This Sermon Is Full of Bull

22^nd Sunday after Pentecost

October 25, 2015

Malachi 3:8-11; Psalm 34; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24; John 3:16

Declarations of Your Heart:

Extravagant Generosity Is an Expression of Your Heart

(Extravagant Generosity Week 4)

[PG] My heart has been encouraged as we have journeyed together through the program Extravagant Generosity: The Heart of Giving. Some people have been gracious to share their matters of the heart.

[Both] John 3:16, which we just read, is so well-known, but have you ever considered it from a giving standpoint? “For God so loved the world he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.”  The first few words of this verse clearly state that the way God shows love for the world is by giving. Giving is part of the character of God. Bishop Schnase puts it this way in his book Five Practices of Fruitful Living:

“We give because we are made in the image of God, whose essential nature is giving. We are created with God’s nature imprinted on our souls; we are hard-wired to be social, compassionate, connected, loving, and generous. God’s extravagant generosity is part of our essential nature as well. But we are anxious and fearful, influenced by a culture that makes us believe we never have enough. And we are scarred by habits that draw us away from God and that turn us inward with a corrosive self-interest. God sent Jesus Christ to bring us back to ourselves, and back to God. As we “have in us the mind that was in Christ Jesus,” we become free.”[1]

Then in 2 Corinthians 8:24, Paul says, “Show them the proof of your love and the reason we are so proud of you, in such a way that the churches can see it.” The entire teaching of 2 Corinthians chapter 8 is about giving. Paul concludes that giving is proof, or evidence, of our love of God. God doesn’t require our generosity. When we truly accept the generous gift of God’s love, our only possible response is to live and give generously. Is it possible to love God without giving?

There was a column in this week’s Baltimore Sun titled “Despite problems, still bullish on city.”[2]  The columnist wrote it in response to a question he’d received from someone moving to Baltimore next year who wanted to know his opinion on Baltimore’s future.  The future resident “chose Baltimore for its affordability, [his] enjoyment of the city and to pursue career opportunities in the nonprofit space. [He] thinks Baltimore has a lot going for it despite its often negative portrayal in the media,” and so wanted to know if the columnist, who’s lived the past 35 years in Baltimore, is “bullish” on Baltimore’s future.  As you heard from the title, the columnist’s answer was yes.  The first part of his reply, however, was to define the term “bullish” and I found myself applying the definition to the church instead of to the city.  Are you bullish on the future of our church?  If you are bullish, it means that you’re more than just optimistic; it means you have a “robust confidence in a rising trend, like stock prices or the housing market.” He writes that “if you're bullish on a city, it means being civic-spirited and financially committed. It means you believe in a place enough to stay for the long haul, put down roots and invest in a house or a business. It means you're telling people about your city, suggesting it as a good place for others to live and to work. You see potential for growth and you want others to join you in the adventure.”  So, if we apply that to the church, to be bullish on a church means you are church-spirited and financially committed.  It means you believe in that faith community enough to stay for the long haul and put down roots and invest; it means not church-shopping or leaving when the going gets rough.  It means telling people about your church, inviting them to worship and other events and suggesting that it’s a good place for them to join.  It means you see potential for growth and you want others to join you in the adventure.  Are you bullish on our church?  I am.  [Give example for each church.] Are you financially committed?  Do you tell others about us and invite them to come, too?  Are you invested, by being generous with your time, talent, and treasure, and do you see the potential for returns on that investment? 

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son; do you so love God that you generously give back to God?  Several of you have recently, I know, with donations for the new HVAC [PG: Vacation Bible School and Change the World day] and other fundraisers, like last night’s spaghetti dinner [PG: fish fry].  Now that 2 Corinthians passage is interesting, because Paul says to show the proof of your love for God.  Usually we consider religion to be such a private thing, just between me and God, but here Paul says to show the proof of your love in such a way that others can see it!  Isn’t that odd?  Because Paul also writes multiple times to not brag or boast or be arrogant or proud.  But here, we are to show evidence through our giving that we’re Christians.  Paul starts off this chapter describing churches in Macedonia who had “fierce troubles” that “pushed them to the limit.”[3]  And Paul says that “the trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts… They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of [giving].”[4]  I think this is an experience we can identify with.

Over ten years ago, before I recognized God calling me to be a pastor, I was part of a focus group at my church with our new pastor, as she was just getting to know us.  And I said something at that group that that new pastor loved, and I still wonder if it would be true if it happened.  We were talking about giving, and I said that if everyone at the church gave ten percent of their time, talent, and treasure, that the church would have enough.  You see, money problems are ubiquitous, they’re found in churches of all sizes.  At the previous church I served, where we averaged 500 people on a Sunday morning, we frequently cut the budget in the middle of the year.  And the church I came out of, whose sanctuary seats 750 people, had major problems paying the mortgage on that sanctuary.  Money problems exist, regardless of the size of the church.  So, I wonder, if each person were to give ten percent of their time, investing in the ministries of the church, ten percent of their talent and abilities, of which cooking seems to be a very popular one, and ten percent of our incomes, I wouldn’t wonder if then we’d have enough to not always be worried about paying the bills or unexpected expenses.  And I wonder this in part because of that reading from Malachi.  There are many places the Bible says “do not put the Lord your God to the test,” but here God says, “Bring the full amount of your tithe… Put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things.”[5]  Here, God says, “Test me.  Put me first, be generous in your giving, and I will pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.”  I have seen your generosity over the past year, and I think we are beginning to see these blessings being poured out.  Have you ever been brave enough to test God?  To do what he says, like caring for a stranger or giving food to the homeless or giving God ten percent of your income, and then seeing what happens? 

If, as a church, we become known for our generosity, then what would happen?  Sure, we might get more organizations and individuals knocking on our door asking for help.  We might be taken advantage of.  But we also wouldn’t be worried about money all the time, we also wouldn’t have to wonder how we were going to finance a ministry. 

There’s a story in the Gospel of Mark about Jesus and his disciples hanging out by the offering box at the Temple and they watch a poor widow put in two small coins.  Two small coins!  Could that really make a difference?  But proportionately, she didn’t give two coins out of a whole pile of coins; those two coins were all she had. 

Can you name one person you admire and respect because of all they keep for themselves?  Leona Helmsley is well-known for leaving her fortune to her dog, in order to spite her family.  She’s famous, but I don’t think she’s admired for leaving millions to a dog.  In contrast, the number one givers to charity in our country are Bill and Melinda Gates, who have given billions away.  Now, what is even more impressive than how much they give, is the percentage.  You may think millions of dollars is nothing to them, but Bill and Melinda Gates have donated 37% of their net worth to charities.[6]  That number is quite impressive. 

“Despite the outward challenges and inner struggles, and the countercultural nature of generosity, where there is a desire to give, there is a way. The two coins dropped in the treasury from the hands of the poor widow, noticed by Jesus and recorded for all time as a model of Extravagant Generosity, forever reminds us that there is always a way. Giving helps us become who God wants us to be.”[7]

[Cowenton] I have seen many examples over the past year of your generosity, the most recent being last night’s spaghetti dinner and everyone who contributed their time and resources to making that a huge success.  God asks you to show the proof of your love for him.  It may be uncomfortable (it’s not always comfortable to preach, either), but let’s try to model ourselves more after God’s generous side during this next year.  Being generous with our time, talent, and treasure, focusing on our ministry areas of children, youth, education, music, and Streets of Hope, and let’s see what happens. 

[PG] Last night’s Halloween dance was a very successful outreach effort because of the generosity of those involved.  Because of sharing their time, talent, and treasure, folks from outside the church came to the church, including 25 kids.  Generosity makes a difference, not just in the present, but for the next generation.  This week we will each make a critical decision about how we will express and grow in our generosity. Our leaders have already responded to the call and have pledged $25,000 in giving for 2016.  When you receive the Estimate of Giving card, please be in prayer and seek God’s direction for your expression of generosity toward the life and vision of God’s ministry through this church.   This is important.  It’s an estimate, and God understands that things may come up and you may have expensive unexpected expenses.  That’s why it’s an estimate.  You can call the church office at any time to update your estimate, whether to decrease it or increase it, but God knows that sometimes we receive into unexpected resources, like a bonus or tax refund.  If you’re ready to turn it in today, great.  If you need some time, bring it by the church office this week or turn it in next week’s offering plate.  God asks you to show how much you love him, give the proof of your love.  Strive to become more like him, and take this next year to model his generous side.  Being generous with our time, talent, and treasure, focusing on our ministry areas of children and feeding, and let’s see what happens. 

[Both] I don’t think we’ll be disappointed.  I think we’ll be blessed beyond measure.  I think being bullish on our church will pay off.  There’s a passage in Luke where Jesus says, “Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give to others, and God will give to you. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”[8]  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

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[1] P. 120

[2] By Dan Rodricks, October 21, 2015; for full column, see: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/dan-rodricks-blog/bs-md-rodricks-1021-20151020-column.html

[3] 2 Corinthians 8:2, MSG

[4] 2 Corinthians 8:3-4, MSG

[5] Malachi 3:10

[6] http://www.cnet.com/news/bill-and-melinda-gates-top-forbes-list-as-most-philanthropic-americans/

[7] Practicing Extravagant Generosity, Robert Schnase, p. 72

[8] Luke 6:37-38

Life Lists: Vision and Hope Are Inspirations of the Heart

21^st Sunday after Pentecost

October 18, 2015

Joel 2:25-29; Psalm 116; Colossians 3:1-3; Matthew 6:25-34

Extravagant Generosity, Week 3

(Or watch here: https://youtu.be/CGRTxoA8GkE )

Have you ever seen the movie The Bucket List, with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson? Two terminally ill men develop a list of all the things they have always wanted to do. They face their task with a great sense of urgency. Since bucket lists are things you want to do before you die, I’ve also heard it rephrased as a “Life List” with the argument of who wants to wait until you’re dying to start living?  Life lists are full of goals you want to accomplish by a predetermined date.  Today we will explore our life list for the church for 2016. [PG: This week’s card asked you to consider what you would most like to see happen in the church in the next year.] Consider [now] what you would like to see happen in your life during 2016. In what ways do your passions for the church line up with your personal desires? Today I will share some of my passions for the church in this coming year.

First, though, let’s review some of those key verses we just read.  The passage from Joel is one we usually read at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and the day we celebrate as the birthday of the church.  Verse 28 says, “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old mean shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” Here, Joel offers direction for us, as we consider our vision of the church. Vision comes about as God inspires people to prophesy, to dream and to have visions. What has God inspired you to envision for the coming year?  Then in Colossians, Paul writes, “Therefore if you were raised with Christ, look for the things that are above where Christ is sitting at God’s right hand.”[1] Colossians instructs us to set our hearts on things above. It is very difficult to focus our attention on God when we are distracted and overwhelmed by the cultural influences in our lives, but that is the call on our lives.  The world offers us a lot of shiny, attractive things, like fame and recognition and a life of comfort.  However, we are to look for things that are above, things that are where Jesus is.  Finally, in Matthew 6:33, Jesus says, “Desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Matthew’s Gospel sets our personal and community priorities. Together in community, we help one another to seek God first in all things, to strive for righteousness, or right standing, with God.  We do this together.  You cannot be a Christian by yourself; we need the body of Christ, we need each other to help each other, to be Jesus for each other, to help each other stay on the straight and narrow road that leads to life.  These verses give us the starting place for understanding what God has called us to do and be as a church in the coming year.

What are your hopes and wishes for us for 2016?  And if you say “keep the doors open and the lights on,” I have bad news for you.  [Pause] God’s plan for us is not just to keep the doors open and the lights on.  I wasn’t sent here just to keep the church open.  I came here to work with you all to discern what God’s next plan is for our life together and once we have an inkling, to work on that until we get to the next inkling.  A vision is sometimes not super-detailed, or super-describable, I have an idea in my head, but all I see are glimpses.  It’s our church, with the doors literally open, with cars in the parking lot and people coming and going.  It’s sunshine and smiling faces and people who are happy to be here, and happy to work with one another to do what’s best for the church, what God would have us do.  It’s working together and in harmony; it’s strengthening our existing ministries, like adult Sunday school [PG: homeless dinners] and Streets of Hope and our music ministry, developing our new ones, like children’s Sunday school, and dreaming up brand new ones to start.  Not so that we’re doing lots of things, and not so that we can brag about what we do, but so that we’re working towards God’s vision for us.  He doesn’t want us just sitting here, gathering together for ourselves, sometimes bickering and sometimes getting along, like any family.  He’s called us here to be his family, to be a witness to him in this corner of Baltimore County.

Cowenton – Six months ago I identified three key values and the feedback I got was that those were indeed key values here.  Our children and youth are important, and so we are to continue to put our time and effort into developing our ministries with them, like the nursery and Sunday school.  I’d love to grow our children’s Sunday school so that our teachers say, “we need help!” and we say, “just tell us what to do!”  Education is a key value, and I’d love to see a strengthened adult Sunday school as well.  They’ve got new curriculum, dated for this fall, but Mr. Mel’s been a little concerned about the class.  Please keep our Sunday school classes in your prayers.  The third core value I brought up was music and our history of music in this church, with the enormous music library over here to my right.  Let’s work on developing our choir and music ministry, on encouraging our choir as they’re trying to figure out a time to practice and when to start robing up.  You all know what a difference it made last spring when the choir starting wearing their robes for the service and processed down the aisle. 

Let’s encourage each other, speaking words of kindness, words that build up and not blame.  Let’s “seek ye first the kingdom of God” by putting God’s kingdom, the church, first, and not ourselves and our own desires. Let’s ask, “What’s good for the church?” and see what answers come to mind when we ask that.  [Anyone have an answer?]  I can tell you two concrete things and one vaguer answer: apple dumplings are good for this church; weekly bible study is good for this church; and strong, healthy families are good. Let’s be in prayer to discern specifically how to strengthen our families and our church family. 

We are already doing so well!  We are coming together as a church to pay our bills, to hang out with coffee and donuts once a month, to wear matching t-shirts, to cover the expense of a new HVAC at the parsonage and new air conditioner units for our sanctuary. 

Piney Grove – Six months ago I identified three key values and the feedback I got was that those were some of our core values.  Our children and youth are important, and so we are to continue to put our time and effort into developing our ministries with them, like Vacation Bible School and Sunday school.  I’d love to grow our children’s Sunday school so that our teachers say, “we need help!” and we say, “just tell us what to do!”  Our mission work is amazing, and something our community would miss if we were to close our doors.  We have a high percentage of the congregation involved already, and I gave the challenge last month to make it 100%, that each household here somehow actively supports our missions, whether volunteering to fix the meal for the homeless one night or for Streets of Hope one night, or to cover the cost of the meal, or to provide supplies or a ride, or whatever may be needed.  When we work together, we can do so much more and accomplish so much more for God, not to mention strengthen our witness to Jesus.  Hospitality, rolling out the welcome mat, is something that is important to us, although it was mentioned that while it’s a value, it’s not currently a strength, and I think that’s accurate.  I think our hospitality skills could use some refining as we remember how to be friendly without being overbearing, how to welcome with open arms without overstepping personal space.  Many of us are huggers, but not everyone is, and we have to respect that.  One way we’ve extended hospitality this year is towards Pastor Jorge and the Hispanic ministry.  The more overlap there is between the two congregations the healthier we will be.  “Silo ministries” don’t work very well, where someone does their own thing over there and someone else over here, and another ministry over here.  The more we say this is something we do, something that is part of our church, rather than something they do, or that part of the church, the more whole we will be.  We need congregational support of each of our ministries, we need the support of the family, the body of Christ. 

Let’s encourage each other, speaking words of kindness, words that build up and not blame, words that bring people together and don’t cause division.  Let’s “seek ye first the kingdom of God” by putting God’s kingdom, the church, first, and not ourselves and our own desires. Let’s ask, “What’s good for the church?” and see what answers come to mind when we ask that.  [Anyone have an answer?]  The first answer that comes to mind is healthy relationships: healthy marriages, healthy families, healthy friendships and partnerships.  Let’s be in prayer to discern how specifically to strengthen our relationships. 

We are already doing so well!  We are coming together as a church to pay our bills, to start back our own Vacation Bible School. 

Both: We have things going on that haven’t happened in a while, like children’s Sunday school.  Instead of remembering what this church used to be like, I’d like to start putting more time and energy into what we want this church to be like in the future, and not just long-term, but next year.  I’d love to hear what you’d like to see here next year.  Let’s keep dreaming and catching glimpses of how we can bring about God’s kingdom here on earth, his “kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Let’s keep seeking God’s kingdom first, above all things, working toward the good of the church, Christ’s body.  Let’s continue to be generous with our resources, so that we cannot just survive and keep the lights on, but thrive, and grow.  And I’m not talking about the number of people here.  There’s a meme going around on social media that the effect a church has isn’t by the number of people that go to it, but the number of people whose lives were transformed by going to it.  Let’s not worry about numbers, but about changing people’s lives as we all grow closer to God and become more like him in whose image we were made.  One part of that image is God’s generosity, of which we’ve all been recipients. 

PG: As we conclude the third week of our stewardship focus on Extravagant Generosity, I know many of us are reading the daily devotional guide from Practicing Extravagant Generosity. In the Thursday reading for Week Three, the author tells of the apostle Paul’s own battle with aligning his priorities with God’s, which Paul describes in Philippians 4:

Both: “Generosity derives from a profound reorientation in our thinking about how we find contentment in life. Paul writes, “I have learned to be content with whatever I have,” but Paul was not a slacker, lacking in initiative! He was industrious, competitive, and ambitious for the work of God. Paul realized how seductive our activity and our appetite for more could become. We begin to believe that happiness depends upon outward circumstance and material comforts rather than deriving from inner spiritual qualities—love, peace, compassion, self-control, gentleness, prayerfulness. Possessing greater wealth does not mean that we experience contentedness. We can still feel panic, emptiness, striving, and isolation. We feel needy, and our appetites become insatiable. Surrounded by water, we are dying of thirst.

“Breaking the cycle of conditioned discontent requires courageous soul work. Abundant living derives from generative relationships, from mutual support, and from knowing how to love and be loved. Contentment arises from seeking that which satisfies.”[2]

Over the last few weeks we have considered what we love and value in our church, who has made a difference in our spiritual lives, and our best hopes and dreams for the next year.  These kinds of questions give us direction about where to put our time and energy and resources in 2016 to work on bringing about God’s kingdom in this beautiful corner of his creation.

PG: Next week we will each make a critical decision about how we will express and grow in our generosity. Our leaders have already responded to the call and have pledged almost $20,000 in giving for 2016.  When you receive the Estimate of Giving card this week, please be in prayer and seek God’s direction for your expression of generosity toward the life and vision of God’s ministry through this church.   This is important.  It’s an estimate, and God understands that things may come up and you may have expensive unexpected expenses.  That’s why it’s an estimate.  You can call the church office at any time to update your estimate, whether to decrease it or increase it, but God knows that sometimes we receive into unexpected resources, like a bonus or tax refund.  God simply asks you to put him and his kingdom first. 

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[1] Colossians 3:1

[2] P. 58-59

The Art of Love: Relationships Are Matters of the Heart

20^th Sunday after Pentecost

October 11, 2015

Deuteronomy 6:1-6; Psalm 89; 1 John 3:11-23; John 13:34-35

Extravagant Generosity, Week 2

Any Country music fans here?  Sometimes Country Western songs are called “somebody-done-somebody-wrong songs.” Have you heard the joke that if you play a country song backwards you get back your truck, your dog, your job, and your wife or husband? Perhaps these lyrics are popular in our culture because they acknowledge our difficulties with relationships.  At the same time, they also speak from the cynical or negative aspects of our culture. In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul encouraged the church to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy.[1] But our cynical culture can make it hard to focus on these things.  Sometimes, even the church struggles to shift focus from the cynical and the negative. That’s why we began a journey last week to consider matters of the heart and check our spiritual health.

This week we are celebrating those we love and their positive influence in our lives. From the great Shema of the Torah in Deuteronomy to the teaching of Jesus found in John 13, this focus on loving relationship is at the root of the scriptural values of our faith.  The word “Shema” is the first word in Hebrew of this address to Israel, it means “hear,” as in “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.”[2]  It’s called the Great Shema to stress that this is the great thing to hear, this commandment.  And then in John, Jesus gives us a new commandment: “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.”[3]  In the Christian faith, we look at the teaching of the Shema in the context of the teaching of Jesus. One of the ways we express our love for God is through our love for one another. This is a clear expectation of our faith. And yet sometimes it’s difficult, isn’t it?

Sometimes it’s hard to love people, people who are different from us, people whose lifestyle choices we don’t agree with, people who do outrageously horrendous things, like start shooting at a school.  And sometimes it’s hard to love people who we do know, people who drive us crazy, people who rub us the wrong way, people who are just as stubborn as we are, people who hurt us.  It’s easier to put conditions and limits on our love.  Our brains latch on to wrongs done to us, like a defense mechanism to keep it from happening again.  And yet Jesus says the world will know that we follow him if we love each other.  I know sometimes we don’t want to love each other, or we wait for the other person to show love to us first.  I’m reminded of the poem that was found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. 

Forgive them anyway. 

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. 

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. 

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. 

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. 

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. 

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. 

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.[4] 

The reason we love each other is because God first loved us.  Yes, we can be irrational, stubborn, proud, and a whole host of other things.  However, to quote a Michael W. Smith song, you have never been unloved.[5]  God loves us unconditionally, no matter what.  One of the ways he shows his love to us is through other people.  Jesus says, “Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other.”[6] To love each other like Jesus loves us means unconditionally, and it means, like 1 John explains, being willing to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  “This is how we know what love is: Jesus gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others!”  It doesn’t usually mean physical death, much less death on a cross.  But it probably does mean some sort of death to self, death to pride, death to greed, so that we can put others first.  As 1 John also says, “If we have material possessions and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God?”[7]  Indeed, when our hearts are closed, it’s hard to claim that we love anyone, except maybe ourselves, but certainly not God.  The old hippie song from the ‘60’s says, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.”[8]  Do people know you love God because of the love you show for them?  Because we love God, therefore we love other people.  That’s how relationships are a matter of the heart. 

How do we overcome those obstacles to healthy, loving relationships?  Forgiveness, communication, unconditional love.  I was talking with my sister trying to remember this one incident at least ten years ago, and she didn’t remember it clearly, either.  What I remember was that she was really, really mad and she said something to the effect of “I hate you” or “You’re not my sister anymore” and the part I remember clearest was that I told her, “I will always be your sister, no matter what,” and that actually calmed her down.  That unconditionality are what a lot of people really need to hear.  That there is nothing you can do or say or have done that will stop God’s love for you or stop our love for you.  No matter what, we love you.  No matter what, you are beloved.  You have never been, and never will be, unloved.  Why?  Because that’s how God loves us, and so that’s how we are to love each other as well. 

            We already know we like to hang out together, especially when donuts are involved.  And we have already been on the receiving end of love.  We love because we have been loved.

PG: As we continue this second Sunday of our stewardship focus on Extravagant Generosity, you have in your bulletin this coming week’s devotional guide, adapted from Practicing Extravagant Generosity. In the Friday reading for Week Two, Bishop Schnase describes how practicing Extravagant Generosity is a fundamental activity because we ourselves have been recipients of Extravagant Generosity:

“Every sanctuary and chapel in which we have worshiped, every church organ that has lifted our spirits, every pew where we have sat, every Communion rail where we have knelt, every hymnal from which we have sung, every praise band that has touched our hearts, every church classroom where we have gathered with our friends, every church kitchen that has prepared our meals, every church van that has taken us to camp, every church camp cabin where we have slept—all are the fruit of someone’s Extravagant Generosity.

“We have been the recipients of grace upon grace. We are the heirs, the beneficiaries of those who came before us who were touched by the generosity of Christ enough to give graciously so that we could experience the truth of Christ for ourselves. We owe the same to generations to come. We have worshiped in sanctuaries that we did not build, so to us falls the privilege of building sanctuaries where we shall never worship.”[9]  Or roofs, or HVAC units, or what have you.  It’s part of being forward-thinking. 

This week we celebrated people you love in the church. Consider an appropriate way to express your appreciation of these gifts of grace. Find a way this week to say I love you to your family members as well. Next week, we will explore what we would most like to see happen in our church in the coming year. What is your greatest hope and best vision for God work through this congregation? Besides survive, in what way would you like to see us thrive?

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[1] Philippians 4:8

[2] Deuteronomy 6:4-6

[3] John 13:34-35, CEB

[4] http://prayerfoundation.org/mother_teresa_do_it_anyway.htm

[5] “Never Been Unloved” from the album Live the Life, Michael W. Smith, 1998

[6] John 13:34

[7] 1 John 3:17

[8] By Peter Scholtes, 1966; published, among other places, in The Faith We Sing, p. 2223

[9] Practicing Extravagant Generosity, Robert Schnase, p. 41-42

EKG: Ministry Flows from the Heart

19^th Sunday after Pentecost

World Communion Sunday

October 4, 2015

Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 104; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Luke 12:13-21

(Extravagant Generosity, Week 1)

(or watch here: https://youtu.be/BTzRWFvtm30 )

    As we begin the journey toward extravagant generosity together, let’s start with a check-up. Can you find your heartbeat? [Demonstrate how to find your pulse]. Did everyone find a pulse? If we checked our spiritual pulse, what would we find? Over the next few weeks, we will find some ways to check our spiritual health. [PG: Some of you have already begun that process by completing the card sent to you this week, asking what you love about our church.]

Today we will consider how Paul begins to address the subject of spiritual health.  In his first letter to Timothy, he writes, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

While the idea of richness has many meanings, the truth is that we in the United States are materially blessed when compared with the rest of the world’s population. There are those of us who may be less materially blessed than others, but the fact is, by most standards, we are extremely well off. It often seems that the more we have, the more we worry about keeping what we have and about getting more. When that is the focus of our thoughts, expressing faith in God becomes more of a challenge.

Paul’s solution is to put our faith in God. He suggests that we do good things, that we should be rich in good deeds, and that we be generous and willing to share. Today we have shared what we love about our church and where we see Jesus in our church, such as _____________________.   There are a variety of ways that we do good as a church and we are very rich in good deeds.

Then Paul says that there is a difference between just living in our culture and living a Christian life, what Paul calls “truly life.”  Anyone and everyone can just live and merely survive.  Jesus came that those who believe in him might have abundant life.[1]  A life where, at the end, God tells us, “well done, good and faithful servant.”[2]  It’s like the Garth Brooks song, “Standing Outside the Fire”: “Life is not tried, it is merely survived if you're standing outside the fire.”[3]  You can just go with the flow and let things happen to you and not think about how we do things or why we do things or where we live or what’s going on, or you can act and you can work to prevent things from happening that you don’t want to happen and you can take risks and things that go on in the wider culture, you don’t have to go along with.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  Paul says don’t be proud.  Don’t place your hope in such an uncertain thing like money.  Instead, place your hope in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment.  That’s where our Old Testament reading about the sixth day of creation comes in.  God says we are to take charge of the fish and the birds and the animals and every creeping thing.  He says he gives us grains and fruits to eat and enjoy.  Our psalm says God gives us our food in due season; when God opens his hand, we are filled with good things.[4]  We serve a generous God who likes to give us good things.  We are made in his image, as we read this morning, which means that we were made to also be generous and give good things.  This is why Paul writes “Do good, be rich in good works, be generous and ready to share with others.”  That’s how we get to the life that is truly life, life abundant. 

            In stark contrast is our Gospel reading this morning, often called the Parable of the Rich Fool.  This was one of my favorite story books as a kid (don’t ask me why), and I can still see the illustrations in my head.  Jesus tells the story of a very wealthy man, the owner of a large farm.  One year it produces a bumper crop, so large he doesn’t have the enough room to store it all in his existing barns.  Jesus shares the man’s internal thought process as he considers what to do about this problem.  He doesn’t decide to give it away.  He doesn’t decide to sell it.  He doesn’t consider giving his workers a bonus.  He really wants to keep it all for himself, and so he decides to build bigger barns to store it on his property.  The current barns aren’t big enough?  He’ll build bigger ones!  He thinks this harvest ought to last him the rest of his life and says to himself, “You’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!”[5]  However, as he goes to bed that night, God speaks to him and says, “Fool, tonight you will die. Now who will get the things you have prepared for yourself?”  And Jesus adds one final comment to his story, that “this is the way it will be for those who hoard things for themselves and aren’t rich toward God.”  Jesus’ whole point in this story is to “Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be.”  Your life is not defined by your possessions and getting to that point where God says, “well done, good and faithful servant,” depends on what you do with what you have.  Do you do good?  Are you rich in good works?  Are you generous?  Are you ready to share with others?  This rich fool obviously wasn’t and while he had a materially comfortable life, it wasn’t abundant life, it was the life that is really life. 

     [PG: In your bulletin this morning is a daily devotional booklet for this week.  It was prepared for use with the Extravagant Generosity program we have begun today. In the Wednesday reading is a reflection about nests.] One spring when Bishop Schnase saw various birds preparing to build their nests and he wrote,

“The notion of building nests is often used as a metaphor to describe people successfully providing for their own comforts. If someone arrives at a career position of some ease and security, friends say, “You’ve built yourself quite a nest for yourself here!” . . . The word nest often connotes shelter, coziness, homelike, comfortable. 

“In actual fact, the nests which birds build are not for the birds who build them, but for their young, for the next generation, for the future of the species. The hours of carrying straw, sticks, and mud; the days of defensive watchfulness; and the weeks of endless feeding are all for the benefit of the new ones, the young, the future.

“Now consider “nests” we build in our churches. The buildings, programs, ministries, job descriptions, and services we build—are they for our own comfort and coziness? Or are they to further the faith and provide for future generations? Does our giving serve us and our needs or serve God by serving the mission of the church to reach new people? Vibrant, fruitful congregations focus as much energy, prayer, and planning on those who are outside the congregation as they do on those who are already active in the congregation.”[6]

            This is kind of like the rich fool.  He built those bigger barns to provide for his own comfort and security.  They made up a “nest,” if you will.  However, the highest praise I have ever heard given to a congregation is that they were “forward-thinking.”  It means they were planning and designing ministries around and for future generations.  It means they weren’t just thinking of the children, but of their children’s children.  It means that when they built a new building, they had the next generation in mind, and they didn’t assume the next generation would be just like them and have the same likes and preferences.  It means they planned for their church’s survival and not just survival, but abundant life, the life that is truly life.  They recognized they’d have to adapt in some ways, they recognized it meant that things couldn’t always stay the same, they recognized that it meant that they’d have to give and share and do good.  You see, sharing and good deeds result in caring ministries, of which we have quite a few here at our church. 

Cowenton: Sunshine Girls, Fun ‘n’ Fellowship, Nursery

PG: feeding the homeless, hosting Friendship Circle, new Hispanic ministry

There is much to love about our church, and we don’t celebrate those things enough.

Cowenton: I’d like to start keeping a list, perhaps on one of the bulletin boards around here, with signs and pictures of some of these things.  I know we love our church, even if no one was willing to say why when I asked on social media this past week.  We wouldn’t be here otherwise, so let’s start sharing more of these reasons why, and if you have a tangible reason you’d be willing to share on a bulletin board, please bring it in.  Next week I’ll be asking about specific people in in the church who have made a contribution to your spiritual growth. So, come next week prepared to share and to celebrate. 

PG: I invite you to join this time of celebration in the next few weeks and our concluding celebration luncheon on Sunday, October 25^th after church. One thing you can do is use the devotional guide you’ll receive in the bulletin each week. You can also start thinking about next week’s heart card, which will ask you to identify a person in the church who has made a contribution to your spiritual growth. Come next week prepared to share and to celebrate.  Since this was the first week, I asked our Ad Council chair and worship chair to prepare a brief reflection to share this morning. 

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[1] John 10:10

[2] Matthew 25:21, among other places

[3] http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/garthbrooks/standingoutsidethefire.html

[4] Psalm 104:27-28

[5] Luke 12:19

[6] Practicing Extravagant Generosity by Robert Schnase, p. 14-15