Completion

1 Chronicles 29:6-9, Psalm 124, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Matthew 25:14-27

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, World Communion Sunday, October 1, 2006

Heritage Congregational Church, Madison, WI

For the past two weeks we have been learning about stewardship, about it’s nature and purpose, about the integral nature of stewardship in our faith. On September 17 we began by defining stewardship—caring for something that doesn’t be long to us. We began with Genesis, God entrusting the care of creation to us. This is a sacred trust, caring for all of creation. We also learned that God will always provide for us from Matthew’s gospel and that everything belongs to God. Everything somehow originates with God. And we learned that It’s All Stewardship. Every single thing we do is stewardship, the choices we make about how to fulfill our calling from God. And, when we live this calling, God gives us even more to care for. When we are generous, more is given. We are called to be a blessing

On September 24 we began with the Biblical concept of tithing, ten percent of our worldly goods given back to God in thankful response for what God has done for us. This is a sacramental offering, which includes not only giving God ten percent, but giving God our first and our best. When we offer our tithe to God, we learn to trust God with everything we have. Tithing also causes us to think about God with every decision we make. Like the poor widow in Mark, we are to place our bounty in God’s care, trusting God with all we have. Put me to the test, God says through the prophet Malachi. And, in 2 Corinthians we found that the result of tithing is an abundance, both God’s bounty is visible to us and our faithfulness is seen.

Today we read the parable of the Talents. This parable is found in both Matthew’s and Luke’s gospel, but today we learn from Matthew. This parable reviews of much of what we have learned: that responsibility to be faithful stewards has been given to us by God. and that when we are faithful more is given to our care.

There is something new that we find here as well, and that is found in the size of a talent. A talent is worth fifteen years or more of the wages of a day laborer. In other words, a huge amount is given. If we were to translate that amount into what God gives us—time, talent and treasure—think what it would be like! There would be More than enough time to do God’s work, more than enough talent to fulfill our calling, more than enough treasure to share that God’s work may be done. The talents God places in our care, whether monetary or otherwise, are an abundance. That is what this parable tells us.

You see, God is on our side. God wants us to succeed in being faithful followers, in being participants in the Kingdom of Heaven. In Psalm 124 we hear the words: If the Lord had not been on our side… Think what might have happened to us! The psalm says we would have been swallowed alive, overwhelmed by the waters and the torrent, the raging water over our very souls! But instead, God has provided. Our souls have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord. God is on our side and given us what we need, more than what we need. God is on our side. The parable asks if we will be on God’s side.

Today in 1 Chronicles we find the people of Israel, under the leadership of King David, near the end of his reign. Soon David will die, and he is making all ready for Solomon to become king. And the people come forward. They make free-will offerings. The leaders and commanders from many groups, on behalf of the people, gave for the service of the house of God. They offer thousands and thousands of talents (just multiply those times 15 years’ salary!) to God.

The result of this outpouring of generosity is that the people rejoice. They have given willingly. They were of one mind, to offer to the Lord. And David, on his deathbed, rejoices also. The attitude of generosity here is strong here, the offerings were free-will, of their own accord. But what gave them joy was discovering that they were all united in purpose. In this place and time, they were the people of God moving forward in faith. From their generosity came the blessing of joyous hearts. They gave until it felt good.

2 Corinthians find Paul teaching the Corinthians about generosity, just as we have been doing for the past several weeks. They are learning, praying and contemplating what stewardship and a generous heart truly mean. Paul helps them to think deeply about what part giving has in their faith life. He speaks about voluntary giving, about giving according to our means, about creating a fair balance between those who have plenty to give and those who are wanting. He uses the Churches of Macedonia as an example. They gave out of their poverty, beyond their means even. They were so passionate to be generous that they were begging for the privilege of sharing in God’s ministry. Just as we give our first and our best to God in tithing, they gave themselves first to the Lord.

Paul encourages the Corinthians, affirms their faith, their speech, their knowledge, their eagerness to serve God. He wants them to excel in generosity as well. Christ is the example to us all, Paul says. He was rich, but became poor for us. You have begun something here—now finish it! Match your eagerness to do God’s will with the completion of the work you have started. Complete your faith by completing your work.

At Heritage we have begun good work. We believe, we have faith. We have joined the church and made a covenant together, with God and each other. We participate in the life of the church. Now we are called to finish it—to give, to be generous. We need to finish the work we have begun. Like the Corinthians we are eager to reach out as God has told us, we are eager to do God’s work in our community and in our world. But we need to finish it, to bring it to completion. We have done part of the job, growing in faith and discerning together. Like David’s people we are of one mind. We have put ideas on paper and discussed them. The next step is to make it happen, to finish it by supporting it, by being stewards of our call from God, by putting the abundance of time, talent and treasure we have been given into it to bring it to fruition, to bring it to completion.

This is where we are as a church. We are at the point of choosing how we will move forward. What is in our future? Will we be a chapel or a church? In a chapel the needs of the people inside the chapel are met. There is visiting, rites of passage (baptism, weddings, funerals), worship, Christian Education for our children. In a church not only are the people inside cared for, but the people inside reach out to the outside, seeking to share that care, that abundance of love with all of God’s people. There is nothing wrong with being a chapel, but is that what we want to be? I don’t think so.

One important thing to realize is this: God’s work will be done, whether we partner with God or not. No matter what we do, God’s purposes will be accomplished. That is not the issue. The real issue is that we are invited to partner with God, to join God in serving the people of the world. Will we do it?

For two weeks we have been learning like the Corinthians, discussing, visiting, sharing our dreams for what God will do at Heritage. A lot of excitement generated. We have been learning to ask the right question. The question is not: How much does the church need to complete the work we have begun? The question is: How much do I need to give? How much do I need to give to be true to myself and to God? How much do I need to give to complete my faith?

Generosity and stewardship are like two sides of a coin. One side is grateful response to God. The other is passion about partnering with God for God’s will to be done.

Every few months Robert and I get together to plan worship for a season of the church year. As we do, we share stories about worship that has been meaningful to us in the past. As we were sharing our ideas about stewardship Robert told me about a sermon that he heard as a young person and has never forgotten. The pastor said: I’m not asking you to give until it hurts. No one wants you to hurt. I just want you to give until it feels good.

Let us give until it feels good. Amen.