"I Preached That Church Down to Four"

Was listening to back podcasts from Day1 on my way into church this morning, and heard this sermon by Will Willimon. Here is a portion, which I love:

"The story is told that Clarence Jordan, that great Southern, social prophet, visited an integrated church in the Deep South. Jordan was surprised to find a relatively large church so thoroughly integrated, not only black and white but also rich and poor; and this was in the early sixties, too. Jordan asked the old country preacher, "How did you get the church this way?"

"What way?" the preacher asked. Jordan went on to explain his surprise at finding a church so integrated, and in the South, too.

The preacher said, "Well, when our preacher left our small church, I went to the deacons and said, 'I'll be the preacher.' The first Sunday as preacher, I opened the book and read, 'As many of you as has been baptized into Jesus has put on Jesus and there is no longer any Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, males or females, because you all is one in Jesus.'

Then I closed the book and I said, 'If you are one with Jesus, you are one with all kind of folks. And if you ain't, well, you ain't.'"

Jordan asked what happened after that. "Well," the preacher said, "the deacons took me into the back room and they told me they didn't want to hear that kind of preaching no more."

Jordan asked what he did then. "I fired them deacons," the preacher roared.

"Then what happened?" asked Jordan.

"Well," said the old hillbilly preacher, "I preached that church down to four. Not long after that, it started growing. And it grew. And I found out that revival sometimes don't mean bringin' people in but gettin' people out that don't dare to love Jesus." (As told in Hauerwas and Willimon, Where Resident Aliens Live, Nashville: Abingdon, 1996, p. 103).

Love that bit about "I preached that church down to four."

Sometimes, maybe that is what God is calling us to do? Instead of keeping everybody happy, but not pushing ourselves to preach the Gospel as we hear/see it...but what if we did, and what if the church shrank at first, but then grew into what God intended? Are we on the cusp of this in our culture, anyway?

PS. To get the full Willimon effect, you really have to hear him tell it. I would encourage listening to the sermon. I know some people aren't fans, but I kind of like his blunt, gruff style.