken places of life. We chose to hone our mission, to make it more specific, and to focus our work in that way. I’m deeply grateful for that. Doing so means that we chose to stand up with our brothers and sisters at Temple Beth Israel when they experienced hatred. I have no doubt we would do the same for any other congregation downtown. We were a healing presence for all of Macon. I give thanks to God for this.

We have celebrated today paying off medical debt. What a tremendous accomplishment! 927 people across the state of Georgia are more free this morning because we lived out our mission. And we did so simply out of love for our neighbors. We offered healing for a broken place in their lives, and I give thanks to God for this.

As senior pastor here, I’m able to focus on furthering the leadership role of this church in the community. At a fundamental level, we understand that Mulberry doesn’t exist to serve us but to serve others and to lead the downtown community. Our focus is external. For many churches today, the focus is much more internal than external. But we understand that our future depends on making ourselves even more integral to the downtown community and beyond; that service to others and making a tangible difference are the keys to growing in health and vitality. I give thanks to God for this. 

In committee rooms, I hear a willingness to take risks and be missional in focus. Among our staff, I feel a burning passion to work hard to make a difference. I continue to say I’m so impressed with how many of you, our laity, give significantly of your time, gifts, and finances. Doing so is what makes this place work and work well. I give thanks to God for this. 

Like the Apostle Paul, I give thanks for this church. We have clarity of mission and identity. It leads us to make a tangible difference. 

Back in January of 2022, when Jim Ozier, the consultant you hired to find your next pastor, called me to gauge my interest, I had reservations. I submit to you that I heard Mulberry was the problem child of the annual conference; a difficult place that tended to run off its pastors. Ten senior pastors in fifteen years reinforced that concept in my mind. I was very unsure about coming here. 

But then I met with the SPRC and saw the passion and the willingness to work together. I felt the urge of the Holy Spirit saying to reexamine my assumptions and what I’d heard. So I did. And my experience has been the exact opposite of that reputation. We are not a problem child. We are not a pastor killer. We are a vital part of the fabric of downtown; a church that knows how to care well and extend the love of God, to its pastors as well as its members and ultimately to anyone who comes in contact with us. Even 927 people, anonymous to us, who struggled with the weight of medical debt. For that, I give God all the thanks. 

I give thanks. I echo Paul’s sentiments. 

We’re doing things differently here. We’re bucking trends. We’re engaging in ministry in significant ways that make a tangible difference. We’re setting ourselves apart, slowly but surely. 

That means that, as our reputation grows and is better understood across our community and within our Annual Conference, we’ll attract in more opportunity and more people who are looking for something different. And there are early signs we’re doing that. Mulberry is slowly but surely growing. For the first time in many years, we’ve taken in more members than we’ve lost. Several of those were by profession of faith, which means they did not transfer from another church. Worship attendance is up. These are signs of how we’re fostering healing for the broken relationship some people have with the church in general.

As our ministry grows, we will continue to reach out in service to downtown Macon and beyond. We will be hospitable to those suffering from homelessness or poverty in its various forms. We’ll do that through Macon Outreach as we feed and clothe the hungry and naked; as well as grow fresh food for them and others through our community garden. We’ll serve, too, through the Children’s Center, as we love on those children and their families. We’ll serve through our continuing and growing interfaith partnerships with other downtown congregations. The fruit of those efforts is already paying off in significant ways, with Mulberry helping lead the way toward greater cooperation in our city. We’ll welcome everyone in as equals, no matter how similar or different; a countercultural way of being, but a way that makes a difference, just as we talked about last week. We’re different in how we practice hospitality. That’s fostering healing for downtown Macon and beyond.

We’ll continue to focus and ask that each member, youth, and child be engaged in a small group or Sunday School class. It’s there we personally find healing for what ails us in this life. We need those relationships. The culture around us encourages loneliness and isolation. We have the tools and the people to counter that trend. This is a friendly, loving, caring church. If you need a group and haven’t told us yet, don’t delay and tell us today. We’re different in how we love and care for each other. That’s fostering healing for the broken place of loneliness and isolation. 

And, we’ll continue our excellence in worship. Thank you for filling out the survey about your worship type in large numbers. It’s given some clear indications about ways we can shape our worship service to better meet you where you are. Our worship uplifts, it inspires, it fosters healing. I’m grateful for the good work so many put in to make worship happen week after week. We’ll continue to ask that you be here weekly, in person or online, as worship is the beginning of how we grow in our ability to foster healing for the broken places of life. 

All told, I’m confident to echo what Paul says to the Thessalonians: I’m thankful for you. I’m thankful that you count me as one of you. I’m thankful for us. And, from my experience, I’m confident to say what Paul notes: we’re making a difference. 

We might also put all of that this way: we are the wounded healer, offering to others the healing we’ve found as a church. This church has been through some tough times. But those days are in the past. God has offered us healing, we’ve experienced that healing, and now we’re offering that healing to others, in ways that are growing in breadth and depth. We have clarity of purpose and mission because we have gone through the time of trial and emerged stronger, forged by refining fire of God’s love. That’s what ultimately empowers us to share the heart of God from the heart of Macon by fostering healing for the broken places of life.

This stewardship season, we’ve focused specifically on the ministries of the church: worship, growing through small groups and Sunday School classes, and service built out of hospitality. It may seem odd that I have not preached for the last four weeks directly about money, considering that it is stewardship. But when you give regularly to the church, you’re financing the ministry of our church. You’re empowering how we make that tangible difference. Together, through this stewardship season, we embarked on a journey of describing that ministry and calling us to deeper investment here through our time, our efforts, as well as our finances. 

Today, we celebrate the ministry of the church and our mission. We mark how we’re making a difference as we live out our identity and purpose with clarity and conviction. If you’re bought into that mission, if you’re passionate and believe in the difference we’re making and the ways we’re moving to deepen that difference, then I invite you to make or increase your regular gift that does so much good for downtown Macon and beyond.

So, if you’re bought into the mission, if you believe in what we’re doing here, if you value how we’re making a difference, then I ask that you give. Regular, whether weekly, monthly, or quarterly, gifts make a big difference here. Any amount is helpful. When Dana and I started giving to the church for the first time, it was $10 per month. The average gift here is $298.75 per month. Considering that our budget is $1.3 million, a gift of about $3,600 annually might seem insignificant. But, there’s power in numbers. Our giving collectively does far more than the amount might seem to indicate. Our giving, put together, does far more than we could ask or imagine. 

And, there’s power in simply choosing to give. After we have worshipped, grown, and served, we give. When you give at any amount, you’re making a powerful statement about your belief in what we’re doing, in the tangible difference that we make. When you give, you’re stating that you believe, that you’re bought in. When you give, you’re responding to the call of God that we be invested where we worship, giving not only of our time and efforts, but also out of what God first gave to us. If you haven’t already, turn in your pledge card today or complete the online pledge card at mulberrymethodist.org/stewardship. 

Worship authentically, grow spiritually, serve faithfully, and give regularly. That’s the call of this stewardship season. That’s the call of being part of the difference we make as Mulberry Street United Methodist Church. This requires time and effort. Our children’s ministry and youth group can only grow by making attendance there a regular priority. Our adults can only grow by making regular attendance in a small group or Sunday School class a regular priority. Our membership and worship attendance can only continue to grow by making regular attendance a priority. And together, we grow our ministry by making regular giving to the church a priority. 

I give thanks for this church. We do indeed have a clear sense of identity and purpose. We’re living that out, and it’s making a difference. Are you bought in? Worship authentically, grow spiritually, serve faithfully, and give regularly. 

Be fully invested here.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Amen.