Festival of Homiletics: Tuesday Afternoon: Thomas Long's Sermon

Top 5 List from Thomas Long's Sermon on Tuesday Afternoon:

Sermon 5/18/10 "Leaning Forward and Letting Go"

(Luke 2:25-38--Simeon and Anna encountering the baby Jesus)

1. Both Simeon and Anna are the elders in their community who were promised the opportunity to see the Messiah after his birth.  

2. Luke deals with the oldest generations and the youngest generations, and all ages in between.  But the elders disappear after chapter 2 and a new generation is ushered in with Christ's birth.  "They turn the Gospel over to a bunch of 20 year olds."

3. Tom used to think the hardest thing was to stand up for the faith, but now believes the harder task is to lean into the Gospel and let go--Elders lean into their faith and let the younger generations lead.  We have to believe, and we do believe, that our God is a God who owns the future.

4. BUT we often don't live as though God owns the future.  Trusting that God is big enough to already be present in the future is tough, but necessary. 

5. Leaders who are the elder leaders now need to have the trust and faith to allow younger generations to have a chance to lead.  The elders had their days, and they share their wisdom, but empowering the younger generations to listen for God and lean into that is a mark of true, helpful, positive leadership. (Moravian Provincial Leaders, especially those involved in the Synod Restructuring Process and upcoming Synod--I loving ask you to PLEASE TAKE NOTE!)