National Public Radio is running its fall fund drive right now. One of their pitches for their continued existence goes like this: “We have all seen the malaise in journalism. Journalism is becoming watered down. It is hard to tell what is real journalism and what is not. Is someone sending a Tweet from their cell phone doing journalism on the fly?” Etc., etc. Having established that journalism is going to pot they conclude the pitch by stating that National Public Radio is a standard setter for journalism. “You can depend on quality, accuracy and professionalism at NPR therefore you should give to NPR.”

I am not telling you this to get you to give to NPR or even to the church. I share this with you because I think that the Episcopal Church in general and Grace Church in particular are standard setters too. The very words in 2 Timothy that many churches nearby hang their hats on:

“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness”

are followed in the next paragraph by something everyone should pay close attention to:

“For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and will turn away from listening to the truth.”

You can attend churches that will tell you belief in Jesus Christ will heal your life threatening diseases. You can attend other churches that will tell you believing in Jesus means you will become wealthy and prosperous. You can attend churches and have the you-know-what scared out of your children by preachers who focus on the sinfulness and depravity of humankind. Every one of these is a heresy and they have been preached in different churches for two thousand years.

But even heresies have their place. I believe the diversity of church belief including the heresies is a gift because the diversity of belief and church practices provides a wide open door for people at all stages of faith development to enter the church. We just pray that as people progress, they will turn away from false doctrine and a few of them will come through our doors.

What does a standard bearer church like Grace do that differs from the others?

1. We are not a pumped up feel good religious energy shot. We don’t try to sell you salvation by making you feel jazzed up every Sunday. Instead we provide spiritual space where people can express and experience a wide range of emotions. Jesus was fully human. Our church should be too.

2. We follow a lectionary for our Sunday readings. Over a three year cycle you will hear most of the Bible. In general the church must adhere to a set of scripture assigned for each Sunday. We do not follow the pastor’s top 52 picks for scripture every year. Ironically you may hear more of the Bible at Grace Church than at so called “Bible” churches.

3. We follow a worship pattern that was in place BEFORE Jesus and has been refined for two thousand years. For deep effectiveness and long-term viability it’s hard to top this with Power Point and a praise band.

4. The purpose of vestments is to minimize the individual. Bishop, priest, or acolyte we are all here to serve. The congregation must focus on Christ, not the individual personalities conducting the service.

5. We have a line of accountability and authority for priests and bishops and it works. This means that no matter how good or how bad a given parish leader may be, the parish and diocese are bigger than the individual. Our church survives the test of time. We are here for the long haul. We are here for Jesus Christ. We are here for you.

6. We could add to this list of five serious topics Robin Williams’ list of ten reasons to be an Episcopalian. Taken together you wonder why anyone would go anywhere else!

Grace Church is a stable church of sound doctrine that has been followed for 17 centuries. We are the hands, feet, eyes, arms, and heart of Jesus to our parishioners, to newcomers, and to the community around us. Looking at our sparse attendance for the past month, I must echo Jesus’ question in our Gospel this morning, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith in Muskogee?”

In other words, who is our competition? And what are we called to do about it?

Last weekend Joan and I attended a Frank Sinatra tribute at a local theatre. That evening we learned that at one time Muskogee had six large theatres, two of which seated over a thousand people. Times have changed since then. People have many more things to do; perhaps too many. The real competition for Grace Church is not other churches; it is the world around us.

What are we called to do about it? I take my cue directly from 2 Timothy, “As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.” Sometimes I have to work hard in order to be positive.

Your work is all about decisions, priorities, and invitations. We know that Christ will return at an hour when we are least prepared. So when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith in Muskogee?” Grace Church is here. Your rector is here. The rest is up to you.