Stewardship Sermon 2004

Nov. 7, 2004 Crestwood UCC

By Pastor Marcia Moret Sietstra

I chose the autumn prayer this morning because it reminds me to take hold of life that really is life. We tend to get so burdened in our lives that we forget to pay attention to what makes life rich and full. This time of year nature itself is a gift—the leaves, the sunsets, the harvest scenes—and to think, none of these can be owned! None of it can be bought; it’s sheer gift.

This week I attended a memorial service for Darlys Andersen’s father-in-law, Reid’s dad. Reid’s sister got up and talked about her “rich and famous father.” He was rich— rich in joy found in relationships and in service, rich in steadfastness to his work and his family; rich in humility and contentment in a simple life. He was famous for his willingness to help others, famous for his ability to trust God and not worry, famous for the sheer happiness he spread around. On the way out of church we heard the song, “Don’t Worry; Be Happy.” Of course Wally wasn’t rich or famous in the usual sense of the word. But it seems to me that he enjoyed the fullness of life that Jesus talked about—being well-loved and rich in relationships and deep-down satisfaction.

As I sat at that service, I thought, “Isn’t this the great paradox of life? The one who has less in life is often the one who has the most in life.” At the door today you were handed a little colored paper with two columns for you to fill out. On the left, make a list of the things you possess that mean a lot to you. It might be your home, or a business, or a family heirloom, maybe a pet. In the other column, on the right, list the things that bring you joy. For me it’s my husband and children, my friends, my church family, Jacob and Andria, it’s teaching, and other experiences I treasure.

Now ask yourself this: How many of the things on your first list—things you possess—how many of those things bring you joy? Most of the things that bring us the most joy are not things we can buy, and in fact, have little to do with our ability to pay for things. In fact, being overly concerned with money actually interferes with many of the things that bring us the most joy. The more time we spend earning and spending or managing money so we can possess things, the less time there is for relationships, for enjoying nature or music or worship, for relaxing or helping others—in short, for the things that bring us real joy. That’s one of the blessings of church—it helps us keep this all in perspective, helps us figure out what makes for a satisfying life.

Last weekend we were at Harvard for Parents’ Weekend. We ate lunch one day in Annenburg Hall, the freshman cafeteria that seats 1600 and looks like the castle in the Harry Potter movies. In all that noise, I leaned across the table toward our very happy son, and I asked, “Now that you’ve been at college almost two months, what do you miss?” James, ever the diplomat, said, “Well I miss you mom, and dad.” “What else?” I asked. He thought for a moment and answered, “I miss driving my car, and I miss our house—it’s pretty crowded in my dorm room, and I find I really miss church.”

Now I can tell you with some degree of certainty that it’s not the sermons he misses. He misses the people—you! James, who is the most social person I know, and who is having a blast at college, misses this congregation. Why would a 19 year-old who has the world by the tail miss all of you? Because he feels connected to so many people here. He is lucky enough to have interacted long enough here to feel cared about, and to have learned to love and care about many of you, especially the little kids he took care of in the nursery the last several years. What a lucky young man to feel so loved and to love so many people, to have that support in his life is a wonderful thing. Just ask anyone who’s ever felt all alone.

In the end, that is probably the number one reason people need the church. We need relationships. Like the old sitcom Cheers, and the bar where everybody knows your name, church is where people know your name and they genuinely care about you if you give them half a chance. Like the characters in Cheers, we have quirky people here, but we accept them, warts and all, because church is where we help each other deal with life’s ups and downs. We pray for each other, we teach each other, we are here when a family member dies or a serious illness hits. People need other people to care, and we need to serve others to really discover deep down satisfaction in life.

Church is also the way we leave a legacy—a legacy of goodness that outlives us. Some of you have adult children you raised in this church—how much harder would it have been without the community here who showed your kids how to love in the manner of Christ? How many people will our efforts affect in decades to come? Innumerable!

Being part of this church gives us the opportunity to be part of something greater than ourselves—a universal good that we identify with God. You know World War II veterans often say that they wouldn’t give up fighting in that war for a million dollars. But they wouldn’t go through it again for a million dollars either. This was one of the few wars in which people could clearly identify what was good and what was evil, and soldiers could find great satisfaction in fighting for a greater good. When you are part of the church, you have that same kind of satisfaction, because we are searching for and working toward a higher good that makes the world better, and that will be our legacy..

I think the world has never needed the UCC more. We are seeing a sweep of religious fundamentalism around the world that insists on a narrow version of what is moral, promotes a lack of respect for those who disagree, and presumes to have God on “their side” as they do violence. We are one of the few denominations that teach tolerance and respect for people of all religions who live in the way of Christ, which is the way of compassion and care for one’s neighbor. In a time when many American Christians are using the language of “righteous empire” we stand for humility, and remind the world that entire nations are neither righteous nor evil, but that evil runs straight through every human heart.

We in the UCC foster justice and sharing instead of accumulation. We are one of the few denominations who recognize the limits of scripture and the mysteries of God. Going to church is not just the way we say thank you to God and “praise” God; it is the way we testify to something and somebody a whole lot bigger than ourselves, the Higher Power we will never quite grasp completely.

Please, this week, think about how much the world needs the church, how much this community needs the UCC, and how much you need this church. May these thoughts lead you to be generous, not only in pledging your money this year, but in committing your time here because that’s how you will grow in relationship here. I honestly know of no better place to commit my resources than the church. And here’s the bonus: when you do that, you discover the life that really is life, free from a preoccupation with material possessions, free to enjoy the fruits of caring about others, and life lived in community. Amen.

Texts:

Luke 12:15, 22-24; Matthew 5:13a, 14a; 6:19-21; II Corinthians 9:7; I Timothy 6:18-19.