A Wise Household

Proverbs 24: 3-5, 13-14; James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
September 20, 2015


By wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.
Wise warriors are mightier than strong ones,
and those who have knowledge than those who have strength;

My child, eat honey, for it is good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, you will find a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
- Proverbs 24: 3-5, 13-14

Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
- James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a



Earlier this summer I led a small group on the topic of discernment. We spent some time in Henri Nouwen’s book entitled, “Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life.” Nouwen says that discernment is:

The regular discipline of listening to the still, small voice beneath the rush of the whirlwind, a prayerful practice of reading the subtle signs in daily life. It is not once-and-for-all decision making at critical points in one’s life; such as asking questions like ‘Should I take this job? Whom shall I marry? Where should I live and work?’ But it is a lifelong commitment to remember God, know who you are, and pay close attention to what the Spirit is saying today… Discernment is rooted in the core disciplines of the Christian life through prayer, community, worship, and ministry. *

It takes discernment to build the type of wise household that Proverbs 24 talks about. I think of discernment as the spiritual vehicle we use to follow the life-long path of commitment in becoming the people of God. Just as it takes different skills to build the foundation, framework, and interior of a house, so it also takes various skills in discernment to build a wise household of faith. It takes the work of ministry, prayer warriors, the heart of worship, and growing relationships in the community.

James asks us to look into our community of faith – into our household of God – and to consider who are the ones who are actively discerning among us. “Who is wise and understanding among you?” (James 3:13). Another way to say this is whose actions are guided by integrity? Who is actively building upon the foundation of knowledge that began in God’s household many years ago?

We often think the wise ones are the ruling elders of the church. And they are. Ruling elders recognize God has given them unique gifts and abilities for ministry. The local congregation recognizes this particular individual has been called by God to serve and equip others in shared leadership with the pastor, or teaching elder. The ruling elders who make up the session should also reflect the diversity of the congregation. They “are persons with strong faith, dedicated discipleship, and love of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Their manner of life should demonstrate the Christian gospel in the church and world. They must have the approval of God’s people” (Book of Order 2015-2017, G-2.0104).

The wisdom of our ruling elders is a growing one. Some folks who are asked to serve as elders might feel unsure, intimidated, or afraid. That spiritual wrestling is a good thing! God does not call the equipped, God equips those who are called. Our ruling elders go through a period of training with the pastor and I look forward to creating that space with the upcoming elder class of 2018. It is a time to not just remember what it means to be Presbyterian, but also to build up our ruling elders as spiritual leaders in the church. Our ruling elders continue to grow in wisdom through discerning God’s will for the overall work of the church. They help us to discern and navigate through the challenges of ministry.

We often think the wise ones are the church members who have long been a part of the faith community. And they are. If walls could talk in any household then surely they have stories to tell. So it is with our long-time faithful church members. They have cherished stories to tell of the rhythm of life here through the years. These women and men help us to remember why traditions came to be and how they are taking on new meaning as the Spirit moves among us. These women and men have stories to share regarding their experiences of God’s presence and grace. They help us to prayerfully discern how God’s story connects us in hopes of seeing God’s faithfulness in the future.

As we walk a little further into the household of God, the wise ones also include the children of the church. Jesus himself said, “Let the little children come to me and do not stop them: for it is to such as these that the kingdom [the household] of God belongs” (Luke 18:16). My favorite time in worship is always when the children of the church run down the aisle for the children’s sermon. Their excitement and passion to learn always inspires me. I love how this church cherishes this space to teach our children the building blocks of faith. It is important to welcome children into worship. But it is also important for us to learn something from the children. The faith of our children and youth strengthens our adult faith by helping us all to discern the heart of worship. What a gift it is to see God’s household through the eyes of a child of any age.

Every household welcomes guests. And even the newest faces in the household of God have wisdom to share. Our guests, visitors, and newest members help us to see what we have overlooked in God’s house and our Creator’s big backyard. There are things in every house that have become too familiar to our eyes. Our guests and newest members help us to see our surroundings in a new way. They offer opportunities to imagine God’s great potential within this beautiful household. Our guests and newest members also help us to look outside the walls of the church to help us discern ways that we might be on the move to grow relationships. Jesus himself was the Good News on the move. When two or three are gathered in Christ’s name then church can occur in restaurants, on sports fields, and even community festivals.

There are many who are a part of this life-long commitment of discernment to grow as the body of Christ. There are many who are considered wise in this household we know as Van Wyck Presbyterian. There are many whose actions are guided by integrity – God’s desire for the whole community to be strengthened in our relationships together. There are many who are building upon the foundation of God’s house that began over 2,000 years ago…and we were grafted into it 131 years ago. It takes a village to raise a child and it also takes a village to grow more and more into a wise household of God.

When I think of this wise household of God, I think of the way Presbyterian poet Ann Weems describes “The Church of Jesus Christ.” I, too, am a poet and I keep this poem framed in my office to remember the wisdom of God. Listen for the ways she describes the church as one who remembers her identity in God, follows the example of Christ, and seeks the wisdom of the Spirit:

The church of Jesus Christ is where a child of God brings a balloon, is where old women come to dance, is where young men see visions and old men dream dreams.

The church of Jesus Christ is where lepers come to be touched, is where the blind see and the deaf hear, is where the lame run and the dying live.

The church of Jesus Christ is where daisies bloom out of barren land, is where children lead and the wise follow, is where mountains are moved and walls come tumbling down.

The church of Jesus Christ is where loaves of bread are stacked in the sanctuary to feed the hungry, is where coats are taken off and put on the backs of the naked, is where shackles are discarded and kings and shepherds sit down to life together.

The church of Jesus Christ is where barefoot children run in procession, is where the minister receives ministry, is where the anthem is the laughter of the congregation and the offering plates are full of people.

The church of Jesus Christ is where people go when they skin their knees or their hearts, is where frogs become princes and Cinderella dances beyond midnight, is where judges don't judge and each child of God is beautiful and precious.

The church of Jesus Christ is where the sea divides for the exiles, is where the ark floats and the lamb lies down with the lion, is where people disagree and hold hands at the same time.

The church of Jesus Christ is where night is day, is where trumpets and tambourines declare God's goodness, is where lost lambs are found.

The church of Jesus Christ is where people write thank-you notes to God, is where work is a holiday, is where seeds are scattered and miracles are grown.

The church of Jesus Christ is where home is, is where heaven is, is where a picnic is communion and people break bread together on their knees.

The church of Jesus Christ is where we live responsively toward God's coming. Even on Monday morning the world will hear an abundance of alleluias!

May it be so for us as we seek to be a wise household of God.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.


*Henri Nouwen, "Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life"(New York: HarperOne, 2013),p.ix.