Introduction
Today is Consecration Sunday—the day in the life of our church when it is asked that we all submit an estimate of giving statement for the upcoming year. This is a pledge to the church of what we as individuals, as families, as members of this church will strive to give within the calendar year of 2021—and we use these little slips of paper to do so. From these little pieces of paper, the Stewardship Team then works to create a budget based upon what all of us say we will give to the church.
It’s an interesting process—one that is delicate and finite because it all deals with real dollars and cents that have yet to be accounted for, yet to even earned. Add to that, it cannot even begin to factor in all that “could” happen to a person or a family in the next fourteen months—especially in light of a presidential election, economic forecasts, oh, and a global health pandemic.
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I recently read a financial article which stated that 64% of Americans, if hit with an unexpected expense of one thousand dollars, would be ill equipped to manage the situation. Those polled said they would have to“borrow, sell assets, or put off paying bills in order to pull together the money.”
Reading this as a pastor I immediately added to the list of possible ways people would manage an unexpected debt with: decrease or withhold charitable giving. I don’t say that spitefully, it just makes sense. We need to eat, have clothes, and have a place to live. Bills have to be paid. If we want to have any money, we need to work, and for most that means having a car that requires gas, insurance, and routine maintenance.
I get it—you get it: Money can easily, and quickly, become scarce. We never know what’s going to happen, or how much we are going to need—and so if we can’t predict what’s going to happen or how much we are going to need—how in the world can we predict how much we can give away?! The truth is we can’t. Which means, days like today—Consecration Sunday—becomes a day like going in for a colonoscopy—nobody wants to do it.
To me, Consecration Sunday always feels like a college economics class where the professor tells how the primary problem of the world today is scarcity—there just is not enough. It’s all we hear anymore—scarcity—emphasis on the “scare”. Which is why we need to be careful who we listen to, because who we listen to and who we believe, will influence how we live—and it will certainly influence what we give.
But what we as people of faith must remember is that who we listen to and who we believe, will make today—Consecration Sunday—a day like going in for an uncomfortable and dreaded medical procedure, or, a day where what we give is truly celebrated and consecrated—made holy.
Move 1
On the surface, our text for today is about giving. But at a deeper level it’s about perspective—a perspective Paul is wondering whether or not the Corinthian’s have.
Paul is wondering:
Does the Corinthian church get it? Do the Corinthian Christians remember where they came from and where they are now? Is their love of God and Jesus genuine? Do they have a healthy perspective of how much they actually have compared to others? Who are they listening to—God or someone else?
Paul knew that in order to have the proper perspective, that the Corinthian church needed to remember their roots—remember where they came from, where they had been assured they were going when remaining true and faithful to God—and then give from that perspective.
This wondering inquiry first comes in the form of a reminder of what others made possible. The Macedonian churches, despite their poverty, had generously funded the church in Corinth during their time of need. And now the Apostle Paul is asking for money from them, the Corinthians, during a time of need. He’s asking the Corinthian church, recent recipients of holy giving, to return the favor on behalf of the church in Jerusalem.
From there, Paul wanted what they were willing to give to be determined with the perspective of who their Savior was, saying to them, “For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (v. 9). Jesus was “rich” according to Paul, referring to the pre-existent Christ as God and God alone. Christ Jesus gave up what he had— his indivisible deity— to become what he would forevermore be, both human and divine. Christ embodied voluntary experiential poverty so that our spiritual poverty could be turned into spiritual richness.
And what this means is that our spiritual roots lie in the impoverishment of Christ—entered into and lived out from on our behalf. That makes freely giving of our resources to the spreading of the Good News of Jesus Christ deeply theological. It is incarnational. It is pure gospel. It recreates our spiritual story through acts of consecrated holiness.
Paul wanted what the Corinthians gave to be holy, and the way it would be holy would be to give as those who have listened to and believed in Christ Jesus—the one who made them rich and eliminated scarcity with abundance.
Move 2
Throughout our Consecration Campaign we have used stories and narratives in an effort to draw a picture that would give us a broader and clearer perspective of what God does and makes possible through our stewardship. We heard from our Cub Scouts, Outreach Team, and our Technical Team.
To keep with that method, I want to share a story that comes from Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, former General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who tells about a time when she was in Africa, and was worshiping with a small, remote, and not to mention poor church.
She tells a story about a worship service she attended, say, “When it came time for the offering I witnessed members bringing forth their gifts, not with reluctance as perhaps would be expected for a group of people who were barefoot and wearing thread thin clothing. But instead, they literally danced forward, to the front of the church, and put in their offering with joy, fully and completely aware that once placed in that basket; their offering was instantly transformed and made holy—because now it was in the hands of God.
The people gave—not out of scarcity even though by definition their lives embodied ‘scarcity’—but rather that gave out of the abundance they knew they had been blessed with by God. Abundance—not scarcity. And it was made holy.”
But Dr. Watkins’ story doesn’t end there. She continues, saying,
“But the most inspiring moment happened when a woman came forward, dancing and clapping like the rest, and stepped to the broad and sizeable offering basket that had been placed at the front of the worship space to collect the gifts of the people.
When this woman had made her way to the basket, she stopped—paused right there in front of the collection basket—and then picked it up from its spot, and placed that basket on the floor.
And once she had placed the basket on the floor—she stepped into it. She placed her whole self in that offering basket. She was literally, giving her whole self to God. And by doing so, her whole self was consecrated, made holy.”
Move 3
Today is Consecration Sunday—the day in the life of our church when we are asked to submit an estimate of giving statement for the upcoming year. We have this day, and do a Stewardship Campaign, for the same reason Paul talked about giving to the churches he ministered to.
He knew in a world that hears about and believes there’s just not enough, that it’s hard to visualize holiness in our daily lives unless someone draws us a picture, and gives us a faithful perspective. Paul knew there would be many voices, shouting and professing scarcity—but there was only once voice proclaiming holy abundance. Paul wanted to make sure that voice, that message of faithfulness was heard clearly.
That is what Paul did in his letter to the Corinthians and that is what the Stewardship Team did with our church’s narrative budget and its special speakers the last few weeks. All have been drawing and crafting a picture that shows the work of the church with the perspective that all we do as a church is to be, and will be, holy.
The work of the church—everything the church does—is holy. Sunday worship—holy. Our World Outreach ministry that shares and gives food and clothes and more—is holy. All the meetings—zoom and in person—holy. Work days, lawn care, and cleaning projects—holy. The newsletter, website, phone calls, and cards—holy. Scout meetings, yoga, AA, Al-Anon, the youth group, and preschool—holy.
That is the perspective that we, like the Corinthians, too often lose sight of. Maybe it’s because we want to reserve things that are holy to that which is rare so as to not diminish the power and sanctity of “being holy”—but here’s the thing about being holy: If it is of God… If it is by God… If it is for God then it can’t be anything but holy. Everything we do here, as a church, is of God, by God, and for God. Everything we do here is therefore holy. And if everything we do here is holy, then surely what we give, and how we give, is also consecrated and made holy.
Conclusion
Our society tells us repeatedly that there just isn’t enough. But God is telling us, always, that within each of us, because of God, there is abundance—there is more than enough.
So may we consider what we give to God and how we give to God.
Will we give as those who believe the voices of scarcity? Or will what we give be our whole selves—a reflection of the holy abundance that has already been given to us? Amen.
Pastoral Prayer, November 1, 2020
Merciful God, through your prophet Micah you call us to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you.
Through your servant Paul you call us to be the church that shares the Good News through spreading hope and generosity.
And through your Son Jesus you call us to love you with all our hearts and minds, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
You ask such of us, and whether we respond with faithfulness, indifference or even rejection, you remain the giver of every great gift, the sustainer of life, the one who forgives, saves, and blesses.
For all that you are… For all that you provide… we give you thanks.
And with awareness to your blessings, and with awareness of our thanks for them all, lead us we pray to respond to your invitation to give with faithfulness, reminding us that your blessings will always continue to flow, and you will always give us the ability to see your abundance in our lives and give thanks.
Holy God, today we consider the future, and the vision you cast for the church. And we will do the same in this country on Tuesday when we as a country will use our voices and our votes to speak of the future we hope for.
So we pray the election process is blessed by you.
We ask your blessings upon each candidate, that they may hear your voice and be guided by you.
We pray for a fair, safe, and peaceful process that will give to our country a vision of who we truly are as citizens of this great land—those who let our voices be known, and then come together as one nation under God that is indivisible because no matter what party has the most votes, we all strive together for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
May that be the result of this election process.
And may your vision of love for all guide us in making it so.
We ask that you would hear now the prayers of our hearts as we offer them in this time of holy silence.
All this we pray in the name of Christ Jesus, who taught us to pray saying, “Our…”