5/15/66

Scripture: Read II Chronicles 6: 2,3, 12; 13b-23; 32-33; 40.

Just over one year ago today, our church school held its last teaching session in the old stone church edifice and suspended classes for the rest of the spring and summer until the second Sunday of September. Many members were busy, that afternoon, moving furnishings and equipment to storage. We made plans for one more service of worship in that house of prayer -- a service of devotion, of communion, of confirmation. Then we carried the Bible out and went ourselves to temporary quarters for the next half year.

Now, one year later, we are ready to show our friends and neighbors “what God hath wrought” by the planning, the giving, the work, the patience and persistence of His people. True, we have had church school classes in session in new classrooms for more than eight months, first under trying conditions, then in increasingly convenient and pleasant surroundings. It is also true that we have been able to worship for five months in this new, comfortable, commodious and attractive room. It has become the house of worship by our repeated gathering in the presence of God.

But the finishing has remained to be done --- some to be accomplished swiftly and some quite slowly. Pulpit and communion table appeared before long; and seating for the ministers. The choir waited long and patiently for the promised risers. But at last these were installed. Now, just this week, the baptismal font is ready, the flower stands are built, the literature tables are remade to harmonize with other furnishings. Usher’s pews are soon to come. Our fine pipe organ is not yet re-built. It is delayed because of the illness of the builder, Mr. Walter Guetzlaff, who is still recovering from surgery of a month ago. But we have high hopes that he can resume his work for us in June.

Improvements have been made in Chapel and Fellowship room; in kitchen and in classrooms. The carillon has carried its melodies over the city for months. The coming of spring has made possible a great deal of the landscaping.

As if by miracle, green grass began to grow in front of the church only yesterday! We are not yet finished, but we are far enough along to welcome our friends, our guests, our neighbors, our fellow townsmen, our fellow churchmen --- any and all of them, to come and see what we have to offer as a place for worship, for study, for fellowship and service. --- In the fall, from October 9 to 16, we plan to dedicate this church home to the service of men and the glory of God. This is not just the home or headquarters of a few hundred members of this particular congregation. It is the base for increased service to mankind in the name of Christ.

I hope that we are aware of much thought and labor that has been poured into this enterprise. More than ten years ago, while Mr. E. O. Anderson was chairman of the Board of Trustees, the first moves were made to secure a bit more space around the old church building. About that time, Miss Anna McMillan became a trustee. She had already served a number of years on the Board of Religious Education, and six years as a Deaconess. The experience had made her well aware of some growing needs, especially for classroom space. It turns out that, falling into declining health, she had drawn a carefully-planned will and signed it at the end of April, 1957, more than nine years ago. In it, she made provision for her church to have a substantial amount, and I quote, “to be for building and maintaining suitable quarters for educational and recreational activities of the young people of said church or affiliated church groups.”

With the knowledge of this provision, made known in the fall after Miss McMillan’s death, the trustees became alert for other possibilities of property expansion, in case we as a congregation should decide to build at this location. Before long, extensive studies were being made, concerning our location, concerning the potential and the limitations of the old building, concerning the possibilities of new construction. Meanwhile, some of our people began more serious studies of church architecture. Then a committee was formed to survey our location and the possibilities of other locations. After their reports, we, as a congregation, decided to stay in this location.

Nine committees were formed to study the several aspects of new building. An executive committee grew from the nine committees. Many suggestions were explored and adopted in planning; some good suggestions were offered, that the planners were unable to work in. Miss McMillan’s sister hastened the possibility of the Christian Education unit by making legally possible the distribution of much of her estate. The architect was engaged to draw plans for a complete new church plant that would perform so far as possible the functions decreed by the congregation through its committees.

This has been the effort, not just of a year or two, but of many years; not of just a few people, but of many people. Some have worked especially hard at it. But what we are ready to show this afternoon and this week is the result of much time and the efforts and giving of many people. Through the planning and building, we have tried to continue being a church in spirit. We have tried to remember that we are a family of God’s people. We have lifted our eyes to need beyond our own doorstep; for the church is not a body of self-concern, but it is mission. We have tried to remember that, in the words of the Psalmist, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” [Psalm 127: 1]. We will show it as His house and, when we dedicate it, we shall dedicate it to Him and His service.

This house of worship and study and service is a place for our own use, and for service to others. But it is more than just a facility for us and the community. It is the launching spot from which our spirit and effort is to reach out toward God; in reverence to His ways; in service to His people. We shall succeed as Christians only if we continue, more and more effectively, to be concerned for the needs and welfare of people all over the world.

We have read from the Scripture today, portions of the prayer of King Solomon in dedication of the great temple which he had caused to be built in Jerusalem. The completion of that temple was something devoutly wished and longed for by the people of Israel for a long time. Their place of worship had been plundered and destroyed by enemies who enslaved these people. They had kept alive their faith and their integrity even as a subject people. When they escaped from their captivity in Egypt, they lived for a couple of generations as a nomadic people, living in tents, moving often in order to stay alive in the wilderness. But they worshipped in a great tent, or tabernacle, as they moved from place to place.

When they became settled in the land of promise, they not only established homes of permanence, and rebuilt their cities. They longed for places of learning and worship. Their greatest king, David, had it in his heart to have the splendid temple built during his reign. But that was not possible. It could only be dreamed and planned. To his son, Solomon, went the distinction of seeing the project through. It took two decades - 20 years - to finish the building. Endless labor by hosts of workers went into the building. It was lovely in design, lavish in materials, impressive in appearance and function. Its creation could not have been accomplished had not it been a time of strength and peace.

At last there was a proper place to deposit the ark of the covenant which contained the sacred writings and the vessels of their worship. There were plenty of priests on hand. But the great king Solomon, himself, led his people in a prayer of dedication. He declared that the place which had been built during his reign was to be regarded as an exalted house --- a fit place in which to experience the presence of Jehovah. While the people stood in the great temple’s court, King Solomon uttered a blessing: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised to David my father.” ..... He spread forth his hands toward the people. Then he mounted a special platform, knelt thereon, spread forth his hands toward the heavens and lifted his voice in praise. In the spirit of the first commandment in the decalogue he acknowledged Jehovah as the God of Israel. There is no God like Thee in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to “those who walk before Thee with all their heart.”

Solomon praised God for keeping covenant with his father, David, so that the whole realm had prospered in growth and peace. Then he pleaded with God to dwell, indeed, with man on earth. I suppose that he expected that the faithful would expect, especially, to find God in their newly completed place of worship. That was the purpose of its erection. But he recognized that God, the great “I am” of existence, could not be contained in temples made with hands, though many might hope, and expect, to find His presence especially there.

Solomon prayed that the sins and injustices that arose among his people might find justice in the temple --- the guilty be brought to repentance and the righteous vindicated in the divine presence. Israel had had to engage in the power struggle that characterized so much of human effort. They had wrested their promised land by force. They continued to have enemies who hated their presence and greedily coveted their prosperity. Solomon was well aware that they could maintain themselves as a nation only by moral integrity. If they should suffer defeat because of sin (and sin was a real danger in Solomon’s eyes and experience) the king prayed that their country might yet be preserved if the people repented of their wrong and prayed for the spirit of right.

Solomon wanted his people to pray for the practical blessings of rain, and freedom from disaster, which made the difference between food crops or disaster. He expected his people to turn to the Lord with their troubles -- if there should be famine, or epidemic or pestilence of any sort, if their cities should be besieged, if personal afflictions be encountered, Solomon prayed that his people might fear and heed the Lord and seek His ways and His favor.

Solomon was no Christian. He lived before the time of Christ. But notice this sense of concern for others in his prayer. It is a kind of fore-runner of the thing that Jesus taught and required (and requires) of his disciples that we go into all the world preaching the gospel -- not by word alone, but by attitude and act. See in what concrete terms Solomon puts it: “Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of thy people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of thy great name, and thy mighty hand, and thy outstretched arm, and when he comes and prays toward this house, hear Thou from heaven” -- and “do according to all which the foreigner calls to Thee.” --- It was an imperfect prayer, for an imperfect concept; but it recognized God’s concern for others than those who consider themselves His chosen people, and the duty of man’s concern for others of mankind.

Solomon prayed for victory in righteous battles for good causes. He prayed for the spirit of repentance from sin and wrong doing. Actually he prayed for the favor of God and that Jehovah would not turn away from His anointed one -- meaning himself as king. Solomon’s prayer was essentially an act of dedication of the great temple. We are not yet ready for the dedication of this house of worship. But we are far enough along to show it to our friends and to be prepared to share its use.

Before we do so on this day, we gather for worship at the announced time, reminding ourselves of the high privilege which we have. We are not here to congratulate ourselves that we are better, or more fortunate than any others. We are fortunate --- far more so than our own deserving warrants. Few congregations have as much done for all of the people as has been done by the thoughtful generosity of a few in this instance. It ought to generate in all of us a passionate desire to share more of ourselves, our substance, our time, our ability in dedicated service. We should be continually becoming better in this sense.

To this end, we gather regularly in worship. In the quiet of the Lord’s house we seek refreshing relief from the world’s tensions --- not to escape what must be borne, but to bear the load better. We come to confess our errors, our waywardness, our need. We come for salvation from the One who has promised forgiveness to all who confess their faults before Him. Knowing this forgiveness is like the purifying experience of having spiritual coals of fire cleansing lips and heart. And we advance to an experience of renewed joy and peace.

We see a vision of what may be, by the grace of God and the effort of His people. And often we are challenged by a new illumination. “Who will go for us?” comes the divine inquiry. And we dedicate ourselves with the honest reply. “Here am I; send me” to accomplish Thy will. It is possible for us to become so engrossed with the convenience and prayer arrangement of the house that we grow inward in our zeal. We might develop a priestly concern for the presence of the Holy so engrossing that we regard it as our possession. We are well reminded, therefore, that it is absurd for our religion to claim for itself a self-sustaining autonomy. In the spiritual sense, we possess only what we share.

Let us, therefore, use this place for learning what we can find of God’s will, for renewing of ourselves as the church (the body of Christ), for studying the genuine need of others --- hosts of others in the world, for going forth to act and to help with loving understanding.

Let the faith of this church be no religion of leftovers, but the central conviction of lives wholly dedicated to the service of the King of Kings and all of his people.

We praise Him for this house. Let it be a house of prayer, a house of learning, and a house from which we go forth to serve; “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” [Ephesians 2: 20, 21].

Amen.

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Delivered in Wisconsin Rapids, May 15, 1966.