Readings for Proper 28B:
Daniel 12:1-4a (5-13); Psalm 16 or 16:5-11; Hebrews 10:31-39; Mark 13:14-23
November 12, 20006
The Rev. Robert J. Mayer
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA
Usually I do not preach shortly before Thanksgiving, because about now the institutional church, St. Jude’s, looks inward and plans for its next operating cycle. Well, Pastor Karen Siegfriedt gave voice to that … and then left the country … at least for a while. Pastor Robert the Greater took his turn last Sunday. That leaves Pastor Dawn.
Fortunately, for me there is more to looking inward and planning than worrying about income and expenses. Planning involves what we do with what we receive, and that is not one or two-dimensional.
I love some simple concepts, which is why I enjoy geometry. Two points still determine a line and three points a plane. The corollary of the latter for us is the three ‘T’s’ of stewardship. These are, have been, and always will be Treasure, Time, and Talent. You can put them in any order, and these three points are very plain. Therefore, if I were to title today’s sermon it would be “Plain Truth about Stewardship.”
When we think about those who exercise stewardship we usually think of:
Everyone in this room – even if it is the first time you have been inside a church -- is a steward, because like the stewards I just mentioned, we too need to be aware of our own commitment and our own responsibility to our world. Our world includes God’s holy Church. Our commitment, our responsibility, and thus our stewardship, is everything following our words, “We believe …“, “We believe …“
God really does not need our time, our talent, or our treasure. God got along quite well without them before our creation, and God will get along quite well without them long after this universe and we cease to exist. God really does not need us. Still, what are we supposed to do with what God does give us? What? We need to respond to God. We need respond to God in ways that we know. We need to respond to God in kind. This is, at least, good manners.
I promised to tell a friend this story about my family when they responded to God in kind. I was in grade school in Massachusetts, where Thanksgiving began. The event of responding in kind took place during this time of year, and during World War II. You need to know that my parents came from Europe to the United States as young adults. My parents, my father especially, was heavily involved in helping his family, my mother’s family, as well friends and acquaintances to emigrate from Europe, to get out as quickly as possible. My father signed so many affidavits, legal commitments to provide for their financial support that our State Department investigated him. He sold a business to raise funds for the emigration expenses of family and friends. That money covered transportation, food, lodging, legal and forged visas and passports, as well as bribes to border guards and others en route. During many a Thanksgiving, we hosted immigrant family, friends, and acquaintances for a grateful time together. Thanksgiving was big time at our home. There was a person who had lost contact with my father after kindergarten. That most memorable Thanksgiving Day was when the kindergarten classmate and huge extended family joined us and reunited face-to-face. We gave considerable thanks that day. Now my family and I try to maintain their legacy.
God showed us love in a way that we might be able to understand. We are called to respond to God with our love. Our calling is to respond to God in kind in as many ways as we can. It is the right thing to do.
God took the initiative to show us love at the First Creation. Later on, God tried to get through to us with a New Creation. God continues to take the initiative by creating, sustaining and developing us. God took and takes the initiative to show us love in a way that we know how understand. Creation never stops.
One St. Jude’s tradition is for parishioners to read a letter of their own about their commitment, their own stewardship. Their eloquence is outstanding. Such stewardship and such commitment is not their afterthought. It is not their leftovers. It is not their tip for good service.
It was not an afterthought that the infant Jesus, as we read early in the Gospel of Luke, their first born, was presented to the Lord. Since then this may be customary among some parents who believe in One God. Some Roman Catholics and some Orthodox Jews still present their firstborn to God, to the greater glory of God.
In another cultural thread, from Alex Haley’s Roots, we learned how his ancestor, presented another first-born child, and committed that child to the greater glory of God.
Such profound actions are not their afterthoughts, not leftovers, and not their tips for good service.
Bishop James Albert Pike, our bishop years ago, said people are meant to be loved and things are meant to be used, not the other way around. Love people and use things to the greater glory of God.
So, here I am ‘preaching to the choir’ about stewardship. I need to finish.
Once upon a time, a hen and a pig decided to open a breakfast-only restaurant. The hen and the pig wondered what to call it. “Let’s call it ‘Ham and Eggs’”, suggested the hen. “No way”, said the pig. “While you may be committed from time to time, I’m fully involved!”
| Updated 12/05/06 |
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