Rev. Harriette Cross
Rust and Englewood UMC
August 15, 2010
The Cloud of Witnesses and those who come after us
Isaiah 5:1-7
Hebrews 11:29-12:2
12th Sunday after Pentecost
Year C
What it takes to run a 4000 mile marathon
For 111 days, Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab, and Kevin Lin ran across the Sahara Desert. They went through Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Libya, and Egypt until they reached the red sea. During the race of endurance, they faced 100 degree weather, freezing nights, sandstorms, tendinitis, sickness, aches pains and many blisters. In spite of all of that the hardest part for them was to find water clean enough to drink – it wasn’t like there was a water station waiting for them at any point. This was all a part of a 4000 mile marathon across the Sahara. This was quite an accomplishment.
I try to be a runner, but am in no means a ready to do a marathon. But I do know that running takes a lot of practice, endurance, and perseverance. Running a race is a lot like being a Christian, a faithful Christian. Someone who was able to keep the faith, serving God until the end. Church members who weather conflict and remain joyful, loving and faithful.
The epistles use the metaphor a lot of running a race who knows if Paul was a runner himself, but we know that running was an important part of the culture of the time. The Greeks were always running somewhere. Hebrews uses the running metaphor to encourage us to be ready to run the race before us.
What faithfulness does
As I said earlier, the message of Hebrews is for us to be faithful – to live faithful. But what does that mean. Before I talk about what faith means – let me talk about what faithfulness does. Faithfulness is loving, kind, understanding, patience, willing to wait, willing to endure. Faithfulness is the 7th of nine fruits of the spirit. Galatians list the nine fruits as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Fruit because these are qualities which take time for us to acquire, none of us are born with them, they develop as a faithful response to life circumstances.
Faithfulness waits, faithfulness is disappointed and hurt, faithfulness makes a decision to be loyal anyway.
The Book of Isaiah as an example of what faith does
That is the message in the book of Isaiah. It starts out as a love song – let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard. Any who heard those words would have known that a vineyard is a metaphor for a bride – someone worthy of being loved, looked after, and fruitfully enjoyed. They would be expecting a happy song about a love fulfilled, instead that get a lament about a love unfulfilled, and owner who took the time to loving grow a field, who cared for it tended it, and waited for the day when the field would give good fruit. Instead the fruit was rotten and not even fit to eat. The owner is angry and vows to destroy the field for disappointing him. Jesus even talks of a fig tree which does not produce fruit and must be destroyed.
The owner is so hurt that things did not turn out the way he was expecting that he vows to not only stop taking care of it, but to not rain upon it. The story reveals that the vineyard is the people of God and that God is the keeper who was expecting justice and found only bloodshed amongst his people. How is that a story of love? When the lover was hurt by those he loved? Because this is also a story of God. Love is the nature of God. Sometimes you have to love people enough to be honest with them, to tell them that they are wrong and to call them on their sin. People have to be reminded that no matter how much I love you, I can’t save you from the consequences of your actions.
Sometimes we have to be told that no matter whom you are, and how stuck your are in your sin, I may be hurt, but I will never give up on you or your ability to do the right things when held accountable. That God love for us – to love us just the way we are, through the good times and bad times, always patiently waiting for the good times.
A couple and their example of faithfulness
A husband, who was going through early onset Alzheimer’s disease – wrote a letter to his wife of his fear of losing her, of the day coming when he would no longer recognize her, or speak to her – he didn’t want to lose her that way.
She responded back to him in tears that I will continue to love you and care for you, not because you know me or remember our life, but because I will remember you. I will remember the man who proposed to me, I will remember the man who fathers and helped raise my children, I will remember the things he loved to do, the movies we watched and cried over, the times he held me hand, the times we prayed together. I cherish the obligation, commitment, and opportunity to care for you, because I remember you. And she did all throughout his illness. When he did forget her, he did forget his life, he did forget his own name and he eventually died. How is that a love story? That is a love story because that is a story of what faith does. It endures through it all.
What Faith is
That is what faith does – now let’s talk about what faith is.
In the bible, in both the Hebrew bible and the New Testament – faith and faithfulness are used interchangeably. The Greek word is pistos. The word epistle – is a letter of faith sent to the people.
Faith is to give oneself over to wholly to be loyal, to trust, and to be dependable. Faith for Christian means to have an insatiable appetite for god, to be in constant pursuit of holiness. To stay in the situation for the long haul- to endure.
Those who have come before us
The writer of Hebrews reminds us that faith is not just about us – it is about those who come before us. Our role models, our teachers, our parents, our mentors, those who hung onto the faith throughout the ups and downs of history. Especially in African American culture, we know that many of those who fought so hard for us to get where we are had to make a lot of sacrifices. Many of them never saw the world they were hanging onto – and we are the fulfillment of what some never saw for themselves. And yet through it all, they hung onto faith for something in the future.
We can learn a lot from those who run before us. Someone once said that as we get older, running the race of faith means being determined to run no matter what, sometimes we have to be urged to lift our drooping arms, finding strength to move our aching knees and being determined to find a straight and flat course to run so that we don’t have to struggle to get up the hills in life. Running the course of faith is not a short dash to glory, but endurance and perseverance to the make it to the end.
We are never alone in our race – because we have those who have gone before us, always cheering us on being an example for us. Hebrews says the our greatest example of faithful endurance is Jesus Christ, who went to the cross on our behalf, confident that one day we would understand and follow his in his journey and his example.
Setting a faithful example for those behind us
Our most important task in the race called life is to remember the example we set and the path we pave for those behind us.
I volunteered for the Chicago marathon last year, the only way to get a jacket and a hat was to volunteer on Sunday. My job was to stand at the front of the starting line before the race. My friend criticized me and said that I should have been running, I explained that if I had run, I would have been at the back somewhere struggling all day knowing good and well that I was in over my head and would not finish.
But instead I was at the start line in front of 30,000 people. With that many people in order to prevent a stampede, you have to order the runners, and put the very fastest in the front. Our job was to form a human chain so that no one started too soon, and as soon as you heard the buzzer, to get out of the way and watch the wave of humanity cross the start line on the way to finishing a race.
What an amazing feeling it was to channel the energy of the fastest people on earth – a lot of people choose to run in the Chicago marathon because it is a straight flat race, where you don’t have to strain yourself to run.
But to watch that energy and power go forward for that moment believing that anything is possible and that they can conquer anything in life was amazing.
My point is that there 30,000 saints or more in the race who have gone before us and shown us the way. But there are 30,000 saints after us looking to us for an example of faith.
God is always faithful to humanity, God is always going to understand, god is always going to call people, and God is always going to be present in the lives of the people.
When we look around the room we may ask, but where are these people- how is God as work in their lives, How is Christ bringing salvation to their lives – it is a matter of faith for us to realize that they are out there, they are coming, they are discovering faith, and they are joining the race.
We don’t have to step aside; the we have to step forward to lead to run the race of faith that has been set before us. Let us pray….. Amen.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Not by sight, but by Faith
August 8, 2010
Faith in things Unseen
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Luke 12:32-40
11th Sunday after Pentecost
Year C
Introduction
A missionary family went to dinner with some other missionaries. The small children are outside playing before dinner, and when it is time to come in the hostess reminds all of the children to make sure that they wash their hands. They have been playing in dirt, she reminds them and they don’t want to get germs in their bodies. One of the little boys replies, germs and Jesus – that is all I hear about all day. You cant see either of them, but they seem to be all that anyone ever talks about. It is interesting that none of us have ever seen either, but there are people who seem to know that germs are a reality of our lives.
List of things that we have never seen….
Germs, never seen outer space, never seen Australia – but we don’t question whether they exist or not.
But for some reason, we love to question Jesus – is he real, what does he do, what role does he play in life.
The real question is not about jesus, but about faith.
Hebrews says that faith is something that you cant see, or touch, but you have to know that it is there and you have to use it.
There is a difference between religion and faith.
Religion is what you do, faith is why you do it
There is a value to having faith in Jesus
The situation of Hebrews. They were discouraged. There were told that this man Jesus was going to return and make everything better and instead things were getting worse. They wanted to start to see results – results that they could see and touch.
Paul reminded them that if they were looking for the real evidence of faith – they needed to look in the lives of those who had it. We will hear more of the faith story later – but today he uses the example of Abraham. He stepped out on faith and a command from God – and he gave us all faith.
There are times when we question God, we question what going on in our lives, we question why things are happening.
The antidote for anxiety – is to believe to have faith. To be watchful, ready, and willing to serve. In luke – Jesus knows that the faithful get restless. But he reminds us that when we get restless, we also become careless. We stop paying attention, we stop having a living relationship with god. Be always dressed for action and have your lamp lit. in other words to always be prepared to see god.
Faith is a journey – that never ends. You alre always going somewhere, trying to dosomethings for God. If you know god. The one thing that you realze that you never know god. F you have ever been called by god – you know that there is a danger of being stuck. Just because you talked to god yesterday, doesn’t make you prepared for god today. Circumstances of faith are always changing.
Firsthand, in askng god for a gift, in thinking was seeing the signs tht god said yes and getting into the biggest most challenging stuggle of my life. And asking god- but you said that could have this – but I never thought aout the responsibilities that came with it. It doesn’t take much to see that every day is a challenge, and just when I think I got the hang of the situation, somethine new comes up.
Is god doing that to me on purpose, or is god reminding me, that worship and unknown god. A god that I have to constantly reach out and hold onto, and alwys be willing to follow no matter what. Don’t have to know god in order to have faith that God is doing what is best for me.
Hebrews says something important about the people of faith. Abraham never fully saw his promise fulfilled that his ancestors would be as prosperous as the stars – he only saw that one miracle baby. He didn’t have to see the promise fulfilled, to lve by the promise.
He was a foreigner, a stranger, if we are on a journey – we are supposed to be uncortable, feeling out of sorts, not quite fitting in or making things work – that is the nature of the life we live.
But most importantly – he points our that Abraham started his journey at home – he was with family, he had a job, he had a place, he understood what was going on – and god called him to do something more- to find a new home, a new family, a new sense of direction. The home he was seeking was a new home a better home, a home with god.
The biggest antidote to life is to have asense of homesickness – a yearning to be with god, a yearning yo be near god. To believe in the promises of god. An understanding that iam not there yet, but that is always where I am headed. Faith is a journey – where I am a foreigner in this land – makng my way home. To know that the fathers good pleasure is to give you the kingdom. But you are not there yet. What happens when you get comfortable – and start to think that you are at home, you get lazy.
Carl sagan was a famous author – be he was also an atheist. If he could not see god, did nto believe in him. Once asked a pastor- you seem like a really intelligent person, why would you believe in god. You seem like a really intelligent person, why don’t you believe in god. He died, never confessing, never questioning, never having an inkling tht just maybe there s something that he cant see. Someone asked his wife why he never confessed god. She said because he was the type of person who was not comfortable believing – he needed to know.
I like this quote from rick warren – god doesn’t respond to begging, bargaining, bribing, badergind of bemoaning. God only responds when we believe – when we have faith in what we cant see or understand.
We can never know God – or truly what god is going in or lives. But we gotta believe in the the peace that passing all understanding. Whatever we may see in the world – we can belive that god is working it out for the good of those who believe.
Everyday is a new day – every day we have to step out on faith, believing in the promises of God, never really knowing if we will see god or not. But always prepared, always vigilant.
I would leave you with a a wonderful prayer by Thomas Merton that goes
well with this reading, and we can almost imagine the letter-writer
including it as a closing: "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I
do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will
end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am
following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe
that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I
have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do
anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead
me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I
trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I
will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face
my perils alone" (Thoughts in Solitude).
Faith in things Unseen
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Luke 12:32-40
11th Sunday after Pentecost
Year C
Introduction
A missionary family went to dinner with some other missionaries. The small children are outside playing before dinner, and when it is time to come in the hostess reminds all of the children to make sure that they wash their hands. They have been playing in dirt, she reminds them and they don’t want to get germs in their bodies. One of the little boys replies, germs and Jesus – that is all I hear about all day. You cant see either of them, but they seem to be all that anyone ever talks about. It is interesting that none of us have ever seen either, but there are people who seem to know that germs are a reality of our lives.
List of things that we have never seen….
Germs, never seen outer space, never seen Australia – but we don’t question whether they exist or not.
But for some reason, we love to question Jesus – is he real, what does he do, what role does he play in life.
The real question is not about jesus, but about faith.
Hebrews says that faith is something that you cant see, or touch, but you have to know that it is there and you have to use it.
There is a difference between religion and faith.
Religion is what you do, faith is why you do it
There is a value to having faith in Jesus
The situation of Hebrews. They were discouraged. There were told that this man Jesus was going to return and make everything better and instead things were getting worse. They wanted to start to see results – results that they could see and touch.
Paul reminded them that if they were looking for the real evidence of faith – they needed to look in the lives of those who had it. We will hear more of the faith story later – but today he uses the example of Abraham. He stepped out on faith and a command from God – and he gave us all faith.
There are times when we question God, we question what going on in our lives, we question why things are happening.
The antidote for anxiety – is to believe to have faith. To be watchful, ready, and willing to serve. In luke – Jesus knows that the faithful get restless. But he reminds us that when we get restless, we also become careless. We stop paying attention, we stop having a living relationship with god. Be always dressed for action and have your lamp lit. in other words to always be prepared to see god.
Faith is a journey – that never ends. You alre always going somewhere, trying to dosomethings for God. If you know god. The one thing that you realze that you never know god. F you have ever been called by god – you know that there is a danger of being stuck. Just because you talked to god yesterday, doesn’t make you prepared for god today. Circumstances of faith are always changing.
Firsthand, in askng god for a gift, in thinking was seeing the signs tht god said yes and getting into the biggest most challenging stuggle of my life. And asking god- but you said that could have this – but I never thought aout the responsibilities that came with it. It doesn’t take much to see that every day is a challenge, and just when I think I got the hang of the situation, somethine new comes up.
Is god doing that to me on purpose, or is god reminding me, that worship and unknown god. A god that I have to constantly reach out and hold onto, and alwys be willing to follow no matter what. Don’t have to know god in order to have faith that God is doing what is best for me.
Hebrews says something important about the people of faith. Abraham never fully saw his promise fulfilled that his ancestors would be as prosperous as the stars – he only saw that one miracle baby. He didn’t have to see the promise fulfilled, to lve by the promise.
He was a foreigner, a stranger, if we are on a journey – we are supposed to be uncortable, feeling out of sorts, not quite fitting in or making things work – that is the nature of the life we live.
But most importantly – he points our that Abraham started his journey at home – he was with family, he had a job, he had a place, he understood what was going on – and god called him to do something more- to find a new home, a new family, a new sense of direction. The home he was seeking was a new home a better home, a home with god.
The biggest antidote to life is to have asense of homesickness – a yearning to be with god, a yearning yo be near god. To believe in the promises of god. An understanding that iam not there yet, but that is always where I am headed. Faith is a journey – where I am a foreigner in this land – makng my way home. To know that the fathers good pleasure is to give you the kingdom. But you are not there yet. What happens when you get comfortable – and start to think that you are at home, you get lazy.
Carl sagan was a famous author – be he was also an atheist. If he could not see god, did nto believe in him. Once asked a pastor- you seem like a really intelligent person, why would you believe in god. You seem like a really intelligent person, why don’t you believe in god. He died, never confessing, never questioning, never having an inkling tht just maybe there s something that he cant see. Someone asked his wife why he never confessed god. She said because he was the type of person who was not comfortable believing – he needed to know.
I like this quote from rick warren – god doesn’t respond to begging, bargaining, bribing, badergind of bemoaning. God only responds when we believe – when we have faith in what we cant see or understand.
We can never know God – or truly what god is going in or lives. But we gotta believe in the the peace that passing all understanding. Whatever we may see in the world – we can belive that god is working it out for the good of those who believe.
Everyday is a new day – every day we have to step out on faith, believing in the promises of God, never really knowing if we will see god or not. But always prepared, always vigilant.
I would leave you with a a wonderful prayer by Thomas Merton that goes
well with this reading, and we can almost imagine the letter-writer
including it as a closing: "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I
do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will
end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am
following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe
that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I
have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do
anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead
me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I
trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I
will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face
my perils alone" (Thoughts in Solitude).
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Where is your Treasure?
August 1, 2010
Where is your treasure?
Colossians 3:1-11
Luke 12:13-21
Year C
10th Sunday after Pentecost
Introduction
Comments on Chelsea Clinton’s wedding…..
Well, the big day has finally come and gone. Chelsea Clinton has finally gotten married, and everything seemed to go off with a hitch. If there was a problem, it would have been all over the news this morning, and so far I have heard nothing more than good reports. They say that the average wedding costs about $25,000 – Chelsea’s reportedly could be anywhere from 3 to 6 millions dollars when the final figures comes in. I have had to ask everyone that I know this weekend – why would they need to spend so much. It seems a little over extravagant and unnessessary to me, but then again I am not the one paying for it.
Comparisons of weddings
I heard of another wedding recently where the family announced to the guest after the wedding that they were taking all that they would have spent on a nice wedding, with flowers, and food and decorations, and gifts, and they were going to the local orphanage to give it to children in need, they invited the guest to join them and give whatever they were going to give to the new couple to the children.
It raises the question for me of how much is too much? When do we know that we are spending our money wisely, and when we have crossed the line and become just out right greedy? When are we being ambituous, and when are we getting carried away. What if I don’t even have 3-6 million dollars to spend – can I ever be accused of greed?
Greed
Greed is not about how much money you have, it is a condition of the spirit. When we are afraid of not having enough- then we start to hoard and hold onto things for our own security. Greed becomes a thief that robs us of our life, and our connection to God. We forget to rely on God. Greed has the power to destroy our bodies and souls, it causes us to place things over people, it compromises our principles, and it can get so bad that it makes us fools. Someone who has lost track of whats real and what is just in our imagination. Greed is a soul condition. Jesus addresses greed in his teaching for today – he saw it in the request for him to judge how much one brother should give to another in an inheritance dispute.
There is even a rumor that since Jesus lived so long ago and since he was such a nice person, that he always talked about our souls, but he would never address our stuff. Jesus was concerned about our behavior, but he would never address money issues. That is not true. If Jesus did not talk about money then neither should the preacher, – but the truth is – that Jesus talked about money all of the time. He was a little obsessed with it actually. Almost 2/3 of his parables had to do with money or possessions. The story in Luke 12:13-21 is one of those times when Jesus talks about money.
Commentary on the text
A man, probably a younger brother steps out of the crowd to ask Jesus to settle a dispute between his brother over his inheritance. In those days, it was the older brother who received the inheritance from his father. It was his decision to share it with his other brothers. Jesus tells him that he has not come here to settle disputes between brothers. Jesus says that he does not want to make a decision between greedy and greedy. Instead he tells the brother and all listening the story of a farmer who stored up grain for himself. He was so blessed that he had too much grain, and decided to tear down his old storehouses and to build bigger ones. God gets a little concerned about the man’s priorities, and demands his soul that very night. We are supposed to strive to be rich in God, not in stuff. Because you can’t take stuff with you when you die.
Life focused just on self
The bible calls this man a silly fool. But we are all a lot like him. He was not a bad man; he did not have evil intentions. The story did not say that he cheated anyone, that he lied, he probably was a very shrewd businessman. But he was convinced that his life was in his hands. As he spoke of his dilemma of having too much stuff and needing more storage space, his whole conversation was about himself. What he had, what he could do, how it would affect him. His whole conversation was about me and mine. You can look back and note how many times in his conversation that he said I. Jesus’ conversation is always about we and us. We are not in this world alone- there are many others in need. When we hold onto our money and possession, there are always others who do without. Jesus didn’t have any possession. He didn’t have a house, or a donkey or even a moneybag. What he did have were people – lots of people who depended upon his word for life.
A Life focused on what’s in front of you
The man lived in a world where what he could see right before him was all that there was. He didn’t feel he needed to prepare himself for eternal life – so he needed to work as hard as he could to win before the game was over. Colossians says that when we take on Christ that we take on a new perspective in life. We are focused on our lives in heaven, and not on the things of the earth. When you try to fix your life from the bottom up. Starting down here and moving up there, it is easy for you to get stuck in the details. It is sort of like cleaning out your basement – once you open one box, you open another and you cant complete your task, because you are so busy looking at what you have. But when you start up here, and work down – then you see life from a different perspective. You can see everything at once – and your start to prioritize what is important and what it is that you are never going to look at. You can throw away those boxes, without even bothering to look in them. You start to see yourselves and your potential the way God sees your potential and you make a difference.
Jesus reminds us that we are all just like the older brother who has been given an inheritance. We shouldn’t have to be told to share the gift that we have been given with our brothers and sisters.
Story of the young woman
There was a young woman – one could say that she was very rich in her gifts from god. Very rich indeed. Her gifts were great. From the very moment of her birth her intelligence, and tenacity were quite evident. As she grew she became in succession, ruler of her nursery school, monarch of day care, student council chairperson, and valedictorian of bother her high school and college classes. Then not being content with her Harvard bachelor’s degree in business administration, she graduated at the top of the best MBA program in the country. No one was surprised when half the companies in the fortune 100 actively courted her. a major manufacturer finally won the competition for her skills. The company’s president proudly told the Wall Street journal about how she would transform the firm. It wasn’t too long before he realized that complete accuracy of his statements. But unfortunately his business savvy didn’t foretell the way she deflated his golden parachute as she almost literally shoved him out the executive suite door. In doing so, she became the youngest CEO in the history of the firm. The firm she took over was no ordinary firm, of course. You could see that from its balance sheet. But you could see it even more in the faces of its employees. For while the firm was immensely profitable, it had the reputation of being even more immensely honorable.
Over its hundred year plus history, its officers had always treated their employees and customers, as they wished to be treated themselves. Even more impressively, in this day and age, they’d always refused to do business with any company that treated their customers or employees with anything but the same level of honor.
After she’d installed herself in the corner office, the firms new CEO carefully examined this well crafted tradition of honor. At least she examined it before she tossed it our. Then her drive to success led her to a search for a new tradition. To keep on top, she thought profit must rule over anything else.
It wasn’t long before the firm’s workers were hit with massive layoffs, and plant closures. In their place came factories in countries that were less picky about labor and environmental issues. The average age of those employees was about 12. and it suddenly didn’t seem too important when the firm’s child laborers developed many cancers never before seen in their country. Soon the firms share price climbed through the roof. With all of her stock options the new CEO seemed set for life. After all, with more money, she had more possessions. More power then she could ever possibly use or spend. Her life seemed perfect.
But her perfect world began to unravel after her visit to the firm’s new factory in Thailand. She’d gone there to assure herself that everything was being done to maximize its profitability. She was quite pleased by what she saw at the plant. Her young workers there were laboring at a feverish speed. And no funds were being spent to provide them any unnecessary frills; frills like safety equipment.
Then just as she was leaving the plant, she heard a hissing noise. Before she could even turn to locate the source, she found herself enveloped in a cloud of foul smelling fumes. Quickly she ran from the plant and stood grasping for breath beside the main door. When at last she could speak she questioned the plant manager about the fumes source. Don’t worry, he told her. The holding tank for our processing chemicals springs a leak now and then. The workers are used to it by now.
Satisfies by the explanation, she returned to the firms New York headquarters. There she threw herself into her latest effort; a hostile takeover of a major competitor. But after a few months, she began to feel strange. She tired easily, became nauseated frequently. And began to loose weight. At first she thought that it was just a virus. But why didn’t the symptoms go away? Then she notices a lump on her neck.
For the first time, she was scared. She made an appointment with the best doctor in the city.
After being poked and prodded, and tested the doctor looked at her in silence. His eyes seemed to pierce her soul. I am so sorry he said, her death would come very quick, within a month. She was confined to her home, as hospice took very good care of her.
Dying is a very lonely affair. None of her employees ever came to visit. She heard that they celebrated when they heard the news,
She had not friends, and she had alienated her family. Weeks went by with no one, until one day an unexpected visitor why knocked at the door.
A friend who was rich in God
It was her former boss; the one she had fired. He sat with her that day, and came back every day to visit. He often bought flowers or other gifts to cheer her up. She began to look forward to these visits and to wonder why he was so nice to her.
One day she asked him. Why are you visiting me – took everything away from you. After I fired you , you were so poor.
Her former boss smiled at her for a moment and then leaned forward and took her hand. You could never make me poor. As long as I can do something for someone else I can never be poor.
You see, the secret of being rich, isn’t gaining possessions, it isn’t winning the rat race. For I found out early in life that no matter who well I did in the rat race, I was still a rat.
The secret of being rich is using your gifts and whatever you gain from those gifts to help others. We have a choice in life he said – you can be rich in ourselves, and build up money and things, but in the end no amount of money or things will matter
But if we use what we have to enrich God’s people, we’ll have created things that matter. Only in that way can we be rich toward God.
Her life ended painfully, but the pain was lessoned by a sense of awe. For at least she’d met someone who was rich. Very rich indeed. To God alone be the glory.
Conclusion
How much is too much? When do we reach the point in our lives when we are using our resources, and when we are being greedy. Jesus never gives a straight answer. But he does warn us all to be on constant guard against greed. Our lives are not defined by what we have or don’t have, it is defined by the relationships we have. The most important relationship being the one we have with Christ.
Clothing ourselves in Christ
An anonymous author expressed what it means to come to Christ and discover the wonderful experience of salvation.
He asked:
Let a person go to a psychiatrist and what does he become? An adjusted sinner.
Let a person go to a physician and what does he become? A healthy sinner.
Let a person achieve wealth and what does he become? A wealthy sinner.
Let a person join a church, sign a card, and turn over a new leaf in life and what does he become? A religious sinner.
But what happens when a person goes to Jesus? If he/she comes to Christ in sincere repentance, confessing their sin and receiving Christ by faith through the cross of Calvary, that person becomes a new creature in Christ, forgiven, reconciled, and adopted into the family of God, with a new vision, mission, meaning, and purpose to life. That person will also find achievement, fulfillment, and direction in God's will and call in life! We become God’s children.
Stewardship
With life in Christ stewardship is caring for the things that God cares about. Guarding ourselves against greed, being rich in the things of Christ, Keeping our heads on the things of God, Clothing ourselves in Christ all leads to a conversation on stewardship. Stewardship – taking care of god’s things is not just a time once a year when we are deciding what we are going to give to God. Stewardship is a process that starts with how much money we give to the church, it ends with how much money we give to the church after we become aware of how much god has given us. Stewardship is the time when we must constantly assess what it is that I need to take off. So that I can put on the new self that Christ has given you. Let us pray.
Amen.
Where is your treasure?
Colossians 3:1-11
Luke 12:13-21
Year C
10th Sunday after Pentecost
Introduction
Comments on Chelsea Clinton’s wedding…..
Well, the big day has finally come and gone. Chelsea Clinton has finally gotten married, and everything seemed to go off with a hitch. If there was a problem, it would have been all over the news this morning, and so far I have heard nothing more than good reports. They say that the average wedding costs about $25,000 – Chelsea’s reportedly could be anywhere from 3 to 6 millions dollars when the final figures comes in. I have had to ask everyone that I know this weekend – why would they need to spend so much. It seems a little over extravagant and unnessessary to me, but then again I am not the one paying for it.
Comparisons of weddings
I heard of another wedding recently where the family announced to the guest after the wedding that they were taking all that they would have spent on a nice wedding, with flowers, and food and decorations, and gifts, and they were going to the local orphanage to give it to children in need, they invited the guest to join them and give whatever they were going to give to the new couple to the children.
It raises the question for me of how much is too much? When do we know that we are spending our money wisely, and when we have crossed the line and become just out right greedy? When are we being ambituous, and when are we getting carried away. What if I don’t even have 3-6 million dollars to spend – can I ever be accused of greed?
Greed
Greed is not about how much money you have, it is a condition of the spirit. When we are afraid of not having enough- then we start to hoard and hold onto things for our own security. Greed becomes a thief that robs us of our life, and our connection to God. We forget to rely on God. Greed has the power to destroy our bodies and souls, it causes us to place things over people, it compromises our principles, and it can get so bad that it makes us fools. Someone who has lost track of whats real and what is just in our imagination. Greed is a soul condition. Jesus addresses greed in his teaching for today – he saw it in the request for him to judge how much one brother should give to another in an inheritance dispute.
There is even a rumor that since Jesus lived so long ago and since he was such a nice person, that he always talked about our souls, but he would never address our stuff. Jesus was concerned about our behavior, but he would never address money issues. That is not true. If Jesus did not talk about money then neither should the preacher, – but the truth is – that Jesus talked about money all of the time. He was a little obsessed with it actually. Almost 2/3 of his parables had to do with money or possessions. The story in Luke 12:13-21 is one of those times when Jesus talks about money.
Commentary on the text
A man, probably a younger brother steps out of the crowd to ask Jesus to settle a dispute between his brother over his inheritance. In those days, it was the older brother who received the inheritance from his father. It was his decision to share it with his other brothers. Jesus tells him that he has not come here to settle disputes between brothers. Jesus says that he does not want to make a decision between greedy and greedy. Instead he tells the brother and all listening the story of a farmer who stored up grain for himself. He was so blessed that he had too much grain, and decided to tear down his old storehouses and to build bigger ones. God gets a little concerned about the man’s priorities, and demands his soul that very night. We are supposed to strive to be rich in God, not in stuff. Because you can’t take stuff with you when you die.
Life focused just on self
The bible calls this man a silly fool. But we are all a lot like him. He was not a bad man; he did not have evil intentions. The story did not say that he cheated anyone, that he lied, he probably was a very shrewd businessman. But he was convinced that his life was in his hands. As he spoke of his dilemma of having too much stuff and needing more storage space, his whole conversation was about himself. What he had, what he could do, how it would affect him. His whole conversation was about me and mine. You can look back and note how many times in his conversation that he said I. Jesus’ conversation is always about we and us. We are not in this world alone- there are many others in need. When we hold onto our money and possession, there are always others who do without. Jesus didn’t have any possession. He didn’t have a house, or a donkey or even a moneybag. What he did have were people – lots of people who depended upon his word for life.
A Life focused on what’s in front of you
The man lived in a world where what he could see right before him was all that there was. He didn’t feel he needed to prepare himself for eternal life – so he needed to work as hard as he could to win before the game was over. Colossians says that when we take on Christ that we take on a new perspective in life. We are focused on our lives in heaven, and not on the things of the earth. When you try to fix your life from the bottom up. Starting down here and moving up there, it is easy for you to get stuck in the details. It is sort of like cleaning out your basement – once you open one box, you open another and you cant complete your task, because you are so busy looking at what you have. But when you start up here, and work down – then you see life from a different perspective. You can see everything at once – and your start to prioritize what is important and what it is that you are never going to look at. You can throw away those boxes, without even bothering to look in them. You start to see yourselves and your potential the way God sees your potential and you make a difference.
Jesus reminds us that we are all just like the older brother who has been given an inheritance. We shouldn’t have to be told to share the gift that we have been given with our brothers and sisters.
Story of the young woman
There was a young woman – one could say that she was very rich in her gifts from god. Very rich indeed. Her gifts were great. From the very moment of her birth her intelligence, and tenacity were quite evident. As she grew she became in succession, ruler of her nursery school, monarch of day care, student council chairperson, and valedictorian of bother her high school and college classes. Then not being content with her Harvard bachelor’s degree in business administration, she graduated at the top of the best MBA program in the country. No one was surprised when half the companies in the fortune 100 actively courted her. a major manufacturer finally won the competition for her skills. The company’s president proudly told the Wall Street journal about how she would transform the firm. It wasn’t too long before he realized that complete accuracy of his statements. But unfortunately his business savvy didn’t foretell the way she deflated his golden parachute as she almost literally shoved him out the executive suite door. In doing so, she became the youngest CEO in the history of the firm. The firm she took over was no ordinary firm, of course. You could see that from its balance sheet. But you could see it even more in the faces of its employees. For while the firm was immensely profitable, it had the reputation of being even more immensely honorable.
Over its hundred year plus history, its officers had always treated their employees and customers, as they wished to be treated themselves. Even more impressively, in this day and age, they’d always refused to do business with any company that treated their customers or employees with anything but the same level of honor.
After she’d installed herself in the corner office, the firms new CEO carefully examined this well crafted tradition of honor. At least she examined it before she tossed it our. Then her drive to success led her to a search for a new tradition. To keep on top, she thought profit must rule over anything else.
It wasn’t long before the firm’s workers were hit with massive layoffs, and plant closures. In their place came factories in countries that were less picky about labor and environmental issues. The average age of those employees was about 12. and it suddenly didn’t seem too important when the firm’s child laborers developed many cancers never before seen in their country. Soon the firms share price climbed through the roof. With all of her stock options the new CEO seemed set for life. After all, with more money, she had more possessions. More power then she could ever possibly use or spend. Her life seemed perfect.
But her perfect world began to unravel after her visit to the firm’s new factory in Thailand. She’d gone there to assure herself that everything was being done to maximize its profitability. She was quite pleased by what she saw at the plant. Her young workers there were laboring at a feverish speed. And no funds were being spent to provide them any unnecessary frills; frills like safety equipment.
Then just as she was leaving the plant, she heard a hissing noise. Before she could even turn to locate the source, she found herself enveloped in a cloud of foul smelling fumes. Quickly she ran from the plant and stood grasping for breath beside the main door. When at last she could speak she questioned the plant manager about the fumes source. Don’t worry, he told her. The holding tank for our processing chemicals springs a leak now and then. The workers are used to it by now.
Satisfies by the explanation, she returned to the firms New York headquarters. There she threw herself into her latest effort; a hostile takeover of a major competitor. But after a few months, she began to feel strange. She tired easily, became nauseated frequently. And began to loose weight. At first she thought that it was just a virus. But why didn’t the symptoms go away? Then she notices a lump on her neck.
For the first time, she was scared. She made an appointment with the best doctor in the city.
After being poked and prodded, and tested the doctor looked at her in silence. His eyes seemed to pierce her soul. I am so sorry he said, her death would come very quick, within a month. She was confined to her home, as hospice took very good care of her.
Dying is a very lonely affair. None of her employees ever came to visit. She heard that they celebrated when they heard the news,
She had not friends, and she had alienated her family. Weeks went by with no one, until one day an unexpected visitor why knocked at the door.
A friend who was rich in God
It was her former boss; the one she had fired. He sat with her that day, and came back every day to visit. He often bought flowers or other gifts to cheer her up. She began to look forward to these visits and to wonder why he was so nice to her.
One day she asked him. Why are you visiting me – took everything away from you. After I fired you , you were so poor.
Her former boss smiled at her for a moment and then leaned forward and took her hand. You could never make me poor. As long as I can do something for someone else I can never be poor.
You see, the secret of being rich, isn’t gaining possessions, it isn’t winning the rat race. For I found out early in life that no matter who well I did in the rat race, I was still a rat.
The secret of being rich is using your gifts and whatever you gain from those gifts to help others. We have a choice in life he said – you can be rich in ourselves, and build up money and things, but in the end no amount of money or things will matter
But if we use what we have to enrich God’s people, we’ll have created things that matter. Only in that way can we be rich toward God.
Her life ended painfully, but the pain was lessoned by a sense of awe. For at least she’d met someone who was rich. Very rich indeed. To God alone be the glory.
Conclusion
How much is too much? When do we reach the point in our lives when we are using our resources, and when we are being greedy. Jesus never gives a straight answer. But he does warn us all to be on constant guard against greed. Our lives are not defined by what we have or don’t have, it is defined by the relationships we have. The most important relationship being the one we have with Christ.
Clothing ourselves in Christ
An anonymous author expressed what it means to come to Christ and discover the wonderful experience of salvation.
He asked:
Let a person go to a psychiatrist and what does he become? An adjusted sinner.
Let a person go to a physician and what does he become? A healthy sinner.
Let a person achieve wealth and what does he become? A wealthy sinner.
Let a person join a church, sign a card, and turn over a new leaf in life and what does he become? A religious sinner.
But what happens when a person goes to Jesus? If he/she comes to Christ in sincere repentance, confessing their sin and receiving Christ by faith through the cross of Calvary, that person becomes a new creature in Christ, forgiven, reconciled, and adopted into the family of God, with a new vision, mission, meaning, and purpose to life. That person will also find achievement, fulfillment, and direction in God's will and call in life! We become God’s children.
Stewardship
With life in Christ stewardship is caring for the things that God cares about. Guarding ourselves against greed, being rich in the things of Christ, Keeping our heads on the things of God, Clothing ourselves in Christ all leads to a conversation on stewardship. Stewardship – taking care of god’s things is not just a time once a year when we are deciding what we are going to give to God. Stewardship is a process that starts with how much money we give to the church, it ends with how much money we give to the church after we become aware of how much god has given us. Stewardship is the time when we must constantly assess what it is that I need to take off. So that I can put on the new self that Christ has given you. Let us pray.
Amen.
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