Give Thanks for the Good We Can Do

Give Thanks for the Good We Can Do 

Psalm 123; Matthew 25:14-30 

Sometimes I want to argue with the gospel. Why would God want to punish the timid and shy soul who was afraid of the wrath of God? What is so bad about being careful not to lose what was given to you? Wouldn’t we be worse off, if we tried something and failed? 

I know how to play the game of the self-righteous, and be distracted by the side issue, and avoid the point in the piece of scripture. I see this manner of debate frequently in what passes for public discourse, both from the left and the right. It is bad enough when we take actual quotations out of context and sling them around, as if they represent the summation of a person’s thinking on any given subject, or worse, a summation of their complete philosophy of life. 

So what point was Jesus making, really? God intends to punish those who fail to produce? Is there a Christian Performance Standard that is part of the Evaluation Process? 

I have seen this and similar texts handled like this way, with both good and bad intent. So let us first remember, this is a parable of Jesus. In effect Jesus says, “once upon a time there was a landowner.” The story is told to make a point. The story and the specifics belong to a different time, and a different culture, but the point is for you and me. 

God has given us gifts. We are expected to use these gifts for the glory of God. Whatever God gave us, ought to be used. 

Not a great singer? Maybe you do not need to be a part of the choir, but you can sure sing the hymns in your pew. And maybe in the shower, at a moderate volume. 

Not a great cook? Maybe someone else should do the turkey this year, you can still bring a green bean casserole, or bring dinner rolls. That is what one of my brothers always brings to family dinners. He has made it his thing, finding really good ones.  

Are you a master baker? Then you should not bring a grocery store pie. See if you can figure out how to find time to bring - say - a French Apple Cream Cheese with streusel topping homemade pie. 

The gifts that God gives you are unique and intended for you to share. One of the most obvious things we can say about our intimate relationships is that they depend on how we appreciate and respond to the most distinctively unique characteristics we see in our partners. 

In an ONA congregation, we are one of the few places in the local  community where persons are free to express their unique gifts of sexual orientation and identity - and have those traits recognized as gifts. 

I realize that not everyone can recognize variations in sexual orientation and gender as a gift. Because it is difficult for so many people, we choose to be bold and clear in our invitation. It is so very hard to find a church that will let everyone be themselves. 

As we grow into our Covenant Statement, we begin to relax and make room for those who would need to be reserved or secretive in other places. We look to encourage everyone with unique gifts, to find space to employ those gifts to the glory of God. 

In time this congregation will forge relationships with Gay Pride, PFLAG and Gay-Straight Alliance groups and supportive organizations. We will find ways to be a resource for those organizations that find alliances hard to make in this community. Within those relationships - where we may begin with a desire to help others, they will in turn help us to grow into our promise, and make us visible to local people who need to know we are here and welcoming. 

In Morton, our commitment to be a safe and welcoming place, makes us a unique gift among the churches in the wider area. It is our unique gifts that make us lovable and important. 

The gospel message says that God gives different gifts to different people. We might assume, from our culture, that the one given the most money was the most important. If we would pursue that line of thinking from the gospel context, then people of faith would expect that the wealthiest people in a “Christian country” would be the most willing to give to God and neighbor in proportion to the gifts they have been given. 

It would be a better world, in my estimation, if the richest people in the world invested as much in the good of the community as they did in paying lawyers and accountants to manage off-shore investment portfolios in order to avoid paying local taxes. 

There was a time, not so long ago, when companies invested heavily in the communities they served. They donated to community causes, they took pride when individuals they employed, took leadership roles within the community. That still works for local and regional businesses, but the multi-national corporate world takes a different view. 

If God gives you gifts for leadership, then it is great that your employer provides opportunities for you to exercise those gifts. It is even better, if you are also encouraged to use your gifts for the greater good. 

It is easy to think of ourselves as being “better than average” when we get involved in ‘extra-curricular’ activities. Only some of us realize it is an honor and a privilege to be able to do so. 

In the early days of my career at Commonwealth Edison, that is now known as Exelon, only Vice Presidents were authorized to accept any community positions that would take them out of the power plant or office during regular working hours. You could do what you wanted on your own time. But I was also required to work tons of overtime and respond to call-outs. It was hard to find time to call my own. 

As the years went by and the operation of the plant became more routine and reliable, there were increasing numbers of people who were permitted to participate, at least in the local organization of the company’s favorite charity. I had colleagues serving on the local Board for United Way, which has long been a favored charity of Commonwealth Edison and then Exelon. 

It is a gift to have the opportunity to serve others. Many folks, once they retire from their lifelong careers, find there are opportunities in  volunteering that they never appreciated before, but give them great pleasure. They enjoy the tasks. They enjoy meeting different people than those they encountered in their working life. 

So when Jesus tells a story, “Once upon a time there was a landowner . . . “ we listen for the natural center of gravity in the story. It is not about money and the rate of return. Jesus is not an account executive. While some translations get more detailed than others trying to symbolize the value of the gifts being distributed, it is not the heart of the story. Use the gifts you were given, and do not worry about what gifts God gave others. You best express your unique self, by letting your unique gifts be employed in promoting the good news of the gospel. 

I do not have gifts for theatre and drama. Your next pastor may well be able to enliven Worship and Bible Study with creative use of dramatic readings and skits. I can sing you a song. Because I do not do drama, does not make me less of a pastor. I can only use what God gave me. And I would stand in judgment if God gave me a guitar and a voice, and I only used it for my own enjoyment. 

The whole point is straight forward enough. Use the gifts God gave you, especially those things that make you unique, to make the world a better place. If God gave you money, put it to work for God’s glory. If God made you a teacher, make your gifts known and available. In all things, we thank God for the opportunity to serve. We thank God for a faith that empowers us to see this world, and live into the next. And in all things, to God be the glory, now and forever, Amen.