When I think of dedication, I'm reminded of the story of Lucinda Williams, a Missouri woman who moved to Dallas, Texas, around 1845, the year the Lone Star state joined the United States. Just after Lucinda moved to her new town, she immediately asked her landlady this question. "Excuse me, ma'am? Is there a Baptist church in town?" Lucinda's landlady answered, "There is no Baptist church anywhere nearby, and darlin', I hope there never would be."

Well, that day, Lucinda decided if she were going to live in Dallas, she would attend a Baptist church. In time, she learned that on three other occasions, people had tried to start a Baptist church. All three times, they had failed. She continued to run into opposition, but she was also dedicated to her task.

Finally, on July 20, 1868, she and her husband, seven other women, and two other men organized a Baptist church. During the first few years, it looked as if they wouldn't survive. No building, no money, and little support smacked against them every Sunday. But Lucinda continued. She formed the church's Sunday school. She began a mission society through the church. Five years after they began, she convinced the women of the church to personally collect over $600. Now you can imagine how much $600 was worth 127 years ago when a dollar a day income was yet to be heard.

Because of her dedication to the mission, because of her vision to work hand-in-hand with God just as Wisdom herself did in our scripture lesson today, Lucinda Williams was able to plant the seeds that began The First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. That church would later become one of the largest churches in the world.

The largest space in Lucinda Williamses' heart, it can be argued, was dedicated to God, and, if the largest space in your heart is dedicated to God, then you don't see this as a nice, little, rosy story with a happy ending; you see the truth: Lucinda's faith and patience had been tested. The native Missourian endured fund raisers and building committee reports that may well have made some key to her congregation question or struggle or walk away all together. Not every decision that young church made was met with 100% approval, so how did this little upstart not only survive but succeed where three others had failed?

The answer is God. Specifically, the answer is dedication to God. Here's the truth. At one time, that church in Dallas was struggling. They had so few members and faced financial hardships. Our first meeting house here on this property in Harford must have also struggled at first. And we started with so few members and faced financial hardships. Let me remind you—or no, actually look around you—and realize this church, with its woodwork and its pew doors, with its high and intricate ceiling and its prominent home on this hill, did not come cheap. So how did both places make it? Furthermore, how do both worship centers continue?

Both houses got out of the way so that God can do what God will do, and what God does is direct, guide, companion, encourage, foster, teach, and shelter all from the storms that come.

So, yes, today, see what dedication can do, and where dedication needs to grow first is not in square footage and in cinderblock, but within our own hearts; it is not in blueprints but with God's imprint on your heart.

I've been moving toward our first point this morning, and it's this. We will only grow physically if we first grow spiritually. We will only grow physically if we first grow spiritually. To grow spiritually, we need to be dedicated.

In speaking of dedication, I came across something interesting this past Thursday, the day both weekly county newspapers arrive at home. Both papers include a section many enjoy called '100 years ago.' This week, the Harford section had this to say of Watson Jeffers, my great, great-grandfather, who is buried less than 100 yards from this pulpit. The article, now a hundred years old, reads as follows.  "Watson Jeffers died at his home on May 12. He was 79 years of age. Mr. Jeffers was born in Harford and always resided in that place. He was a farmer by occupation and was always deeply interested in the affairs of the town; he was connected with the Harford Fair for 21 years."  The article adds a few more phrases about his involvement with the railroad in Kingsley and the centennial here in our town, and concludes with this. "He was for many years closely associated with the work of the Congregational church and considered on the most prominent and influential citizens of the town."  

Watson Jeffers, who was born here 179 years ago, among other long-standing relatives of families that are here today, was, for many years, closely associated with the work of the Congregational church. Work means dedication; and neither work nor dedication comes easily. As Lady Wisdom shares it in scripture, as Lucinda Williams would tell it from the construction site of her church where sawdust and fresh timber may well have brought tears to her eyes, as Watson Jeffers and others like him lived it—others, including your own family who may or may not have history here—know what they lived and what they experienced and it is this: (point one) we will only grow physically if we first grow spiritually.

Grow spiritually.

How is spiritual dedication going to happen? Engage our series. Remember there are four steps you can take to move from spiritual dehydration, which we can all experience, to spiritual dedication, which all of us are capable of from our God who loves us and wants us, in turn, to love back. Those four steps are the first four words in our five-week series. They are decide, dare, delve and devote. Decide to make a difference in your spiritual formation. Consciously make that decision. Dare to walk where God will have you walk, and He'll be there at every step folks; this is no solo journey. Delve deeper into your own soul and there, in that quiet and holy place, there, in that space where you find your own quiet soul, you will find not only yourself, you will also find God. Yes, delve, delve to find talking to and loving you from that deep, deep sanctuary within and then devote yourself, devote yourself to your spiritual health. For then, and only then, will you grow, and, in turn, those in the church and those yet to come to church, will grow.

Let's get back to Lucinda Williams for a moment. I wasn't able to tell you much about the personal life. In other words, I couldn't find out what she was like as a tenant, a wife, a neighbor, or even how she worshipped. At first, I regretted that. Then I realized I didn't need to know what she was like; I just needed to know what she did, and what she did from where she was is what you can do where you are, and that's dedicate yourself not to your whims and follies, but to God. Maybe you burn paths to get what you want. Maybe a steamroller has nothing on you. Maybe you're quiet and unassuming. You can be either a mountain or a mouse, or both. What matters is you, who is wholly unique and completely individual, has this personal relationship with Christ. What matters is you have God in your heart.

And then act with God in your heart. To do that, include God in your plans. That's our second point this morning. Include God in your plans.

Within the past few weeks, I was talking with someone who's a part of this church. Now if you're a fan of the expansion of this church—and today, honestly, we all fall out in different places on that, and we should all fall out in different places on that because that's how God works, and that is what our denomination celebrates, diversity—then you like what this woman says and does. She has big ideas. She has progressive, compassionate ideas. Truly she holds the care of the congregation in her heart. But I never heard her say, in all that she had planned, that God was a part of this growth.  I challenged her on this.

She has Christ. She has a personal relationship with our Savior, yes, but is she including Christ in her plans? I raise this because I think she's typical of many. I believe she'd be glad to have this point made and this question raised: in your plans today, how many of you have included God?

Build a relationship with God before you go about building anything else. Have a daily rapport with the great "I am" before you act, before you move.

And when you move, be the hands of God. That's our final point. You can be the hands of God. No, you weren't there when he established the heavens and drew the horizon on the oceans, but you, with your outstretched hands, can be there to help one of the recently baptized babies know a personal relationship with Christ.  No, you weren't there when God set the clouds above and established springs deep in the earth, but you can be there to greet the morning tomorrow and praise God for it. You can be there to praise him the first time you go swimming this year. You can be there tonight to thank him for the stars that rest like a blanket over you, or praise him when those first flowers you've planted bloom. No, you were not there when he marked off the earth's foundations, as mentioned in verse twenty-nine, but you can be there when your friend needs a shoulder and you have no idea what to say but know that God, through the Spirit, will do the talking for you. 

Be there. Decide. Dare. Delve. Devote, and now dedicate. Dedicate yourself to God and to a personal relationship with Christ that does not keep you still, but enables you to share.

Our series is going to end in a few moments. For five weeks, we've been talking about 'D' words. They lead to what we'll share next week, the start of something new:  discipleship. Specifically, we will begin a two-month journey that engages the biblical word discipleship and challenges, if not throws out all together, the secular word membership. We are not going to address the meaning of the word membership in our committee meetings as much as we are going to take it on here, in this sanctuary. My goal through June and July is to take us up to the word discipleship. Come back next week and each following week to see exactly what this church leader means.

Now, however, we close remembering the opening of our scripture today. Read verses one and two from your scripture sheet. "Listen as wisdom calls out. Hear as understanding raises her voice! On the hilltop along the road, she takes her stand at the crossroads."

We are here at a crossroads, folks. Now Lucinda Williams, Watson Jeffers and others both in scripture and in the building of this church, did not face these crossroads alone, no, they stepped through their difficult, trying, or transformative places as you can step through your difficult, trying, and transformative places, and that's with dedication to God through the Son and the living Holy Spirit.

As we close this sermon and this series, I invite you do this. Look down at your hands. Look down at your hands and continue to keep your eyes on your own hands as we conclude with this true story.

There was a statue of Jesus, arms open and extended toward the ground, at the crossroads in the French countryside [Knight's Treasury of 2000 Illustrations, p 440]. A fierce battle occurred there during WWI. The hands of the statue were blown away in the fighting. Afterwards, someone placed a plaque on the pedestal: "Christ has no hands but your hands."

Let us pray. "Gracious Lord, there in personal relationship with Wisdom herself, there with others who have done the work you would have them do, we, your people, seek a deeper personal relationship with you, and, as such, dedicate our hands to you. Use them as you will to help others, and guide us, in the weeks ahead, toward the meaning of discipleship with you. Amen."

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, we think of how they have followed in the footsteps of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Please hold our service men and women in your strong arms. Cover them with your sheltering grace and presence as they stand in the gap for our protection.

We also remember the families of our troops, and ask for your unique blessings to fill their homes and your peace, provision and strength to fill their lives.

May the members of our armed forces be filled with courage to face each day and may they trust in the Lord's mighty power to accomplish each task. Let our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support.  In the name of Jesus. Amen.