Guest Preacher John Simmons.
The Community Church of Sebastopol
August 9, 2009
Mark 12:13-17
This morning the scripture has to do with money and taxes. Neither are preferred topics for sermon consideration. I have rarely preached a sermon on stewardship. I served a church in Barstow, California and the board of that church requested unanimously that I preach a stewardship sermon. I did. I don’t remember the polite title, but the sub title was “Put your money where your mouth is Joe or go home”. At the next board meeting they said “once is enough”. Therefore you are spared.
I don’t get about as much as I use to. While merchants are still willing to take my money, I don’t pick up much news in my travels so I depend on the radio and television. They’ve been reporting a lot about money, both at the federal and state levels. Both governing bodies want to spend more money but they don’t want to raise taxes. It’s an interesting dilemma.
Jesus deals with the money issue in today’s parable. He reminds his listeners that it is the head of the Roman Emperor who is on the coin of their realm. So he suggests since that’s where the money comes from it is okay to pay taxes to this same source.
We can get into lots of trouble if we become biblical literalists at this point. Remember the Jews were an occupied people. They didn’t have a representative government. They were the vassals of the Romans. They neither controlled nor determined their tributes to Rome. They certainly had little voice in the way any of these moneys were spent.
So should we be concerned how our governments are spending our revenues? I think we went to war over this issue that resulted in our becoming the United States of America. We have a long history in our republican form of government. How do we make the transition from a secular perspective to a religious perspective?
I remember the occasion in which spending money came into my married life. My wife had said she’s like to pay the bills. That was fine with me. She began and finished her task. I asked her how much money we had left in the bank after paying the bills. She hadn’t calculated that. Fortunately the payments had not gone out so we were spared a financial disaster early in our married life.
Any of you who have attended the council meetings of our church know that at each one there is a complete financial accounting made to and by the trustees. Money is important in the life of the church. Offerings are a part of every Sunday’s morning service. We pay attention to how we spend our money. The way we spend our money reflects our values. What is our number one expense as a congregation? It is the amount we pay for our pastoral services. People let us know that pastoral services: preaching and programs for children and youth are central to their coming to our church.
This would suggest that we are meeting our needs. Yet as I look out over our congregation I wonder about other needs that are lurking, waiting to be met.
I am a great believer in the life of the spirit. Does the way in which we spend our money reflect on our concern for our life in the spirit? I think it does in part, but I think more is required of us. Jesus goes on to say after acknowledging our need to pay taxes that we should also recognize God’s need of us.
It is easy to get confused about God’s need for us and our needs for God. God isn’t confused. But we can be. How much time during each day do we spend with God? Knowing that spending time with God can take many forms, we have to think this through a bit.
How much time each day do we spend thinking of others, doing for others, helping each others? These are all ways in which we can be with God. How much time each day do we spend opening ourselves up to God? We can do this by reading scriptures meditative works, praying or simply being quiet in God’s holy presence.
During each Sunday’s service we hold in prayer people and situations that concern us. In each day do we take time to do the same? As we reach out to God with our concerns our lives take on a different feel for us. We are no longer alone but are with the whole of God’s creation. If we watch or read about the news each day do we think of God as we are doing this? It could be wondrous to turn news time into God’s time. It might not change the news but it might have a significant impact on us.
Looking for the simple ways of opening our lives more to God is one of the ways we can reach out to be of service to those about us. How de we deal with the merchants in our lives? Are we pleasant when we go through the check out lane at the market? Do we respond politely to phone requests from non-profits? I try to remember that even though these calls are annoying that some times the caller is paid a minimal wage and at other times they are volunteers. If I don’t want to give me, I can be polite and warm in my tone of voice. Little things but if you’ve ever done any phoning you know the response of the person you are calling takes its toll on you. So here’s another small way we can practice our spiritual journey.
Jesus is a demanding person but he is also a kind person and he cares for those around him. He invites us to follow this example. It is not complicated but it does affect others and ourselves.
I will always remember my second grade teacher. Her name was Golden Upham. One of her admonitions to us was to smile at people we passed by when walking on the sidewalk. I find it interesting the number of people I pass who avoid any eye contact. I enjoy those willing to exchange a smile.
In a book I was reading one of the characters admonished a family member for helping the person they are visiting. She said, “don’t do that. There is a staff here paid to do that task”. How little does she understand the difference between a paid for touch and the touch of a loving visitor.
I remember being in the hospital room of a friend who was critically ill. Her two daughters were there, one rubbing her feet and the other her hands. I could feel the loving exchange. Later when reflecting with the daughters about this visit I was amazed how little they were aware of the gift they had given their mother. It is easy to miss those small moments of compassion which can touch those in our lives.
It is not always either an easy or even wise to randomly touch people with our hands. It is always good for us to touch others with our caring. On Communion Sunday we have the passing of the peace in our church. I think that every Sunday we ought to pass the peace by the thoughtful way we touch those about us.
I would put out the caution to remember not everyone likes to be hugged. Once you’ve established it is all right you don’t have to ask but with someone new it is better to ask than to assume.
Such little things these are and yet it is with the little things that our larger lives are built. I would like to pay attention to the ways in which I am present to all of those in my life. I want to touch my son and my grandson every day that I have the opportunity. Sometimes it can be a hug and other times it can be simply a touch. I know how much this means to me.
There are many ways that we can touch people lives. We can pick up the phone and call a friend and share a bit about our lives and to inquire about theirs. There are a number of people in this congregation who live alone. As one of those I know how much it please me when somebody calls just to say hello.
It does not require great bravery to be a Christian most of the time. It does, however, require a kind of awareness about those things around us. Paying attention is important in the scheme of God’s creation.
I am an avid watcher of two game shows, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. They both invite the viewer to see into the life of the participants and of the hosts. Sometimes there are quiet moments of personal sharing. These are the moments that touch me the most. I like the mental challenges in both games, but the human touches are the most significant.
Do people outside of the church know that we are Christians? Not many of us wear religious symbols or carry about Bibles. Even fewer of us are apt to talk about our faith with either family or friends and rarer still with strangers. So do people know of our faith? One of the clues about our faith rests in the way we act with those about us.
I am a frequent bridge player and often play with people I only know through bridge. I wonder about their religious orientations. I wonder if my behaviors with cards reflect my interior journey with the spirit. I know that my partners and opponents notice that I am not mean spirited. Many would say that I am gentle. All would say that I am a fierce competitor. I have met some people who are not kind at cards and I try not to play with them. Not until writing this sermon have I thought on my card playing as expression of my spiritual journey. I should, for I must confess that some weeks I spend more time interacting around cards than focused on connection with God. Maybe it not too late, maybe I can combine the two!
It is in trying to make the connection between our faith and our every day actions that we strengthen our experience as Christians. This is one of the things that is required of us. Are we up to the task?
I write the church a check every month. I am more conscious about this act than I am with just paying the bills. There is no demand placed on me to give any amount to the church. Indeed, if I gave nothing, no one is apt to say anything about it. I could still come and participate fully in the life of the church. Only I guess I couldn’t fully because the life of finances involves my life in the church and I know it.
I received an email from a college alumni friend. He wrote a group of us saying that the percentage giving by our alumni this year had slipped below the 50 percent mark. He reminded us that when applying for funds from other individuals and foundations they almost always want to know how many of the alumni were supporting the college.
I would like to give more to the church than I am doing. I know that I am making choices and I know that I have many demands on my limited resources. Yet no matter how great other demands are, my need to share as much as I can with the church is important to me. I value the church and all that it has meant to me over the years of my life.
So these two things I know are needed from me by the church: my participation and my financial support. I know these two things are also important to my growth in spirit.
Our closing hymn this morning, “Are Ye Able,” Said the Master, is one of my favorites. It was true when I was young and I liked the images it brought up for me. There were also some religious paintings that illustrated the hymn and these visuals are still with me. One of the things that I like about the hymn is the vigor with which it calls us to service. As I grow old I can identify with the phrase, “Are ye able” when the shadows close around you with the sod, to believe that spirit triumphs, to commend your soul to God?” I keep getting closer to that time and I hope I hope I will be able to answer “Lord I am able” my spirit is thine. Remold me, make me, like thee, divine. Thy guiding radiance above us shall be a beacon to God to love and loyalty.”