Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

One hundred and thirty-five years. It’s a long time. It certainly is a longer time than any one of us individually endures. St. Paul’s congregation, our congregation, began long before any of us was here and, conversely, will be flourishing long after any of us survives. It’s a humbling truth, yet a comforting truth: we come and go and, while we’re here, we are all a part of something bigger than ourselves. As such, we all participate in something grand and glorious – the advancement of God’s own impact on this world. The occasion of our 135th anniversary observance is to celebrate our participation in this holy enterprise and, at this unique point in time, to seek divine renewal for future service. Indeed, celebration is welcomed and renewal is surely needed, for our day has witnessed unprecedented change like St. Paul’s has never known before. And that change is unprecedented in two compounding ways:

a. For the first time in St. Paul’s history, there is to be no `automatic’ next generation to follow after us. Our children’s children have, in many ways, `moved on.’ They have relocated to the suburbs and joined other churches; some have even shed their churchly upbringing altogether. And while they do, on occasion, come home for a `church visit,’ they are not returning `hook, line and sinker’ to 5th and Nedro. Thus there is no natural or automatic `feed’ into the St. Paul’s system.

b. For the first time in St. Paul’s history, we are confronted with a preponderance of truly `new people’ moving into Olney, people from lands other than the Nordic ones with which we have been most comfortable. These new people are people who do not speak the language or eat the foods of our forebears, people who would appear to be so very different from the homogeneous stock of our upbringing. And further, the circumstances surrounding our congregation’s history in the early twentieth century which led to our relocation from Northern Liberties to Olney, no longer apply to our congregation in the early twenty-first century. There is no `moving’ St. Paul’s congregation. There is no getting out of Olney. We’re here to stay; we and 35,000 other Olneynites.

So, what to do? To follow a natural instinct, built upon fear or pessimism, would only seal the fate of any group of persons held hostage to such instincts – demise and eventual closure of the congregation. Rather, to follow a faithful instinct is to search for a biblical response, a response like the ones presented in today’s scripture readings. For in the face of change, God’s people have always resorted to their core of being – their identity in Christ and the Spirit-given purpose for living that has been baptismally bequeathed to them. Thus, the apostle Paul, in 1 Thessalonians, can relativize the impact of the `times and seasons’ of this world, offering fledgling Christians a perspective of hope and encouragement beyond their immediate situation. Jesus especially teaches, according to Matthew’s Gospel, how critical it is to attend to the `master’s business – fear and self indulgence be gone! I must here applaud our congregational leadership of the past

decade for possessing the biblical wisdom and courage to draft and put in motion a Mission Statement reflective of both our corporate identity/purpose and the present realities of church and community. By know, many of you have committed this Statement to memory and, hopefully, wear it as a frontlet between your eyes:

`St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Christ-centered community of faith in Olney, committed to sharing with all people
*The Word of God
*Spiritual Fellowship
*The Reality of Christ in our Lives

I can unabashedly tell you today that, as we have lived by the guiding light of our Mission Statement over these past few years, we have become a more spiritual people than we used to be. And by `more spiritual,’ I do not, in any way, imply `less real.’

Whenever the Body of Christ encounters dramatic, unprecedented change in its environment, as we have here at St. Paul’s, the Body does right to emphasize its own life with God, a clarion call to retreat and regroup. Further, the Body remains anchored in the study and use of Scripture for daily living and direction. It re-discovers a divine source of strength for living, replete with confidence. Over these ten years, I have witnessed the growth of Bible study and fellowship groups like Brown Baggers and the Midweek Bible Fellowship. I have observed people whom I have known for more than twenty years becoming more spiritual, cultivating a depth to their faith life. A church that may have earlier been described as an association of like-minded persons holding membership in an organization, must now be recognized as the organic presence of Christ in the world, a people who see Christ and the opportunity to serve Him like never before.

Of course, we say, St. Paul’s Church has always been a visible expression of Christ’s Body in the world. Our worship continues to be dynamic, our music and education charts a relevant course into the twenty-first century. Peer with me, however, into the present day window of wholistic ministries in which this congregation is engaged. Without question, there has never been a time when St. Paul’s has embraced both the depth of spiritual living and the breadth of Christ’s reality in our everyday lives so effectively:

English as a Second Language (ESL) -- five days a week
GED Classes -- three days a week
St. Paul’s Senior Program -- five days a week
Alcoholics Anonymous – weekly meetings
The Food Pantry -- twice per week, plus Holiday Baskets
Health Ministry, including staffing a Parish Nurse -- flourishing for four years
Computer Classes, featuring WireLess Philadephia -- twice each week

One hundred and thirty-five years. It’s a long time. Over the span of St. Paul’s life, much has occurred. The history of our congregation is well documented. As we pause together on this historic plateau, we glance back in time with a proud humility at what God’s grace has accomplished in the past. We peek ahead to some unknown terrain, confident that God’s grace will be the sustenance needed for our faithful witness in days to come. For this day, we celebrate this moment in time, convinced that God’s grace is sufficient. Hold fast to what is good from those 135 years. Adapt to changing times. Be faithful to the Lord, Jesus Christ. The God who loves you is trustworthy. Congratulations, people of God! May God continue to bless St. Paul’s Church! Amen.

 Sunday Services:
Members, guests and visitors, all are welcome!

Rev. Rodney S. Kopp, Pastor
Wayne Lutz, Church Administrator
Karl Schneider, Shut-InMinistry
Sheila D. Booker, Director of Music
Rebecca Ehrlich, Parish Associate

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5900 N. 5th St., Philadelphia, PA. 19120
Phone: 215-424-4800 | Fax:215-424-4805
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