Pets, Vehicles, Power-Tools, and Children

Scriptures:

Genesis 1:1-31 – creation.

Psalm 24

Today I want to start with a question.

1. Anyone here have a pet? (hands up)
2. Have you ever left your pet with someone else to care for it?
3. What were your expectations of that person? (get answers)

Is this resonating with anyone else?

Maybe it wasn’t a pet. Maybe it was a vehicle. Maybe a power-tool. Maybe a child.

Now who’s been on the receiving end? Anyone ever been asked to look after a pet, or a vehicle, or a power-tool, or a child?

How did that feel?

Now if you’re anything like me, if I leave something with you to take care of, I expect you to take good care of it. Likewise, if I am given something to look after, I want to do a good job of it. I’m not going to drive your car at 200 km/hr along the 401. I’m not going to turn your pet “free-range”. I won’t encourage your child to climb the bookcase, or stuff them full of junk food, or pee on the electric fence.

I hope we agree on that.

I think that when it comes down to it, when someone gives us something to look after for them, or when we give something to someone else to care for on our behalf, it is really a sign of trust and says something about the significance of our relationship.

If I ask you to watch my dog while I’m away, it’s because I trust you to take care of my dog. I trust that if something happens, you will do your best to care for the dog. If decisions have to be made, you will make the best decision you can, in order to care for the dog.

Agreed? Good.

Now at this point, you may be wondering what any of this has to do with church-stuff. And you would be within your rights to do so.  So let me help join the dots.

What we have been talking about so far is an important idea within our faith called, STEWARDSHIP. Quite simply, stewardship is how we care for and use that which is not ours, on behalf of its owner. Like that pet, or vehicle, or power-tool, or child, or whatever.

When you look after the pet and their owner comes back and the pet is still alive and healthy and has been well taken care of, then you have been a good steward of the pet. Similarly, for the child (alive, healthy, happy, well taken care of). Or for the power-tool or vehicle (full tank of gas, not broken, good working order).

I think it’s safe to say that we all know how to do this! We know how this works. We’ve been on both ends of it. We GET stewardship. Right?

Now, let’s bring it into the church stuff.

As people of the Christian faith, there are certain core beliefs and understandings which we hold. One of those, which is critical to stewardship, we heard in among the words from Genesis which were read this morning. You’ll also find it at the beginning of Psalm 24.

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for God has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.
(Psalm 24:1-2 – NRSV)

“Since God created it all, everything belongs to God.” EVERYTHING.
[pause]

Let me tell you a story that is supposed to be funny.

God was once approached by a group of people who said, “Listen God, we’ve decided we don’t need you anymore. These days we can clone people, transplant organs and do all sorts of things that used to be considered miraculous.”
God replied, “Don’t need me huh? How about we put your theory to the test. Why don’t we have a competition to see who can make a human being, say, a male human being.”
The people agree, so God declares they should do it like God did in the good old days when God created Adam.
“Fine” say the people as they bend down to scoop up a handful of dirt.”
“Whoa!” says God, shaking God's head in disapproval. “Not so fast. You get your own dirt.”

Everything belongs to God.

Which means that everything you like to think of as “yours” and I like to think of as “mine” actually is God’s. Whoa.

Let me remind you, guest speakers can get away with anything.

Like suggesting that none of us actually owns anything we have. God owns it all.

Like going further to suggest therefore that the stewardship thing applies to everything we have. That it’s our job, as people of faith, to take care of everything, to use everything we have, on God’s behalf, for God’s good, the way God would; just like you would with the neighbour’s cat, or your grandchildren.

And yes, when you take this stewardship thing seriously, it changes everything.

I mean, think about it. Isn’t it amazing all that God has given you? How much God must love and trust you? Incredible! That’s grace!! The Creator of the universe trusts us with the creation. Hands it over to us and tells us to use it as if we were God. Which, by the way, should not just produce huge gratitude, but a fair degree of terror. What a responsibility?!! It’s crazy, right?

But, that’s our God. Gracious. Loving. Generous to a fault.

And that’s what God wants us to be, as well. Gracious. Loving. Generous to a fault. With all we have been given. (everything)

Which, when you say it that way, maybe isn’t so crazy after all.


So here’s what I want you to do this week to help this message take root in your life.

1. Think about what it means if everything you have really belongs to God and your job is to use it to be gracious, loving and generous to a fault.

2. What is one thing you can do this week with the stuff God has entrusted you with that would please God? Do it.

3. In your praying and quiet time this week, thank God for all you have been given.

AMEN.

Since many preachers are very busy the next month or so, here's a sermon you can use in January to give yourself a break.  Posted early!

Sermon – Mark 4:30-32
Small But Mighty

Examples of small things

1. $5  How excited would you get if you were told you were going to be given $5? Very nice, but not much these days is it? Can’t eat out and get much of a meal for $5. Can’t buy a shirt. Can’t fill the car with gas. $5, very nice, but not much.

2. A snowball.  As a kid, or not, did you ever make a snowball? A snowball is nice, but you’re kind of limited with only one, aren’t you? Not a good idea to start a snowball fight, with only 1 snowball. Your offensive will be pretty short. And your aim had better be pretty accurate.

3. A good deed.  There is an organisation within Scouting called Cubs. Cubs belong to the Cub Pack. One of the first things new Cubs are taught in order to be part of the Pack is the Cub promise.

The Cub Scout Promise: I promise to do my best, to love and serve God, to do my duty to the Queen; to keep the law of the Wolf Cub Pack, and to do a good turn for somebody every day.

Each week when Cubs meet they have to report what the good deed was they each had done that day. For a group of 20 8,9 & 10 year olds, they aren’t out saving the world, but they dutifully report how they had helped at home, or done their homework (which doesn’t really count) or held a door for someone.

Very nice, but not really much on a global scale.

Big scale perspective

On a global scale, when we look at the events of the last year, when we consider the challenges facing our species, our nations, our country, our planet; it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. What do you do when [insert global disaster issue]? What do you do when [story of refugees or displacement or war]? What do you do, when another world leader [fill in the blank]?

What do you do?

And there’s more. That list of challenges and disasters doesn’t include: [insert other global scale issues] and so much more.

What do you do?

Options

Do you choose to live in denial? Wilful ignorance? If I just pretend it isn’t there, or it isn’t going to happen, then it won’t be real. I’ll insulate myself from it so I don’t have to acknowledge it. No TV news. No radio news. No newspaper. No Facebook or internet. There’s nothing I can do, so there’s no point in even thinking about it. I’ll just live as if everything’s fine.

But what kind of choice is that? What kind of life is that? For followers of Jesus, it’s not a choice at all. When we committed our lives to following Jesus, we committed ourselves to serving others sacrificially, not ignoring them. We committed ourselves to doing justice and righteousness. We committed ourselves to loving God first and foremost and at the same time to loving others as we love ourselves.

As followers of Jesus, we are true to our commitment, true to our Saviour, when we face situations, embrace challenges, and respond to tragedy and disaster and evil any way we can. And that will be different for each of us, depending on our own situations and the resources God has given us to work with.

Small things count

Remember that $5 you were to get that didn’t really do very much? [use numbers from a recent United Church appeal] Recently the United Church has raised over $40,000 to help the displaced Rohingyan people. Doesn’t sound like much, all those thousands of people on the other side of the world, but to them, it’s life.

Check out the Gifts with Vision catalogue. $5 won’t get you anything, on it’s own. But find a friend and $10 will help provide food for people in the north of Canada, or help Aboriginal people struggling from the “Sixties scoop”.

We often hear through the Minute for Mission about what we United Church folks are doing in Canada and around the world, to change lives, to save lives, and to really make a difference. Imagine what more could be done if each of us gave an extra $5 today to Mission & Service.

Remember that one snowball? Put it on the ground and push it, or roll it down a hill. Now it’s a different story. That’s why ideas and solutions “snowball” as they grow and pick up momentum.

Remember the “Good turn to somebody every day”? If we could get everyone in our wider community to be intentional about doing a good deed for somebody else, every day, our attitudes would be different and our society would be changed.

Gospel Reading

In today’s gospel reading we heard Jesus teaching the people about the Kingdom of God by using the example of a mustard seed.  Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed. Though this is one of the smallest of seeds, it grows to become one of the largest of plants, with long branches where birds can come and find shelter.” (Mark 4:30-32 - NLT)  

Imagine that, the Kingdom of God starts out tiny. Insignificant. Hard to notice.

Like a looney, or a toonie, or a $5 bill.

Like a snowball.

Like a single good deed or a random act of kindness.

Until it grows. Until its effect ripples out. Until others join in. Until suddenly, it’s not so small anymore.

Until, “it grows to become one of the largest of plants, with long branches where birds can come and find shelter.”

Reassurance & Challenge

In a world which can be so overwhelming at times, Jesus reminds us that small things count. There’s no such thing as too small to matter. $5! A piece of litter picked up along the street. A hug. Two words, “I’m sorry.” A glass of water.

No small thing is not worth doing, as we strive to follow Jesus’ example any way we can. And I truly believe that mustard seed by mustard seed, our faith will grow and our world will be changed.

Things to try:

1. Do a good deed for somebody else every day this week.

2. When did something small done for you, or to you, teach you about following Jesus?

3. Say this simple prayer, “God bless ” for someone each day this week.

AMEN.

Advent Sermon - John 3:1-18
…and Action!

[start with great exuberance, but each time get a little less excited and seem to give up hope]

A great thing is about to happen!!! This will be beyond anything you have seen or experienced.

[wait]

I promise you, this will be fantastic. Really good for you. Better than popcorn!!

[wait]

It will be amazing. Really.

[wait]

Any time now…

[wait]

Well, maybe it’s been delayed. Maybe something went wrong. But I’m sure it’s coming. We’ll just have to wait a bit, that’s all.

[wait]

Isn’t waiting annoying sometimes? Especially when you’ve been set up for something really good. Then you have to wait.

I think the worst waiting is when you don’t know how long. It’s bad enough to have to wait a week, or two weeks, or 3 weeks (like for Christmas), but when you don’t know how long you have to wait, that’s horribly difficult.

[wait]

There’s only one thing that makes that kind of waiting even more unbearable. When there’s nothing to do. Time just seems to drag on forever. A minute seems like and hour. “When’s it going to come? When’s it going to come?”

[wait]

After a while, I just can’t stand it anymore. I start to fidget. I start to play games in my mind. I get out my brain [show Pocket PC] and play solitaire. I start looking for signs that it’s coming. Something to keep myself occupied!! How hard it is to just sit and wait.

[wait]

I wonder if that’s what it felt like for the people who went out to hear John? “Someone is coming” he said. “Someone much greater than I.” “Someone who will baptise you with the Holy Spirit, not just with water.” I can imagine the first question people would ask: “When?”. And John would look them in the eye and reply, “I don’t know, but soon”.

“Soon?” “What do you mean, soon?”

“Soon.”

“How soon?”

“Soon.”

“But what do we do until then?”

“Wait.”

“Just wait?”

“Wait.”

“But there must be something we can do to hurry this up?”

“Well, I have this water. We’re at this river. Why not be baptised?”

“Will that make him come sooner?”

“No.”

“Then why bother?”

“It will help you get ready.”

“Huh?”

“Baptism is a symbol. It’s a sign that you have made some choices in your life that will help you be ready when he comes. It’s a sign that you have recognised that not everything in your life is the way God wants it to be and that you have decided to make some changes.”

“Changes?”

“Yes, changes. Do you remember that closet full of clothes you have at home? All those clothes that you don’t wear, or that don’t fit, or are out of style? Why do you still have them? Why not give them to someone who needs them? Changes.”

”Or how about the person at work that keeps stealing your lunch? You know who it is. Instead of reporting them to management so they get fired, why not invite them out to lunch some day, pay for their meal, and get to know them better? Changes.”

“Treat everyone else with respect, as you expect to be treated. Be generous with what God has given you. Make friends. Share yourself gladly. Don’t let other people’s negativity or evil trap you and drag you down. Help where you can and leave things well enough alone when you can’t. Keep your nose to yourself. Changes.”

“Then when he comes, and he is coming, then you’ll be ready. Then your life will be in line with his life and with God’s hopes and dreams for you. Then, because of those changes you choose to make, the world will be different; better. Maybe only a little; maybe a lot; but when it comes to better, every little bit helps and every little bit counts.”

And I think some would walk away frustrated, shaking their heads. But others would go home with a smile on their face and a glint of determination in their eyes, sopping wet.

During this Advent season, we too wait. We wait for Christmas. We wait for Jesus. We don’t know how long. But following John’s advice, while we wait, we prepare.

And to help us be active with those preparations, here are some things to think about and work on this week.

1. If John was talking directly to you about changes, what would he suggest?

2. Other than baptism, what are some signs that show people that you are choosing to live in line with the One who is coming and with God’s hopes and dreams for you?

3. Spend some time this week imagining what it might be like when the wait is over.

AMEN.

“The F Word” - 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Let’s watch this, to start:

[video of Fix Auto advert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QONPTqvRFOc ]

Around the church the same thing happens. As soon as someone starts talking about a new roof, a new furnace, a new program or activity, the first thing that seems to come to people’s mind or out of their mouth is the F-word: Fffff-undraiser.

Happens all the time, doesn’t it?

We must be constantly vigilant, lest the F-word take over the life of your congregation and indeed, even our whole beloved United Church of Canada.

Now since I was asked to come here today to speak to you about stewardship, the issue of the overuse of the F-word is especially relevant.

After all, Stewardship is not the same as FUNDRAISING!!!

1) Fundraising:

You see, FUNDRAISING [click] is about trying to get a certain amount of money from people for a specific task or project.

We need a new roof. Fundraising may help you to accomplish that. You sell shingles or you set up the dreaded thermometer. No worries.

2) The danger in Fundraising:

is when a congregation starts to think about their finances mostly in terms of fundraising.

That will take them down one path and one way of thinking about people and money.

• they never have enough and always need more. 

• They believe that people are basically stingy and greedy.

It’s SCARCITY thinking. It’s bad theology.

As a congregation starts to focus more and more on fundraising, they follow a predictable path.

1. They keep planning new activities, but in reality everything becomes a fundraiser. Sure, they talk about how they’re building community, how these activities are fun, and how they bring in people from outside the church, but the real mark that an activity was a success becomes, “Did it make money?” and how much. Eventually, it’s not long after one fund raiser is over that they’re planning the next one. Like an addiction.
2. At the same time, they are always trying to come up with new marketing schemes to get people’s attention. One sure sign that a congregation is on this path is the increased use of the F-word during Sunday morning announcements. 
3. The people of the congregation start to burn out and leave. You see, more and more fundraisers eat up more and more time and energy and suck the passion out of people. How many of you joined this church in order to raise money and run fundraisers?

Over time, a congregation on this path changes from a church, which we know is “a group of people following Jesus and seeking to live out God’s mission to the world,” into a fundraising organisation or a restaurant/catering company.

When a congregation can only think about its finances in terms of fundraising, it has entered the death spiral.

But we're not going to talk about fundraising; the F-word.  This morning, we’re all about Stewardship. 

Stewardship.

So when you think of Stewardship, which words come to mind?
[gather suggestions]

As the saying goes, Stewardship is EVERYTHING. Everything we think, say, and do, after we say “I believe”!

Stewardship is a spiritual practice. It’s intimately linked to and the outcome of the Christian values of generosity, trust and thankfulness.

When a congregation is able to focus and teach on the spiritual practice of stewardship, then they move out of scarcity thinking. They put an end to the death spiral.

It’s like that section of Paul’s 2nd letter to the church at Corinth we heard read says:

God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. You show your gratitude [to God] through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. (2 Corinthians 9:7,13 - MSG)

Christian Stewardship recognizes that we are called as individuals and as congregations into God’s mission to each other and to the world.

One of the clearest, and easiest, ways we do that, to participate in God's mission, is by giving away the gifts that God has entrusted to us in order that other people can be cared for and come to realise that they too are loved by God, just like we are.

These gifts we give come out of everything that God has given us: our time, our talents and skills, and our treasure and physical resources. It includes our money, but it’s not limited to our money.

Generous “cheerful” giving is an important sign that a person has discovered just how much God loves them.

Generous “cheerful” giving is an important sign that a person has felt the love of God touch their own spirit and has been changed by that experience. In other days we would call that “conversion”.

Generous “cheerful” giving comes out of that conversion experience. After all, true generosity comes out of gratitude. Realising how much God loves you. How much God has done for you and how much God has given you. How God has come to be with you, in Jesus. How God continues to be with you, guiding, accompanying, and caring, through the Holy Spirit. And wanting to do whatever it takes, and using everything you have, to help other people have that same experience.

“We become stewards when we realize God’s grace in our lives. This inspires us to respond with gratitude and generosity."

Therefore, if you want to see real spiritual growth in yourself, in the other people in this congregation and in the people that God brings into your life who are not yet a part of this congregation (which is an important part of what a church is really supposed to be about), you need to shift your thinking from the F-word to the S-word. From fundraising to stewardship.

And because it’s not fair to suggest you do something and not give you ideas about how to do it, here are some ideas.

1. Provide a small group where people can share their experiences and come to see how much God loves them.
2. Create an opportunity during Sunday morning, at a Board/Council meeting, any time a group gathers, for someone to share a story of how they recently trusted God, what that looked like and how God used it.
3. Each year, encourage those whom the congregation serves to be intentional and make a decision about how generous they plan to be in the coming year. That way they will be less inclined to be caught up in “sob stories and arm-twisting”.
4. As a congregation, refuse to tell sob stories or use arm-twisting. Instead, inspire people with the stories of how you are involved with God’s mission and are making a real difference in people’s lives and invite people to be part of it and get involved.
5. Decide, as a congregation, to place a limit on the number of fundraisers you will hold each year. And stick to it! Trust God to provide! Then be willing to share what God has provided.

Amen.

Sermon – Inspired

This message requires two 4" x 5" lined index cards for each person in the audience and something for them to write with.

[start immediately after the reading of 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 from The Message]

So I wonder how that felt.

Imagine with me for a moment.
You come for worship one day and the worship leader stands up at the beginning and says, “I have something special to share with you today. We have received a letter.”

The leader goes on to say that the letter is from a beloved and admired friend. In fact this friend is the reason that you are all gathered, because this friend is the person who founded your church. This is a really important person!

Are you with me? What are you feeling?

If that doesn’t do it for you, then maybe this will. Imagine with me.
You go to get the mail one day and in among all the fliers and advertisements, there’s an envelope. It’s from the Canada Revenue Agency. On the outside it says, “Confidential. Important.”

Are you with me? What are you feeling?

I suspect that for the people of the church in Thessalonica, receiving a letter from Paul was a bit of all of those feelings and maybe more. This letter comes from their beloved founder. The one who first shared the gospel with them; first told them about Jesus. I expect that when he was with them he had taught them. He had encouraged them. He had challenged them to change their ways and corrected them when they needed it.

What would the letter say?

Would it be more good news?

Would it be bad?

It had been a long time since they had heard from Paul.

So one day, a long time ago, someone stood up when the church was gathered in an environment of excitement and curiosity mixed with anxiety and apprehension and began to read.

I, Paul, together here with Silas and Timothy, send greetings to the church at Thessalonica, Christians assembled by God the Father and by the Master, Jesus Christ. God's amazing grace be with you! God's robust peace! Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you're in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labour of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special.   (1 Thessalonians 1:1-4 - TM)

Whew!

Can you feel it?
Isn’t that nice. The Thessalonians must have felt pretty good about themselves from that greeting. “You’re wonderful. I think about you and pray for you all the time. God thinks you’re special, too!”

It must have been inspiring for them. Someone really important to them, that they admire, their founder, tells them, “You’re wonderful. I think about you and pray for you all the time. God thinks you’re special, too!”

Can you feel it?
I hope so.

I believe that it is true for people these days, just as I suspect it was true for those Thessalonians all those years ago. I know it’s true for me. We respond so much more to someone we look up to, someone important to us. Don’t we?

You know who those people are for you, don’t you?

A compliment from them and you’re walking on air, ready to do anything. And when they tell you what a great job you did on something specific? Wow! You know they noticed you, then.

It feels good, doesn’t it?

And I don’t know about you (although I strongly suspect) I know for me that that kind of recognition and appreciation makes me want to keep going. It makes me believe that my labour is not in vain.

It’s inspiring, isn’t it?

Well today I want to make a suggestion and lay a challenge before you, the church gathered in this place.
For some this may be easy. For others it will be a stretch. Either way, I’m pretty sure it will help you to grow in living out your faith.

Here’s what I want you to do. I brought with me a stack of index cards.

[hand them out so everyone gets 2]

Today, I want you to be Paul. I want you to inspire someone.

In that greeting to the Thessalonians, Paul also mentions calling to mind "the work of faith, the labour of love, and the patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus" that he knows the Thessalonian church is living out. Catch those 3 phrases:

• work of faith;
• labour of love;
• patience of hope.

We’re going to take a few minutes right now, and I want you to think about someone who is a part of this congregation that you have seen (first hand) doing some work of faith, a labour of love, or showing the patience of hope, in order to help strengthen this church. It doesn’t matter how big or how small the thing was they did. All that matters is that you saw them do it, or you experienced what they did. It has to be personal.

And I want you to write a brief thank-you to them on ONE of your index cards for what they did. Be sure to start with their name and sign it with your name.

Go!

[pause]

That’s step #1.

Step #2. Sometime this week, I want you to hand deliver that card. (I told you this would be challenging for some of you!)

That’s step #2.

Now I suspect you are wondering with fear and trepidation what you are to do with the other index card.

Over the course of this week, I want you to write a short note to someone who is NOT a part of this congregation for whom you want to acknowledge their value and show your support for them which will thank them and inspire them. From manufacturers to farmers, those in retail, and those who help move products and materials from there to here.

Again, write something to thank them for their work and tell them that you appreciate them; and be sure to put your name on it. Maybe hand it to them at their job, or leave it where they will find it later.

Just as Paul was for the Thessalonians, so you can be for each other and for the people in your wider community. An inspiration. A blessing. As you do the work of faith, the labour of love, and show the patience of hope, in following our Master, Jesus.

AMEN.