The Truth About Jesus: A Sermon for Christ the King Sunday

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Giving Thanks in a Worried World: A Sermon on Matthew 6:25-33

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Some of the poorest streets in the world are located in the city of Calcutta, in India. In the heart of this city are some of the world’s most poverty stricken communities. Here one finds people living on next to nothing, their very survival often dependent upon the kindness of strangers. Occasionally, those who have a heart for the poor will travel across the globe in order to spend a few weeks or months volunteering there- people who feel their lives have been blessed with abundance and want to give something back. One such volunteer was a young man named Shane. Shane wanted to go to Calcutta to make a difference, he wanted to change the world.  But as is so often the case in these kinds of stories, what he ultimately discovered was that his experiences there ended up changing him much more than he was able to change the world. He describes one experience he had in which a poor child approached him on the street, begging for money. He put his hands in his pockets, and found to his dismay that he had nothing to offer the child but a single stick of chewing gum. Thinking it a rather poor offering, he gave it to the child anyway, not wanting to turn her away empty-handed.  Perhaps he thought she would turn away with disgust at such an inadequate and hopeless gesture.  After all here is someone starving on the streets of Calcutta and he offers her a stick of gum!  But to his surprise and amazement, upon handing her the stick of gum, the young girl’s eyes lit up and a huge smile began to spread across her face. Turns out, she had never had chewing gum before, and so in her eyes, this was actually a great gift. But then something even more unexpected and extraordinary happened. The child tore the stick of gum in half-- keeping one half for herself and giving the other half back to the young man. The girl was so excited to get such an extravagant gift, that she couldn’t help but want to share. She couldn’t help but want to give it away— such was the extent of her joy. The young man describes similar experiences, in which he would purchase an ice cream cone for one of the street children, and they would be so excited by the gift that they would run around the entire neighborhood with it, making sure all of their friends could have some, before taking a single bite for themselves. These experiences changed this young volunteer forever, because what he saw in Calcutta was that even though these were some of the poorest people in the world, they were also among the most generous and the most joyful that he had ever met.

How is it, one may wonder upon hearing these kinds of stories, that these people, living in such deep poverty and need-- not knowing from one moment to the next where their next meal is coming from (or if there would even be a next meal)-- how is it that they are so happy??  What do they know that we don’t?

I will come back to this question.  But first, I want to contrast the picture that these stories paint with a snapshot of our own culture, and put them both into dialogue with our gospel text this morning.

We live in a much more affluent society here in America. And yet, for all our affluence, we are also a culture riddled with anxiety and worry. We live in a world in which we are constantly anxious about something. Maybe we are anxious about our jobs— if we are lucky enough to have one. Maybe we are anxious about our kids-- their safety, their education, and their futures. Many of us are anxious about the economy— the most current crisis being the so-called fiscal cliff that we are approaching as a nation. For these, and perhaps for many other reasons, we live in a culture filled with anxiety and worry. So much so, that upon hearing Jesus’ words to his disciples in this morning’s gospel— “do not worry about your life”-- one may be tempted to want to argue with Jesus a little bit. After all, the lilies of the field and the birds of the air may not worry, as Jesus says, but they’re not the ones who have to send their kids to college, or pay the hospital bills when a family member gets sick, or put food on the table. We may be inclined to want to argue, or, we may even be inclined to discount Jesus’ words entirely, seeing them as hopefully naïve at best, and at worst, simply irrelevant for the times we live in. After all, the world is far more complicated these days, and there is far more to be worried about. Jesus lived in much simpler times. Who is he to tell us not to be anxious??

Putting aside for the moment that Jesus actually carries some pretty serious clout, and maybe we shouldn’t try to argue with him, I think we also have to make sure we understand what he’s really saying here. I think there is a very important distinction to be made between not being anxious, as Jesus says here, and simply not caring. Jesus is not telling us that we don’t need to care about providing basic necessities for ourselves and our loved ones. He’s not telling us that we shouldn’t care that there are some in this world who truly don’t have enough— like the young beggar in Calcutta, or even the homeless and poor in our own city. He’s not telling us not to care. But he is telling us that even in the face of great need, there is a better way to live than to be constantly anxious about the things we lack.

Which brings me back to our question this morning-- what did those street children in Calcutta know that we don’t?

In so many ways, we are much better off in life than that young girl begging for scraps on the streets of Calcutta. Compared to her, every single person in this room is rich beyond measure. Compared to her, we have everything we could ever want or need. So why do we worry so much?  Why are we so anxious? Perhaps, for all our advances and affluence in this country, for all our education, and our unlimited access to information, we might actually still have a lot to learn from stories like hers. Or maybe it’s that we have a lot to remember—things we’ve forgotten about what it means to be truly thankful, and therefore what it means to find true joy and fulfillment.

Earlier this week I participated in an interfaith Thanksgiving service. And it was very interesting because it was an incredibly diverse gathering of faith communities. There were people there representing the Christian and Jewish faiths, as well as the Islamic community, Sikhism, and even Baha’i spirituality.  And certainly, there are many differences between all of these religions in terms of how we think about God, how we worship, and what we believe. But what was interesting to me was that when it came to the subject of giving thanks, all of those differences began to melt away. Universally, everyone who was there spoke of the profound importance to be found in the act of giving thanks. Because in doing so, we are able to shift our perspective from anxiety about the things we lack, to a joyful appreciation of the blessings we already have. In remembering to give thanks to God for our blessings, we maintain the proper perspective on our lives and our place in the world. Pausing to give thanks for the extraordinary gifts we already have, helps us remember that while we can’t always control everything that happens to us, or everything that’s happening in the world around us, we can control to some extent how we react to those things, and we can always find things to be thankful for, if we are willing to see them.

Perhaps that’s what Jesus is really getting at here in this passage. Times may have been simpler then in a lot of ways, but I suspect human nature was still very much the same as it is now. We constantly turn away from God because we wrongly believe that somehow we can control and manipulate our environment in order to force certain kinds of blessings— the ones we think we need— to come our way. And the more affluent we become, the more vulnerable we are to this line of thinking.  But I believe that it may just be that desire to control everything-- including how we want to be blessed—that is what causes so much of our anxiety. Because a great deal of what actually happens in life is completely outside of our control. And so Jesus is asking us to approach life differently. To seek God, rather than seeking control. And in doing so, we may just be opening ourselves up to unexpected blessings and small miracles that are already happening all around us.

Now I realize I still haven’t answered the question— what did that young girl in Calcutta know and understand that we don’t? Well I can’t pretend to have all the answers, but here’s one possibility: oftentimes, it’s the folks with the very least who are the very best at giving thanks, precisely because they have no illusions that they can control what sort of blessings they might receive. And so they are more open to every gift and blessing that may come their way, no matter how small an insignificant it may seem.  Like a stick of chewing gum, or an ice cream cone.

And perhaps there is a deeper truth here for us as well. The young man went to Calcutta wanting to change the world, but in the process, found himself deeply changed as well. Imagine how different our lives would be— imagine how different our world would be-- if we could all learn and somehow internalize what he learned about the importance of giving thanks for small blessings. Imagine how different our culture would be if we focused more on giving thanks for the gifts we already have rather than constantly worrying about the things we lack? Imagine how this might change our attitudes towards our lives, towards others, and towards how we use and share our resources? What if the act of joyfully and recklessly giving thanks is actually the best way to change the world?

If we believed that, would we do it more often? Not just once a year on a holiday that is admittedly rather limited in scope, but rather every moment of every day? If we truly believed in the power of giving thanks, could it actually change us? Well you know there’s only one way to find out, and that’s to give it a try. So this Thanksgiving season, our challenge--and our gift-- is to wake up every single day and ask: what blessings might come my way today? And then, to rejoice in each and every one of them— small and insignificant though they may seem. This Thanksgiving season, find a reason to say “thanks be to God” every single day.  I know it might seem cliché, or trite, but it just might also have the power to change your life. Amen, and let it be so.

Giving Without Counting the Cost: A Stewardship Sermon on Mark 12:41-44

It was pretty much exactly this time last year— the first Sunday in November-- that I joined all of you at here Park Church for my first official Sunday as your new settled pastor.  And so I was reflecting on that this week, and remembering how on that first Sunday, I felt slightly overwhelmed and nervous, and maybe a little unsure of myself, but also excited and hopeful about what was to come. At that point I had been able to talk with a few of you about your hopes and dreams for Park Church, your love of this church and this community, and I felt so humbled and honored that you had invited me to be a part of it, and I still feel that way. I also remember, however, that coming in at the beginning of November felt particularly intimidating to me because here at Park church—as many of you know-- November also happens to be Stewardship month. Which meant that before I even had time to learn any of your names I had to stand up here and ask you for your money.  And I have to admit, it felt a little awkward. But we made it through, and you all responded with incredible generosity, and I thank you for that. Now, here we are-- having come full circle. It’s stewardship Sunday once again, and I stand here before you once more, asking for your contributions to help nurture and support this community of faith. And this time, I know all of your names. But it’s still a little bit awkward, because as we are all aware, no one really likes to talk about money. Especially not in the church. Which is kind of odd, really, when you consider the fact that Jesus actually talked about money all the time! Throughout all of the gospels, Jesus talks about money, possessions, and wealth more than he talks about almost any other topic— including prayer, his death and resurrection, even topics such as compassion or forgiveness. So many of the stories in the gospels revolve around money or possessions in one way or another. And this morning’s story from the Gospel of Mark is no exception.

Mark tells us that Jesus and his disciples are hanging out by the temple, and they were watching people put money into the temple treasury. According to the story, there were many wealthy people putting in large sums of money that day. But that’s not what catches Jesus’ attention. What catches Jesus’ attention is the poor widow who comes forward and puts in two small copper coins-- basically the equivalent of two pennies today. I imagine that no one else noticed this woman, except for maybe to cast one or two pitying glances in her direction. But Jesus noticed her. For some reason, she caught Jesus’ attention that day. And he found her action important enough to call his disciples over to make an example of her. Why? Why was this so important?

I imagine it might have been because even though the amount this woman gave was practically nothing compared to the donations of the more wealthy givers, her gift cost a whole lot more. I imagine this woman caught Jesus’ attention that day because in the act of giving all she had, she became a walking illustration of one of Jesus’ other teachings about money— “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Now, one could question if it’s really such a good thing that Jesus is praising this woman for giving her last two cents to a corrupt religious institution. One could question if that’s really such a good model for Jesus to be giving us. What about the poor widows of today— one might counter-- who give their savings over to corrupt televangelists or religious scam artists? Is that really something to be admired? But I think that question takes the story a bit too literally, and therefore misses the point. In this story, it’s not the amount of the woman’s gift that matters, or even so much the fact that she is poor. What matters in this story is the woman’s ability to give without counting the cost, and the level of sacrifice, devotion, and trust that goes along with that.  Whether one is rich or poor, or more likely-- somewhere in between, we can all learn from what the poor widow does in this story. In giving all has, she places her treasure, and therefore her heart, squarely before God-- regardless of the cost. In this day and age I think we can recognize this as a truly remarkable thing. We live in a culture where everything revolves around and comes down to the bottom line. We calculate everything. We count the cost of everything we give in order to be practical and frugal— and sometimes that’s good. But I think this story also challenges us to let go of some of that. It reminds us that there are times in life when it’s important for us to be able to give without counting the cost. To free ourselves from the tyranny of bottom line thinking in order to put our full faith and trust in God, and God’s kingdom, rather than in wealth.

And so when it comes to stewardship, I think part of what this story teaches us is that what matters most in our giving is not so much the dollar amount attached to your gift, but rather the amount of faith and trust that you are willing to put behind it.  And so that’s the first part of the challenge that this story offers us this morning. The challenge for us to give without counting the cost in order to place our hearts more squarely before God.

But you know, as is the case with most of Jesus’ teachings on money and wealth, while this story is about money, it’s also about much more than money. Regardless of what you are able to give monetarily, that’s not the most important thing. Yes, we need money to help pay the electric bill and keep the heat on. Yes, we need money to buy Sunday School materials and fund community outreach efforts. But even more than we need money for all those things, we need you. We need the gift of your whole self, and all that you have to offer. We need you to place your whole heart— not just your checkbook— squarely before God. I sometimes wonder if there was a deeper reason why the poor widow caught Jesus’ attention that day at the temple. If in her small act of sacrifice he saw his own future played out in front of him. A future that would require him to give everything he had— indeed his very life. And that maybe he made an example of her that day because he knew that what he would ask from us in return for his sacrifice would be nothing less than our whole selves, our whole hearts, and our full devotion.

Those of you who got your stewardship letters in the mail already received two cards with it. You got a card that says this is how much money my family will pledge to the church this year. But you also got a card saying this is how I want to participate in the life of the church. This is how I pledge my self--my time and my talent. And this is so much more important than money, because we could have all the money in the world, but if we didn’t also have active, vibrant community, that money wouldn’t matter one bit. And while community is something that no amount of money can buy, it does cost us something. It does require us to give of ourselves-- to give our time and our energy to build up the Body of Christ. And so that’s the second part of our challenge this morning. The challenge to give of ourselves and of our lives without counting the cost.

But even that’s not all of it. There’s a third thing here that’s even more important than your money, or your time, or your talents. And that’s your faith. Yes we need money, and yes we need volunteers, but more than any of that, we need you to pledge your faith. Your faith in this church, your faith in this community, your faith in these people sitting around you. Because ultimately, that’s what makes the Body of Christ alive in the world. That’s what truly makes us a church. And that’s not something that can be written on a card, or quantified in a line item on a spreadsheet. But it’s the most important thing. And so this year, I stand before you and I ask for your pledge. Your financial pledge, yes. The pledge of your time, yes. But also the pledge of your deep faith and commitment, and the pledge of your sincere prayers for this community. That’s giving your whole self, that’s placing your whole heart and soul squarely before God. And that— brothers and sisters— is true stewardship.

Follow the progress of our stewardship campaign at www.parkchurchnorwich.org/churchblog.html

 

The Importance of Being... Awkward

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Confession: I struggle with youth ministry sometimes.  In part because I’m not a trained youth pastor, and in part because I’ve always been kind of a shy awkward person.  I was awkward around other teenagers when I was a teenager myself, and sometimes, I feel like I never quite grew out of that.  Yet as much as I may not always feel completely at ease doing youth ministry, and as much as I feel like I often don’t have a clue what I’m doing, I know it’s important, and so I keep on trying.

This past week, at our most recent youth group gathering while trying to get an icebreaker going, one student observed, “well this is awkward”, as most of the kids were still feeling a bit shy, and admittedly, the icebreaker turned out to be kind of a dud.  In the moment, I felt deflated by the comment.  Oh no! Anything by awkward!  But upon further reflection, I thought to myself that maybe being awkward in youth group isn’t so bad.  Maybe being uncool isn’t so bad.  After all, in most other areas of their lives, kids are constantly having to measure up to a standard of coolness.  Awkwardness in high school is one of the greatest sins.  So maybe it’s not so bad to have a place where being awkward is, well, just fine.  A place where kids know they don’t have to work hard to be cool, because we’re accepted just as we are.  Seriously.

So come to youth group, where yes, things are awkward sometimes.  But hey, so is real life.  And I bet Jesus had more than a few awkward moments with his disciples as well.  So embrace your inner “awkward turtle,” have fun, and better yet, let your guard down and relax.  We’re all a bit awkward around here.