A sermon by Senior Minister John B. McCall, October 24, 2010
Matthew 6:19-24
Today is Consecration Sunday, as we prayerfully consider the well-being of our congregation and what it means to carry forward the commitment to serve members, strangers, the community, and God across 275 years. More important, each of us is invited to prayerfully consider what we, (individually) will offer to assure that we (collectively) remain vital and strong in 2011 and for years to come.
You and I have inherited this church – its buildings and property, yes – but much more importantly, its story. The blood, sweat and tears of preachers and parishioners across the generations have kept the story vital and vibrant. We now gather on this spot where generations have gathered, ministering to this community in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ.
We are Congregationalists. Collectively we own a spectacular piece of property and multiple millions of dollars worth of buildings. It isn’t owned by pope or diocese or corporation. It isn’t owned by the clergy or staff or our Church Council. It isn’t owned by one generation. This church belongs to God and to all of us together – the people.
It’s not always an easy and convenient calling, is it? Ask some previous generations when there wasn’t enough money both to pay the preacher and buy fuel oil. Think of the struggles during the wars and depressions and recessions. Look realistically at this particular time in which we are the Church at the close of 2010. How much is enough in a time of economic struggle?
The ancient author of Ecclesiastes wisely wrote there’s nothing new under the sun. That was probably true from the beginning of creation until maybe 25 years ago. But there are new things happening all around us. We’re living at the intersection of several factors some of which are familiar cycles and some straight line: the human rights struggles over the past 50 years, the digital age that began maybe 30 years ago, the current age of social media, and more. How do we discern what’s a cycle and what may be a change away from a time that will never return?
God is constant through it all. So, too, is the constant need for congregations of God’s people, gathered for worship, mutual support, and outreach.
And predictably, in the life of every church, there is the constant call to stewardship. We must be stewards – responsible caretakers of what we own for only a little while. We’re a spiritual community doing business in a world that runs on money. Today we ask you, YOU (meaning you AND me) to step forward to make a pledge to our church.
If you hear that word and tremble, remember that a pledge it not a contract or even a promise. It’s an estimate of what any of us hopes to give to the church for the next year based on our current situation. It can be changed (up OR down) if your situation changes.
We ask everyone to pledge for three reasons:
• First, pledging makes us more mindful of our relationship with money and with our possessions; Jesus put money on the church’s agenda because he talked about money and possessions more than he did on any other topic.
• Second, it takes money to run the church, and 80% of all we do each year depends directly on your gifts and mine. Our pledges help the Church Council propose a reasonable budget based in reality.
• Third, we who call this place and these people our spiritual home – and even those who don’t attend often but who know you are always welcome – carry primary responsibility for the health and well-being of our church. If this is your church home and you want us to remain strong, it’s important to give generously for that purpose.
I’ve seen lots of Stewardship Committees generate some amazing ideas to tell the story and energize the giving. This year’s committee is no exception – they’ve been energetic and creative. But ultimately they can’t motivate you to give. That comes from your sense of God’s stirring inside you as you ask: how much is enough for you to give individually, in terms of your own spiritual relationship to your money and your possessions… and how much is enough for us as a church to remain vital and healthy?
These are familiar questions, but they may feel unusually complicated in the midst of a painfully slow economic recovery. And daily, we’re bombarded with political ads that force us to think about taxes and budgets and deficits and jobs. For some it’s abstract and for some it’s very personal.
Jesus knew that every day we all make choices about what matters most in our lives. He said that our hearts follow our treasures. We love what we value most – whether it’s the church or that new boat or car, or the house, or the IRAs or the college fund or the family or the job. Whatever occupies the central place in our lives becomes our treasure and our hearts follow.
Jesus also said: be careful that you don’t get too attached to stuff – anything that thieves can steal or rust can destroy. Keep your focus on things that are eternal, that can’t be lost, strayed or stolen.
For me, that rings so true. My treasure comes from a rich awareness of my blessings and gratitude for family, health, and security. I treasure our church – this amazing, wonderful, generous host of God’s people who gather and pray and embody God’s love for the world as we’ve seen it in Jesus Christ. I treasure your individual stories and the history we have shared.
Every day – not just on Sundays – we gather to pray and work together to show each other and the world that we’re committed to Jesus, committed to justice, committed to love as we have been loved. Nothing less than that is enough. Together we offer worship, music, Sunday school, fellowship, faith formation, service opportunities, and so much more.
The simple truth is that every single day, we all need to pray for our church, work for our church, give for our church, and invite others to our church. If we want to remain that Beacon on Meetinghouse Hill, “a Christian family: loving, welcoming and serving,” we need to be candid and honest that it takes every one of us doing all we can.
Enjoying the blessings of the church without doing your part to strengthen it isn’t fair. If you don’t do your part no one will scold you or exclude you; no one will send you a bill or an “overdue” notice. But there will only be enough if we all do our parts.
On this Consecration Sunday, we challenge each other to make a pledge that represents a portion of what you have. When you give a percentage rather than just a number, your gift reflects your ability to give. If your income goes up, so does your pledge; if it goes down, so does your pledge. But your commitment remains steady. That is enough.
It’s our common hope that your giving grows as your spiritual life grows and your love of the church grows. Whether the dollar amount is large or small, letting go of something we have earned and accumulated is a spiritual act – reminding us that our possessions don’t own our souls. We have all received. We also believe there is greater joy in giving than in receiving. The stuff we accumulate can’t make us happy. Joy and fulfillment come from generosity in giving for the larger good.
{this paragraph is adapted from So You’re Thinking About Joining the Church – A Guide to Exploring Church Membership in the United Church of Christ; by Lillian Daniel, for the UCC Writer’s Group}
And that, certainly, is enough… for you and for your church family, and for God.