What the heart wants: Aug 10

Year C, Pentecost 9                                   Luke 12:32-40                                

            The heart wants what it wants.  Have you heard that phrase? The origins are unclear.  Some people attribute it to Emily Dickinson but it’s just vague enough, that it’s impossible to know for sure.  Usually when it’s used, it’s referencing romantic love as if to indicate that we can’t control who we fall in love with.  But people also apply it to all kinds of things, seemingly to prove that we can’t control what we care about or where our hearts might lead us.  The author of the Gospel of Luke would have disagreed with this perspective. 

          Last Sunday Jesus talked about greed and possessions.  He said, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”  Right after that text is one of my favorite passages which addresses anxiety and worry…which is relevant because often our preoccupation with stuff and money doesn’t come from greed as much as it comes from the fear of not having enough or not being secure.  We associate money and possessions with security and comfort.  There is good reason for that because money buys food and shelter, which are things that we all need.  The tricky part is finding that fuzzy and sometimes transparent line between need and want.  When does our anxiety about security turn into anxiety about how we keep all the things we really don’t need?

          Right after that text about anxiety and worry comes the text we heard today.  Jesus says: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” When we hear someone talk about their heart in this day and time, it’s usually associated with emotion or passion.  But in Biblical times, it would have been associated with your will and way of thinking---or as our opening collect said today: “the spirit to think and do those things that are right…”

These may be the author's new sneakers

          For so long, when I have heard this text, I have heard it from a church stewardship context.  If you can help people see how much they love the church---how much the church means to them, then they will give the church their time, talent and treasure.  But that’s out of order.  What Jesus is saying is that first comes the treasure and then the heart.  In other words, we can orient the direction of our hearts by how we allocate our treasure.  If we give to a cause that helps those who are in recovery, then we will orient our heart to those in recovery.  If we give our time and money to support the unhoused community, we will start caring more about the unhoused community.  If we buy a pair of sneakers because they are the right height for a certain pair of pants (I am just talking generally right now, this is not an example about me), then we might decide we need more pants to go with those super cute sneakers and possibly a 2^nd pair of those sneakers to keep at work…just in case.  Where we put our money and our time inevitably leads us to care more about those things…or in the case of possessions or money, we get preoccupied with those things.

          This idea that our actions can orient our heart is a challenging one because it means the onus is on us. It feels like a bit of pressure to me.  Yet there is also something really appealing about this—because it means that we can train our hearts to care about those people or causes that really matter.  Think about it, have you ever known someone who started working with children (or any vulnerable population) and then realized they cared less about that group?  Have you ever spent time in prayer or studying the Bible or (and this is a little risky for me to mention) worshipping in church and thought….well that was pointless?  When we put our time and our energy (and yes our money) into meaningful things, then we come out with more meaning and more purpose. 

          Remember what much of this chapter from Luke is about…anxiety and how we can be relieved of anxiety for worldly things.  “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” God wants to give you everything you need.  It’s God’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom…not God’s duty, God’s good pleasure. 

But there is something we have to do.  “Sell your possessions, and give alms.  Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out…”  There is another place in the Gospel where Jesus tells a rich man to sell everything.  Jesus doesn’t say that here.  He says, “Get rid of some of it, so that you have enough to give to others…to give alms.”   Giving alms isn’t just about giving what is extra…it’s a display of solidarity with another group.  It’s a way to shift the focus away from you… to somewhere else. 

          It’s really easy in this world to get preoccupied about stupid stuff.  I would much rather read about the excesses of Jeff Bezos’ wedding then think about the children who are starving in so many parts of our world. It’s so much easier to think about just about anything else then what actually matters in our world and beyond.  Why train our hearts to care when we could simply sigh and say, “the heart wants what the heart wants…”?

          I know many of you here care deeply and put your time and energy into those matters. I have seen it from so many of you. It inspires me.  But it’s so easy to get distracted by the shiny baubles of life….the wants and desires that skilled marketers convince us are necessities.  “Do not be afraid little flock, for it’s your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

That is what we are here for.  That is what we are working for…the kingdom, the new world where God’s peace reigns…where no thief comes and no moth destroys.  In the meantime, we work to chip away at the greed and corruption, the hate and fear.  We focus on what lasts—the purse that doesn’t wear out.  The only thing that really lasts is God’s kingdom.  When I refer to God’s kingdom, it’s not just what comes in the next life, but what we create in the here and now.  When we chip away at the things that are rotten, we will get to the heart of it all and it will be treasure worth saving.

Nov. 16, 2014: Matthew 25:14-30

Taking Chances

Year A, Pentecost 23                                                           

                                                           

            When I was newly ordained, I was at a large clergy gathering and was standing next to the bishop as we were about to sit down for a meal.  (This was not our current bishop by the way.) This particular bishop would often ask the new clergy to pray.  I think he thought it was an honor.  To me, it was just mean.  When he asked me to pray I said, “No thank you.”  The thought praying in front of the bishop and 100 clergy who were all older than me and much more experienced at public prayer was absolutely terrifying.  A couple years later, another priest told me that he thought I would not last very long after I refused to pray for the bishop.  While I said no because I was afraid, in retrospect it was probably a lot riskier to say no to the bishop then it was to pray in front of all those people who would no doubt judge my praying skills and possibly boo me out of the room, throw rotten fruit and shame me for life. Thankfully that bishop while slightly intimidating, never held my fear against me.

            The Gospel reading for today is perplexing.  Many people interpret it the same way I did for the children’s sermon; as a story about the importance of using our gifts and talents for the greater good.  Don’t hoard the gifts you have, share them and then you will be rewarded.  I must confess, I thought about preaching that.  It is tempting especially on Stewardship Sunday when we ask you to pledge your time, talent, and treasure.  I could use this text and say, “Pledge to the church and you will be rewarded by your Father in heaven.  If you do not, you will be thrown into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  It would definitely change the tenor of our stewardship campaign.  But I’m just not convinced that is what this text is saying.

            One of the challenges of interpreting this text is the character of the land owner.  People have assumed that the landowner represented Jesus Christ and the slaves were us.  The first complication is the word slave…which can also be interpreted as servant.  Jesus did not treat people as his slaves nor his servants.  He treated people as friends.  He told his disciples “I do not call you servants any longer… but I have called you friends…”

Another problem is the way that the landowner treated the third servant.  As you will recall, each servant was given a sum of money.  The first servant was given five talents, the second two talents and the third was given one talent.  The text does not say that he asked them to invest these talents; it just says that he entrusted his property to them.  The first two servants doubled the investment and the third servant buried it in the ground.  Now I will concede that burying money in the ground is not the best investment strategy, but it was definitely the safest approach.   When the landowner returned he rewarded the first two servants and punished the servant who buried his talent in the ground. 

            There are several theories about why he rewarded the first two and punished the third and why this is true to the character of God. However, it still does not make much sense to me.   All the theories seemed a little too convenient.  I think what is interesting is not what the third servant did with the money or why he was punished, but the reason why he buried the money.  The reason is there, right in the text.  The servant told the man on his return, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.”

            He was afraid of his master.  He perceived him as a harsh man with questionable business practices.  The man never gave the servant the money.  He merely entrusted it to him for a time period and that servant did not even know how long it would be.  He did not know if he was returning in a week, a month or several years.  The master did not specify.  So to me, and to many people, the third servant really did the smartest thing.

            Yet here is the curious thing, there is no evidence that the first two servants feared the landowner.  Do we really even know if the landowner was really as bad as the third servant implied? When the landowner responded to the servant, he did not say, “You are right, I am all of those things you said I am.”  No he said, “You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter?” It was a question, almost a challenge.  Now you might say that the landowner confirmed that servant’s perception when he threw him into the outer darkness; but let’s put our literal interpretation on hold because this is obviously not meant to be interpreted literally.  If it was, he would have thrown him into jail or a dungeon, not outer darkness.  There is no specificity in the punishment.

            What if this story is not about how God punishes us, but about how we punish ourselves with our own misconceptions of God and faith and even ourselves? Perhaps the first two servants felt comfortable taking risks because they perceived the landowner as a generous and forgiving man.  The third servant buried his talent in the ground because he was so afraid of losing what the landowner entrusted to him.  He expected the landowner to be cruel and merciless and so he was.  It was essentially a self-fulfilling prophesy.

            When people perceive God as judgmental, vindictive, and fickle, then that is what they will see. They will expect judgment from God and anyone or anything that represents God.  Yet when people perceive God as a friend, someone who loves them unconditionally and will do anything to display that love…then they will act in a way that reflects that confidence.  They might take chances, not with investment, but with who they love and how they love.  They might work a little less and rest a little more.  They might love people who could spurn their love.  They might share the love of God with people who perceive God as judgmental and merciless. They might invite someone to church even if they don’t think there is any chance that person will attend.  They might believe in God wholeheartedly even when the world tells them that faith is foolish and God is imagined. 

            It has been eight years since I refused to pray in front of the bishop and the clergy of the diocese.  A lot has happened in that eight years.  For one thing, I am a lot more accustomed to praying publically.  But what really makes a difference is that I know the bishop and I know most of the clergy of the diocese.  I don’t fear them or expect judgment.  I except acceptance and support and that is what they give. 

Yes, we should all share our time, treasure and talent.  However, I wonder if the first step to sharing those things is that we know that God loves us for whatever time, treasure and talent that we have and the people of God do as well.  So maybe you have never acted, but we need to do a Star Wars themed Advent play and you think just maybe you could pull that off.  Or maybe you have never led a Bible study but you know a priest who could walk you through it.  

I’m not going to say that there is no risk in sharing our gifts.  There is.  But this is the place to take those risks. God is who you should trust with your fears and insecurities.  And I think St. John’s is really good at supporting people who try.  You would not believe how many St. John’s people cheered when I threw (more like rolled) that horrible pitch this summer.  So please expect God to support you and love you.  Look for examples of that love and you will see it.  Be grateful and you will discover the many things that you can be grateful for.  There will still be disappointment, loss and pain but if you have nurtured a relationship with God, you will not perceive a God who has abandoned you in these moments, but a God who walks with you through the pain, the insecurities and the joy.   God can hold all these disparate parts of us…when no one else can.  We just need to give him the chance.