Sermon for Sunday, November 20th, 2011

Last Sunday after Pentecost
Christ the King Sunday
Proper 29 Year A

Ezekiel 34:11-17
Psalm 95:1-7
I Corinthians 15:20-28
St. Matthew 25:31-46

Many of you are probably familiar with the lyrics to the song “Have You Seen Jesus My Lord?” The chorus tells us that “He’s here in plain view.” But is Jesus that easy to see in the world around us.

Yes it is very true that as the song also states. “Have you ever stood in the family, With the Lord there in your midst, Seen the face of Christ in each other? Then I say, that You’ve seen Jesus my Lord.” But that is the easy answer. Now don’t get me wrong, it is a true answer as well. As we look around here we see Jesus around us in each wonderful person, and that is a good thing. But still that is the easy part and in the Gospel today Jesus calls us to a harder and more difficult understanding of where we may be able to see Jesus.

Because Jesus can also be found in those who are the most unlike us and I fear too often we miss that point.

In today’s Gospel Jesus addressed two different groups, each apparently equally clueless. The parable in the Gospel lesson for today is quite a challenge in several ways. For me the first challenge of this parable is the response of both groups of people to the King. The first group had ministered to Jesus, represented by those in great need, the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the shivering, the sick and those in prison. Now that in itself we, as Christians, should not find particularly remarkable. It is part of the Gospel message we all recognize. The second group was chastised for failing to minister to Jesus. They had failed to minister to the hungry, thirsty, homeless, shivering, the sick and those in prison and so had failed to minister to Jesus.

But it is the response of both groups that is intriguing. Both of the groups claimed that had no idea that they had ministered to Jesus.

Every one of them had failed to see Jesus in the people around them. And I think more critically, they failed to see Jesus in the people not like them. And this is the challenge for us in the church! Our great danger is in only seeing Jesus in the people around us. It is only seeing Jesus in the people like us. It is easy to see Jesus in the people like us, often much harder to see Jesus in the people unlike us. Singer Joan Osbourne had a great song entitled “What if God was one of us?” The chorus included these words “What if God was one of us Just a slob like one of us Just a stranger on the bus Trying to make his way home."

I think that people are actually ok with seeing God as one of us, just a slob like one of us. Just so long as he is like one of us and not like the people who we are uncomfortable with or afraid of.

And yet the parable for today clearly tells us that we will find and minister to Jesus in the people actually most unlike us.

This should be inspiring because it challenges us to be at our very best as a Christian. But it is also frightening because it seems so very easy to end up on the wrong end of the equation. The end where we are found wanting.

It is inspiring because we all want to be that Christian who feed Jesus, who gave water to Jesus, who welcomed Jesus, who clothed Jesus, who visited Jesus.

It is challenging because we are also reminded in this passage how easy it is to be the Christian who does not feed Jesus, who does not give water to Jesus, who does not welcome Jesus, who does not cloth Jesus, who does not visit Jesus.

Both of these groups had one important quality in common. They shared one common trait. In both of these groups, the people did not see when they either were or were not doing those things for Jesus.

That is the key. They did not see Jesus in what they were doing. It is easy to do the right thing when we know Jesus is there. It is easy to see the Jesus who did so much for us and want to do any small part to do something for him. But Jesus Himself is not here physically. I believe that the Gospel passage is driving home a very important lesson. And that lesson is that Christianity is not just about our relationship with God. It is about our relationship with those created in the image of God.

That is why in each individual around us, when we do anything for them we are doing it just as if we were doing it for Jesus. You see, God is to be found in each and every one of us. But now comes the challenging part.

When we look at humanity, particularly when we look at the poor, the disenfranchised, the street people, the mentally impaired, the felons it is very hard to see Jesus. Instead our prejudices and our fears and our dislikes spring into our minds.

They prevent us from wanting to serve the Jesus found in each one of us. And that was what the second group saw too. When they looked at these needy people, they did not see Jesus, they forgot to see God in them.

And that allowed them to ignore them and pretend that they did not exist. And that is the truly frightening part in this lesson. That Jesus may be right in front of us and the danger is that we do not see Him.

Just as he was in the Gospel, Jesus is challenging us again today. He is challenging us to look at the world in with new eyes. Actually He is challenging us to look at the world through His eyes.

When we do, we will see the opportunities to serve those who need to experience the love of God the most. When we look through the world in Jesus eyes, we will see Jesus looking back at us.

Have you seen Jesus my Lord? He’s here in plain view. Take a look, open your eyes.

Sermon for the Baptism of Our Lord, Year B, January 11, 2009

Baptism of Our Lord

Year B

January 11, 2009

Resurrection Lutheran Church

Genesis 1:1-5 Psalm 29

Acts 19:1-7 St. Mark 1:4-11

In the name of the triune God who created us, who loves us, who redeemed us, and who cares for us.

It seems like Baptism is a theme I just can't get away from here at Resurrection Lutheran Church! But that is actually fine with me. As I'm sure most of you have figured out by now, it is my one of my very favorite things. For me a baptism feels so much like an escape from the mundane and an opportunity to spend a little bit of time in heaven here on earth. Maybe that sounds a bit escapist and not very grounded in the world, but there it is. There is nothing quite so amazing as holding a child in my arms and welcoming them into the family of faith. Holding that baby and looking into its beautiful eyes and seeing the face of the parents is truly a window to look at God. Baptism and the story of creation reminds me that each and everyone of us is created in God's image.

I would be completely happy to try and dwell in the sacred time and space of baptism for as long as possible. In it I feel most close to God and most close to my sisters and brothers. It is the kind of mountain top experience that all of us want to savor. Having a mountain top experience is truly a blessing from God.

I have to imagine that it was also a mountain top experience for Jesus in the Gospel story today. I can only imagine how it must have been to hear those words from his Heavenly Father after his own baptism. In a sense at baptism each of us is reminded of the same thing. That we are beloved children of a loving God.

Unfortunately there is always something to bring us back to where we are. We just can't stay on that mountain top forever, as much as we might be tempted to. Very often where we are seems to be the valleys of life, not the mountain tops.

Even Jesus had to leave the mountain top of his baptism. He had to deal with the experience of rejection, ridicule, and ultimately, the cross. And each of us can thank God that He was willing to do that.

To often it seems to me that the world tries to work overtime to keep us from those mountain top experiences. It is often hard to remember that God's creation was good in the face of all that is happening in the world around us. Wars, hatred and strife are a daily occurrence in the world around us. On top of those things, which while we hear about all the time, rarely affect us directly, we are struggling with the current financial crisis which affects many of us personally. It is very hard to see the goodness in God's creation when you realize that most of this mess was made by people who were consumed with greed and avarice and not concerned at all about others. The Madoff scandal is but the latest example.

When you hear the stories of the people affected you can feel the sense of betrayal they have. I think their close connections and being such a small group of investors gave them a sense of family. And so the betrayal takes on a much more personal feeling. And the seeming lack of remorse on the part of Madoff only makes things worse.

We are all a family as well. We are a family as a Christian community. And baptism is one of the most tangible demonstrations of being a part of that family. Baptism brings us together as family. In Genesis God created, in baptism we celebrate our part in the family as God's children. We repeat the familiar words that bind us as a community in ever service of Baptism.

But the part of the baptism that really gets to me, what I really love, is when the baptized person is told they are sealed in Baptism and marked as God's own forever. The promises of God are lasting. They are not transient like the things of this world that come and go, often disappointing us.

And so with all these negative images around us, I have to remind myself that God's creation was good. True enough we have managed to mess it up, sometimes spectacularly. And true though, often people fail to respect and love others as part of our Christian family. And sadly our mucking up God's creation is not limited to financial matters and one another. We have managed to muck up the earth itself pretty good.

In light of all this, perhaps it may seem like the answer is just to pack it in and give up. But of course that is not the Christian way. In our baptism we are called to a new life in Christ.

A Native American Coyote story describes a poor man who had a dream or vision that there was a place where everything is perfect. You might say that this was heaven. He had been told that this place was visible to all who had accepted a life of humility and complete service to their community. The poor man felt very humble, especially since he had no real possessions, but he felt that he must set out on a journey away from his present life and community in search of this perfect place.

He set out the next day at dawn. He walked and walked the entire day, and when evening arrived, before he had found the perfect place, he set up camp, took out his meager meal of bread and a flask of water to satisfy his hunger and thirst. He gave thanks, ate the bread, drank the water, and then he removed his sandals and placed them facing in the direction he was headed so he could continue his journey the next day. Then went to sleep.

While the poor man slept that night, Coyote came and turned his shoes around so that they faced the direction from where the man had come that day. When the poor man awoke, he put on his shoes, and began to walk again. While he walked all day, he thought about this perfect place, this heavenly city. When it was nearly dark, he came to a place that looked strangely familiar. He walked down a street, turned a corner, and saw a somewhat familiar dwelling. He waited outside the dwelling until its inhabitants came out to greet him and invite him in. When they did, he entered and was given warm clothes and a warm meal that was so delicious he could not remember the last time he had eaten so well. He was received with such hospitality that he felt as though he was a member of a family he had known his whole life.

After much talk, singing, and praying, the whole household offered the poor man their best bedding. He thanked them and laid down to sleep thanking Creator God for the abundant blessings shared with him. He could not help but think that this was, indeed, a perfect place, a heavenly place. How could there be another more perfect?

So we are challenged to figure out what it means to live our lives in this sinful world as transformed people. We can be transformed by the power of God in us. But often we have to fight against our own selfish nature. I think that is why our church tradition calls us to repeat those baptismal vows at every baptism. It is a reminder that no matter how often we might have failed to live up to them, there is always a new opportunity to try again.

As Christians we are called to live out the kingdom of God right here on earth, as best, even if imperfectly as we can. May God grant us the wisdom and grace to make our homes and lives a slice of the kingdom.

Sermon for the First Sunday of Christmas, Year B, December 28, 2008

First Sunday of Christmas
Year B
December 28, 2008
Resurrection Lutheran Church
Isaiah 61:10—62:3 Psalm 148
Galatians 4:4-7 St. Luke 2:22-40



In the name of the triune God who created us, who loves us, who redeemed us, and who cares for us.

Today our focus is on children. To me they represent a sign of innocence, beauty, and the presence of God among us. Today is the first Sunday after Christmas and so we remember particularly the Incarnation. And we celebrate again new life with the Baptism of another beautiful child of God. Today we welcome another child into the family of our faith in a formal way. It is always an exciting time for me.

But before we talk about new life with all of its potential before it, I want to talk about death. The other end of the spectrum of our lives. In the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer we have what is for me a very profound prayer in the service for the Burial of the Dead.

It goes like this: “Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him/her into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints of light. Amen.”

It is a prayer so powerful in its truth that is brings my emotions right to the surface. I can barely say the prayer at a funeral without tearing up. A sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock. It is an acknowledgement of our belonging to God.

A number of hears ago Joan Armstrong wrote a song entitled “What If God Was One Of Us”. Part of the lyrics went like this:

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home

If God had a face what would it look like?
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that
you would have to believe
in things like heaven and in Jesus and the saints
and all the prophets (*)
Just trying to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just trying to make his way home
Nobody calling on the phone
'cept for the Pope maybe in Rome

The song really appealed to me. If God had a face what would it look like? It is a great reminder as we celebrate the birth of a savior in a barn and the baptism of a child. God calls us to see God in each and every one of us. But that can sometimes be very hard. To see God, particularly in people in whom we can’t see ourselves.

A few years ago there was a show on TV called “Joan of Arcada”. Every week God would appear to Joan in the form of a person and give her some task which needed to be done. The person who was God changed regularly and it was a very cute show. One episode though God appeared as a young teen in Goth. You know a teen that wears all black clothing, often with pale makeup on the skin and dark features. Most definitely not what I see when I look in a mirror. I found myself very shocked at this. I was rather upset that God would be portrayed in this manner.

It took me quite some time to deal with all my thoughts after my initial reaction. I knew my reaction was wrong, but it was there. I had to do a lot of soul searching. In the end, that young Goth became my favorite character to portray God. I had learned the importance of seeing God in everyone I meet. I still fail at times to do so, but I think that in my life I’m now a lot more sensitive to it.

It seems to me that for most of us Christians it is very easy to see God in infants and children and it is usually easy to see God in people at their death. We seem to have the beginning and ending of life figured out pretty good. Where we so often fail is in that large stretch in the middle when people live life, make choices, make mistakes and generally try to make it though.

It is as this point that we are most unsuccessful at seeing God in others. We seem to love people when they are born and when they die but often it is easy to hate them or perhaps ignore them in the middle.

If God had a face what would it look like?
And would you want to see
That is the questions we all must ask ourselves. You see God does have a face. God has many faces.

Sermon for the Third Sunday in Advent, December 14, 2008

Third Sunday of Advent

Year B

December 14, 2008

Resurrection Lutheran Church

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Psalm 126

I Thessalonians 5:16-24 St. John 1:6-8, 19-28

In the name of the triune God who created us, who loves us, who redeemed us, and who cares for us.

One of my favorite Advent hymns is "On Jordan's Bank." It is found on page 63 of your LBW. The words go like this:

1. On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come, then, and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings.

2. Then cleansed by every Christian breast
And furnished for so great a Guest.
Yea, let us each our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.

3. For Thou art our Salvation, Lord,
Our Refuge, and our great Reward.
Without Thy grace our souls must fade
And wither like a flower decayed.

4. Lay on the sick Thy healing hand
And make the fallen strong to stand;
Show us the glory of Thy face
Till beauty springs in every place.

5. All praise, eternal Son, to Thee
Who advent sets Thy people free,
Whom, with the Father, we adore
And Holy Ghost forevermore.

Today we hear the story of John the Baptist, a particularly appropriate lesson for Advent. The lesson starts out with the words "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him." Being sent from God is not always a great thing by our standards. While John had some followers, those in power were really threatened by him. In fact, his words became so threatening that they eventually lead to his imprisonment and finally his death. He never gained worldly good or significant recognition in his life time. The life of a prophet is usually lonely.

Today I want you to pull out your insert and follow those two lines with me again. But I’m going to change a few words this time. "There was a person sent from God, whose name was Lucy. She came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through her." I figured I would use Lucy as an example since she is such a new addition to the church family and can’t really speak for herself yet.

This time I want you to read it with your name. Try it out. Go ahead.

How did it feel? I want to take a short moment now and let you just think about what it would mean if that verse was speaking about you. Did you believe it in your heart when you read it? I hope so because it is absolutely true. There is a person sent by God and guess what? That person is you. And you. And you. And little Lucy. And me.

To me it can be pretty overwhelming. You are that person sent by God. I am that person sent by God. You are that person called as a witness to testify to the light. It can be pretty overwhelming. We think of our personal failures and wonder how in the world we can be a witness to the light of God.

I have to wonder if John felt exactly that same way I suspect he might have been a reluctant witness for God. How much better to live your comfortable life without these annoying interruptions from God.

How are you and I going to respond? Some of us may be tempted to argue with God. Something along the lines of “Lord can’t I just go to church and support the church? Isn’t that enough God?” Perhaps our response will be that of Moses or Jonah. Basically a "not me Lord! Are you crazy God?" No one will listen to me Lord. Moses thought he didn’t speak well enough. Any excuse. How many excuses do we have for God?

Our initial desire to say no to the call of God in our life needs to be changed to a yes. We need to decide to respond like Samuel, saying "speak lord, for your servant is listening", then what?

How do we fulfill our commission to be a witness to testifying about Jesus? I think many peoples greatest fear is that we will have to go door to door to strangers like the Mormon's or the Jehovah Witnesses. Or do we have to pay an annual Temple assessment as in the Jewish tradition? Or do we try and keep it a secret like the Episcopal tradition?

Well we don't have to do it any particular way. One approach will not fit every circumstance and every need. Fortunately we don't even have to dress up in uncomfortable clothing and eat grass hoppers like John. But we do need to overcome our fears and anxiety to say yes to God. Sometimes not even really knowing what that yes to God will mean. We need to realize that God chooses us and that God will be with us. In our weakness God’s power is made even more manifest. Paul believed that he could do all things through the power of the strength of God in his life. Do we really believe that?

But one thing we absolutely do have to do is be a witness for God. There is no getting around that call of God in our lives. Each in our own unique way. Each of us as God has called is. It will not be the same. But that way God reaches out to so many other people.

It is our job to announce to others that the Lord is near. Advent can be a challenging and risky time for us. It calls us to evangelism like no other season in the Church year. So let each of us commit to the work of evangelist in our own lives as we respond to the call of God.

Sermon for the First Sunday of Advent, November 30, 2008

First Sunday of Advent

Year B

November 30, 2008

Resurrection Lutheran Church

Isaiah 64:1-9 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

I Corinthians 1:3-9 St. Mark 13:24-37

In the name of the triune God who created us, who loves us, who redeemed us, and who cares for us.

Today is the day of a new beginning. This is the First Sunday of Advent. Today is the ecclesiastical equivalent of New Year’s Day. In the recent history of the church, Advent has taken a rather penitential feeling, very much like Lent. This is most likely due to the use of purple as the color for both seasons.

In an attempt to combat this, many churches have moved from purple to shades of blue.

“The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. That is a process in which we now participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate. Scripture reading for Advent will reflect this emphasis on the Second Advent, including themes of accountability for faithfulness at His coming, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life.”[1]

This Advent I want to encourage you to expected the unexpected. One thing that has always interested me is that fact that the first Advent of Jesus came about in a most unexpected way. No one imagined the messiah as the simple son of a carpenter. In spite of all that was found in the Scriptures and in spite of the eager anticipation of the Jewish nation of a messiah who would come in great power and set things right, it just didn’t happen that way. Nope. God came in God’s own way and to serve God’s own purposes.

It must have been quite shocking for people to learn that their centuries held beliefs were to be turned upside down. That is if they were able to accept it at all. You see, many could not. They were unable to change their preconceived ideas to embrace Jesus as God revealed to them.

I think that it often seems that God never comes the way we plan on God coming in our own lives as well. That is why we need to expected the unexpected in our own lives. God will come to us in ways we perhaps never imagined. But if we insist on holding on to our own ideas and expectations we can miss God in our lives when God is right in front of us. We will allow ourselves to fall into the same trap that so many in the time of Jesus did. Those who recognized Jesus were rarely those of a religious bent. They were too obsessed in their own views of how God should act and as a result not only missed Jesus, but often actively plotted against Jesus.

The lessons in Advent will often focus on the next coming of Jesus. And I have an idea that the next coming of Jesus will probably also be unexpected. Those who are convinced that they understand from the Scriptures and the teaching of the church just how the next Advent will occur I believe are destined for disappointment.

Now that probably explains why I’m not a fan at all of the “Left Behind” series and the entire cottage industry of end times books, tapes, and teachings. They miss the fundamental point that humans don’t seem to do a very good job of guessing how God will choose to act in the world.

There is something very positive in this focus during Advent on the past and the present. Advent becomes a time of looking head and a time of looking behind and that can be a powerful symbol of our own faith journey, and even more it can be a powerful symbol of a congregations faith journey. Particularly in this place and time. As you examine the past and look towards your future in the call of a new pastor.

Last time I was here the lesson focused on our responsibilities to God in the time between the appearances of Jesus on earth. Last time I focused on individual responsibilities within the concept of supporting the church financially. Today I would encourage you to think about your life as a congregation. As I know from my own experience it is very easy for a congregation to assume that the pastor will be doing everything. Visiting the sick, evangelizing, cleaning, maintaining, inspiring, cajoling, you name it, it is the pastor’s job.

It is true that many of these things are indeed the pastor’s job. But please do not forget that in this time between the first coming of Jesus and the second coming of Jesus each and every one of us has our own responsibilities. Those responsibilities include everything I listed for the pastor to do. You see the “great commission” was not limited to pastors and other church professionals. It was for each and every one of us. The lesson of Matthew 25 was not limited to pastors and other church professionals. It was a call for each and every one of us to feed the sick, visit those in prison and minister to the needs of those less fortunate than us. The summary of the law by Jesus to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves was not limited to pastors and other church professionals. It was for each and every one of us.

“… as the church celebrates God’s inbreaking into history in the Incarnation, and anticipates a future consummation to that history for which "all creation is groaning awaiting its redemption," it also confesses its own responsibility as a people commissioned to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbor as yourself."[2]

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[1] http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html

[2] Ibid

Sermon for the 27th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 24, November 16, 2008

Twenty Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 28

Year A

November 16, 2008

Resurrection Lutheran Church

Isaiah 45:1-7 Psalm 96:1-13

I Thessalonians 1:1-10 St. Matthew 22:15-22

In the name of the triune God who created us, who loves us, who redeemed us, and who cares for us.

The parable that Jesus tells in the Gospel for today can be understood in different ways. And I have sworn to myself to not use the word eschatology in today’s homily even though the lectionary and the commentary are begging us to understand it in terms of the end times. I'm not sure I agree with that. While it is one possible understanding, I think that parables are open to multiple interpretations. There is no one "right way" to get at any of them. And in fact, I think this parable much more a parable on Christian living for us today than anything else.

One thing I do believe is clear however is that in this parable Jesus is giving guidance to his follows, that is you and I, concerning what we are to do while Jesus is not with us.

I’m also aware that I have a singularly unique opportunity while helping out at Resurrection Lutheran. I have the opportunity of not being the pastor during the time of year when most churches are working on their budget and in the middle of the stewardship campaign, or whatever other name they choose to call it.

This gives me the chance to talk about church finances and individual responsibilities without the usual baggage of feeling like I’m pleading for my salary or a pet program I happen to like.

Let’s face it though. It is sometimes hard to talk about money in church. It is hard enough when we are talking about it generically, but it is even more of a challenge when we are talking about it with respect to the annual stewardship campaign. We all reach for our pocket book to protect it!

And I sort of have a split personality about the entire issue of giving to the church. Not that I have any issues about doing it, I’m a firm believer in it. I was raised in the Baptist tradition where it was just assumed that everyone automatically gave ten percent of their income to the church. I never though Christians did otherwise. That is until I joined the Episcopal Church. We are an organization which, while officially proclaiming the tithe as the minimum standard of giving is nevertheless rather timid about it. I remember well the most shocking revelation when I discovered that Episcopalians in general considered all their charitable giving when determining they were giving ten percent or not. So if they gave generously to say the Boy Scouts, a local non-profit and the church as long as it added up to ten percent that was fine.

I have to confess that as a former Baptist that really raised the hair on the back of my neck. While I never said it, to me it sounded like stealing from God.

It is even hard to talk about what each of us might be doing personally. I know when I applied for the position of Rector at one parish I noticed that at least for the previous Rector, his title was an income line item in the budget. I had never seen that before. But one thing it made the congregation know for certain. Their leader tithed.

I can tell you all that I give at least the tithe to the church. I don’t share this with you out of pride, but because I want you to know that I’m not asking you to do something I’m not willing to do myself. I have always given at least ten percent, in those times when I was a young man in the military, oh so long ago, I know. Those were days when I often didn’t really believe that I would have enough to make it to the next pay check and it was sometimes very tempting to not put that money in the offering plate.

But somehow, God always managed to provide. Whether it was from a decision not to buy something that I really didn’t need at that moment, or offers of dinners from wonderful friends, or just sitting home rather than going out. Somehow I always made it. It wasn’t always easy or comfortable, but I always made it. Now I do not believe that God we can manipulate God to reward us by paying God off. But at the same time I know from my own experience and from the words of Scripture that God does look out for those who are faithful to God.

In the lesson today we have three slaves who were trusted with responsibilities from the master. The last slave, the one that Robert Farrar Capon in his book “The Parables of Judgment”[1] likes to refer to as the prudent slave ends up in hot water. This slave did not want to take risks. What would happen if he lost what he was given by the master? How in the world would he explain that! And so he takes the path of prudence and protects what was given him by his master. I can see him checking on it regularly to make sure he has not lost it, so it will be ready to be given back to the master upon his return.

That is the option we are really faced when we consider our giving to God as well. Do we take risks or do we play it safe, do we act out the part of the prudent slave. I want to encourage you to take risks with God.

I told you I had a split personality when it comes to financial responsibility to the church. And here it is. Forgive me Council President and the rest of the Council. But in spite of my upbringing I believe you absolutely do not have to tithe. I believe that gifts given out of compulsion are not what God if looking for at all.

But at the same time I believe that it is vitally important to your own spiritual health that you do at least tithe. And so I encourage you to prayerfully consider that as a goal in your life.

I’m aware of the financial implications of all of this during an economic downturn. I know many clergy are worrying about how to approach stewardship when the economy seems to be tanking. Do they ask people to continue to step out in faith when times are bad? I say not only yes, but that it is even more important to do it when times are financially difficult. You see it is easy to give when things are flush. The challenge is when things are tight. The challenge is when we are more like the widow with her mite than those with riches giving out of their excess.

But I do want to encourage you to step out in faith with regard to your support of your church and in trusting God. I want to challenge you to challenge yourself. God may never respond to your stepping out in faith by depositing $100,000 dollars in your bank account. At least it never worked that way for me. But, God will respond and your spiritual life will be deepened in ways you can not even imagine.

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[1] “The Parables of Judgment”, Robert Farrar Capon, p. 83.

Sermon for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 24, October 19, 2008

Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 24
Year A
October 19, 2008
Resurrection Lutheran Church
Isaiah 45:1-7 Psalm 96:1-13I Thessalonians 1:1-10 St. Matthew 22:15-22


In the name of the triune God who created us, who loves us, who redeemed us, and who cares for us.

The Gospel today is not about the separation of Church and State. Those questioning Jesus had no interest in these kinds of issues. In fact, such a thing never would have occurred to anyone in first century Israel. What the Gospel is about is hypocrisy. And it is about idolatry.

Have you ever thought about having to pay the very person who oppresses you? Talk about taxation without representation. That is what was happening in Jesus time to the people of Israel. The oppressed were forced to pay the oppressors. And people were divided about how to respond to this great injustice. They were faced with the question of do you support the government no matter how much you might disagree or do you refuse to pay taxes. Different faiths groups in the United States and around the world have chosen different responses to this quandary. It is never an easy answer. And people of good Christian will have disagreed in our nation about these kinds of problems many times.

What is right to do and what is wrong to do in the world as a Christian. That is always a difficult decision. It is not as black and white as some would want to believe. People have struggled with this same question for centuries in different forms. Do you serve a country an in unjust war? Is a war unjust? Do the ends justify the means? Christians come to different conclusions.

But Jesus’ protagonists today didn’t really care about that at all. In today’s story people are just trying to set a trap for Jesus. But as always Jesus avoids the trap laid for him. This is the hypocrisy in the story. Those questioning Jesus don’t really want an answer or even care what it might be. They want to make Jesus look bad and put him down in front of the crowd. They think that his choices boil down to one of two possible options. He will either have to say no, they do not have to pay, and side with the rebels against the authorities. Or he will have to say yes, they need to pay, and side with the appeasers. Either way, it is a no win situation. The Pharisees think they really have him now.

So Jesus asks them to cough up a coin. They produce one, and like all of the roman coins it has a graven image on it. If you remember your Hebrew Scriptures you will recall that the Jewish people are forbidden to have idols and yet Jesus indirectly points out that merely by conforming to the societal need to carry money, they end up carrying idols around in their pockets. Whether they caught on to that fine distinction of Jesus or not I do not know.

After asking them to identify the image on the coin, Jesus gives a pretty simple answer. But hidden in this simple answer is a powerful challenge to all of us as Christians. Giving to Cesar what is Cesar’s and to God what is God may seem like a very simple and easy thing to do. But I do not believe that this is the case.

I fear that we have made money our idol in a very real way. And sadly in a way that is, on the one hand, less obvious and therefore, on the other hand, is more dangerous. This is because like the Pharisees we do not perceive money as a potential idol.

Instead, we see money in very practical terms. It is not our idol we think, it is our servant. It is what makes the economy run well and provides a medium of exchange. We think it saves us from having to haul halibut and salmon around to trade with other people. And all of that is true. But the question we are faced with is how do we live. How do we treat our money. And there is the first catch. Calling it our money. You see, as Christians, we believe that it is not our money. It is God’s money. One of the simplest offertory prayers I know goes like this: “All things come of you Oh, Lord, and of your own have we given you.”

The concept of giving to God what is God's all along really calls us to remember that everything does indeed belong to God. This is not just talking about our tithe. It is talking about our all. It is easy enough for us to acknowledge it with our lips, but it is sometimes much harder to acknowledge it as we live. At least this is what I have discovered in my own life. The earth and all that is in it belongs to God. That includes the air we breath, the food we eat, the home we live in, the time on our calendar, and the money in our bank account. So this simple response of Jesus is not so simple after all. This Gospel calls us to evaluate how we respond to this truth.

In this simple answer Jesus calls us to look at all of our lives in a much different light. We can no longer live with our easy assumptions about what is means to follow Christ. Throughout history the call to follow Christ has meant to be willing to be challenged in our comfortable lives. We are called on to be willing to lay it all down if need be, like Francis of Assisi. That is a hard call that few have been able to follow.

But my concern is that in our present day the cares and concerns of the world all too easily crowd out our responsibilities to God. I think it rather unlikely that any of us here today will be called on to respond as St. Francis did. But we will be challenged to live out in our own lives the fullness of believing that all which we possess is truly God’s possessions.

The question each of us needs to answer for ourselves is: “are we ready?”