We can play church all we want. But if we are not loving God and other people, if we are not serving the needs of one another and of our community, if our faith is just “one hour a week to ease our conscience” – then we’ve missed what Jesus was all about. Let’s look at our readings today, and let’s begin with the Old Testament, with the Book of Deuteronomy. Read with me, aloud, and especially notice the words that I have outlined: Commit yourselves completely to these words of mine… Today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. You will receive a curse if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn from his way by worshiping foreign gods. (Deuteronomy 11:18, 26-28, NLT)

God didn’t same, “I am giving you some options.” He said, “I am giving you a choice.” He’s demanding that your obey. He didn’t same, “Commit yourself two hours on Sunday morning.” He said, “Commit yourself completely.”

Our gospel today elaborates further, but you need a little background first. This is at the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has given the crowd the beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are the meek, the sorrowing, the persecuted. Then he talks practically about not living in fear or worry; forgiving enemies; turning the other cheek; how to show forth love in your marriage. It’s all very practical stuff. But he knew, after the crowd had listened for so long, and they were tired and hungry, that the words probably would go in one ear and out the other. He didn’t want that to happen. He wanted them not just to listen, but to act. So he concludes his sermon, Chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew’s gospel, with these words: “Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21, NLT) And he uses an example: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock… But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.” (Matthew 7:24, 26, NLT)

Let’s review briefly from last week, because as we move forward and develop today’s topic, we’re going to build on what we talked about last week:

♣ First, we said that we are all broken, hurting – but God wants us healthy and strong, not flabby and weak.
o Even the world promotes strength. Fill in the blanks on the screen: Ford ___ (tough); Strong as an ___’ (ox); Be __ (all) that you can be; Wanted: A few __ (good) men; Drink __ (milk).
♣ Second, we talked about how, in order to be healthy and strong, God needs to change us, transform us, convert us – and this transformation, or change, begins – where? – in the mind. We need to become convinced, in our minds, that we need to change, we need to be more fervent in our faith, we need to make Jesus the real commander in chief in charge of our lives. If we are not convinced in our minds of the need for change, we’ll never change our behavior and our actions.
♣ Third, we said that change, or transformation requires two things: (1) faith, or trust, in God; and (2) other people, that is, the church. We can’t do it on our own. By ourselves, we are doomed to fall flat on our face. We need God at the center of our life, with His power strengthening us; and we need other people.
♣ So: I gave you a homework assignment. Since change must begin in the mind, I asked you to study and to memorize two passages of the Bible, the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. These two verses from the Bible set a foundation for us, spiritually. They show us the direction we must go if we are to follow Jesus. The Great Command says we must do two things: (1) we must be faithful to our worship, our love of God; and (2) we must truly love others, love our neighbor, serve one another. The Great Commission tells us we must grow, learn, mature, and we must go out, as witnesses, as missionaries for Jesus.
♣ We used the “mission statement” from Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church: “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment and to the Great Commission will grow a great church.” We looked at God’s five purposes for our lives, purposes which flow from these two verses: (1) Worship – knowing and loving God; (2) Community – loving those around me; (3) Discipleship – growing spiritually in knowledge, character, skills; (4) Ministry – using my gifts and talents to serve others; and (5) Mission – living out my faith in the community and world. We showed how, in our church, we use our five mini-retreats – each is a “base” on our spiritual “baseball diamond” – to grow in these five purposes: Mini-Retreat 101, knowing Christ; Mini-Retreat 201, growing in Christ; Mini-Retreat 301, serving Christ; Mini-Retreat 401, sharing Christ with others; and Mini-Retreat 501, worshiping the Lord.

Now, let’s get practical. These five purposes lead to five habits of spiritual maturity – and this is what all of us ought to be striving for. First, a habit of personal prayer. Second, a habit of communal worship each weekend at Mass; Third, a habit of spiritual growth, ideally in a small faith community, a small group; Fourth, a habit of serving in ministry and in mission; and fifth, a habit of being generous, understanding that I don’t own anything, that everything comes from God, so I give back generously of my time, and of my talent, and of my money, my treasure, by tithing.

Look on the screen. I want to show you an example of how some of these habits are being lived out right here in our church. Last week, Albert Villanueva gave me these pictures. They are photos of his small faith community. They meet every week in his house, where they pray and study and fellowship with each other. Then, this next photo shows them in Tecate, Mexico, where they raise money and visit and help at a place called “La Casa para los Pobres Desamparados” – a house for destitute Mexicans with physical and mental handicaps who have no family or support system. This community is living out God’s five purposes – and they are full of joy, full of excitement, because when we learn to give, to be generous, to pray together and fellowship with other Christians, we come alive with God’s power in our lives.

I think there are two reasons, two problems, why more of us aren’t doing these sorts of things. First is spiritual flabbiness. Studies show that in most churches, 10 percent of the members do most the work, and 90 percent do little or nothing except attend. Just attending is not following the Lord! But that same study showed that of the 90 percent who do little or nothing except attend, 40 percent say they are willing to get more involved, they just don’t know how!

Our first question has to be this: Am I in that 10 percent or in that 90 percent? Then, our second question has to be this: If I am in the 90 percent, am I part of the 40 percent who wants to do more, or am I a part of the 60 percent that won’t move, even if Jesus comes back? Friends, I can’t do much if you are in that 60 percent. Some people just choose to stay stuck in sin and won’t move or budge. That’s the spiritual flabbiness I was talking about. But for the other 40 percent – that’s where the second problem arise. They just don’t know how to get more involved! So that’s the final thing we’re going to talk about today: How to plug in.

Watch this short but funny video. [Show video of weight lifting bloopers from You Tube] These folks are trying to get healthy, trying to be strong – but they are failing miserably, because they don’t know how. The same thing happens to a lot of us, spiritually. We really want to be strong, mature, healthy spiritually – but how?

I’m going to give you three steps, and they are written on your handout:

Step 1: Assess your spiritual health. On your handout are some questions to guide you. Take this home and do it on your own.

1. Where have I grown spiritually this past year? Where do I want to grow spiritually this year?
2. What classes have I completed this year (mini-retreats, other retreats, classes, etc.)?
3. How am I doing with each of God’s purposes for my life? And with my spiritual habits?

Worship: Knowing and loving God
Community: Loving those around me
Discipleship: Growing spiritually in knowledge, character, skills
Ministry: Using my gifts and talents to serve others
Mission: Living out my faith in the community and world

Spiritual Habits:

Daily prayer, quiet time
Weekly Mass Attendance
Participation in a small group
Serving in a ministry
Tithing

Step 2: Develop an action plan. Here in the church, I’ve prepared response cards in your pews and in the back of church. Take a pencil and use this as a way to get involved. The first side of the card has basic information: name, address, phone number, e-mail. If you change your address or phone or e-mail, fill out that side of the card and put it into the collection basket at Mass, or in the Hospitality Card box at the entrance of church. But the back side of the card is to help you plug in. It has several areas: prayer requests; requests for counseling needs; requests for information on sacraments; and ways to get involved in different ministries. Use this card as a way to plug in. Turn the card in with your name and contact information, and we’ll get back with you.

Step 3: Step out in faith. Good intentions are not enough. You’ve heard the saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” If you want to swim, you’ve got to get into the water and get wet. Take a risk. Don’t be afraid. God is with you. Do it for the Lord.

When I was a student at Purdue University, many, many years ago, studying engineering, I made three promises to God: First, I would always go to church every Sunday and never miss; second, I would always attend my Wednesday Bible study and small faith community; and third, I would always participate monthly in my small group’s outreach project, which was to visit a local nursing home, load residents of the nursing home into our cars and bring them to campus, where we prepared a meal and a party for them, so they could get out of the bleak environment of the nursing home. Now, let me confess. Engineering is hard. I had to study late nights. There were many, many exams and lab reports and projects. I often felt tempted to not go to church on Sunday, to miss my small group meeting because I had an exam the next morning, to blow off the nursing home ministry. But I was able to resist the temptation – not because I’m so good and holy and better than anyone else, but simply because I had made a choice, in my mind, to do it. I did it often reluctantly, with a bad attitude, thinking of my homework or my next exam – but I did it, out of obedience, and because I had made up my MIND to do it. Afterward, I always felt spiritually pumped up and energized and glad I had followed through faithfully on my promises. I often did not feel that way beforehand, but I felt that way always afterward. And now, many, many, many, many years later – what had a greater impact in my life? I don’t remember any of the specifics of my classes, my exams, my lab reports – but I still remember going to church at St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, I still remember my Wednesday night small group and our “sofa Masses,” and I especially remember the nursing home ministry. Those are the things that change and transform us. Those are the things that really matter. Get your priorities straight. Jump into the water. Don’t stay sitting as a spectator on the sidelines.

On your handout, I’ve given you three simple ways to step out in faith, in addition to the response cards:

♣ This Thursday, 6:30 p.m. in the classrooms behind church, I’ll be there just to answer your questions and help you, if you need some one on one assistance. Come on Thursday.
♣ This thing in my hand is called a church bulletin. On the front page is a list of ministries and ministry coordinators, with their phone numbers. If you are interested in a ministry, call them! And on the inside of the bulletin are listed the upcoming activities in the parish, and contact phone numbers. Just make a phone call.
♣ Third: I’m giving you my phone number – both at my office and my cell phone. Call me. Just don’t call my cell phone at 3 or 4 in the morning!

I want to conclude with two last slides here on the screen. One is a photo of some pills – antibiotics, penicillin. I want to use this as an example. What happens if you get sick, the doctor prescribes penicillin for 10 days, but you only take it for one or two or three days? An underdose permits the illness to remain in your system and to build up an immunity to the drug. The illness becomes resistant to the drug, so that you are actually worse off than if you had never taken any penicillin in the first place! Something similar takes place in the spiritual realm where masses of people seem to be playing with religion - taking in just enough of it to become immune to the real thing. Many people attend just enough religious services to temporarily quiet their conscience; they attend just enough weddings, funerals, and special observances to keep them from longing for a genuine and thorough encounter with God who is so absent from their commitment. They have just enough religion to make them immune to the real thing. And they are worse off, because they’ve convinced themselves – falsely – that just going to church, just sitting in the pews as a spectator, is enough.

Jesus warned that when an evil spirit leaves a person, sometimes seven other evil spirits, each worse than the first, return and camp out in the person’s life. I think Jesus was referring exactly to this same sort of false “penicillin resistant” religion. Just a little religion may be worse for our spiritual health than no religion at all!

I want to end with a word of encouragement – from the Bible, from the Old Testament book of Joshua. God spoke to the Hebrew people as they prepared to enter the Holy Land, when they were afraid and uncertain. He told them: “Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do.” (Joshua 1:7, NLT) And two verses later, God speaks similar words a second time: “I command you – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NLT)

God speaks the same words to us today. It’s serious business, building on solid rock, not sand. God is strong and for us, because He loves us. Will you be strong for God?

Let us pray…