Sermon
Glebe-St. James United Church
Oct. 23, 2011
“The Big Picture”
By Rev. Dr. Christine Johnson
I wish that we didn’t need a stewardship campaign.
I wish that we understood the deep meaning of the word “stewardship”
so that our contributions, both financial and in terms of our time and talents,
would pour out freely as a natural consequence of our faith in God.
If that was the case, I’m sure that we’d have more than enough in our budget
for what we are called to do in this ministry.
Now, what do I mean by this statement?
Doug Hall, in his book “The Steward: A Biblical Image Come of Age”,
describes the Old Testament meaning of the word steward.
He describes the steward as an extraordinary servant,
one who does more than take orders.
It is a supervisory role that makes decisions, gives orders, and takes charge.
A steward is a manager of what belongs to another,
usually royalty or a ruler in the biblical context.
A steward is so closely identified with the owner's interests
that he (always male in the biblical situation)
is a full representative or deputy of the master,
making decisions on behalf of the owner, without consulting others.
It is a significant position,
presuming great trust on the part of the owner.
A Steward is NOT the master or owner and therefore is accountable to the master/owner;
yet the Steward is given a vocation to fulfil and the wherewithal to fulfil it,
and therefore has responsibility.
If we adopt this Biblical image of Steward,
then we are responsible for taking care of what God has given to us.
And we need to be reminded we are not the owner.
From a faith perspective, we own nothing.
We are here for a short period of time on this earth in order to care for creation.
Now, let’s look at what we’ve been given.
First of all, the greatest gift is life,
and all the things that sustain life...air, water, sunshine, food.
We’ve been given companions on the journey... parents, spouses, children, friends.
We’ve been given the materials to make everything from houses to ipads.
We’ve been given knowledge, judgement, introspection and imagination.
Yet, rarely do we stop and realize these are pure gift,
and offer thanks for them.
In fact, often we’re sullen and ungrateful, because we feel we’re entitled to more.
Why does this happen?
Why are we so darn cranky sometimes?
When these feelings creep in,
there’s a disconnect between reality and perception,
a disconnect between understanding our role as trustee rather than owner.
This is the position that Moses finds himself in.
He leads his people from slavery to freedom,
but he knows that he is not to enjoy the fruits of his labours.
His whole mission has been to lead his people to the promised land,
but he will not get there himself.
He is a trustee of God’s purposes,
not the originator or ultimately, the possessor.
In the wanderings in the desert,
the Hebrew people have been totally dependent on the free gifts of God.
They have had no safety net.
There is no slush fund.
From that mountain top, Moses sees the bigger picture.
He sees the future of his people and it is bright.
They will be entering a land of milk and honey,
no longer dependent on daily manna.
This people, who have known scarcity and hard times,
have been given a path to their greatest dreams.
And yet, like us, they are cranky too!!
But Moses, their leader, knows that they will get where they need to go.
And it’s okay that he will not be there with them.
For his job is done.
He gets a glimpse of the promised land, but knows his feet won’t touch its soil.
But that doesn’t stop him from his mission.
He keeps on keeping on.
He still puts one foot in front of the other until the day he is buried.
Nothing will stop Moses from seeing the bigger picture,
and like a true Steward, he takes his responsibility like an adult.
Many church commentators are saying that the future of the church is bleak.
They are predicting that most of our church buildings will need to be sold
over the next 20 years.
Christians, they say, will have to give up their big buildings
and worship in small groups, possibly in houses or other rented accommodation.
Some contemporary Christian prophets are saying this will be a good thing.
Some say that the church triumphal was never where Jesus wanted us to be.
And so they look forward to that humiliation with expectation.
I see things a bit differently.
They may be right but it would be a crying shame.
For faithful people built this church and this community for us,
and we in turn have the trusteeship of this building for a future we won’t see.
If we squander this gift, what does that say about this cranky generation?
In one of the richest communities in Ottawa,
in one of the richest countries in the world,
we have to nickel and dime every decision we make.
What is the disconnect?
We don’t want to steward what God has given us,
we want to hoard it thinking that we’re the owners.
As your spiritual leader,
I would say that this attitude is sinful.
According to Doug Hall,
“Sin is not a category of morality
but a distortion of being that is the consequence of distrust.”
If our lives are built on mistrust,
then we won’t be able to be generous.
And without a generosity of spirit,
in both our day to day life and in our financial budget,
then we are not taking responsibility for the earth God gave us.
I still wish that we didn’t need a Stewardship campaign.
I wish that we were able,
based on our income and life circumstances,
to put God first.
I wish we were able to tithe and to make a difference in the world
by putting this figure as the first item of our budget.
That simple act requires a huge shift in our faith and understanding of God
and our understanding of ourselves as stewards.
As one financial guru put it,
“We should give ten percent to God, ten percent to savings,
and be able to live on 80 per cent of our givings.”
But, in a consumer society, we want instant gratification.
Our national debt load is frightening.
The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.
The disparity between the wealthiest 1 per cent, who own more than 94 per cent of us,
is the subject of the “occupy” protests.
According to Doug Hall,
there is nothing more spiritual than the way we choose to spend our nickels and dimes.
I have to say that I tend to be a glass half full kind of person,
but I’m frightened about the world economy.
As a citizen of the earth, I can’t keep living beyond my means.
The first world has taken more of its share of the riches of this world
and there might someday be a reckoning.
The occupy protests are trying to point to the disparities that our economic system has created.
But what does all this mean for us, at Glebe-St. James?
As stewards with responsibility,
we can begin with our own budgets and our own resources.
We can decide to accept the gift given to us by God,
and stewarded by the foremothers and forefathers of this church.
We can give generously out of our abundance so that the gift is not squandered.
If you don’t care about your faith and your faith community, rip up the pledge form.
But if you care, if you really really care about the future of this church community,
then put your tithe first, your savings second, and live within your means.
This spirit of generosity and gratefulness will not only transform our ability to do ministry,
it will transform your heart and your relationship to God.
You will become a Big Picture Christian,
a faithful person who puts their own self-interest second to God’s purposes.
And in that moment, you will truly understand what it is
to love God with your whole Heart, and Soul and Mind.
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