Category: Sermon Texts

Greetings and welcome to Corona Sabbath. This is one of the ways the church is endeavoring to offer spiritual support during these challenging days of COVID-19. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions.

We listen to a scripture lesson from Matthew. It is sometimes called the parable of the talents. Like a good parable, this story has many layers, interpretations, and meanings. Some see this story as offering financial guidance. Some see this story as pertaining to the use of talents. Some see it as an indictment of the oppressive economic system of the time. To some the landowner is a god figure. To others, the landowner is an anti god figure. And the third servant who buries the money. Some see him as a lazy good-for-nothing. Others see him as a model of subversion. As you listen, what do you hear in this story? And one note about the money mentioned. The actual amounts referred to in the story were much larger than the translation implies. The amount entrusted to the last slave was worth about 20 years wages for a laborer. The thousand dollar figure is symbolic of much more money by today’s standards.

Matthew 25:14-30

“Again, it’s like a wealthy landowner who was going on a journey and called in three workers, entrusting some funds to them. The first was given five thousand dollars, the second two thousand, and the third one thousand, according to each one’s ability. Then the landowner went away. Immediately the worker who received the five thousand went and invested it and made another five. In the same way, the worker who received the two thousand doubled that figure. But the worker who received the one thousand instead went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried the money.

“After a long absence, the traveler returned home and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five thousand come forward bringing the additional five, saying, ‘You entrusted me with five thousand; here are five thousand more.’

“The landowner said, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful worker. Since you are dependable in a small matter, I will put you in charge of larger affairs, Come, share my joy!’

“The one who had received the two thousand then stepped forward with the additional two, saying, ‘You entrusted me with two thousand; here are two thousand more.’

“The landowner said to this one, ‘Cleverly done! You too are a good and faithful worker. Since you were dependable in a small matter, I will put you in charge of larger affairs. Come, share my joy!’

“Finally the one who had received the one thousand stepped forward and said to the landowner, ‘Knowing your ruthlessness – you who reap where you did not sow and gather where you did not scatter – and fearing your wrath, I went off and buried your thousand dollars in the ground. Here is your money back.’

“The landowner exclaimed, ‘You worthless, lazy lout! So you know that I reap where I don’t sow and gather where I don’t scatter, do you? All the more reason to deposit my money with the bankers, so that on my return I could have had it back with interest! You, there! Take the thousand away from this bum and give it to the one with the ten thousand.

“‘Those who have will get more until they grow rich, while those who have not will lose even the little they have. Throw this worthless one outside into the darkness, where there is wailing and grinding of teeth.’

Reflection from Kim

In the gospel of Matthew, this story is near the end. It is part of Jesus’ last teachings to his disciples. And it is set between two other stories that refer to ultimate things. Coming to the end. What really matters.

When the story is seen as being addressed to the disciples, it can be seen as a challenge having to do with much more than mere money. Are we hearing Jesus confront his beloved friends about the future? When I am gone, what are you going to do with what I have taught you? With what we have experienced together of the commonwealth of God? Are you going to be quiet, play it safe, keep it to yourselves? Or are you going to keep boldly living out what we have shared together, this new reality? This dream of God?

Lots of us tuck our faith away and bring it out on Sunday morning or when we face a crisis or an emergency. We bring our faith out, use it, apply it, and then, we carefully store it away again. It’s for special occasions not every day use. Jesus challenges this kind of thinking.

Among its many messages and meanings, this story urges us to think about our faith as a gift meant to determine our whole lives, meant to inform all of our decisions. Investing ourselves fully in the way of Love. Spending our lives for others and taking risks. Just what are we doing with all that we have been given – breath, voice, time, eyes, mouths, and also talents and treasure?

When we were in seminary, we had chapel services 4 days a week at noon. I’ll never forget the sermon of one of our classmates. An hispanic woman. She challenged people who think they don’t have much power or influence. Who don’t think they have much to offer. You know it can be very easy to hide behind humility as an excuse for playing it safe. Well, this fiery preacher looked around the sanctuary and reminded us that everyone in the room had a mouth, so everyone in the room could be doing something about the injustice and suffering in the world. You have a mouth. You can make a difference. And in today’s world, people also have a mouth on social media which can amplify the message and make the it even more powerful.

We are confronted with asking ourselves what are we doing with the dream of God that we have been given?

The parable invites us to ask not only are we fully living the gospel, the commonwealth of God in our finances and all of the rest of the aspects of our lives, but it also invites us to consider how we are sharing the gospel. So many people today are rootless, disenchanted with society, angry at the economy, and the good news of Jesus Christ offers a word of hope and transformation. Many people lack a sense of purpose or meaning in their lives. They are searching for what the gospel has to give. Are we sharing the good news of the gospel with others? Are we letting people know that there is another world view, another set of values and considerations that are life-giving and meaning-full? Are we encouraging others to find joyful and abundant life following Jesus?

What are we doing with what we have been given? No hiding behind I don’t have this. I can’t do that. I’m too busy with this. I don’t have access to that. This story is about all that we DO have, all that we are given, all that we can do.

Look at Jesus. Poor. From a backwater town. In a land that was under occupation. Lots of disadvantages. And yet he spends his life. He uses it. Gives it away. Enjoys it. He parties, drinks with friends, celebrates. He serves, helps, and heals others. He teaches and preaches and prays. He relishes the living of his days. Jesus loves his life so much, he is so grateful for all that he has been given, that he can’t help but give it away, give it up, give it back.

Like the disciples, we, too, have been given the gospel. What are we going to do with it? In thinking about this story we are reminded that the gospel empowers us to call out unjust economic arrangements and financial systems that leave so many people poor and a few people obscenely rich. If someone is rich, it is usually because other people are being made poor or the environment is being abused. The gospel empowers us to challenge slavery, systemic racism, oppression of every kind, and the degradation and abuse of beloved children of God.

This story is not an endorsement of capitalism which did not exist in Jesus’ day. It is an endorsement of risky living, fully and freely, for the common good. It is about giving back the life you have been given. The gospel tells us to invest in love as our portfolio, our goal, our guide – not personal freedom, or financial wealth, or individual power.

A colleague shares this story:

Recently, a friend of mine wrote me about an experience some years ago that had changed her life. She had gone to an artist’s studio to have her portrait drawn. The artist took his time, asking her a number of questions aimed at drawing her out. Eventually he asked her what she feared most. Her first answer was nuclear war. She mentioned that she had repeatedly had nightmares about nuclear holocaust.

But the artist said, “No, I don’t believe you. That can’t be right. Something more personal.”

Nancy thought and thought. Finally it dawned on her. “What I fear most is getting to the end of my life and realizing that I had been too fearful — too careful — that I never really used my talents.”

“That’s it,” the artist said.

[From Robert Ellsberg, St. Augustine’s Church, Croton-on-Hudson, November 12-13, 2005, cited in http://edgeofenclosure.org/proper28a.html%5D

Amen.

(Click HERE if you wish to see the post containing the video of this text.)

Greetings and welcome to Corona Sabbath.  This is one of the ways the church is endeavoring to offer spiritual support during these challenging days of COVID-19.    We appreciate your feedback and suggestions.

This post focuses on All Saints Day.  We think about the story of the death of Moses and what it has to say to us about what it means to live our lives in God.   Jim Andrews reads the closing chapter of Deuteronomy, there is a reflection based on that story, and a music video created by Hilton Jones using pictures of saints submitted by the congregation.  So, we offer you this post.

Video of Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the headland of Pisgah which faces Jericho, and Yahweh showed him all the land – Gilead as far as Dan, all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negev, and the stretch of the valley of Jericho, the city of palms, and as far as Zoar.  Then Yahweh said to Moses, “This is the land I swore to Sarah and Abraham, to Rebecca and Isaac, to Leah, Rachel, and Jacob that I would give to their descendants.  I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you will not cross over.”

So there in the land of Moab, Moses the servant of God died as Yahweh decreed, and he was buried in the valley opposite Beth Peor in the land of Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact burial place.  Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyesight was strong and he was still quite vigorous.  For thirty days the Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab, until they had completed the period of grief and mourning.

Now Joshua ben-Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him.  And the Israelites gave him their obedience, carrying out the order God had given to Moses.

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom Yahweh knew face to face.  There is no equal to all the signs and wonders Yahweh our God caused Moses to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all of pharaoh’s officials and the whole land.  How mighty the hand and how terrifying the displays of power that Moses wielded in the sight of all Israel!

Reflection from Kim

Moses is probably one of the most significant religious figures in human history.  He is important to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Baha’i.  The Gospel of Matthew patterns the story of Jesus on the story of Moses.  The flight to Egypt.  The Sermon on the Mount.  And other stories that echo Moses.  Why?  Because Moses was a pinnacle of faithfulness to God.  He led his people not only out of slavery but he helped prepare them to become a model community of justice and righteousness centered in God, in love.  Moses – of the bull rushes, of the plagues and the river of blood, of the parting of the Red Sea, of the ten commandments – Moses is a legendary figure in the human drama.

And what do we do with our towering personages?   We revere them.  We honor them.  We celebrate them.  We commemorate them.  We give them a holiday.  We paint their portraits.  We name our children after them.  We enshrine their remains.  We build memorials.  We erect towers.

But in the story of the death of Moses, we are told, “. . . he was buried in the valley opposite Beth Peor in the land of Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact burial place.”  No one knows where Moses was buried.  No pyramid for Moses.  Not even an impromptu shrine of flowers and mementos and empty liquor bottles and pictures and teddy bears.  Nothing.  At the grave.  No one knows the exact burial place.

This legendary figure has no grave to be visited or decorated, even for Dia De Los Muertes.  This seminal prophet dies.  The people observe 30 days of mourning.  And there is a peaceful transfer of power to Joshua.  And the saga continues.  The people transition from wandering in the wilderness to settling in the Promise Land.  Moses is offered a glimpse of the land but he does not enter it.  He dies before the people move into the land and settle.  God’s vision for the Israelite people continues to unfold.  They continue to move into the future with faith and leadership provided by Joshua.

There is no personality cult in this story.  The people are not to revere Moses.  They are to emulate his faithfulness and commitment and trust in God.  They are to continue God’s mission of creating a society of justice and compassion.  The dedication and reverence and loyalty of the people is not to Moses but to God and God’s vision for them.  That is how it should be.

All Saints Day is about remembering those who have given us a glimpse of God, of God’s vision, of God’s love.  In them we have seen a reflection of God’s dreams for Creation.  It is not about the person but about the love, the faith, and the values that we see in the person; that shine forth from the person, that are embodied in the person.  Saints are saints because they show us something of God.  They model for us how to express the Divine image within us.  They help us to find the Divine within ourselves.  They help light the way for us.  So that we, too, can bear witness to the love of God.  Saints move the drama of God’s unfolding hopes and dreams forward.  And for the most part, they have no idea that they are doing this.  They don’t even realize that they are saints.  And yet they are part of something so much bigger.  We know because of the impact those we name as saints have had in our lives.

Twentieth Century theologian Reinhold Niebuhr said, “Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in a lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope.”  Nothing worth doing can be done in a lifetime.  Each of us plays our part, moves things along.  We are part of an emerging reality.  But, like Moses, we don’t get to the Promised Land.  We simply do what we can to move the needle forward.  Part of a larger story, unfolding over time – a thousand ages for us like an evening for God the psalmist tells us.   

Therefore we are not to worry about whether we will be remembered with a memorial or a shrine.  We are only to hope that something of the Divine in us will be seen by others and will live on in them.  Whether we know it or not!  Whether they know it or not!

The book of Revelation tells of multitudes of saints gathered at the throne of God.  Maybe no one knows where they were buried.  But maybe somehow they passed on their devotion to the hopes and dreams of God.  This is a day to remember those who have shown us visions of God, in the world and in ourselves.  So that we, too, might be saints.     

As Catherine of Siena, a saint of the 14th century, advises:

Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.

(Click HERE if you wish to see the post containing the video of this text.)

Greetings and welcome to Corona Sabbath. This is one of the ways the church is endeavoring to offer spiritual support during these challenging days of COVID-19. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions.

This post focuses on compassion and our motivations for considering the interests of others. There is a scripture reading, a reflection, and music from Hilton Jones.

We listen to 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8. The writer lays out his understanding of his relationship with the faith community at Thessalonica. And sees no self interest involved.

And you yourselves know, sisters and brothers, that our coming among you was not without effect. We had, as you know, been given rough treatment at Philippi, and it was our God who gave us the courage to proclaim the Good News to you in the face of stiff opposition. We don’t preach because of impure motives or deceit or any sort of trickery; rather, it was God who decided that we are fit to be entrusted with the Good News, and when we are speaking, we’re trying to please not mortals, but God, who can read our inmost thoughts.

You know very well – and can swear it before God – that never at any time has our speech been simple flattery or a cover for trying to get money; nor have we ever looked for any special honor from you or from anyone else – even though we could have imposed ourselves on you as apostles of Christ. On the contrary, while we were with you we were as gentle as any nursing mother caring for her little ones. So well disposed were we toward you, in fact, that we were willing to share with you not only the Good News, but our very lives as well – you had become that dear to us.

Reflection from Kim

I nursed all three of our children. The first two for a year each and the third child for the then recommended 2 years. Day, night, 24/7, I was their source of food.

I remember when we had our first child we lived in Manhattan. When he wanted to eat in the middle of the night, I would feed him in our one darkened bedroom where baby and parents all slept. I would look out the window of our apartment to the other apartment buildings near by and see lights on in some of the windows, and I would think, Well, I’m not the only one who is awake. I felt the solidarity and camaraderie of those strangers with their lights on in the middle of the night. They helped to get me through those lonely, dark feedings. And they will never know that!

Nursing is a miraculous system designed to meet the needs of the child. It is the perfect system to insure the care and growth of the infant. It is literally life giving. This is my body given for you. . . And the writer of Thessalonians mentions nursing.

In the beautiful passage we heard, there is that wonderful verse:

“while we were with you we were as gentle as any nursing mother caring for her little ones. So well disposed were we toward you, in fact, that we were willing to share with you not only the Good News, but our very lives as well – you had become that dear to us.”

While we were with you we were as gentle as any nursing mother caring for her little ones. The apostle and his cohorts offered the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of Thessalonica as a mother offers milk to a child – out of concern for their wellbeing, out of a desire to see them grow and thrive.

But the original readers don’t seem to understand this. They seem to think that the writer and his associates had other motives. Motives of self interest. Maybe of material gain. The writer has to mention, we did not share the Gospel with you out of impure motives, deceit, trickery, flattery, or as a cover for trying to get money or special honors. They are spreading the gospel, giving this gift to the Thessalonians, for the wellbeing of the Thessalonians. No self interest or personal gain involved. This is not a transactional relationship – we gave the gospel to you so that you would give us something to us in return. No. They have brought the gospel, like a nursing mother, for the well being of others.

Sadly, faith is often seen as offered in a self serving way. A gift with a catch. Europeans took the gospel around the world, but they insisted on imposing western culture along with the gospel thus denigrating other peoples and cultures and exploiting their resources – human and natural. I think Desmond Tutu says something about after the European missionaries came to Africa, the Africans had the Bible and the Europeans had the land. That kind of imperialism under the guise of sharing the gospel was thought of in western culture as benevolent. We now know better.

And we still regularly see examples of religious leaders who extort their congregations – taking money and living lavish life styles. Religion can be a lucrative gig. Getting people to invest in their afterlife abode with a monetary deposit in the coffers of the church in this world. Buying that bit of heaven. It’s a message ripe for manipulation and corruption.

It’s no wonder people are suspect – the Thessalonians as well as many people today.

And it is no wonder that we may be reticent to share with others the life giving power and strength that we find in our faith. It is no wonder we are hesitant to tell of the life sustaining power of the way of Jesus. It is not surprising that we feel awkward advocating for love and forgiveness. Religion is so ripe for deception and extortion.

Yet, today, so many people today are spiritually undernourished. They are starving. They are hungry. They want to grow and thrive, but don’t know how. Don’t know where to find true, nourishing sustenance. This is evident in rising rates of addiction, depression, and anxiety. This is evident in blatant expressions of racism and bigotry. We see it in the rise of fundamentalism in many religions and political movements. We see it in the greed and growing economic disparities in our country. We see the ravages of this hunger all around us. In people we know. In public figures. This gaping hunger for the way of love, acceptance, forgiveness, compassion, and service. The way of Jesus. The desire for the mother’s milk of the gospel. But people don’t know what it is or where to find it.

The explanation in Thessalonians gives us a way to approach this. Like a nursing mother. Not heavy handed imposition. Not a guilt trip. Not some kind of extortion or manipulation. No patronizing disrespect. No paternalistic demeaning. Just simple succor. Gently sharing our lives. Sharing how we find grounding, solace, and sustenance in the way of Jesus. An on ramp to a way of love and joy, getting off the path of greed, material consumption, getting even, winning and losing.

We have found our hunger and thirst for well being, for wholeness, satisfied by the gospel. We have been nurtured and sustained by our faith. We know our need and what has been given to us in the good news of Jesus Christ – to help us learn and grow and become more aware. To make us stronger, to help us develop into more mature human beings whose purpose is to love fully and freely.

We are needed to simply share what we have been given, what sustains us. And we can do this, like a nursing mother, because we have been nursed – we have been given what we need by our faith tradition, through family, through the church, through the scriptures, to grow and thrive. We are needed to gently offer ourselves, our stories, our lives to a malnourished, hungry world. Amen.

(Click HERE if you wish to see the post containing the video of this text.)

Greetings and welcome to Corona Sabbath. This is one of the ways the church is endeavoring to offer spiritual support during these challenging days of COVID-19. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions.

This post focuses on considering our loyalties in fractious times. There is a scripture reading, a reflection, and music from Hilton Jones. Barbara Donohue reads Matthew 22:15-22. In this story, religious leaders want to bait Jesus into saying something controversial that he will regret. Kind of sounds like a political debate or a judicial confirmation hearing which we are very familiar with at this moment in contemporary American life. But Jesus avoids the trap and his challengers retreat, stunned.

Video from Barbara Donohue.

Scripture Matthew 22:15-22

Then the Pharisees went off and began to plot how they might trap Jesus by his speech. They sent their disciples to Jesus, accompanied by sympathizers of Herod, who said, “Teacher, we know you’re honest and teach God’s way sincerely. You court no one’s favor and don’t act out of respect for important people. Give us your opinion, then, in this case. Is it lawful to pay tax to the Roman emperor, or not?”

Jesus recognized their bad faith and said to them, “Why are you trying to trick me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin which is used to pay the tax.” When they handed Jesus a small Roman coin, Jesus asked them, “Whose head is this, and whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

At that, Jesus said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but give to God what is God’s.”

When they heard this, they were astonished and went away.

Video from Kim

Reflection from Kim

Back in Jesus’ day, separation of church and state, religion and empire, was not a thing. The Roman Empire, the state, the government required worship of gods and cultic worship practices to entrench its influence and power. Caesar was seen as a god, and people were to worship Caesar, among a pantheon of other gods. This was the civic duty of those living in the Roman Empire. The Jews got a bit of a pass and were allowed to practice their own religion, albeit with restrictions. For Jewish people, their ideal was a territory where their religion dictated the laws of the land. Religion and civic life were seen as one, just as they were in the Roman Empire. So religion and government were seen as a whole, a package, mutually reinforcing.

So, there is this question, about the preeminence of Caesar and God. If Jesus says flat out that God is more important than Caesar, he is committing treason against the Roman Empire. If he expresses support of Caesar and the Roman Empire, he is betraying his religion. And he’s talking with religious leaders. So, Jesus gives an answer that leaves the inquisitors stunned. And, like a good Jewish teacher, his answer is open to multiple meanings. And the listener is not just handed an easy fix but has to do some sorting.

Here is how this helps me in my walk of faith today. What is God’s? Everything. Everything is in God. God is in everything. God is reality. So for me, that means the values and commitments I associate with God, as I see them in Jesus, are the energy field that hold my life and my reality together.

When everything is God’s, everything falls into place. It gives you a way of seeing everything including government and politics. I get the values that I live out as a citizen from Jesus. So, in a way, we are back to no separation of faith and civic engagement because it is all in God. Indeed, civic engagement can become an expression of faith. It should be an expression of faith for those who are followers of Jesus.

Are there conflicts and compromises along the way? YES!!! And everything gets more complicated when the issue involves money, and money is part of just about everything, especially in politics!

But Jesus is very clear. What is God’s? If we don’t say everything and everyone, then who is the judge? Are we to judge? To play God? It is not up to us.

In February, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a passionate statement about the relationship between faith and governance. In a hearing, she said:

“I know and it is part of my faith that all people are holy and all people are sacred unconditionally. . . We love all people. There is nothing holy about rejecting medical care for people no matter who they are. . . There is nothing holy about turning someone away from a hospital. There is nothing holy about rejecting a child from a family. There is nothing holy about writing discrimination into the law. And I am tired of communities of faith being weaponized and being mischaracterized because the only time religious freedom is invoked is in the name of bigotry and discrimination. I’m tired of it. . . . because you are not to be denied anything that I am entitled to, that we are equal in the eyes of the law and we are equal in my faith in the eyes of the world. . . It is not up to us to deny medical care. It is up to us to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor, to protect children, and to love all people as ourselves.”

AOC is clearly well-schooled in the teachings of Jesus and that has led her into politics and public service.

Give to God what is God’s. It is all God’s, in God. No compartmentalizing. No areas of life that fall outside the scope of our faith commitment. Everything is in God: Our work lives. Our relationships. Our engagement as citizens. Our sexual activities. Our bank accounts and economic activity. Our consumption and food. Our activities and pursuits. All of it is of God. Sacred. Holy. Universal, unconditional love encompassing all of reality. Each one of us it to live our lives accordingly, in our circumstances, in our situations, with our unique gifts and talents and experiences.

I am reading a book about arctic exploration, and there is discussion of the avid faith of Lieutenant William Edward Parry was part of polar expeditions in the 19th century. Apparently, Parry was known for his strong evangelical faith. We’re told: “To Parry, a man without religion was like a clock without weights or a mainspring. He himself prayed constantly, day and night. His sense of the infinite, already well developed, was certainly deepened and strengthened by the Arctic. In a later remarkable declaration Parry announced that he would give up his wife before he would give up his God.” [From Arctic Grail: The. Quest for the Northwest Passage and the North Pole, 1818-1909, Pierre Berton, p. 28] Oh, dear. Well, since his commitment to God was so sincere and complete, then I think his spouse had nothing to worry about. She had a loving, caring, faithful partner.

Jesus’ words do not leave me stunned or perplexed or confused. They give me a center. They root me. God. In all. Everything of God. Holy. Sacred. This illuminates everything else. This is the lens which enables us to see life clearly and honestly. And the right to live out our faith, in God/Spirit/Divine Love, as made known in Jesus, that right is protected and respected by the law of our land. Taxes? They can be seen as a way of supporting the common good, an expression of faith. Some people of faith are very willing to pay more taxes so that everyone can have access to affordable housing, food, clothing, higher education, and, yes, healthcare. If only those were the main functions of government spending! So, we are reminded to stay grounded in God first and foremost – pray, read the Bible, help others, and be sure to vote. Amen.

(Click HERE if you wish to see the post containing the video of this text.)