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Resurrection & Stewardship???

Proper 27, Year C

Church of the Good Shepherd, Knoxville, TN

November 7, 2010

Collect for the Day

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one

communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son

Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints

in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those

ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love

you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy

Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

*********************

Charles set the example last week in his sermon. He said from the first word until the last that he was going to be preaching about money. I want you to know and not be surprised either because I am going to be preaching about money. My money references must be a bit more subtle because I don’t have a tax collector in my gospel reading like Charles did.

Let me start off this sermon by asking, “How many of you choose Deuteronomy as your favorite book in the Bible?” Well, that is pretty much unanimous. When we start thinking about those scripture verses we memorized as children, I would dare say that not many of our favorites came from Deuteronomy.

In our gospel pericope, the Sadducees have gone back to Deuteronomy to find an obscure passage to try to entrap Jesus. Unfortunately, they chose only portions of the passage to use for their own purposes. Have you ever known anyone to do such a thing?

If you were to have looked back to Deuteronomy 25, where these ideas are recorded, you would see that the sentiment behind the law is that we are to give thought about the welfare of the whole family, the whole church, the world. The brother-in-law who does not honor his brother and his brother’s family is known as a scoundrel.

If you read the next two verses, you see that this scoundrel should be taken to the center of town, with witnesses. The widow should take the sandals from off the scoundrel’s feet, spit in his face, and announce to the world that she now separates herself from this man who cares nothing about his family. He must live with that the rest of his life.

I don’t want to spend a lot of time on the Sadducees because Jesus’ bottom-line message is what we want to hear. It is helpful, though, for me to know that the Sadducees were the wealthy aristocrats of Jesus’ day, and some were even priests. They were very conservative. They did not believe in a bodily resurrection, even though many Hebrew scriptures seem to support the idea.

So, in this passage today, the Sadducees were asking Jesus, then, about the “hypothetical” resurrection. It may have sounded something like, “let’s suppose there really is a resurrection, . . . then what do you think?”

Now, let’s bring this into November 2010. Good Shepherd is in the middle of the stewardship and budget time of the year. This is a time that everyone dreads because we talk about one of the most sensitive issues in life, money. Because of the state of our current economy, I can’t imagine that there is any time where we would be any more sensitive about money than right now. We hear the priest talk about tithing and giving away our hard-earned money. It is just not something we want to think about.

Let’s eavesdrop on the gospel lesson as it may pertain to money. Charles is right in the middle of his class on stewardship and some of those in the crowd, who do not believe in giving a tithe, ask him a question. “Teacher, is it not true that even in the book of Isaiah God says to the people of Israel, ‘Do you think I want all these sacrifices you keep offering to me? I have had more than enough . . . Who asked you to bring me all this when you come to worship me? . . . It is useless to bring your offerings.’” (Is. 1: 11 – 13)

Well, clearly, Charles will have to re-gather the breath that has been knocked from his lungs, and quickly ask himself, “What would Jesus do?” First, he must realize that these folks are like the Sadducees in our story today, they are trying to trap him into contradicting either his own message or one that comes from scripture. They want to shape the conversation to their own benefit.

So, Charles, following the example set by Jesus, answers, “Money is a major preoccupation here in this life, but not so in the afterlife. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with money and paying bills or having to decide what to give to the church. They will have better things to think about. Indeed they cannot give any more because there everything will be given to them. So, take advantage of your opportunities while you are living. After all, those who have died in Christ are alive with God because God is God of the living.”

O. K. That was a fun role-play. Now how do we tie together this day of remembrance of all the saints and stewardship? To do that I want to look at the other readings we have had. I invite you to consider what you want to be your legacy? How do you want to be known when you take your place with the saints?

First, from Thessalonians, remember the words of the author who comforts all who have lost loved ones, saints of the kingdom. Jesus will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. So stand firm and hold fast to the traditions you have been taught.

Then, from Job, take these words with you. I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth . . . then in my flesh I shall see God.

With promises like these, how do we even think of trying not to give all we can to this generous God? Consider for yourself what you want to give to God and let that be your pledge. As Charles said last week, we are not here to ask you for your money, we are here to ask you for your heart and your soul and your mind and your strength. When you are able to give that, money will be no object.

Amen.

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Yard Sale vs. Estate Sale

Proper 13, Year C

Church of the Good Shepherd, Knoxville, TN

August 1, 2010

Collect for the Day

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your
Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without
your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Well, seemingly for my first sermon at Church of the Good Shepherd, Charles has given me an easy intro. The gospel lesson is one we have heard all our lives. In my copy of the scripture this section is titled, “The Parable of the Rich Fool.” Now, who couldn’t preach a sermon on that topic? All you need to do is think stewardship, right? After all, the vestry is just back from their trip to Indianapolis where they attended a two-day Grace, Gratitude, and Generosity Conference. So, I can imagine they are all thinking, “O. K. David, just get up there and show us how we are to NOT put emphasis on our possessions. Tell them to give a tithe to the Lord and all will be well.”

How many of you regularly watch that show about Hoarders? You know the one where the camera person can hardly get into the front door for all the stuff that is packing the hallways, dining table, countertops, even the bed in the bedroom. Isn’t it amazing how we, middle-class Americans can accumulate so much stuff? Even back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, George Carlin was doing his comedy routine on “stuff.” That is what we all work for. We are driven to accumulate stuff.

Did you happen to see the article in the News Sentinel a couple weeks ago about the treasures that can be found in storage sheds? I dare not ask for a show of hands today to see how many of us pay rent every month on a storage shed for all those things we need to save.

Actually, I can boast today that our family no longer pays extra to store our stuff. We have gone so far as to line our garage walls with shelves so we can store our stuff right at home where we can get to it when we need it. However, we never need it. It just continues to accumulate. Of course, though, I have to park my car outside. We do buy new storage boxes and shift things from one to another to consolidate the stuff. I have finally started using my Sharpie to try to list everything in each box so we can at least know where to start looking for what we want.

Of course, this is the stuff that is left over after numerous yard sales, garage sales, and basement sales, in the homes where we have lived before. Surely we will need it someday. And, as sure as you sell it, give it away, or throw it away, then you will really need it. Right? So, what choice do you have? You MUST accumulate stuff. Otherwise, when it is time for your estate sale, what will there be for the auctioneer to sell?

Well, let’s look at the parable for a minute. Could this parable just as easily be called the parable of the narcissistic fool, the parable of the lonely fool, or the parable of the greedy fool?

The narcissist is one who thinks only about himself. In the parable itself, there are 120 words that Jesus speaks. 12 words are either literally stated or implied to say, “I” or “my.” One-tenth of the words are about his own self-focus. I know what I will do. I will build bigger barns. Then I can store my grain and my goods. So, the parable of the narcissistic fool?

Then did you notice that he only talks to himself? Thus, the lonely fool. He seems to be a self-made man. When it comes time to make decisions, he does not talk to his spouse, his parents, his children, his partners, his neighbors, or even his God. He thinks to himself, what will I do? Doesn’t that seem like a lonely life to live?

So, what about the greedy fool? Some of the commentaries suggest that any person hearing this parable at this time in history would have known that God instructs us to care for others. Remember the passages in the Hebrew scriptures about leaving enough grain for those less fortunate to glean for their existence? If this man has so much that he has to tear down and build new, what about those around who have nothing?

Then what about the context of this parable? Remember back about a month ago when Charles preached about Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem? In Luke 9: 51, Jesus realizes that “the days drew near for him to be taken up.” He was on his last trip. He was preaching and teaching for all he was worth. It would not be long before they would have his estate sale. He wanted to be sure he left behind everything that would be necessary for salvation.

Now, right in the middle of this final trip to Jerusalem, this man comes up to ask, “Jesus, I know you are on your way to die, but, could you take just a few minutes out of your schedule and tell my brother to divide up with me the things our parents have left from their estate sale?” And, Jesus gently answers, “I am sorry, that’s not my job. Every person has to decide what is going to be his or her own inheritance. Let me tell you a story about one man’s choices.”

Now, I hope you will hold that place in your text as I go jumping around the lectionary readings. Our first reading today was from Hosea and is really a story about a man who has made his decision regarding his estate sale.

Last week one lectionary choice gave an introduction to Hosea’s family in chapter 1 verses 2 – 10. In that introduction, God said to Hosea, “ I want you to go marry a prostitute and raise a family with her because your life with Gomer, the prostitute, will be a symbol, a parable of my attempts to show my love to the people of faith.” So, Hosea did just that.

In today’s reading from Hosea, we find an example of one of the basic understandings from my business of marriage and family relationships. As a pastoral counselor, I see many couples who are struggling in their marriage. Nine times out of ten it seems one partner is what I call a pursuer and the other is a distancer.

You know how this works. The pursuer tries everything she knows (and I say she because often times it is the woman). She tries everything she knows to get her partner’s attention. All she wants is just some quality time with her spouse. She wants someone to listen to her. She wants someone to talk about those important things like how you feel about certain issues and what are the plans for our future.

The distancer does everything in his power to avoid giving what his partner wants. You have seen that dance. She is begging to have a date night once a month, even once every three months, and he can never find, or is it that he can never make, the time. Are you getting the picture? The more the pursuer pursues, the more the distancer distances.

This is the picture of the marriage between the people of faith and God. Look at those words from Hosea 11. “The more I called them, the more they went from me; . . . I took them up in my arms; but they did not recognize my love. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love . . . I bent down to them and fed them, (but) . . . they refused . . . me.”

“But one day,” Hosea’s message says, “They will go after the Lord . . . his children shall come trembling from the west. They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria; and (then) I will return them to their homes.”

In the typical pursuer/distancer dance that is what happens. There comes a time when that distancer realizes what he has been missing. It may be at mid-life, it may be during the empty-nest time when all the kids are off to college or married, or it may even be long after retirement, but typically the distancer begins to get the message. Then he begins to pursue.

He is lonely. He begins to realize that he has been narcissistic. He sees that he has been greedy with his time and affections. He now wants something that gives meaning to life. So, he takes the position of pursuer.

If, the partner is not so far distanced that she just can’t find it in her heart to welcome him back, then maybe they can have the joy of the relationship they have both wanted for those final days or years. Unfortunately, often times the pursuer is so tired that she can’t welcome him back.

Thus, the parable of the rich fool, the narcissistic fool, the lonely fool, the greedy fool. . . He finally thinks he has accomplished what will bring him contentment. But, in this case, it is too late. The distance is too far. The pursuer just can’t make that leap. This man’s life is over. There is no further chance. It is time for his estate sale.

The alternate Old Testament reading for today is from Ecclesiastes. The story there is the same. Listen to the words of Solomon, the preacher. “What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This is emptiness. This is hollowness. This is vanity.”

Whoa, David, what are doing to us? We have come today to hear the GOOD NEWS. It seems all you are telling us is bad. We can’t leave like this.

O. K. So, let’s revisit our epistle lesson. Let’s see if that is where we can get the good news. The writer of this letter could not have given us this message at a better time. Listen.

The writer is stating what we will recite in a couple minutes in the Nicene Creed, “he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will have no end.” The way this writer says it is, “When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory . . . there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free (rich, poor, labor, management, union, non, Iranian, Afghani, American) but Christ is all and in all.” This is your good news. This is our estate.

So, this writer says, live your life like this - - - “Put to death . . impurity, evil desire, and greed . . . get rid of wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another.” Ah, and then you will share in the estate sale with Christ.

Well, let me close with a story you may have heard before. There was a news reporter who was in the Wall Street district of New York interviewing people on the street. He asked a young Wall Street broker, on the fast track, what his chief goal was in life. The young man said, "I plan to make my first million by the time I am 28." So the reporter asked, "Then what?" "Well, I suppose I would like to become a multi-millionaire." The news man pressed a bit further and again asked, "Then what?"

By this time the young broker was beginning to get a bit irritated. He said, "Well, I want to have a family and enough money to retire at 40 and travel around the world."

So, do you see the next question coming? "Then what?," the reporter asked.

Exasperated, the would-be multi-millionaire said, "Well, like everyone else, I guess someday I will die!" So, the young man's last answer still begs the question -- "Then what?"

Like the young man who was asking Jesus to make his brother share his inheritance, hear the words of the Lord to us today - - - “Take care! Be on your guard, . . . one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

Amen.