Rhetorical Questions

Text: Psalm 27:1
Theme: “Rhetorical Questions”
Third Sunday after the Epiphany
January 23, 2011
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau

In the Name of Jesus

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?
--Psalm 27:1

This afternoon, the attention of many in our country will be focused on the NFL conference championship games which pit the Green Bay Packers versus the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the New York Jets. I have a friend in the hospital who doesn’t mind who wins as long as it’s not the Steelers. I asked him why. He said, “Because Pittsburgh has two more Super Bowl championships than ‘America’s Team’.”

Similarly, the attention of many in our country, on this coming Tuesday evening, will be on the halls of congress as the president of the United States delivers the annual “State of the Union” speech. Word is that our elected representatives will not be sitting on “opposite sides of the aisle” as it is said. Instead, they will be intermingled. Despite this planned display of unity, no one can deny that there are serious, substantive differences of opinion amid our elected officials.

With that said, I am more than happy, this morning, to switch gears, and, as your minister of Word and Sacrament, give you something of a state of the church report.

Yesterday, it was my privilege to be a part of the annual Officer’s Retreat here at FPC. It began at 9:00 am sharp, in the Sybil Hopper room, with breakfast kolaches from Kolache Haven, cinnamon rolls, muffins, fresh fruit, orange juice, and coffee. It proceeded with worship here in the sanctuary, the January meeting of the session, and a presentation by yours truly called “Daring Greatly.” I witnessed first-hand the dedication, the enthusiasm, and the good cheer of those whom God has called, through the people of this church, to be our officer’s.

The Presbyterian Church, following the lead and teaching of Holy Scripture, recognizes three offices: the office of elder, the office of deacon, and the office of minister of Word and Sacrament. Those who hold these offices do not put themselves in or into these offices. Rather, they are put into them by God through call and ordination (which includes the laying on of hands).

Although it’s not the best analogy, I’ll give it a whirl anyway. The church is like a car. God drives the car. The elders are the engine of the car. The deacons provide the traction. The deacons are where “the rubber hits the road” when it comes to serving our members and broader community.

In other news, I’m happy to report that First Presbyterian Church of Denton begins 2011 on solid financial footing. Your stewardship, in terms of dollars and cents, is growing. What we owe on our facilities is shrinking. In other news, we are about to bring on a nursery attendant for our little ones during worship. Fellowship dinners are about to begin. Your Growth, Outreach, and Mission Committee has looked long and hard at all the new and modern modes of communication and now is offering a variety of timely ways for our members, friends, and community-at-large to find out what’s happening here.

As we all know, First Presbyterian is located on a pretty busy street, and word is that some expansion is on the way. I’m happy to say that our property committee is on top of this and is dedicated to making accessibility to our facilities as smooth as possible. They are also now charged with finding a way to make our sanctuary more accessible to those with disabilities.

Your worship committee has made some minor modifications to our worship service and worship folder. These reflect the liturgical tradition of the Presbyterian Church and ground us more solidly in the Word of God and the Sacraments. Working with the worship committee, our Minister of Music continues to direct a music ministry that includes people with vast musical talents and gifts brought to the service of God in worship. The influence and work of our Christian Education/Youth Committee speaks for itself. Our young people are not spectators when it comes to the mission and ministry of our congregation. They are actively involved – both in worship and in activities that inspire hope for the hurting. The committee, at my suggestion, added a pastor’s class on Sunday mornings – another opportunity to study the Word of God together. As the weeks progress, they’ll be looking into how we can bring renewal to our Wednesday evening program with learning opportunities and food and fellowship.

At the end of January, it will have been my privilege to have served six months here. I want to thank the members of the session for hosting the “Meet the Pastor” get-togethers which have enabled to get to know you all much better. I want you to know that I have listened, and I’m fully aware that the last few years here have not been easy ones for a variety of reasons. When times are tough for a church, it’s natural to want to circle the wagons and hold on tight to what is most dear.

If anything, I want you to know – in this state of the church report – that it’s time to get the wagons rolling again; it’s time to share what is most dear. While they may or may not know it, the folks in our broader community are yearning for straightforward, clear, consistent, and joyful Gospel proclamation. They want a Word from God that they can sink their teeth into for the coming week. They sense that worship is something much more than frothy emotional appeal, religious entertainment, or worse yet the dispensing of more rules and regulations. In a world and culture shooting off in so many directions, they seek integrity and consistency.

The good news is that First Presbyterian Church of Denton, Texas has offered this, is offering this, and will continue to offer this. Compared to others, we may not be able to accomplish all that Church A or Church B can. But the time for comparisons is over. My charge to the session is my charge to all of you and to myself: let us strive for excellence with what we have in what we do; let us stand in the arena; in the year ahead, let us dare greatly for the Lord who dared greatly for us – all the way to a cross.

In the verse I read earlier, King David, in Psalm 27, asked two questions. We call them rhetorical questions. A rhetorical question, among other things, is an inquiry where the answer is patently obvious. David says: “The Lord is my light and salvation – whom shall I fear?” The answer, obviously, is no one. King David says: “The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” Again, the answer is no one.

Fear is a reality of life in a fallen world. For many, it’s the corrosive thread of their existence. Fear can be quite a motivator. People do things because they’re afraid; they say things – which may or may not be true – because they’re afraid, and they think things because they are afraid. People, these days, are stressed and anxious about many things. But peel back the onion, and you’ll find that it is fear that is prompting the stress and anxiety. Entire industries have been built up which cater, if truth be told, to people’s fears. Fear makes people want to shrink from away from it and stand on the sidelines and not in the arena. Fear makes people spectators and critics of life critics instead of participants and achievers.

King David, for all his failures and shortcomings, did not fall for this “stinking thinking”. He took aim at fear – lock, stock, and barrel – and said: The Lord is my light, my salvation, and my stronghold. Fear knocked on King David’s door. Faith answered the door, and there was no one there.

God bless First Presbyterian Church as we set fear aside, strive for excellence, and dare greatly for our Lord. Amen.