Today, as we think about what it means to be the Church, we're going to be wrapping up a sermon series on our name - Elim Evangelical Lutheran Church. I hope as we've taken each word of our name one by one over the last several Sundays that you've learned something about this community of faith. I hope our identity has been solidified in ways that are old and new. I hope you have a stronger sense of who you are as an individual who makes up this particular body of Christ called Elim Evangelical Lutheran Church.
     I have a question I want you to think about this morning as we move into thinking about Church. What do you say when someone asks you where your church is? My guess is that you describe its location physically. You give coordinates - that it's on the corner of 23rd and Jefferson in Ogden. Or maybe you describe it with landmarks - it's a couple blocks east of the new movie theatre and the Solomon Center in downtown. These are not wrong answers. In fact, they're answers I give all the time when people ask me where my church is.
     What I want to make sure we all understand, however, is that this physical definition is only a small part of the answer. Our name - Elim Evangelical Lutheran Church - does define a building that sits on the corner of 23rd and Jefferson. But, if our church burned down (God forbid), we would still gather as Elim. Our name is not just the name of a building. The Church is so much more than a building of stone, wood and brick. The Church is the people.
     Our three readings today all have something to teach us about being the Church. In the reading from First Chronicles, King David calls on the Israelite people to contribute to building a temple for the Lord. After donating from his personal treasure, he asks who else wants to contribute. The people step up in droves - willingly and delighted with their donations - offering precious metals and stones. The result of this effort was the temple in Jerusalem.
     Hearing this story, it would be so easy to think of it simply as a story about building a church. Yet, do you see that even as the people contributed to build a church, they were being the church at the same time? The Church is people working together to create something in the world that is of God. The Church is people sharing what they have in order to create more - get more done - than they ever could have created or done as individuals working alone.
     The second reading from Acts tells us about the oldest Christian Church. In a time of intense persecution of Christians, these early believers lived together, holding everything in common so that there was not a needy person among them. Their life together was also full of testimony by the apostles about the resurrection of Jesus. This reading makes the early Church sound idyllic - something impossible to live up to. If you read more of the book of Acts, though, you'll know that no human community is perfect. They, like the Church today, also had their struggles and challenges. Still, we learn from them. We learn that the Church is people caring for one another, making sure that everyone has enough. We learn that the Church is people sharing the love and the miraculous saving grace of Jesus Christ.
     Finally, we have the Gospel lesson from John and a story that is familiar to many of us - the feeding of the 5,000. The word "church" in the English language comes from the Greek word, "ekklesia". "Ekklesia" simply means an assembly of people who belong to God. So, it was the Church - 5,000 strong - that gathered on that mountainside on the other side of the Sea of Galilee that day. No one mentioned there would be a potluck. They were so enthralled with Jesus' curing of the sick that many had left without a thought about packing dinner.
     Except for one little boy who happened to have five barley loaves and two fish. As part of this impromptu mountainside Church, he offered up what he had for the good of the community. And then, God took care of God's people. From five loaves and two fish, Jesus made enough to feed all 5,000. For good measure, there were even 12 baskets of leftovers. The Church is a gathering of people who belong to God. Because we belong to God, we can count on God to give us what we need in every way.
     When I initially thought about doing this sermon series on our name, I didn't intend that it would bring us right into our stewardship focus. It just happened to work out that way. And as it has, it has made so much sense to me. It makes sense that before we are asked to commit something of ourselves, we remember who we are. I want to talk about Church in one more way today and use it to help us transition into our focus on stewardship which will really be emphasized next week in education, worship and at the potluck following church a week from today.
     God's Work. . . Our Hands is our stewardship theme for this year. Hopefully you've noticed this on mailings you've received as well as in the November newsletter. This theme is actually another helpful way for us to think about what it means to be the Church. The Church is people doing God's Work with Our Hands. All three readings for today emphasize this theme as well. Riches didn't fall from the sky to build the temple in Jerusalem. The hands of the people offered it up willingly and with delight, understanding that all they had was a gift from God in the first place.
     In Acts, a voice from heaven didn't proclaim the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Human voices proclaimed it. Human hands lived out Christ's love. As for the Church - 5,000 strong - that gathered on the mountain that day with Jesus, bread and fish didn't appear out of nowhere. They were offered up by the hands of a little boy. Jesus turned his offering into a miracle.
     Next week is Commitment Sunday. In a mailing about a month ago, you received financial giving and time and talent sheets and we'll be gathering those. In preparation for Commitment Sunday, this week, won't you take time to discern how you might be part of the Church in this place? How Your Hands might be part of God's Work that is done through this community of faith? Elim Evangelical Lutheran Church. Amen.



Sing this song - have kids use instruments to pound two times where the X's are in the refrain.