In the September 2023 edition of the Atlantic, David Brooks explores the question  “Why have Americans Become so Mean?”[1] I highly recommend that article to you. I was tempted to get up here and just read the whole thing to you as the sermon, but instead, I will quote this small part.

David Brooks writes, “In a healthy society, a web of institutions—families, schools, religious groups, community organizations and workplaces—helps form people into kind and responsible citizens, the sort of people who show up for one another. We live in a society that’s terrible at moral formation.”

I thought… wait a second! That’s what we do here! We show up for one another. We’re engaged in moral formation.

Medina is a magical place. Our ancestors designed a beautiful town. Many of you have fought to keep its charm. You took down the neon and kept up the historic and quaint vibe. People come from miles around to enjoy our Square and its events. Our gazebo has to be the most photographed structure in the county.

Keeping Medina special is good stewardship. Medina also shows up for one another. We still have that small town vibe. We line the square to cheer for our high school kids on their way to state sports and band competitions. We sing carols together at the Candlelight Walk tree lighting. Simple kindness. Showing up for a neighbor. That’s good moral formation.

We show up for one another. We treat each other with kindness.

Much has been made about the decline of our society. The shrinking of our institutions due to all sorts of issues. Look, I get it. I’ve preached on it. I have a doctorate in it. Frankly, I’m sick of it. I’m ready to talk about why things work here.

Socially, we in Medina have not completely forgotten that we are neighbors. We show up for one another. We remember how to disagree and still be civil. It’s why so many people are moving here to Medina. Medina has everything! We have parks! We have small businesses, amazing restaurants and breweries as well as international headquarters and chain stores. We have a great mix. Although some on social media say we need an Olive Garden. We have Dominic’s! Olive Garden is in Fairlawn! We can get there.

We as a church are financially solid and stable. We have a robust membership spanning the generations. I think that’s because we listen to Jesus very carefully. We welcome, love, and serve people of all ages, orientations, genders and gender expressions, races, beliefs, political persuasion, mental health status, class, and ability. Not just in my tenure but historically.

God has been good to us, and we have been good to one another. Look, I can’t do this by myself. I can’t be the church alone. I need help keeping track of all 600 of you. I can barely keep track of the four people under my roof. Kate might be out horseback riding, Sam is doing art with friends, and Eve is probably at marching band practice. It’s too heavy of a burden to carry by myself. I’m unwilling to ask you to do anything I myself wouldn’t do.

Contrast this to the religious leaders in our day and age and in Jesus’. He states in today’s texts that the leaders of the day “tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders.” The leaders were not in it with people, they were making them carry the load alone. But we need to be yoked together. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We know what a yoke is. For those of us who grew up on westerns or played Oregon Trail, we know the yoke is a piece of wood that fits over the shoulders of two animals to help make pulling easier. It helps the animals share the load. Distributes the weight. I think that’s what we do here. By being here and claiming membership and giving of our time, talent, and treasure, we are yoked to one another. We are church together. For when 2 or 3 are together, Christ is in our midst. No one person can be the church and do all the work it demands. It would be too much, too lonely, and much too impossible.

We are yoked in our mutual moral formation. We are about learning to love God with everything we have, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We welcome, love, and serve all who God places in our path. We try to be as humble as we can.

For six years, you have supplied my needs. We are in stewardship season. I’m most of the budget. Well, staffing is. For six years, you’ve supported my family. You treat us well. You help visit. You send emails. You let me know when you’re in the hospital and schedule visits if something is on your mind. You help by serving on committees, singing in the choir, and doing so much here and for our community!

Furthermore, God has supplied the church’s wants. We needed to save the bell, we did. Y’all stepped up, as did the community! We needed an associate pastor and a music director, God gave us Meghan and Jenny. We ask, and we get. It takes some time, there’s a lot of delayed gratification, but each and every goal we have set, we have achieved in each of my years here.

When the Garfield feeding team needs more volunteers, y’all step up. When Darlene puts on a funny hat and asks for pies and soda, y’all step up. God has provided for us. God has been so good to us! I can’t tell you how many times people compliment us on our bread ministry. A fresh loaf of bread shows up to folk who visited the church or are recovering from a health scare or have some grief episode in our lives. We want to show up for one another. When we know someone’s going through something, we try to show up when we know. Many times, you want to keep this to yourself because you  don’t want to be a bother. You’re not a bother! You’re the mission!

We show up for the Hope Recovery Center, AA, Operation Homes, CUPS Café and Feeding Medina County. We show up for Project LEARN and other mission partners. We feed, clothe, visit, and advocate for justice. We seek to be the peace we wish to see in the world.

In a time when the world seems to have gone crazy and there are wars and rumors of wars and all the -isms are on parade… look… I’m just as mad/sad/depressed/frantic over the state of the world as you are. My response is this: I can’t fix it. But I can fix what’s around me. I can try to influence and show up for others and speak about the better angels of our nature. If we can make a difference here within these walls and in our community… if we can connect and show up for each other… well that’s 90% of it right there.

Let us prayerfully consider how we can keep being church and showing up for each other during this stewardship season. We are trying to be a place of moral formation for all people. People who might not be together normally. So thanks for showing up. Thanks for doing this whole church thing with me. Thanks for being Christ to me and seeing Christ in me and the staff you support. From the bottom of my heart; thank you, Church. Amen.

Works Cited

[1] David Brooks, How American Got Mean: In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in amorally inarticulate, self-referential world. The Atlantic, September 2023 pages 68-76.