Consuming Trust

Date: July 18, 2010
Scripture Lesson: Matthew 14:13-21
Sermon: Consuming Trust
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

This week, a woman stopped by the church for assistance. First, she asked for $200 for her electric bill. I told her that our funds were depleted at the moment. Then she asked for help with food. I told her that we collect food for Operation Attack. I suggested that she visit OA. She told me that she had already been there. She said that she had 3 children to feed. So, we walked out to the shopping cart in the hallway and I offered her the food in the cart. Four boxes of macaroni and cheese. Four cans of tuna. Two cans of spam. I invited her to take whatever she could use. She took the whole bag. Then she asked for washing powder to do laundry. “Don’t you have any laundry powder?” I told her that I was sorry but we didn’t have any laundry detergent. What about toilet paper. Did we have any toilet paper? I gave her a new roll from the bathroom. Then she went back to the laundry powder, as if I was holding out on her. “Don’t you have any laundry powder. I’ve got three kids. We’ve got to do laundry.” Apologetically, I told her that we didn’t have any. She wouldn’t let it go. “Who’s the pastor? Are you the pastor?” I told her I was. And she shook her head in disgust. “And you can’t give me any laundry powder.” And she went off in a huff with the bag of food. I guess her visit to the church was a wash out for her.

Boy did I feel like a failure. I thought of the story in the gospels when Jesus comes down from the transfiguration on the mountain and is immediately confronted by the incompetence of his disciples. The gospel of Matthew tells us: “When they came to the crowd, a man came to Jesus, knelt before him, and said, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. . . I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was cured instantly.” [Matthew 17:14 ff]

I could just hear the woman who wanted the soap telling her friend who brought her to the church: “The pastor couldn’t give me any laundry powder. She couldn’t come up with any laundry detergent. What I have to put up with. Really.”

I also thought of the story we heard this morning of the feeding of the multitudes. The crowds are hungry and need to be fed. Jesus tells the disciples to give the people something to eat. “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” We have nothing here but macaroni and cheese, tuna, spam, toilet paper. What’s that when the laundry needs to be done. She needs laundry powder. And I balked, like the disciples.

Faced with the hungry crowd, maybe 5,000 men, not including women and children, according to one version, Jesus instructs the disciples, “You give them something to eat.” Is this a joke? Is he pointing out their ineptitude? Is he being sarcastic? Is he testing them? In one version of the story the disciples point out that it would take the equivalent of 200 days wages at least to feed this crowd. Maybe $25,000 or more in today’s money. Feed these people? You give them something to eat?

I think that when Jesus says this in the story, yes, it is absurd, but it shows his complete faith and trust in the disciples, in the people, and in God. It is not a test. It is an affirmation. A validation. A confirmation. Of what Jesus knows can happen. The disciples bring up practicalities and concerns because they don’t have enough faith and trust in themselves in the people or in God. Which is why, of course, we have this story. It is told 6 times in the 4 gospels. We must really need to hear this. In the story, we can see Jesus showing the disciples what can happen in an effort to boost their faith and trust in themselves, in others, and in God. He is teaching them to have faith and trust. You give them something to eat. Take the ball. Run with it. I know you can do it! Have consuming trust, like me. And you will not be disappointed.

This morning we are having a congregational meeting after the service about a bequest that was given to the church. You will hear the story of the generosity of one of the members of this church. It is a beautiful story and I hope that you will stay to hear it.

But I want to make sure that you hear a related story. A prequel to the bequest story. Also a story that needs to be heard.

On Tuesday June 15 the church Advisers had their regular monthly meeting. The Advisers are the leaders of the church whose primary responsibility is to oversee the administration of the church – finances, budget, property, personnel, and the practical dimensions of the functioning of the church that make it possible for the ministry and mission to happen. They tend to the infrastructure. Not the most glamourous role in the church. Not necessarily a fun, creative outlet like planning events or programs. But the most necessary job in the church for without the ministry of the Advisers, the church could not function.

So, given that this is a small church with no financial reserves, a key topic at each Advisers’ meeting is finances. In other words, time is often spent devising new ways to not spend money! So, at the June 15 meeting, the group looked over the latest financial reports. So far this year, giving had just met expenses. Whew! Barely in the black. But by July 1, quarterly insurance and pension payments needed to be paid. The bills totaling over $8,000. And with projected giving through June, the church was going to be several thousands of dollars short of the funds needed to meet these obligations, with no additional accounts or resources to draw from. This is the first time in decades that the church really did not have identified resources to meet its bills. So, this was discussed by the Advisers. For less than 10 minutes in the middle of an agenda which included the sound system, hosting the Florida UCC Women in February, where to bank, the summer sermon series, etc. And the meeting had a positive spirit. Good vibes. In the meeting notes, regarding the finances, right amidst all of the other topics is the notation, “Cash flow – Don’t have money for insurance quarterly payments. Hmmm.”

It didn’t really hit me until the next day. Here was the church, “on the brink” financially, and these people discussed the situation and moved on to other topics. No alarmist response. No gloom and doom forecasting. No talk of calling a congregational meeting to talk about what to do. No mention of closing the church, selling the property, or other worst case scenarios. Was it denial? Was it irresponsibility? Was it abdication? As I reflected on it, I decided it was a sign of the amazing faith and trust of these people.

I thought of the story of the loaves and fish. Over 5,000 people. Jesus saying, “You give them something to eat.” These Advisers did not say, there’s no way we can do this. It’s impossible. We can’t resolve this situation. We don’t have the resources. By being fully aware of the situation and not balking, they were showing their faith and trust – in one another, in this congregation, in the people here in this sanctuary, in the need for the unique ministry of this church, and in God. It was as if they were saying, “OK, we’ll do our part.” We’ll encourage people to catch up on their pledges, give ahead if they can. Amass the loaves and fish.

I have to tell you, I don’t know of any other church that would behave like these Advisers did, with this kind of faith and trust. Any “normal” church leaders confronting a similar situation, might have taken steps to reduce the pastor’s position to part time, or arranged to meet with a real estate agent, or called a congregational meeting to develop a plan to bring the ministry of the church to a close. There would typically be rancor and argumentation among the leaders about what to do. Understandable in light of the grief they would feel loving the church as they do. Or the meeting might be purely sad. Depressing. The leaders feeling immobilized. And then turning to the pastor, even in the UCC, to ask the pastor to tell them what to do. You can envision this, can’t you? We can’t pay our bills. This is it. We’re through.
But not these Lakewood UCC Advisers. They went on to a discussion of where we should bank. This assumes we have money to put into an account. And then on to other topics on the agenda including the summer sermon series. It was clear: We’re moving right ahead without missing a beat.

Jesus showed his faith and trust when he said to the disciples, “You give them something to eat.” The Advisers showed affirmation, confirmation, and validation of that faith and trust in the way they proceeded to continue discussing the ongoing ministry of the church. They trust that whatever is needed to do the ministry to which we have been called will be provided. We are holding up our end. Doing our part, in the body of Christ.

The Advisers’ meeting that I have referred to was on a Tuesday. Two days later, on Thursday, I came to church to finish a few things before heading to our nephew’s wedding in the Milwaukee area that afternoon. As I was leaving the church, late as usual, I walked by the church mailbox. I’m late. I don’t have time to get the mail. I really should bring in the mail. Rayanne won’t be in tomorrow to get it. But I need to get to the airport. I opened the mailbox, grabbed the mail, and glanced at it as I went back into the office to drop it on Ray’s desk. A flyer. A bill. More junk mail. A thick envelope from a lawyer in Tampa addressed to me. My curiosity got the best of me. I opened it. A letter. About a bequest. A check. Was that really 4 zeros to the left of the decimal point? I had to read the words stating the amount of money on the second line of the check to be sure. Honestly, my heart was pounding and I broke out in a sweat. Validation of faith and trust. “You give them something to eat.” OK. Here are the loaves and fish. And there is all that is needed with leftovers!

Amen.

A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.