10/13/2024
Sunday, Oct. 13 Message "Walk in love"
Hear these familiar words from Ephesians, familiar words that are often spoken as our offertory sentence:
Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Good morning, Christ Church! Who else hates talking about money? Yes, many of us do wish that it grew on trees. Who knows? Maybe that was one of the trees in the Garden of Eden before we all got kicked out?! But, did you know that one of the primary topics that Jesus talked about in the gospels was money? Did you know that one of the common features of the ministries of Paul and the apostles, as they went out and proclaimed the good news, was almsgiving and collecting for the church in Jerusalem? Why? The apostles believed in the movement that Jesus had started, they continued that movement after he ascended, and they sacrificed greatly for the furtherance of something that they could not see nor know this side of heaven. We stand on their shoulders, and we are called to do likewise, both in our individual journeys of faith and as contributors to the mission and ministries of Christ Church.
Yes, it is that season of the year, when we set aside some time to remember why we are called to follow the vision and carry out the mission of our parish through our community and ministries. We call all of this to mind in a spirit of thanksgiving, through our giving as a response to how God has blessed us in our lives and our life together as a church. Some years, we were able to offer more of our time, talent, and treasure. Other years, we wished that we could have offered more, but due to the changes and chances of this life, we were prevented from doing so. Either way, we are called to be extravagant givers, as we strive to be imitators of God, walking in love with Christ and with one another.
This year’s theme, Walk in Love, is all about trying to follow Christ's example of being thankful and sacrificing in the humility of being children of God. I am reminded that we can sacrifice or give, because we have Jesus, the one who modeled for us what it meant to offer one’s self for God and God’s mission. We give, because we believe in a mission that is greater than ourselves and for the future, for those yet to come. In this season, we commit ourselves to offering financial gifts, because we know that we are called to walk the path of love with our siblings within this parish. This is not an easy task. From one year to the next, the work and the responsibility are not going to be the same, and we may have to labor a little bit harder to meet the needs set before us.
Siblings, we give, because we believe in Christ Church's mission to be a welcoming, compassionate, and healing community in Christ. Do we live up to our mission statement each and every day? No! But, do we strive, in love, to do so? Yes! One day, we may need to endeavor on a new mission that God is calling us to do. But, I, for one, would like to do so, by choice and out of abundance and not by being compelled nor out of scarcity.
Today’s gospel lesson is calling us to make a great sacrifice. I think the moral of the story is a lesson, not about being wealthy, but rather about intentions. Do you realize that your success in life - be it your accomplishments, your wealth, your legacy - is God’s gift to you? Jesus pushes the wealthy man harder, because he knows it is more difficult for one who has much to give it away. So, for those of us who do not have as much, could we each give as God is calling us to make an offering back to him? Each one sacrifices, but the wealthy man goes away grieving. It does not say that the man did not do as Jesus asked, but it took some grieving and a change in his life to follow the way of gratitude and offering.
This theme of walking in love reminds us to choose a path that may not be easy. It will call us all to pitch in, not for ourselves but for the possibility of what Christ Church can be for the community in the future, and not necessarily what Christ Church has been in the past nor is now in the present. But, what can Christ Church be in the future? We are blessed with a lot of beloved faces, each and every day in this place. We continue, even if we do not all see it, to bless this community and sacrifice for Christ, because we know that he has blessed us in his sacrifice for us. Every week, we see 60-70 worshippers come through our doors on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and weekday Morning Prayers on Zoom. Every week, we share our space with - not one, not two, but three recovery groups. Every other week, our doors are graced with God’s children in the hundreds, meeting the need for food insecurity and hunger. We give with our time, our talent, and especially our treasure, for what Christ Church is right now and where we are walking in love together into the future. This year, we are not going to have speakers give testimonies week after week. While we do have a surprise in store for you next week, we have decided to have conversations around some of the values and understandings of stewardship in general. This year is all about a vision of reconciliation that we are following after into the next year.
Can we reconcile with each other, with God, and with our neighbor? Can we reconcile the need with what works and with what we can give for God’s glory? This year, for this season, we will have an opportunity to hear the 2025 budget before the annual meeting. This is something new, and I hope that we can have some excellent and healthy conversations. I will not lie to you. We have some work to do. Our ask for pledges this year is $150,000. Can we do more? Anything is possible with God. If you break that down, to let's say, 50 households, that would be $250 a month or about $62.50 a week. I know that not everyone can do that, but if everyone could commit to something - some more than others - we can make this year happen. If we can do more than that, we will be blessed to kick off 2025 with an overabundance of hope. We can do this, because I have witnessed the potential and the people’s love here. Discern with a prayerful heart how God is calling you to give. Fill out this card so that we can plan for next year's future. Don’t hold back, either because you don’t know what the future holds, or because you don’t agree with everything. We give, because we believe in living into the dynamic tension, in living into the Anglican/Episcopal way of both/and, as we sacrifice in love and love in sacrifice. Give, because you believe in what God can do, in what God can accomplish, through the love of Jesus, here at Christ Church and throughout the Stroudsburg area.
Take this card home, think about it, pray over it, and bring it back next week or in the weeks to come.
On behalf of the vestry and the staff, we want to thank you for your continued commitment to and support of our parish.
