The Feast of Christ the King

Stewardship Sunday
Jeremiah, 23:1-6
Colossians, 1:11-20
Luke, 23:35-43

+In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I'm grateful for Fred's words this morning. His stewardship letter to all of us knocked my socks off. The letter itself is powerful testimony to what he called the fourth 'T' of stewardship - trust. We give the other three 'T's - time, talent, treasure - so that our hearts will open and God will fill us with trust. Trust is another word for faith. Quite frankly, I don't know if any of us in this parish could have spoken so strongly about giving and faith just two or three years ago. His letter, his leadership, shows me how the Holy Spirit is working here, how we're growing and becoming better followers of Christ. It is enormously encouraging.

While we expect parish letters to have - at least occasionally - some real spiritual value, I don't expect it from reading court verdicts about bankruptcy. A couple years ago, a husband and wife with debts of $65,000 filed for bankruptcy protection. ⁽¹⁾ The court designed a bankruptcy plan for all of the couple's income above specified living expenses to go to the court, presumably to settle with the couple's creditors. The court recognizes that debtors still have living expenses and that the debtors' income still had to meet these living expenses before paying off creditors. And here's the amazing part: the couple tithed to their church, and the court ruled that their tithe was a justified living expense - $450 per month, about twice the average pledge here.

I have no legal training, but it strikes me as implicit in the court's ruling that the court appreciates the value of charitable giving to our lives. I assume that normal living expenses are for food, shelter, clothing, medical care, at least transportation to work, perhaps even some education - fundamental things we need. The term 'living expense' sounds like something that makes life possible. Tithing is as important as food and shelter. This court ruling is in full harmony with what the Church teaches. Giving gives us life. Giving enriches life.

Each of us has been contemplating what kind of commitment we are going to make to God in the coming year. The way our parish life has been maturing will influence what type of commitment we make. We've made it a goal to have higher expectations and accountability here. Our parish culture is transforming from being membership-oriented to disciple-making. This development fundamentally alters the way we think about stewardship.

I love this parish, and I fully understand why so many people make great sacrifices here. The people of this parish inspire and amaze me. Our worship inspires and strengthens me. God is deepening my faith and building up my character through this parish. He's renewing me and surprising me here. But that's not why I'm raising my pledge this year.

Christians in a membership oriented parish give as if they were paying dues, or paying for a service received. None of us has enough money to pay for what we receive here. Parishes with a membership culture have an entitlement mentality: "We deserve this." "This is mine." That's a reasonable attitude for our membership at the YMCA, or the Cosmos Club, or AAA, or the Price Club - but not the Church. We're not here to cater to people who pay their dues.

We're here to become better disciples of Jesus. We give and grow in generosity because God is generous, because God's giving has no end. Our standard is a full tithe - our first fruits, 10% off the top. Ten percent is scriptural, and when we prayerfully consider God's goodness to us, it is more than reasonable. We're giving back just ten percent of the abundance he has given us. Not all of us are at ten percent, but it's a mistake for any of us to think, "No one else is giving a full tithe, so why should I?" Not only is that an ugly, selfish attitude, but it's wrong. There's astonishing generosity and commitment in our parish family. There's a lot to admire in our parishioners.

Making a pledge each year to the parish is a vital spiritual exercise. It's an opportunity for us to take stock of our lives, to see ourselves as we really are, to examine what's important to us. Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Lk 12:34) We should all examine what we do with our wealth. What we do with money tells us a lot about ourselves, and that's one of the reasons we get so touchy and defensive and anxious when we talk about money specifically.

What we do with money tells us what our goals in life are. Are our goals self-oriented or God-oriented? Do we focus on our own comfort or on God's purposes? What are the major realities to us: politics, business, family, sports, hobbies, entertainments? Or is serving God and making his creation a better place primary? Following Christ needs to be our first priority. Jesus' disciples left everything and followed him.

Who is our king? Jesus calls each of us to help him establish his kingdom. We're his subjects, but unlike every other king in history, Jesus does not coerce or manipulate or insist upon our obedience. He gives us freedom to reject him or to allow him to reign in our lives. The two malefactors, the thieves, who were crucified with Jesus, represent these two choices. One thief called upon Jesus to save himself and them. This thief's motivation is self-oriented; his life is for himself. This thief thinks like the world, that Jesus would act for his own comfort and security, that he would use his power for himself. This is not the way of our king.

The other thief simply wants God's mercy. He's repenting, turning toward God. The other thief somehow perceives that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world. He has an inkling of the great irony here: Jesus the condemned man suffering human judgment is innocent, and this condemned innocent man forgives those who have passed judgment upon him and tortured him. The cross shows us God's nature, his love for us, his infinite mercy. This is a king who reigns from the cross, not a throne, and grants paradise to sinners. Human beings condemn and crucify Jesus, but the real power is not in what human beings do. The real power is on the cross, the power which grants mercy and paradise to sinners.

The irony of Christ's kingdom is reflected in our stewardship. The more we give, the more life we have, the more richly we live. If we want to have enough money, then we have to give it away. The poorest man is the stingy man. The rich man is a generous man. If we want to use money, to have control over money, then we have to give it away. We have to be generous. Otherwise, money controls us; money possesses us, and that's no way to live.

We want our lives full of love and joy, and that means God possesses us, not money. Tithing allows God to possess us. It reminds us what is ultimately important is not what happens in this world, but what we do for God's kingdom. Tithing is a spiritual discipline that directs our lives to serving God.

As we make our commitment, the question is not: how much can I afford to give? Please don't look at what you gave last year and adjust. Instead, we look at our entire income and commit ourselves to giving a percentage of it. The question we pray about is: what percentage of my income do I give, and by how much will I increase it? Our goal is to be proportional givers - every one of us. Not all, but most of us should give more. If you give five percent of your income, try for six in the coming year. We all need to work toward the biblical standard: ten percent.

As we become better stewards of God's gifts, more generous with time and talent and treasure, we become better disciples. Our commitment strengthens. Christ becomes more real in our lives. Our relationship with him deepens. We experience that giving is not a duty, but a joy, a pleasure. It transforms our hearts.

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1. 'Church Treasurer Alert!,' Richard R. Hammar, ed., Vol. 11, No. 11, November 2003, p. 4. www. churchlawtoday.com Case: Hallstrom, 2002 WL 1784500 (M.D.N.C. 2003)