We do not always know what a single act of kindness will
mean to someone or to the world. Tarn
Wilson, a high school English teacher sat with a student to discuss a diary the
student had written about her depression and thoughts about harming
herself. The teacher expressed his
appreciation for the wonderful description of a painful time. He asked her “What helped? What inspired you to keep going?” The student told of her friends who
encouraged her and sat with her even when she was to despondent too respond. Then she said: “Just being there. Physically. Being there. You don’t have to say anything at all.”
In the story of the day, we can see the impact one woman’s
gift had on Jesus. A poor widow
presented a very small gift; it turned out to be the one with the biggest
impact. It was the biggest gift of
all. This is near the end of the public
ministry of Jesus. This is it. Next is the last week and crucifixion. Jesus is on his way to give his all…his whole
life…for something that needs saving…all of humanity. All of us!
And so this woman’s witness affected Jesus in his final days.
He also criticizes the Temple staff for using the money, not
to help widows, orphans, and immigrants, but by buying privileges and benefits
for themselves. Jesus knew this because
the religious leaders wore fancier clothes and called attention to
themselves. He must have known of more
than one widow who lost her house.
THE RIGHT BALANCE
Today, let’s think about the impact of the woman’s
gift. I do not think that Jesus would
normally suggest that we give all we have.
Everyone needs to care for themselves!
It is good stewardship of the gift we truly have…the gift we were put on
earth to offer to others: OURSELVES. At
the same time the gift of her coins represented faith-filled generosity of
great magnitude. There should be a
balance in our lives…giving not more
than we should in order to care for ourselves and our family and at the same
time not giving less than we can.
She trusted God, giving all she was and we she hoped to
become. Offering for her was much more
than the amount. It meant the giving of
herself. With her coins she presented
to God all she was. That is what Jesus was
ready to do.
THERE IS AMAZING
POWER IN OFFERING
The whole world is thinking about a young girl who made a
witness, speaking up for the education of girls. Malala Yousafzai survived being shot in the
head by extremists, who targeted her because she has been an outspoken advocate
for the education of girls. We celebrate
her words: “I have the right of
education. I have the right to play. I have the right to sing. I have the right to talk.” Indeed she does. What scares religious extremists most is a
girl with a book. Think of what her
witness has done! With an offering of
words…she has changed the world.
The church can show to the world the enormous power of
offering. This woman was offering all
she was to help God shape creation. As a
church we take the grace of God, the abundant and wonderful grace of God and
live it with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. This act of giving not only supports others,
it sustains us. Jesus saw in her trust,
joy, hope, and compassion. It is my hope
that Jesus called the disciples to think about her wisdom…but also to challenge
them to include her in the extended band of disciples, men and women, following
Jesus. God dreams of a beloved
community, a network of mutual support and blessing: so that no one is left out
and everyone is supported. Part of our
task as a church is to call all of society to care for the orphan, the resident
alien, the poor. It is part of any
societies’ primary purposes.
Jesus almost always gives the harshest criticism to those
who don’t care much for others, especially the rich. These scribes and Pharisees were sometimes
the ones who devour widow’s houses. They
live privileged lives while the vulnerable suffer. There is much of the world that lives off of
the poor.
And the days are numbered for religious organizations that
exist for their own well-being. Someday
in the whole scheme of things, the poor will be delivered. They will be free of the oppression of bad
religious. They will be freed by good
religion that helps the community claim the poor and mutual compassion will
thrive.
INVITATION TO RETURN
THE FAITH IN ACTION FOLDER
I invite you to receive and return the greatest gift…a gift
of yourself. Here is one way you can
communicate with staff and leadership about what you might offer to creation
through the church. You might volunteer
at Odgen Friendship House of Hope or commit to bringing food each week. You will find as you offer yourself, you will
get renewed. You might want to serve on
a committee or a ministry team, join one of the choirs. It will impact your life and you will be in
ministry to others. Perhaps your child
would like to sing in the Cherub choir.
(To tell you a secret: I would like to sing in the Cherub Choir.) I invite you during the offertory to begin
this process of changing the world.
HERE IS A CHALLENGE
TO OUR OWNING SO MUCH
Many of you gave items to our rummage sale to benefit Ogden
Friendship House of Hope. I want to
thank all of your who volunteered hours and hours of time to make it
happen. Thank you to all who brought
items for the sale. American Christians
have a bunch of stuff.
Marilyn McEntyre gives some great practical ways American
Christians can work against a self-centered consumerism and toward concern for
the neighbor and the community. She
invites to us to ask every day, “What might I share with others?” What do I have that I do not need but someone
else might. One church set up a storage
shed as a sharing station where all kinds of tools were stored for others’
use. A retired church member served as
its facilitator and taught younger people how to use the tools safely as he
checked them in and out. Another in the
list was to set aside 15 minutes 3 times a week to call friends for no other
purpose than to renew friendships. One
church member chose to do a documentary night once a month, taking a public
problem and ending the evening writing a few letters to leaders in order to
promote solutions. Another family
decided that their household would be “steady state.” Whatever new comes in the door, something
goes out to share with others.
WHAT MAKES A CHURCH VITAL?
What makes this church vital? We have committees and structure. We have these values we seek to live out in
all things we do. These things are like
the skeleton of our church. What drives
this church is the Holy Spirit driving us to care for God, for each other, and
our neighbors in every part of our world.
Yes, we deliver food to Ogden, but we also work for a
society when the only food boxes we give are just to give. People would not need them…we would just give
them back and forth in love. It would be
a society where everyone has a chance to succeed and to give.
Our deepest calling is to grow into our own authentic
selfhood, whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be. This
brings us joy. Lots of joy. And if our
life also meets the world’s needs…that is the greatest joy of all. We are created to be the gifts that God
created for a grand purpose.
This is why the church is important, God made us for
community. It is like a plant living in
an ecosystem that supports it. It is the
church that reminds me who God made us to be and keeps us responsible and
accountable. The church is the place
that to follow Jesus means to love God and our neighbors as ourselves.
THE CHURCH HELPS US GET OVER OUR FEARS
I wondered this week about the fears in the lives of the
people Jesus was around. The woman being
a widow must have been afraid of how to make it to the next day with food. The scribes and Pharisees who liked to wear
long robes must have been afraid they were not meeting the spiritual needs of
the people.
One of my office managers used to tell me…”Do good and if
you can’t at least do something religious.”
That is the problem. They were
arrogant and corrupt and wanted to be seen as superior to others. The scribes put on the long robe on the
outside because they had lost track of the amazing good inside of them, waiting
to get out. They were not faithful to who God made them to be and not faithful
to their responsibilities.
Being made in the image of God means that we arrived on
earth with a journey to discover who we are and the one to whom we belong. God’s truth is given to us Is our truth. THANKS BE TO GOD!
