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Sermon August 11, 2019
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers,
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost Track 1, Proper 14
http://www.lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Pentecost/CProp14_RCL.html
Jesus said: Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
Please be seated.
As I was thinking about our Gospel for the week, my friend, Doris Weldon, kept coming to mind. What would have been Doris’ 74th birthday would be this Tuesday. Doris was a few inches taller than me, 11 years older and African-American. I’m not sure life was ever real easy for her. She was a single mother and not only raised her own children, but also some grandchildren. She had a great job with the state, but had to leave it, because the building was causing all kinds of illness for her. She was eventually able to get social security disability.
Doris, to me, was so wise. She taught me so much about life in general and living life as an African-American woman in particular. She was always asked to be on committees regarding children with mental health issues, for instance. Doris spoke the truth in very plain language and with lots of honesty. That disarmed some people and I loved it.
And Doris had such a strong faith and belief in God. She was Roman Catholic and often cooked for the priest and the Bishop. Doris and I worked together for a time and she had a Bible in her desk drawer, which she read every morning. She was so grounded and strong in her faith, despite the many challenges she faced in a world that did not make it easy for her.
In reading these words from Jesus, I believe Doris knew God wanted to give her the kingdom…that God wanted her to have the best.
God does want us to have the best life. Yet, how that is defined by our society can be very skewed, compared to how Jesus was telling us to live. I mean, look at the next verse, “Sell your possessions, and give alms.” YIKES! Just look around your home at all of the stuff you have. I know I feel overwhelmed sometimes by it all and ask, what do I really need? Or is my stuff and caring for my stuff getting in the way of my relationship with God and with others? We spend quite a lot on taking care of our stuff, buying a home or renting storage space where it can all fit.
All of that energy going into caring for our stuff can keep us from having the good life, from experiencing the best life, from the kingdom of God life Jesus said God wants to give to us.
Then there’s Isaiah 1 verse 17, reminding us that our rites and rituals are empty and meaningless if we do them without working for justice. In other words, unless we “…learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow,” we miss the Kingdom of God; the good life that it is God’s good pleasure to give to us.
Our reading from Hebrews reminds us of the faithful who left everything behind, following God’s promises to a different place and a different life. They had faith in where God was leading them, rather than in where they had been. And they didn’t always get to see the fulfillment of the promises, either, yet journeyed to a new place nonetheless.
In Genesis 15 verse 5, we read about a conversation God has with Abraham:
[God] brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’
Abraham didn’t see that promise. Yet, aren’t we all his descendants? Aren’t we living proof of the fulfillment of that scripture?
Yesterday, I heard The Rev. Becca Stevens speak at the Diocesan conference on “Called to Heal a Broken World.” The Rev. Stevens founded Thistle Farms in Nashville, Tennessee, which provides services, including a 2-year residential program, to women who have experienced drug abuse, prostitution, and human trafficking. Her model, which includes some time for healing and respite, followed by honing skills through a business of making and selling body care products, is now replicated around the world.
In talking about our Gospel today, she offered this summary of the Gospel. Be Courageous, Be Generous and Be Ready. I’ve been thinking about what this means.
Be courageous – yes, it takes lots of courage, don’t you think, to let go of our stuff, maybe sell it all and give alms??? Or just to even shift our thinking about how we are living. Or to follow where we believe Jesus is calling us and to change our lives? To have faith, even when we cannot see nor maybe even imagine how God’s promises can come true.
Be generous – Everything we have, even our very lives is a gift from God. God has been deeply generous with us and now we have the opportunity to be generous to the world.
Be ready – We need to be doing the work required. If we truly believe our baptismal covenant and seek and serve Christ in all persons, Jesus is always in front of us to be served.
So, do not be afraid. It is God’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom.
Amen
