God, you gave us light, you filled us with light and
now you send us into the world to be the bearers of that light to others. Give us courage to strike the match and set
our world aflame with your light. Amen
Every
year I tell you that most of us preacher-types hate having to preach the annual
Stewardship sermon. For one thing, we
all know it shouldn’t be ‘annual’ but rather ongoing. The problem is that most, if not all if not
all of you, dislike listening to it as much as we dislike preaching it. This year, though, I am in an enviable
position of being able to say everything that I want to say, without measuring
my words or guarding against saying something that will come back to haunt me
because I am leaving you before long. I,
unlike in past years, when I did not want to risk offending any of you, I can
leave you with the very words that I would like to say regarding stewardship.
First
of all, let me acknowledge that no one wants to hear about money. Many of us grew up in homes where money was
added to the topics of politics, sex, and religion which should never be talked
about in polite company. Information
about at least money and sex were never to leave the home. If a family needed money, saying so in public
was considered shameful--like airing one’s dirty laundry where the public could
see it. It just wasn’t done. And, we never, never were to ask someone how
much something costs. Again, it just
wasn’t done.
And,
here we walk into church and expect people to feel comfortable talking about
money. Why, I don’t feel
comfortable. Why? Because I was raised in the same era as most
of you and taught all the same prohibitions as you. But, I am your pastor and expected to push
myself past all the same feelings you are having and talk about money. And, don’t forget about the rest of the
triangle—talent and time. I fear that
many church-goers suspect that we add in time and talent to the more touchy
treasure just so you, the congregation can’t accuse us of only talking about
treasure or money. Nothing can be
further from the truth. As I was
thinking about words on stewardship that I wanted to leave you with, six specific
points seemed important.
1.
It really does take money to
run a church. Bills are necessary and
the perks once given to churches like lower rates and in-town discounts
disappeared with small town good will.
Space whether rented or built costs 10 times what it did just a few
decades ago. Utilities go up at the same
rate for the church as they do for your house and insurance is even more
costly.
2.
Pastors can’t and shouldn’t work
for free and most of the perks that used to be afforded to pastors have
disappeared as well. Pastors now have
student loans. MCC has no way to assist
their pastors with seminary attendance which requires 3 years of full time
schooling and many pastors, such as your current pastor, have an additional
master’s degree as well. Pastors are
professionals and deserve to be compensated as such. I know you know that it is a myth that
pastors work one day a week; but, you may not realize that small church pastors
often work parts of 7 days a week. As
you think about compensation for your next pastor, please keep all these things
in mind. Providing for that pastor is
part of good stewardship as well.
3.
Programs and ministries
cost. They cost money, people, talents,
skills, and time. The price of resources
has risen dramatically in the past few years. Even DVD series don’t teach
themselves so they need skilled leaders and someone has to be committed to
ensuring that the building is open, the room is ready, and then, locked up
again.
4.
Church now have costs that
the churches of 25 years ago do not have.
Website hosting, graphic design, printing, marketing and cell phone
bills are just a few. Technology is
wonderful, but expensive. Churches need
security systems now—a thing unheard of in the past.
NOW FOR THE
GOOD NEWS---
5.
Everyone yes everyone, has
at least one talent they can dedicate to the church. It is important for a church to help its
congregants to identify those talents so they can help build the community. Do some thinking yourself—you may be
surprised at what you discover you can offer to God’s work.
6.
There is no formula for how
many people per hundred members it takes to run a church. Why?
Because it takes 100 people for every 100 members to run a church. Each member must donate time, talent, and
treasure if a church is to bear fruit. Do you know that it has been documented over
and over again that, in most churches, 20% of the people do all the work. Think about that for a minute. And I lovingly challenge you—if the only
thing you do for your church right now is ‘show up’ on Sunday mornings, please
rethink your commitment to this church.
If your church is a blessing to you, please be a blessing to it.
And, finally, 7.
We give because we have been given just as we love because we have been
loved. And, in loving and giving we are
able to live, laugh and let our lights shine.
Our Old Testament Lesson reminds us that God’s people have always needed
light. The Israel people were on a
journey following God. But they needed
to see God, because they didn’t always seem to know where God was going
next. So God stepped in and
helped—appearing as a cloud of smoke during the day when the natural light was
shining and as a pillar of fire at night when they would be unable to see. Either way, whether it was day or night, they
could see where God was heading. God
revealed the sacred presence as light so that they could follow.
Now,
contrast that to the New Testament where Jesus became the light in the
world. Jesus—pointing the way to God’s
kingdom—God’s reign of justice. Jesus,
himself, was the light of and to and in the world. But, we know that Jesus was here for more
than just to be the light. Jesus was
here to teach, us, the followers of his way of being, to be the light in the
world. So another triangle is
complete—God is light and reveals the light—God sends Jesus to be the light and
to walk upon the earth—Jesus teaches us—his followers how to be light. Jesus is firm in his beautiful words. We are sent to show all the God-colors in the
world—all by being the light as Jesus was the light. Think about these stained glass windows that
we so much admire. Now it’s not that
they are ugly when it’s night—why they are beautiful works of art and when lit
from behind have a certain beauty. But
it is a beauty they keep all to themselves.
Now think about or look at the windows in the daylight. Beautiful rainbow colors—all God-colors are
reflected all over the room. And they
are all different—different shapes and sizes—just like we are.
We
will not all have the same thing to give—not the same time, the same talent, or
the same treasure. But looking at the
lights, can you pick out one that is more beautiful than the other? Even if you can, I doubt your neighbor would
pick the same. It all depends on how you
look at it—all beautiful—all different.
Why is it is so hard for us to believe that we all have lights—lights
that matter—lights that make the difference between the success and failure of
this church. Many of you have little
treasure and more time—for some of you it is the opposite. It doesn’t matter as long as you are giving
something to all three points of the triangle.
Some
final thoughts. In this church, it is
not the responsibility of the Board or the Pastor to make this church
successful—financially or spiritually.
If think that it is their responsibility or mostly their responsibility,
then you are in the wrong kind of church.
You are in the kind of church where everyone accepts responsibility for
the church—where we are all equal before God—where each voice matters. You are in the kind of church where everyone
has a light and a book of matches.
Notice how Kathy didn’t pass out candles to some and matches to others
and candles and matches to others. This
is not how Open Circle works. Take your
metaphorical candle and matchbook and light the candle. If you need help lighting your match, get
someone to help you, but for the sake of the light of the world, don’t leave
your matchbook tightly closed. That is
the very worst choice you could make.
And
now I say to you in the grace of the one who showed us how to be light, Light
your match, light your heart, light your church, and go light the world. Amen and amen and Namaste!
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