This last Friday the Iowa City newspaper reported the following: “With his shirt sleeves rolled up and a big yellow softball clutched in his fist, Kevin Costner on Friday afternoon strolled back out onto the rural Iowa ball field that helped make him famous a generation ago when he starred in the movie Field of Dreams.” In the movie Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer played by Costner, is standing in the middle of a cornfield when he hears the voice for the first time: “If you build it, he will come.” If he builds it, the voice seems to promise, Joe Jackson will come and play on it - Shoeless Joe, who was a member of the infamous 1919 Black Sox team but protested until the day he died that he played the best he could. Over time this phrase has been changed to “If you build it, they will come.”

It seems like this has been the strategy of the church for many years. If we build the best building and have the greatest programs they will come. The ministry plans for many churches have been getting the hippest looking pastor, the most well-trained professional musicians, a theatre-like sanctuary that seats thousands, a coffee bar and all the bells and whistles necessary to attract more people. “Build it and they will come.”

I’m not criticizing this strategy because it does seem to work in many places, but this wasn’t Jesus’ ministry strategy. Jesus didn’t say: Build it and they will come. He said: Go, make disciples. Jesus’ ministry on earth wasn’t about building a place where people could come to him. In fact each time his disciples wanted him to do that, Jesus didn’t allow it. On the mountain when Jesus is transfigured Peter wanted to build three shelters one for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. But Jesus knew they couldn’t stay there they needed to go down the mountain back to the world.

After healing Simon’s mother-in-law from a fever, and several others who were ill or possessed who were brought to him at Simon’s house, the gospel writer of Mark tells us that Jesus went to a deserted place to pray. When the disciples came searching for him saying: “Everyone is searching for you.” Everyone no doubt who was looking to be healed – Jesus said: “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.”

Kelly Fryer, in her book entitled Reclaiming the “E” Word, tells of a conversation she had with a pastor at a conference at which she was teaching people what it means for people to stop going to church so that they can really be the church. At the coffee break on of the pastors in attendance came up to her and said: “So, I’ve been leading this men’s Bible study group for years. And for years, Clarence has been there every single week, without fail. He’s the most consistent member of the group. Then all of a sudden he doesn’t show.  It’s Wednesday morning and Clarence is not there. I just thought, well, everybody needs a break once in a while. But the next week he didn’t show either. I didn’t want to make him feel guilty, so I didn’t call him, but I was a little worried. Finally, when he didn’t show up a third week in a row, I gave him a call.

“Clarence,” I said, “what’s going on? Is everything okay?”

“Sure,” he said, “everything’s okay with me. But about a month ago one of my buddies lost his wife. Nobody saw it coming. One day she was fine. The next day she was dead. Just like that. Boom. He is still reeling from it. Anyway, he and his wife had a tee time every Wednesday morning. And so now, on Wednesday mornings,” Clarence explained, “I’m hanging out with him instead.”

The storyteller paused at this point, looking at Kelly as if that was all he was going to say. “Wait a minute, “she said, “why are you telling me this story?”

He just laughed. “Don’t you get it?” he said. “That was the first time in my whole ministry that I really understood something. The point of it all isn’t getting guys to come to Bible study. The point of getting them to come to Bible study is what they’re doing with the life they have out there.”

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying we should sell our building and exclusively take our ministry to the streets.  What we do here is important. Worship and learning being fed with Word and Sacrament, studying the scriptures are critical to our lives as disciples. But they aren’t the end – they are the beginning. They are the building blocks of our lives that prepare us for doing God’s work in the world.

As Christ’s disciples in this place and time we can’t stop with what we do in this building.  Jesus’ last words to his disciples weren’t “stay here and develop great programs that will draw people to this place.” No. Jesus said Go, make disciples. Go, follow Jesus’ example and meet people where they are. Go, establish relationships with those to whom God sends you. Go, hear their stories. Go, tell them through your words and actions of God’s unconditional love. And one of the most important things I believe in a society that hears most loudly the message of a judgmental, exclusive God: Go, tell them of God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness rather than God’s anger, wrath and judgment.

Let’s not just go to church. Let’s be the church. Let’s go, make disciples. Amen.