|
| |
“Proclaiming Partnership”
Ruth 1:1-18;
Psalm 146;
Hebrews 9:11-14; Mark 12:28-34;
(Matthew 22:34-40)
Rev. Sandy Nuernberg
Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, WI
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time -
Christian and Citizen Sunday
November 5, 2006
Please pray with me; Lord,
help us to listen to your Word, that we may love one another, as You
love us, and that we might live in your world in service to others.
AMEN.
As Christians we seem to think it
an authentic trait to help others. A week or so ago I had the opportunity to
participate in a local mission project that our church takes part in during the
year, Meals on Wheels. A partner and I took approximately 12-14 meals to those
shut-ins that can not make their own meal, or for short periods of time, need
assistance in bringing meals to them while they are literally ‘getting on their
feet ‘again in the routines of life. My partner and I talked together and
laughed on the way, I ran in with the meals and greeted the persons in their
homes along the lake, at Greenvale, or their apartment. Without exception,
everyone I talked with from church about this local mission commented they ‘felt
good inside’ coming away from helping others. What I was struck with and amazed
by was the warmth from beginning to end; the offering from the heart by everyone
involved. I learned peoples names, where Oakdale Rd. is, the Family Restaurant
supplying the food, shortcuts to places, and more history of all of these things
than any book could print from my driver. There was partnership in all that we
did together.
Now, I was used to doing this
service, and alone, when I volunteered as a sub in Madison for Mobile Meals
years ago, in the late 80's and early 90's; picking up meals at St. Mary’s
hospital or Oakwood-West campus, given a slip of paper and out I went in any
area they gave me in Madison. I usually got areas where others did not want to
go, I returned my containers to a loading dock with no one in sight an hour/ one
half later!! Don’t get me wrong; I still felt good about this local volunteering
but never, ever felt a relationship, a partnership or joint interest associated
with my task. By my own admission, perhaps some of this was by my own choosing
or doing; I felt a bit cold-hearted at times in offering myself to this mission
program. But I never felt that ever last week; I felt you were proclaiming a
partnership with the community and with helping me.
Today we are at the climax of
Sunday sermons in the lectionary with what we might call the P’s of
understanding stewardship (that “S” word); that area where Christian living
involves Christian giving of time, talent, and treasures (financial resources).
We’ve heard themes of our possessions, power, promise, and today we focus upon
partnership; all having significance during stewardship time of the year for
our responsibilities of the church’s future.
I read recently that stewardship
is extremely important to most churches but is also the one aspect in our
ministry where we do the poorest. Curiously, I found over the years
Presbyterians and their understanding of stewardship is that those who have the
least give the most in the three t’s ( time, talent, treasures).
( Bohl, Robert, What Presbyterians Believe,
‘ Stewardship, The “S” Word’, 1997). Yet in today’s world, I found
that never before has there been a generation of so many wealthy people. Just
two years ago, in 2004, US charitable giving was $248 billion, all religious
groups received $88 billion of that, and educational organizations receiving the
next highest amount, $33 billion.
At this same time period, a
whopping 65% (sixty-five percent) of all adults in America made a contribution
to a (any) church or a place of worship! From these totals, we learn
contradictions to what most ministers believe; people are willing to give, and
church members are not resentful of being asked to give. The truth is people
want to give and they want to be asked to give; the clincher is that members
want ‘those asking to be able to present the mission and ministry of the church
clearly and with conviction’ ( Bohl, Robert.‘
Stewardship: turning missed opportunities to blessings, Fall, 2006).
In answering the why, when and how
of healthy stewardship programs, we can’t help but be reminded of our texts in
Mark and Hebrews of the great commandments, loving God and loving neighbor.
Isn’t this the landmark, the bedrock of the mission and ministry of the church?
I have this as my mantra; a short prayer or chant,
‘I love you Lord, with my whole heart, soul,
mind, body, and strength; AND I love my neighbor as myself.’ The scene
in Mark is the scribe, along with the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the
Sadducees, those collective skeptics of Jesus wanting to catch or trap (Mark
12:13 ) Jesus on what he said, and Jesus tells the scribe he was wise; “You are
not far from the kingdom of God ”(v.34) he tells him, that loving God and
neighbor are far more important than burnt offerings and sacrifices (v.32-33).
Jesus declaration of the two commandments together is clearly the first time
this is done; they are commandments in partnership. In Hebrews, the scene is
comparing the old covenant of sacrifices of animals (rituals) and the new
covenant of Christ’s good works coming as ‘good things.’ In our Christian life,
we offer ourselves to the living God, and we are set free by Jesus Christ, and
led by the Holy Spirit to respond with our lives, our abilities and our
particular gifts.
It seems healthy stewardship might
be understood as spiritual in matters of why, when, and how. Why,
spiritually, because everything we do is stewardship from our confessing in
Jesus Christ as Lord. When, spiritually, because our stewardship is
accomplished every day of our lives and not just a Sunday in November. How,
spiritually, because our stewardship is given in different ways and in different
amounts that only we can determine and choose. You see, stewardship is
everything we do, all year long, all life long!! As we discover together, the
joy of giving is coming away from delivering meals on wheels and having a good
feeling in our hearts of helping others. Stewardship is when we realize that
going to the Pres House and serving a meal to students, preparing breakfast for
the high schoolers, and calling the deacon to add a member’s name to the prayer
chain makes us feel good, it makes us feel ‘needed’; it makes us feel ‘whole.’
In our time and talents we are proclaiming our partnership with God/one another.
The good news of the gospel for us
today is that in balancing our life as Christians stewardship is spiritual in
nature. It is our Christian discipleship from the time we confess Jesus Christ
as our Lord and Savior publicly, just as the parents and congregation were in
partnership last week for their children at baptism, and we in partnership at
communion today. It’s a collective and connected partnership with God and
with each other. It’s an offering of our time, talents, and treasures of
finances to others all our life long. As we come to the Lord’s table together,
you and I, as we receive and are nourished by this spiritual food of life, let
us remind ourselves of the costly self-offering of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and
as we are set free let us respond in sharing our lives with others in the
world. AMEN.
|
