Several years ago I heard this great TED talk by Drew Dudley.  But, actually I forgot about it until I stumbled across it again recently.  Which in and of itself is ironic…you will understand that in a bit.  Let me give you the jist of his story…

Dudley tells the story of an interaction he had with a college freshman girl who was waiting in line with her parents for class registration. The young woman was filled with apprehension and doubts about her future at the university. She was at the point of turning to her parents and calling off her plans of attending school right when Dudley entered her life.

Dudley was carrying lollipops and passing them out to individuals to help spread awareness about a charity he was supporting. When he came to this nervous girl in line, he turned to the guy in front of her in line and said, “You need to give a lollipop to the beautiful woman next to you.” The guy turned deep red, took the lollipop and begrudgingly held out the lollipop for the young woman to take. Dudley made a few more humorous remarks and everyone in line fell into laughter, even the nervous freshman student.

At that moment, the young woman says her life was forever changed. Surprisingly, she had this overwhelming sense that everything was going to be okay. Four years after that humorous moment, the now graduated woman told Dudley how greatly he had impacted her life because of that single moment. To heighten the sweetness of the story, she is marrying the guy who handed her that lollipop.

Now here’s the clincher, Dudley has no recollection about this day. He’s run through his memory banks and has come up empty every time.

This interaction was a life altering moment for this young woman. She made a monumental decision to continue with college all because of a moment that lasted less than a minute. This inspired Dudley so much that he has now made it his life’s mission to tell this story, his “lollipop moment.”

Lollipop moment- a moment where someone said something or did something that fundamentally made your life better.  Hopefully, everyone has been a catalyst for a lollipop moment.  A time where we said to someone else- you have mattered, you do matter and you will matter.  And hopefully, everyone has been the recipient of a lollipop moment.  A time where you were told that you mattered, you do matter and you will matter. I know there are times when we gave the lollipop and times we received it.

This moment in line at the college registration ended up changing the lives of 3 people forever.  The couple is now married and Dudley has an amazing story to share to help us appreciate our connected lives.  This 6 minutes video of Dudley’s story has been viewed online over 5 million times! One moment, many impacted.

This is indeed my last sermon here at Lima Church.  That is hard to believe. But as I prepared, this lollipop story would not leave my head or my heart.  It tells my story and yours, it tells our story.  Small moments, linked  together, piled up, collected in a basket have the power to be life changing today and in the future!  Even when we don’t see them or recognize them or remember them.

Each lollipop moment adds to the next- each moment is carried in someone’s heart as long as they live, wherever they go, that lollipop moment informs how they treat others, how they then hand out lollipops to others…do you see the connection?

My time here at Lima has filled my basket with lollipops- with blessings- with impact- fundamentally making my life better.  There are over 250 lollipops in this basket.  Each one of them represents something that was said or done by one or many or all of you.  Some I can remember and some, like in the story, I cannot recall the details.  You might remember giving me one of these lollipops or you might have no recollection.

One of my favorite quotes is from Maya Angelou- People may forget what you said, and people may forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Let me just give you a few examples- I could talk all day about this basket of blessings, but I won’t 🙂

This orange one first- I have promised myself that I would always first recognize the gift my parents gave me by taking me to church.  I was baptized right here in Lima UMC.  From before I can remember church has been a central part of my life.  From Sunday School to VBS, to church musicals, to youth groups and yes, even church clowning (You learn something new about me every day).  I can’t remember a time when I did know that Jesus loved me and that God thought I was pretty awesome, even when I didn’t think that myself.  My parents gave me the lollipop that fuels my love for church.

This green one- for the handmade cards I have received from Sandy Fagley- congratulations, encouragement, gratitude.  I keep them, I re-read them and I know how valuable a personal handwritten note can be.

This red one- for the smiling face of Bill Kaufman at the front door each Sunday morning.  I warm and sincere welcome, a greeting by name, a consistent fixture.

This orange one- for any of you who have been in a Bible Study with me- your questions, your knowledge, your curiosity, your desire to know God more has inspired me, challenged me, informed me.

This purple one- for Lillian Wright’s ability to bring her humor to just about every situation and her reminder not to take ourselves too seriously.  Church can and should be fun!

This red one- For every person who passes the peace to me each week in worship.  Making eye contact, smiling, hugging, waving.  In that moment, we are sharing the beautiful gift of God’s peace.  It fills my soul!

This yellow one- for all of you who worked diligently, authentically and with deep respect for all people to craft the reconciling statement of Lima UMC.  You showed me how a commitment to justice can start with a few people and impact many.

The purple one- to the ENTIRE congregation who has prayed for me, encouraged me, helped as I worked to answer God’s call on my life.  From my times of confusion, to listening to my call story, to hearing my complaining about the amount of reading and writing I had coming due for a seminary class, the affirmation that God was active in my life…but none more than the financial support that I received from this congregation.  Your collective belief in what God was calling me to do is something that will continue to strengthen me throughout the rest of my life.

Now I am sure there were no lollipops in the local market in Paul’s time.  But, I think if Paul and Drew Dudely could chat they would find wild agreement in the blessing these lollipop moments offer!  I think they would agree that it is these moments that form the church, that grow the church, that sustain the church, that empower the church.  .

 

I love the vision we see as we read the scripture from Acts, chapter 2.  This is the beginning of the church.  The Day of Pentecost had brought the Holy Spirit and now the people were starting to come together.  They prayed and ate together, they supported each other, they worshiped together with glad and sincere hearts…Can you hear the conversations around those tables or in the temple courts or as they worked side by side?  I imagine they were conversations filled with encouragement and affirmation, with joy and with a strong sense of community.  They were in this thing together! There were lollipop moments flying all over the place!

 

When they all lived together, it was easy to feel connected, to stay connected, to share life, to see how each one contributed to the whole.  But, as the disciples and the new believers started to spread out to preach and teach about the saving power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ the sense of connection to each other seemed to have weakened.  We don’t hear that part of the story specifically, but we do read what Paul felt he needed to write to offer encouragement and direction.

 

Paul reminds the Christians in Ephesus about this sense of unity, of the truth about being one because of their faith in Jesus, about what the church really was…

 

Paul says the church is made up of people linked together, joined by ligaments. Jesus is the head and we all make up the body…connected…each requiring what the other can give. Paul doesn’t say each individual church is its own body- no- he says THE church is THE body and Christ is the head.

 

Paul says our collective goal and purpose is to build up that body of Christ. To build up the church. To build the muscles- to mature- to make strong the things that hold us together.  To notice and celebrate what unites us and to notice and break down what tears us apart.  As we strengthen our connections and tear down the barriers the result is unity and peace.

 

We don’t do this alone.  We do it with each other here at Lima Church and we do it as part of THE church with people we may never know or meet.

 

So, in the next couple of weeks, I will leave the part of the body called Lima UMC and I will join the part of the body called Conshohocken UMC.  Although it may seem normal to see it as an ending and a beginning, I really see it as a continuation- a connection formed and strengthened that supports peace, unity and justice. I see it as a new ligament, a bulked up muscle.

 

The Holy Spirit inspires these lollipop moments- these times when we support and encourage and affirm.

 

That same Holy Spirit that came on that first Pentecost, the same Holy Spirit that has the power to raise Jesus from the dead.  That same Holy Spirit is in each of us- working to hold us together, strengthen our bond and to promote growth!

 

These lollipops in my basket will not stay here at Lima.  They will go with me to CUMC because they are now part of who I am.  They will be part of my first sermon there on July 31st.  You have filled me up, you have poured yourselves into me, you have taught me and loved me. Because of the people of Lima Church I will continue to LOVE church and know what a gift it is to have known Jesus my whole life.  I will make sure more children get that experience. I will write more handwritten notes because I know the value!  I will welcome everyone to the church with authenticity and excitement.  I will continue to learn from everyone around me- I will continue to seek curiosity and imagination.  I will stay the course to promote justice for all of God’s beloved people.  I will help people see and recognize and act on God’s call on their life.  I will be ridiculously generous with my support and my encouragement.  Wherever I go, you go too!

 

Now Lima and Conshohocken are connected- you may never meet people there, but know you will have impacted them.  I bring you all with me…our time together, our ministries, our decisions, our work, our discipleship all goes with me…CUMC will be impacted by Lima…do you see it?  A new connection has been made in the body of Christ.  Like Paul says each connection strengthens the body and strength in the body brings peace and unity.

 

I hope you continue to be lollipop people- telling others they have mattered, the do matter and they will matter.  I know you will because you have mattered, you do matter and you will matter.  This is how we will strengthen and grow the church and see and experience the peace of God’s Kingdom.

 

To God be the glory.  Amen.