Miracles in disguise Reinbeck UMC November 15, 2015

Miracles in disguise

Reinbeck UMC

November 15, 2015

Do you think miracles happen today? I mean do you really think that God works miracles in our world today, our community, our church, and our lives? I do, and I think that each of you is one of God’s greatest miracles in disguise.

•           Think back to the Old Testament reading. When the Israelites needed a miracle to fight Goliath, did God use the biggest strongest soldier the Israelites had? Actually yes, but he disguised him as a pipsqueak of the little boy. David was a miracle in disguise.

•           Think back to the reading from Philippians. When God needed a miracle someone to take this new Gospel of Christ to faraway places, did he use one of his most faithful followers? Actually yes, but he disguised him as a Pharisee of Pharisees and persecutor of Christians. Saul soon became Paul and was a miracle in disguise.

 When God needs a miracle in Reinbeck Iowa, where do you suppose he turns? Not David, or Paul. God relies on you. YOU are God’s miracle in disguise.

The answer to the opening question, then, is “Absolutely!” Absolutely miracles happen today and they happen here. Miracles happen every day, when God to works in and through people like us.

 We are all just ordinary people. None of us is a giant slayer. None of us is a Spiritual powerhouse. Yet, when God has something to do in this world, God depends on us, God’s miracles in disguise.

•           Whether it is simple and ordinary like teaching a child to sing their very first Christmas song or giving a neighbor a ride to the doctor;

•           or quite extraordinary like introducing a new person to Christ, seeing a broken community come together to celebrate of what is GR8, or sending kindles and toilets to a seminary in Nigeria God depends on us, God’s miracles in disguise.

When God has something to do in this world, he turns to people like us… because we really are miracles in disguise.

You might think you’re not qualified because you haven’t been to seminary… neither had Jesus, or Paul, or mother Theresa. In fact, sometimes the miracle of seminary is that anyone believes in miracles when they graduate. History has forgotten the names of the 60 or so High priests of the Bible, but everyone knows the ordinary people like Elisha, or Jeremiah, or Peter, or Paul. None of them were pastors. Yet, they were all miracles in disguise.

You might think you are too young. But God used David (who might have been 12), and Mary (who might have been all of 14) to be miracles in the disguise of youth.

You might think you are too old. But God used Abraham who as 99 when Isaac was born, and Anna who was 83 when Jesus was born to be miracles in the disguise of old age.

You think you have more important things to do? God used the great pharaoh of Egypt as a miracle in disguise to let the Israelites free.

You think you are too weak? God used underdogs like Joseph who was bullied by his brothers; Amos, a simple farmer from Tekoah; and a social outcast named John the Baptist. They are miracles in the disguise of underdogs.

God used Israelites like Moses and Peter, and foreigners like Ruth and Simon of Cyrene as miracles in disguise.

God used men. God uses women.

God choose the educated and the uneducated.

God used professional religious types, faithful ordinary folk, religious seekers, and even priests of the idol Baal, to be his miracles in disguise.

God used white-collar workers like Nicodemus, and blue-collar workers like the fisherman Peter to be his miracles in disguise.

God used single mothers like Mary, widows like Ruth, handicapped persons, persons of all colors and races and nationalities, people who were insiders and people were outsiders. God used all these kinds of people to do his work in the Bible. Each and every one of them was a miracle in disguise.

Actually, we are three times a miracle.

•           The first miracle is creation, is that God even desired to make us in God’s image and breathe into us the breath of life.

•           The second miracle is salvation, is that God loved us enough to suffer and die that we might be called “children of God.”

•           And the third is that God always has, and still does do his best work through ordinary people like you and me. Actually sometimes, it seems like the more ordinary the better.

It is that third miracle I want to talk about today “God works primarily through ordinary people like us.”

 First, we have to agree that God is present and active in the world.

Can we agree on that?

 Second we have to ask where is God active?… where is God at work?… what is God’s modus operandi?

 By far, the most common way God works is in ordinary people like you and me.

•           Let me be clear… I am not saying that this is the only way God works, it isn’t. Look at the beauty of the symphony of nature. That is God’s work and God’s alone.

•           I am also not saying that God needs us. No, God can do anything God chooses to do. God works in people because that is what God chooses to do. God doesn’t need us, but he wants us to be his hands and his feet in this world over which he has given us dominion.

It is God’s plan that he would bring the world into line with his great vision we call the kingdom of God, by using the efforts of ordinary people like you and me.

•           The greatest example is Jesus himself. God cold have come to save us with a hurricane, or a voice from on high, or alien visitation. But God chose an ordinary girl, in an ordinary place, to be the mother of an ordinary baby, in whom God was incarnate, and saved the world by the very human act of suffering and dying on a cross.

•           After his resurrection and ascension Jesus left us to visit the sick

•           Jesus told us to clothe the naked

•           Jesus told us to go into all the world, and preach, and baptize.

•           Jesus told us to love, and forgive, and teach.

•           In fact, Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Jesus said, “You will do even greater things than these.” Jesus Clearly left his followers to faithfully carry on his work and continue the drive toward the Kingdom of God.

If, then, we can agree that

1.         God is present and active in the world.

2.         And chooses to be active in ordinary people, we finally have to ask,

3.           How is that possible? We are after all, just ordinary people. Listen to this

 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. That helper is the

   Holy Spirit. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn’t see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you.” 

“He lives with you and will be in you.” You have the Holy Spirit inside of you. You look like an ordinary person. The truth is that you are a Spirit-filled person. You are a God-filled person. You are ordinary on the outside, but just like an Oreo-, the really good stuff is on the inside. The really amazing stuff lives within you. That is the living active Spirit of God. You are a Spiritual superhero.

•           So when you act, it is not you alone, but God who is at work in you and through you.

•           When you pray it is the Holy Spirit in you that gives words to your prayers that are too deep for words.

•           When you love someone it is not you alone, but the Holy Spirit within you that loves.

•           When you serve, it is not just you it is the Holy Spirit in side of you working through you.

•           When you share your faith, it is not just your words, but the Holy Spirit inside of you that gives life to your words and plants them in your friends’ heart.

•           When you teach,

•           or lead,

•           or take food to someone,

•           or give so a child has a gift on Christmas,

•           or when you are liturgist,

•           or have kings kids,

•           or greet,

•           or usher,

•           or work technology,

•           or visit someone at Parkview,

•           or comfort a child,

•           or help an elderly person,

•           or serve dinner to the school staff,

•           or pack love boxes,

•           or pray for someone,

•           or rake leaves for someone,

•           Or a thousand other things;…whether you realize it or not… the Spirit of God is within you working in you and through you.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in you is in kind of like a force multiplier… it is not just you alone who serve, but God working through you. In THE ALPHABET OF GRACE Frederick Buechner writes, “A miracle is when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A miracle is when one plus one equals a thousand.”  That makes the Spirit working through you a miracle, and that makes you a miracle in disguise.

 So that brings us to “by what means does Holy Spirit work through us?” Spiritual Gifts.   This all happens by our Spiritual Gifts.

•           Volumes have been written on Spiritual Gifts.

•           Hours of sermons have been preached on Spiritual Gifts.

•           People even argue over how many Spiritual Gifts there really are.

•           Let me tell you Gifts of the Spirit are not mystery. Very simply the Holy Spirit in you makes you able and willing to do things you might not otherwise do…. Hear that …  a Spiritual gift is the Holy Spirit in you, making you able and willing to do things you might not otherwise do.

I know there are lists in the Bible. I know that some say those are the only gifts there are. I think that’s crazy. God made us each completely unique and the Holy Spirit works in each of us in a completely and entirely unique way.

That is what Paul is saying in I Corinthian 12 when he talks about the body or Christ he says, “There are different Spiritual Gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served. There are different types of work to do, but the same God produces every gift in every person”

He goes on “The evidence of the Spirit’s presence is given to each person for the common good of everyone. 8The Spirit gives one person the

•           ability to speak with wisdom. The same Spirit gives another person the

•           ability to speak with knowledge. To another person the same Spirit gives

•           courageous faith. To another person the same Spirit gives the

•           ability to heal. Another can

•           work miracles. Another can

•           speak what God has revealed. Another can

•           tell the difference between Spirits. Another can

•           speak in different kinds of languages. Another can

•           interpret languages.”

I might add,

•           another understands technology,

•           another plays the piano,

•           another loves being a hostess,

•           another is skilled at fixing things

•           another loves working with children

•           another is gifted with numbers

We could go on and on. Paul concludes, “There is only one Spirit who does all these things by giving what God wants to give to each person.” Hear that? “giving what God wants to give to each person.” Are we going to limit God to 9, or 25, or 37 gifts? Heavens no! Each and every person has a unique cluster of Spiritual Gifts (a unique set of ways the Spirit works in them) _ that is more unique than their DNA. I say MORE unique because identical twins have the same DNA, and yet God can give them completely different Spiritual gift-sets.

The one thing that is the same for everyone is that we are expected us use them.  If you agree that

1.         God is present and works in this world,

2.         through ordinary people who are,

3.         by the indwelling of the  Holy Spirit,

4.         given spiritual gifts. Then you have to admit that to not use them would flat out be a sin. Leaving our Spiritual Gifts wrapped up in the pretty paper is being disobedient and is therefore a sin. Let me tell you, there are no such Spiritual Gifts as

•           pew warming or

•           sermon criticizing or

•           music listening’!!!! 

•           Showing up on Sunday is not a Spiritual gift and

•           neither is being a member of a church.

Our Spiritual Gifts are not for us, our comfort, or our convenience. They are to be used to get God’s work done in the world.

Every morning a certain Christian man prayed: "Lord, if you want me to witness to someone today, please give me a sign to show me who it is."

One day he found himself on a bus when a big, burly man sat next to him. The bus was nearly empty but this guy sat next to our praying friend. The timid Christian anxiously waited for his stop so he could exit the bus. But before he could get very nervous about the man next to him, the big guy burst into tears and began to weep. He then cried out with a loud voice, "I need to be saved. I’m a lost sinner and I need the Lord. Won’t somebody tell me how to be saved?" He turned to the Christian and pleaded, "Can you show me how to be saved?" The Christian man immediately bowed his head and prayed, … "Lord, is this a sign?"

If you’re waiting for a sign…  Don’t wait any longer because the sign is here.

Gratitude and generosity #2 Reinbeck UMC 11/1/15

Gratitude and generosity #2

Reinbeck UMC

11/1/15

 Last week we talked about an attitude of gratitude. I finished the sermon with this story

“One evening a wise man was just getting ready to sleep under a tree when he was approached by a villager who came running up to him asking that he give him a precious stone. “ What stone” the wise man asked? “I had a dream last night and told me that if I came to this place at dusk tonight a wise man would give me a precious stone that would make me unbelievably rich. The wise man rummaged in his bag for a moment and, smiling, said, “You probably meant this one. I found it in the forest today and you certainly can have it.” The villager gazed at the diamond in wonder. It was as large as his fist and, even in the fading light, filled with luminosity. He took it and walked away. But, that night he couldn’t sleep. He was deeply troubled. Next morning at dawn, he rushed back to the wise man, and thrust the diamond back into his hands. “I don’t want it,” he said. “What I want is whatever you have that makes it possible for you to give it away so easily.”

 That story bridges these two sermons and moves us past an attitude of gratitude to living a generous life. Jesus Calls us to join his generosity revolution.

In our culture where we are bottle fed with a scarcity mentality and surrounded by greed, Jesus’ calls us to transform the world with generosity, frankly, sounds a little crazy.

•           “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” (Mt 5:38 - 42)

•           “I if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.” (Mt 5:38 - 42)

•           “Give, and it will be given to you.” (Luke 6:38).

•           “Forgive 70 time 7”.(Mt 18:22)

•           “Go and sell all that he had and give the money to the poor”.(Luke 18)

•           “Love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” (Luke 6)

Was Jesus Eccentric, out of step with the world, or just plain crazy?

None of the above… Jesus really believed in a world where the rule is “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (Luke 6:38) By teaching and example, Jesus was leading a generosity revolution, and calling all his followers to join in.

How can we do that? Is that even possible today?

I remember a story about a mighty warrior mounted on a magnificent horse trotting down a road. Everyone, of course, got out of his way, everyone except for a tiny sparrow. The bird was lying on its back with its feet in the air.

The warrior stopped, and went to the sparrow and asked, “Are you dead?”

“NO.” said the sparrow.

“Then what are you doing in the middle of the road with your feet in the air?”

The sparrow answered, “I’m not dead, but I heard the sky might fall down, and I’m helping to hold it up.”

The warrior thundered and shook with laughter. “You silly bird!” he said,  “Even if the sky did fall down, what difference could you possibly make with those puny, spindly little legs?”

“Well,” explained the sparrow, “YOU DO WHAT YOU CAN DO.”

 We might have a hard time understanding Jesus call to generous living but today I challenge you to DO WHAT YOU CAN DO.

That might seem simplistic, but the truth is when it comes to generosity, many people don’t even DO WHAT THEY CAN DO.

•           Maybe they think, “If I don’t, someone else will anyway.”

•           Maybe they think, “I can’t do much, it won’t make any difference anyway.”

•           Maybe they think, “My time is too important. Let someone else take care of it.”

•           Maybe they think, “I’m no good at that.”

•           Maybe they think, “What if I fail?”

•           Maybe they think, “I’ll get to it someday.”

•           Maybe they think, “Why should I, if there is nothing in it for me?”

I have heard every excuse in the book, but I know for sure that Jesus calls us to live generously and transform the world.

Now, let’s get it out of the way… sure I am talking about money. But I’m also talking about something much bigger than money. The tithe is only 10% of our money and what we do with our money is only maybe 10% of living the generous life.

For many of us writing a check is the easiest and cheapest form of generosity. And like the sparrow on the road, we all have to do what we can do with whatever treasure we have. But I want to argue that  90% of living the generous life comes in the way we treat others, the way we use our time, the way we use our energy and talents, the way we offer forgiveness and grace, and the way we share our faith.

 Generosity has to include all of these: our treasure, Relationships, Time, Talents, Grace, and Faith sharing           

So let’s turn to our scripture for today, where Paul shares three very simple principles of generosity.

 Just for context, Paul is writing about an offering that he is collecting for the people around Jerusalem because of a famine in the land. You might say he was UMCOR before UMCOR existed. In 46 AD, Paul delivered a gift from the church in Antioch because it was close and he could do that easily and quickly. Then he set about collecting assistance from his other congregations. Corinth is among the last to give.

So in this passage Paul does some wonderful teaching about living generously. We are going to pick three lessons out of verses 6, 7, and 8 of First Corinthians chapter 9.

 The first point is so simple it is almost embarrassing, Paul writes, “the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” It is almost like saying two plus two equals four. You can’t argue with this basic truth.

If you plant five seeds, you will reap from five plants. If you sow 5000 seeds, the bounty is much greater.

Which will get you further $20 worth of gas or $10 worth.

Who earns more interest the person with $100 or the person with $1,000,000?

With whom will you have a richer relationship? The person you see for one hour each week, or the one in whom you invest years building the relationship?

Easy, right? The more money we give the more good we see it do. The more we invest in a friendship, the more we can trust and rely on that person when we really need a friend. Whether it is money or relationships, the more generously we live, the more bountifully we will receive. “SO GO DO WHAT YOU CAN DO.”

 The second element is almost as obvious. Giving makes us happy. “God loves a cheerful giver.” Jesus has said that he wants his joy to be in us and our joy to be complete or full. (John 15:11) And giving fills us with joy.

Paul knew something many of us don't. He had never heard of the chemical oxytocin, and maybe you haven’t either, but you know what it feels like. Most notably oxytocin is released in our bodies when we are being intimate with someone we love, or in a woman’s body at childbirth so that she will feel an overwhelming joy and want to bond with that little baby that just caused her so much pain. Oxytocin is naturally occurring happy juice.

Do you know you also release it when you breathe deeply, listen to soothing music, or… get this GIVE A GIFT!  Living generously actually releases chemicals in our bodies that make us happy, and God loves a happy giver!

You want to release some happy chemical in your body? Give some time. Spend an hour visiting someone homebound, fixing something at the church, helping Dian in the office, or cooking a meal for a family who is having a hard time. Give time… and you will be happier.

You want to release some happy juice in your body? Use some of your God given talent to help someone. If you are naturally mechanical, fix a single mother’s car for free. If you are musical, offer to share your talent with the folks at Parkview one afternoon. If you are a teacher, teach at LIGHT. If you are a natural organizer, pick a ministry and make it happen. Being in ministry with our time and our talents is a natural high! Giving makes us happy. “SO GO DO WHAT YOU CAN DO.”

 The third lesson Paul describes is not quite so easy. Paul get’s very blunt and says, “Look, if you really trust God, you will live generously.” Lack of generosity in our living is a spiritual problem.  If we can’t trust God to provide, we can’t be generous.

 Herb Miller writes: “Giving is not so much a matter an act of generosity as it is an act of trust. We do not feel secure financially because we have; we feel secure financially because we trust God to continue providing what we need” 

The third element in the gift of giving is trusting that God will provide.

If you are like me, you may find such trusting difficult. It takes courage and maturity of faith. Often, I find that God provides in ways that are not of my preference, but in ways that I truly need. I have discovered and rediscovered, however, that, every time I am willing to risk, God comes through.

 You might have wondered what I meant when I included grace on my list. I was very simply thinking about being generous to others with the kind of grace that God offers us. In other words forgiveness. I find that it is a lot easier to let go of money or time, than it is to let go a grudge. But every time… every single time, I truly forgive someone I am blessed with abundance of peace and joy beyond measure.

 The other thing you might have wondered about is “faith sharing.” In Jesus Christ, we have the greatest gift in the world. But when was the last time you shared that with anyone? I don’t think we are intentionally greedy, but we aren’t very generous with the gospel either. We need to be more generous in sharing our faith.  “SO GO DO WHAT YOU CAN DO.”

  “John Wesley said that if you have poor giving habits, you are robbing God. Jesus went beyond that. He said that if you have poor giving habits, you rob yourself”  I would add that if you have poor giving habits, you rob God, yourself, and the world.

•    Generosity is not just a strategy for adding some kindness to the world. It IS God’s strategy for transforming the world.

•    Generosity is not just about making the world a better place; it is God’s way of ushering in a new kingdom.

•    Generosity is not just about being “nice”; it is God’s way of helping people see God’s goodness, compassion, and generosity in each of us, each and every day.

Go, my friends and live generously. Just “DO WHAT YOU CAN DO.”

I invite you to take the “DO WHAT YOU CAN DO “commitment page out of your bulletin. Fill it out. And bring it to the front during communion to offer it as your generosity commitment for this year.

Guilt, Gratuity, Gift, Gratitude RUMC October 25, 2015

Guilt, Gratuity, Gift, Gratitude

RUMC October 25, 2015

I want to start today with a question. Are you a little tired of emergency appeals from the church to keep up with expenses? I’ll admit I am. I want to be the first to point we have only had two cash flow pinch points this year instead of 4 or 5 when I came here 7 years ago. Things are getting better, and I am thankful for that and proud of the growth we have seen. I am also grateful that when the church asks for help you come through with flying colors like this last week. We had only $700 in the offering plate two weeks ago. The offering from last Sunday and throughout the week was $7,000. You are generous people. Thank you.

Finally, I want to point out that we are not unique. Almost every church… no matter the size or the location has these same issues and struggles. We are not alone.

I don’t know about you, but none of that really makes me feel better when I get the email or hear the appeal for emergency funds.

So let’s start with a quick lesson in church finances.

 Just like your personal budget, the church expenses vary depending on a variety of issues like utilities, insurance, withholdings, snow removal and more.

  Most of us have a predictable income. We pretty much know how much our paychecks are going to be month to month. The church income varies from week to week. Farmers, salesmen and others, also face this situation. For the church, this variation depends on the week of the month, season of the year, travel, harvest, economy, holidays attendance, giving habits, and a whole bunch of unknown and uncontrollable factors.

  In an ideal world, those expense and income cycles would match.

 But they rarely do. When those expense and income cycles are out of sync… that is when we experience the cash flow pinch points and we have to issue the appeal. The Finance team does a top-notch job trying to anticipate and prepare for these events, and they do the very difficult task of dealing with these cash flow pinches when they come. We need to applaud them and thank them for their hard work, but the Finance team can only work with what we give them.

 One thing that would help them would be to minimize the fluctuation in our offerings. You have an insert in your bulletin describing options of how you might help make the church’s income more predictable.

 Also the Finance Team or I would be glad to answer any questions you have about how the church finances work.

  NOTICE, HOWEVER, … I said leveling off the income cycle is a PARTIAL solution.

The MOST IMPORTANT part of the solution cannot be graphed or calculated

The MOST IMPORTANT part of the solution is not economic, because the problem is not an economic issue. The median family income in Grundy County puts us in the top ¼ of 1% of the world’s richest households. In global terms, we are the 1%ers. The poorest households in Reinbeck are still richer than 85% of the rest of the world.

I don’t say that to minimize anyone’s financial struggles. I have been there. Believe me. I know how hard it is to choose between buying food and paying a medical bill. I am not criticizing anyone. I am simply pointing out that at its heart; this is not an economic issue. If it were, the money would not have appeared in the last week.

The MOST IMPORTANT part of the solution is not psychological. If the sin of greed were at the heart of the problem, using the psychological tool of making people feel guilty would be appropriate. But you are not greedy, or again the money would not have come in last week.

The MOST IMPORTANT part of the solution is not administrative. Our budget is lean and our spending is very well monitored. There is nothing the office or the leadership team can do to solve this problem, because it is not administrative.

Well, I’ve told you what the problem is not. So what is it? Let’s turn to the scripture lesson for the morning.

 Ten Lepers came to Jesus. Lepers were not only religiously unclean, they were feared in Jesus day, forced to live as outcasts in shantytowns outside of the “Real” cities. They had no contact with anyone outside of their own little quarantined shantytown. If they violated that rule, they were summarily stoned to death.

Ten lepers approached Jesus, keeping their distance so as not to make him unclean. They cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Jesus did have mercy on them and told them to, “Go and show themselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean.

What a miracle! Except that is not the end.

On the way to the priest, who was the only person who could examine them and declare them healed, one Leper who had been healed said, you know we ought to go back and give thanks to Jesus.

One of the others said, “You know what, I deserve to be healed. I have been sick for so long, I think Jesus only gave me what I deserved. You go back if you want; I am going to the priest.”

The second leper who had been cleansed said, “Jesus is a healer. He was just doing his job. You go back if you want; I am going to the priest.”

The third leper who had been cleansed said, “How do we know it’s real? It might come back tomorrow. You go back if you want; I am going to the priest.”

The fourth leper who had been cleansed said, “I’ll see Jesus later. There’s plenty of time to thank him. You go back if you want; I am going to the priest.”

The fifth leper who had been cleansed said, “I was getting better anyway. You go back if you want; I am going to the priest.”

The sixth leper who had been cleansed said, “I don’t care what Jesus did, it is the priest who will declare the disease gone. You go back if you want; I am going to the priest.”

The seventh leper who had been cleansed said, “Any rabbi could have done it. You go back if you want; I am going to the priest.”

The eighth leper who had been cleansed said, “I haven’t hugged my kids for 7 years. I have to get home. You go back if you want; I am going to the priest.”

The ninth leper who had been cleansed said, “I don’t think I really had leprosy any way. You go back if you want; I am going to the priest.”

Only one solitary former leper “turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.”

 Are you more like the nine who didn’t return, or the one who did?

 None of us has leprosy, thank goodness. Unfortunately, we have something far worse. Terminal Sinfulness. Figuratively speaking, I’m a leper, you’re a leper. We are all lepers in the eyes of God until Jesus died on the cross and healed us of our disease. And as if that weren’t enough, look around you at the people who surround you and love you. And as if that weren’t enough, think about your family and friends. And as if that weren’t enough, look around at this beautiful building and think of your nice comfortable house. And as if that weren’t enough, open your eyes and see the glory of the fall colors, the miracle of a bountiful harvest. And as if that weren’t enough, think about the fact that God loves you… even you… even though you in no way deserve it.

If all those things added together don’t make you overflow with gratitude, I think there is something wrong with you. We have a lot to be grateful for, and as we come closer and closer to God, we come to realize more and more the magnitude and multitude of God’s blessings, and our hearts are filled again and again to overflowing with gratitude.

There are some people who give to the church out of guilt. Thinking, not consciously of course, but in the back of their minds that they somehow owe a debt (either to God or the church) and they feel guilty not paying for it. If that is you, bless you. But God doesn’t want your guilt, he would much rather have your gratitude.

 There are some people who give to God as though they are leaving a gratuity. For them the offering plate is a tip jar. Their giving depends on how they feel. If they had a good week, they might drop in a little more. If God didn’t give them what they asked for in prayer, maybe they drop in a little less. If the preacher didn’t wave at them as they spend by on the highway at 60 miles an hour they don’t give anything. It is all dependent on how they feel at the moment the plate comes by. Thank you, but God doesn’t want your gratuity, he would much rather have your gratitude.

Then there are some people I call the "gifters" (not givers, but gifters). They give because they feel like they should. The rule is, if you come to the party, you bring a gift. These folks give because they think they have to. Or because they always have. They may even give the exact same dollar amount they always have, even though times have changed dramatically. They may even look around to see how their gift compares to the offering of the person next to them, but they give to the church because they believe it is expected. Thank you, but God doesn’t want your gift, he would much rather have your gratitude.

There are lots of reasons to give and I am not holding judgment on anyone.

I do want to point out, however that:

•           I don’t think God wants us to put up pictures of sad puppies so people will feel guilty and give.

•           God doesn’t want us to put out a tip jar so that folks can give him a gratuity.

•           God doesn’t expect that we will give because we feel like we have to.

God wants us to give out of gratitude. God wants us to give because our hearts are overflowing with thanksgiving for all that he is and does. God wants us to give because we feel blessed by God. God wants us to give because our hearts are bursting with joy over him! God wants us to give because our hearts are bursting with delight in God’s ways! God wants us to give just because we love him so much that we want to give anything and everything we have, anything and everything we are to him in loving gratitude.  

God wants us to want to come back to Jesus like the one leper just because we are grateful

God’s instruction to tithe in the Old Testament was not a tax on success. It was an opportunity to bring the first fruits of the harvest in to God in gratitude and thanksgiving.

God wants our offering to be like the wonderful parade that lead the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. 2 Samuel says, “David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.”

That’s what our offerings should look like. That’s what next Sunday should look like as we bring God our estimates of giving. It should be a great party, “Dancing before the Lord with all our might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.”

I’m not going to go so far as one preacher who told his congregation that if they couldn’t give out of gratitude that he didn’t want them to give at all. The chairman of the finance committee was kind of upset with him and told him, “It’s OK preacher, we’ll take money from grumpy givers and we’ll add the gratitude ourselves.” I’m not going to go as far as that preacher, but I will say that God will take gratitude over grumpy any day.

Anthony Demello, one of my new favorite authors tells a story “One evening a wise man was just getting ready to sleep under a tree when he was approached by a villager who came running up to him asking that he give him a precious stone. “ What stone” the wise man asked? “I had a dream last night and told me that if I came to this place at dusk tonight a wise man would give me a precious stone that would make me unbelievably rich. The wise man rummaged in his bag for a moment and, smiling, said, “You probably meant this one. I found it in the forest today and you certainly can have it.” The villager gazed at the diamond in wonder. It was as large as his fist and, even in the fading light, filled with luminosity. He took it and walked away. But, that night he couldn’t sleep. He was deeply troubled. Next morning at dawn, he rushed back to the wise man, and thrust the diamond back into his hands. “I don’t want it,” he said. “What I want is whatever you have that makes it possible for you to give it away so easily.”

In other words, Generosity.

It is not the gift. It is not the offering. It is not the size of the check, or how much of a sacrifice it is to us. Christian stewardship is growing into such love for God that we are more than happy to give whatever we have just out of gratitude for who God is and what God does.

AMEN

“Rethinking World Communion Sunday” Reinbeck UMC October 4, 2015

“Rethinking World Communion Sunday”

Reinbeck UMC

October 4, 2015

On the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, the African Church of the Holy Spirit begins their World communion worship service by marching through the streets of their village singing and dancing with instruments in order to rally more believers into their church. After the sermon, an elder of the congregation stands to pray and drive out the evil spirits.

In Basel, Switzerland, the ecumenical patriarch blesses a new Orthodox Church and pours holy chrism, or oil, over the altar. This oil is a visible sign of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and it is also used in worship to anoint the newly baptized. After the space is blessed, the community gathers together to celebrate Holy Communion.

 In Seoul, South Korea, the Yo-i-do Full Gospel Church packs six different worship services each week with roughly 25,000 people in each service, all receiving Holy Communion. As men and women leave worship they are greeted by elders from the church who bow as a way of thanking them for coming. The church is the largest Pentecostal church in the world, and their services are watched around the world on television and the internet

In Seattle, Washington, in the middle of the financial district, the Church of Mary Magdalene is an ecumenical congregation comprised of former and current homeless women. This church provides social services and counseling as well as worship where all of the women are able to take part. They provide “a safe environment to build relationships, experience hope and love, and explore faith.”

 And in Reinbeck, Iowa, at Brick United Methodist Church we gather this morning to worship with liturgy and music, to hear the voice of Scripture, and to come to the table for the Lord’s Supper.

All over the world today, Christians are praising God through varieties of worship styles and in hundreds of languages. Today, on World Communion Sunday, we celebrate the march of the Holy Spirit moving and working through every time zone from Asia to Africa to Europe, and finally to the Americas.

We rejoice together in the feast that Christ has prepared for all Christians of the world. Or do we? When we think of World Communion Sunday we like to think of Christians like the ones I just desribed, different from us, yes, but honestly our similarities far outweigh our differences.

If we are serious about World Communion Sunday, however, we have to understand that God’s love and The Body of Christ goes far beyond those who circle the table in churches like ours ... it is extended to those whom we may  never meet. As we come to the table with the faithful from all around the world, we may find ourselves kneeling next to people who might make us very uncomfortable.

If we want to point a finger, we , might say that it is all Jesus’ fault. You see Jesus had trouble with boundaries. It seems he was always crossing to the other side of the sea where the gentiles lived. Jesus was never afraid to sit down with a Samaritan. Jesus didn’t hesitate to associate with tax collectors. He gave respect to women. Jesus was known to hang out in cemeteries where maniacs and demons lived. And Jesus ministered to all of them.

The body of Christ we celebrate today in World Communion Sunday, and Jesus’ table around which we all gather includes all of these people and many more you might not want to invite to your table. But if that is the case, you might want to rethink what it means to participate in World Communion Sunday.

 A congregation gathers. They all enter the chapel at one time. They are all dressed exactly the same. The pastor begins , “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” What a strange call to worship. Strange because this congregation gathers behind a stone walls 10 feet thick, and razor wire fences, and is surrounded by guards. They are all inmates at a state penitentiary. We have a United Methodist church like this in Iowa; Women at the Well that we have supported and some of you have visited. These congregations are filled with murders, rapists, and child abusers. Their leadership team might include someone sentenced to life, someone who was falsely accused, or someone who robbed a liquor store. ( Someday it might even include someone we know from our own town who has attended our church who will likely be sentenced to 20 years for possessing child pornography.) They gather in this grey bared world, come to the front of the sanctuary, and kneel side by side to receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. As I reminded Mike the other day, “No matter what they have done, or haven’t done, no matter how long they may be incarcerated, They are beloved children of God.” But are you willing to kneel at the table with them? If not, you might want to rethink “World Communion Sunday” because these brothers and sisters are certainly part of God’s world.

 Another congregation gathers to worship. This one in an open field with a crudely made cross of sticks as their worship center. They are surrounded by tents, and aid workers, and immigration officials because this congregation is comprised of some of the 6.5 million people displaced from their homes in Syria. 10% of these refugees are Christian. They were caught in a triangle between a violent government, heartless rebels, and opportunistic terrorists. They fled for their lives and now live in a refugee camp along the border of yet another country that is arguing about whether they should be allowed to stay. These are people from some of the oldest churches in the world, some of whom still speak Aramaic, the same language Jesus spoke. The priest blessed the bread and the cup and they are invited to come down the muddy “aisle” to receive the holy sacrament. You have heard the politicians arguing about their future. You have heard the arguments for accepting them into our borders and the fear of what might happen if we do. I don’t know what the right answer is. I don’t know what you think, but I do know that if we are to really celebrate World Communion Sunday, they are brothers and sisters who kneel at the same table and receive from the same cup. If that frightens you perhaps you need to rethink World Communion Sunday.

 Another congregation gathers in the heart of a city. They have an older building abandoned by a mainline church that succumbed to the graying of it members. They look just like we do. They sing the same songs, read the same scriptures, and any one of them could live next door to us or check us out at Wal-Mart. The thing they hold in common is that most of them identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, transgender, or queer. Their pastor who happens to wear a rainbow colored stole offers communion. They kneel at the same table we kneel at. We know what the Discipline says. But I am asking you if you can withhold your judgment and anxiety and kneel at the table beside them. If you can’t maybe you need to rethink what World Communion Sunday is all about, because these brothers and sisters are certainly part of this colorful world God has given us..

 At the House for All Sinners and Saints, a mission congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Denver, Colorado the pastor stands up. Rev. Nadia Boltz Webber is not your typical pastor. In fact when white, middle aged, middle class folks like us started coming to her church, she lost members because they were afraid of us.

Rev. Webber says that she became an alcoholic and drug abuser and often felt like one of society's outsiders. After 10 years of that, she became sober and remained so for twenty years prior to her ordination. Standing beside her is her is the church’s "Minister of Fabulousness," who is a drag queen. The church attracts people of all sexual orientations, with addictions, mental illnesses and others who feel like they are on the fringes of society. And yes, she has a couple of tattoos. In fact one arm tells the salvation story of Jesus Christ. I was with Rev. Webber in Atlanta one year, and she preaches like a sailor, if you know what I mean. Yet when she breaks the bread and lifts the cup she invites us all to come and share. If you aren’t so sure about Rev. Webber and her House for All Sinners and Saints, maybe you need to rethink World Communion Sunday. Because she is reaching a segment of the world that we can only dream of reaching.

 In Nevada, a congregation gathers in a small Roman Catholic church. They cross themselves, and kneel, and stand. They hush their children and take them to the bathroom. They get impatient during the pastor’s sermon and doodle on their bulletins … not so different from us. But they are always looking over their shoulders. They are a congregation of undocumented immigrants, here in the country illegally. I don’t have to tell you that these people are not the problem. Our spineless leaders are more interested in their own power than justice, fixing our broken immigration system, or border protection. (depending on your political perspective)

 These folks may be pawns to the politicians, but to us they are brothers and sisters in Christ. Think what you will, but Jesus’ blood was shed for them and their families too. Their children look forward to communion just like ours. And they kneel at the table beside us today. Not so sure you like that idea? Maybe you need to rethink World Communion Sunday.

In Ephesians, Paul writes, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,  one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

It’s Jesus’ table. It’s God’s guest list, and he has thrown the doors of grace wide open to people like us and people very unlike us. I don’t know what you think, but I would love to receive communion from Rev Webber offering the bread and a Syrian refugee holding the cup, with a transgender man on one side, an undocumented immigrant on the other side, and our child pornographer friend in line behind me. I’ll bet I would never be closer to being like Jesus. How about you?