The Meaning of Service

This is the message I presented at Tompkins Corners UMC on the 26th Sunday after Pentecost, November 17, 2002.  The Scriptures were Joshua 24: 1 -3a, 14 – 25, 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 – 18, and Matthew 15: 1 – 13.

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It was the great Western philosopher and former Yankee catcher Yogi Berra who once said “when you get to a fork in the road, take it.” After all the laughter has died down, it is interesting to note that Yogi was merely restating what Isaiah said in Isaiah 30:21, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying this is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”

The idea of having to make a decision; of having to choose which path one will take is not new. Even Jeremiah wrote

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient path, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’(Jeremiah 6: 16)

But it is, with some confidence, that I hope this congregation has not answered the Lord as the Israelites answered Jeremiah, “But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.”

This congregation has elected a new church council and with its election set a path for the future. It is a statement that the moving towards the future is more important than dwelling on the past. We appreciate what those who have served this congregation faithfully over the years have done, but there is also an understanding that a continuation of the past would never allow this congregation to move forward.

We have made a choice and we have asked a number of people to serve, to lead this congregation into the coming year. As much as the Gospel reading for this morning is about stewardship in its simplest monetary terms, it is also about service and which each person can give.

Many preachers typically use the parable of the talents in its simplest monetary terms to encourage the congregation to develop a successful stewardship campaign. The parable of the talents goes far beyond money. It speaks of the skills and the abilities each of us have.

A church has to be more than just dollars and cents; it must be a presence in the community and the congregation must find ways to make that presence known. It does not matter if we have one skill or many skills, it is only when we use those skills and abilities do they prosper and grow. If we have but one skill or ability and choose not to use it, then it will wither and die.

It is not easy to define what one’s talents or abilities are; some spend many years before finding out the answer to that question. But if one does not strive to find that one thing that can be called their own, if they say that they have no unique abilities; then they will be like the person who took the one talent and hid it away. They will end up having the talent they do have taken from them and they will lead a sad and lonely life.

Deborah’s selection as judge points out that leadership is not decided by the person one is but rather by the abilities and talents of that person. She did not become a judge out of some need for political correctness but rather because those who might have been judges did not have the leadership qualities that she had. Judges in those times were the leaders of the nation of Israel, chosen for their ability to understand what God wanted done, chosen because they were prophets in their own time.

Barak, the general mentioned in the Old Testament reading today, hesitated before going into battle. It was this hesitation that forced Deborah to lead the armies and along with Jael receive the honor and glory that came with the victory. The commentary makes a very pointed remark that Israel’s leadership at that time was bankrupt. These are not politically correct statements but rather statements indicating that those who served their self-interest before they served God were doomed to defeat, even when the enemy was against God.

Deborah’s leadership abilities came from her being with God, of understanding where God was in her life. With God in her life, she had the wisdom and understanding to make the decisions to lead the nation. Those who lead must understand that leadership does not mean doing everything themselves. Nor does it mean simply telling others what must be done.

Paul reminds us that our actions are done both in the name of God and with God’s presence in our lives. We cannot bear the breastplate of righteousness if God is not with us. But more importantly, we cannot do things alone. Paul also writes that we work together as one for the community, not as a community of individuals.

So it is that we come to this place. It is all right to look over our shoulder and see where we have been. Perhaps it is all right to think about what might have been down the other path. But we have chosen to walk this path and we have chosen to walk it with and in the company of the Lord.

John Kennedy was fond of quoting a statement about service, one that speaks to the present time and place.

“In every age there comes a time when leadership suddenly comes forth to meet the needs of the hour. And so there is no man who does not find his time, and there is no hour that does not have its leader.” (The Talmud)

This is such a time and this is such a place. This is a call for each of us to take on a new meaning of service, for we do things not for ourselves and ourselves alone but because we are a part of a renewed community of Christ, seeking to show the light of Christ to the world. To all that serve and who have served, we say thank you.

Perhaps we have not yet figured out what it is that we can do; then the call is to accept Jesus Christ into one’s heart and allow him through the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your life. Perhaps you know what it is that you want to do but are afraid; again, the call is to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and allow him through the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your life. And others will find that the call this day is to renew your covenant with the Lord, taking on the tasks present before you, accompanied by the Holy Spirit.

What Will You Do?

This is the message I presented at Walker Valley on the 25th Sunday after Pentecost, November 14, 1999.  The Scriptures were Judges 4: 1 – 7, 1 Thessalonians 5: 1 – 11 , and Matthew 25: 14 – 20.

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The reading from the Old Testament today comes at an interesting time in Israel’s history. It was the time between the leadership of Moses and Joshua and the rise of the great Israelite kings.

This was also a time, as was noted in the beginning of the reading when Israel was straying from its path with God. As God had promised, as we heard in the covenant made last week, when the people of Israel strayed, God would not protect them. But when they followed God, then God protected them and helped their armies defeat their enemies.

At this time, leadership came from a group of individuals collectively known as judges, though the people wanted a king just like the countries around them. Never mind that God had said He would be their once and future King, if other countries had a king, they wanted one too. We may think of judges as something like magistrates or county executives who oversaw the daily activities of the nation. But these judges were more than simple county executives; their powers were note simply limited to the executive branch but included the legislative, judicial, and sometimes military branches as well.

Judges did not get their position through election by the people or through hereditary; they were called to serve and empowered by God.

The acknowledged leader of Israel at this time was Deborah. Now, at this time, Israel and the other ancient societies around it were patriarchal in nature. All the leadership positions, be they priests, town elders, military leaders, or simply just the head of households were occupied by men. What counted most, then, in the selection of Deborah to serve, as the judge at this time, was not her gender but rather her gifts and talents and her calling by God to serve.

And even today, what counts the most are not the limitations placed on people by society and societal views but how God enables us to work.

That is the meaning of the Gospel message for today. The passage for today is often used for financial reasons because the talent referred to was a unit of money. But I like to think of the word in its broadest sense, the gifts and abilities one has to use.

For even if we have but one talent, if we fail to use that talent, then we will have gained nothing. But, on the other hand, if we use those talents that we have, then we find that our abilities and capabilities quickly expand and we gain more from our use of those talents.

And even if we simply have one talent, should we not use that talent to its fullest ability? Suppose all that you can do is say hello to someone. Just because you don’t know that person, is that a reason to not say hello? The story is told of a church that received a check from a lawyer representing the estate of one individual. The check was of such a size that it could be used as a down payment for the parsonage that the church was contemplating buying. And why did this church get a check of such a value from an individual no one knew? Because that individual had once visited that church and people had stopped and said hello. Even the simple talent of saying hello can provide many great rewards.

But against that backdrop is the fact that we sometimes view this use of our talents with cynicism. This last week we celebrated Veterans’ Day. It is a time when I think of honored veterans, the men and women, buried alongside the members of my family, my grandfather who served in the Army during World War I and through 1943 and my father who served in the Air Force during World War II and through 1964, at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. Was not the only talent many of them had a willingness to serve?

On March 22, 1980, paramilitary forces in La Paz, Bolivia assassinated a Jesuit priest by the name of Luis Espinal. Shortly before his death, he wrote the following mediation

There are Christians who have hysterical reactions, as if the world would have slipped out of God’s hands.

They act violently as if they were risking everything.

But we believe in history; the world is not a roll of the dice going towards chaos.

A new world has begun to happen since Christ has risen. . .

Jesus Christ, we rejoice in your definitive triumph . . . with our bodies still in the breach and our souls in tension, we cry out our first “Hurrah!” till eternity unfolds itself.

Your sorrow now has passed.

Your enemies have failed.

You are a definitive smile for humankind.

What matter the wait now for us?

We accept the struggle and the death; because you, our love, will not die!

We march behind you, on the road to the future.

You are with us and you are our immortality!

Take away the sadness from our faces.

We are not in a game of chance . . .

You have the last word!

Beyond the crushing of our bones, now has begun the eternal “alleluia!”

From the thousand openings of our wounded bodies and souls there arises now a triumphal song!

So, teach us to give voice to your new life throughout all the world.

Because you dry the tears from the eyes of the oppressed forever . . . and death will disappear.

I do not know why Father Espinal was assassinated though I can imagine it was because of the message he preached and the challenge he presented to the people of his community. Against that backdrop, it is very easy for us to say “Let others do it, it is too great a task for me.”

But we cannot get off that lightly. Even if we are not called to serve in the world, there are problems here in New York that demands our attention and presence. To be a presence in this world is a daunting enough challenge. We are just a little church, in the hills of New York. How can we do anything?

First of all, if the statistics that I am familiar with are still relatively the same, we are not a small church but rather a medium-sized one. Second, borrowing from Pastor Paul Rosa of the New Prospect Church down the road, who wrote in his church’s most recent newsletter,

A small church is not necessarily one “one the way” to becoming a megachurch. And we certainly should not measure our ministry by statistics. But, there is no faking it, no anonymity in a Wee Kirk. No hiding behind a busy program schedule and four-color brochures. What we must offer to the Lord and show to the world is a community that is visibly different, bearing witness in our lives, relationships, and conduct that our Lord is the one who died and rose again, to heal our broken lives and cultures.

Our work today cannot be accomplished solely through what we think we might do. There are times that we, like the people of Israel, so many years ago, wish for a strong leader to guide them and direct them. Listen carefully to the political rhetoric of the coming campaign and you will hear that call. But, should we not look at what we can do.

That is part of the reason why I put that insert in today’s bulletin. That may not be a comprehensive list of talents that one can use and it is certainly not a comprehensive list of areas where one can use those talents, but it is a start. And as we begin the planning for the coming year, I want you to think about how you can use the talents that you have to help this church and make its presence in the community a stronger one.

It is a frightening thought, I am sure, to do what the Lord commands you, not someone else, to do. So many of the leaders of the past often thought that God wanted someone else to do His work. But when God calls you to serve, as he called each of the judges, it is because it is your talents, your skills and abilities that are needed at this time.

Yes, it is frightening. But Paul told the people of Thessalonians to “put on the breastplate of faith and love” and wear as a helmet “the hope of salvation”, not as decorations to be worn and displayed for all to see but rather as the source of strength for one’s work in this world.

You have the list of talents before you; there is a category for other talents not listed. You have the list of places where those talents can be used as well as a category of “other” in case there are areas that are not listed. My friends, the question before you this day is “What Will You Do?” with the talents you have?