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Monday, Sept 06
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Sunday, November 08, 2009
Mark 12:28-44
Stewardship Sunday
Craig Shirley
The Widow’s “MIGHT”
Isn’t it convenient, or perhaps providential, that the gospel lesson for Consecration Sunday would turn out to be the classic story of the Widow’s mite? It seems like there must have been some preplanning that went into deciding to insert a lesson like this in the final days of the church year – just about the time congregations are doing stewardship drives.
And I am happy to lift up the story to you this morning for example, for teaching purposes and for edification. But I feel like I must lift up the whole story – not just the most evident part of it: the fact that this widow, in spite of her poverty, gave all that she had that day in the presence of Jesus in the great temple in Jerusalem.
Personally I believe she was a little foolish in her generosity. It’s one thing to give all you have, when you know there will be more coming. It’s quite another to give away everything you have when you have no idea where your next penny will come from. It seems foolish for her to have been THAT generous – she could have split the difference - given half of what she had. This would have sustained her for another day and it most certainly would have made us feel less guilty about OUR giving habits. Right?
Was the widow a good steward? Yes, and no. Yes, in that her generosity exceeded all expectations and her example put to shame the wealthy who had come to the temple before her and made a big show of how much they gave. But no, in terms of giving away everything she had – because now she would become a burden on society. Someone was going to have to help her out because she now had nothing and would be completely dependent upon the welfare system of her day - which for the most part involved begging. She really should have been on the receiving end of those contributions being made to the temple treasury rather than contributing to the treasury herself – don’t you think?
There is an odd set of circumstances involved here. I don’t think the main point of this story has to do with how much she gave, though there is no arguing that while others gave out of their abundance; while others gave what they had “left over” after they had spent what they wanted on other things, she gave out of her poverty, and so is remembered through eternity for that generous and sacrificial gift. The link to Jesus is obvious. Jesus himself lays down an extravagant amount – his very life – like the widow who gave all that she had. “For Jesus, it would be his whole life that he would pour out and give away on the cross, an extravagant act beyond description, a measure by which any other generosity pales in comparison.” (Jon Walton)
But the other memorable issue of this story has to do with to whom she gave what she did. She gave everything that she had to the temple. She gave everything she had to the church that she loved, to the church that had asked her to give sacrificially. “And while on the face of it that might sound like a good place to give your most generous gift; in truth gifts given to the temple in Jesus’ time may not have been all that wisely given.
Money entrusted to the temple was money used to support the very scribes whom Jesus criticized as hypocrites, those who like to parade around in long robes and receive salutations in the market place and be invited to sumptuous dinners and who devoured widow’s houses. “The money given to the temple supported a compromised institution with morally suspect scribes at its head.” It sounds an awful lot like the way some member congregations of the ELCA are describing their own church, our church, after the August vote at the National Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Of course, people aren’t complaining about us pastors prancing around in floor length robes – though many of us do. They aren’t complaining about us “devouring widow’s homes” either. No, people are up in arms about the vote concerning Gay and Lesbian Pastors in committed relationships being allowed ordination. And I am very aware that you are aware of this issue, and that you are probably just a little tired of hearing about it.
But on this consecration Sunday we need to talk about it, because that vote has monetary ramifications for the larger church. As strange as it may seem, people and congregations feel that by withholding their money given “to Chicago (meaning ELCA headquarters), or to presiding “Bishop Mark Hanson”, they are somehow going to change policy. It seems ridiculous when you consider the fact that it was neither the national offices of the ELCA nor Bishop Hanson that made this decision, but rather a majority of our duly elected delegates from across the country who came to this assembly in August knowing full well what was on the docket! It was the church speaking; from Minnesota to California to New York to Washington State. And though there are always issues around the idea of majority rule – that is what happened at that assembly. The majority ruled in favor of that change. And now, the larger church is being strangled in its attempts to do mission because people and congregations have chosen, unwisely, to express themselves by withholding their giving.
So why do I bring that up today – on stewardship Sunday? Does University Lutheran Church of Hope intend to withhold benevolence dollars to the Synod and national church? Of course we don’t. Then why? Because, as one of the congregations who have deliberated on this issue through the last 20 years, our congregation for the most part is supportive of what took place here in August. But because we approve, we are now being called upon to support our national church and its decisions to a greater extent than ever before in order to help make up for those who have chosen not too. We are being called to support the work of ministry on behalf of all – the ministry that churches are rightly called to do and that we do so well as the ELCA. This is not a corrupt church, like the church of Jesus day. This is a church with a mission and it is a good place to contribute our dollars.
“Wait a minute” you say. “I don’t send any dollars to the ELCA – I give my offering to University Lutheran Church of Hope.” That is the way our church structure works. Your offering to this congregation supports the work we do here in Dinky Town. But every month we send on a percentage of what you give us to our Minneapolis Area Synod. And they, in turn, send on a percentage of that to what is called the Churchwide Expression – the national church headquartered in Chicago. And so, when congregations cut back their giving “to the church”, they cut back giving to local ministry expressions that support Lutheran Campus Ministry of Minnesota, new mission starts here in the city and in the suburbs, as well as a host of other helping and supportive ministries. That in turn causes a chain reaction of less dollars flowing to the national church which affects everything from overseas missions, to seminary and colleges of the church, to feeding the hungry and responding to national disasters.
We can show our support of our church by sending more dollars to the ELCA. And we do that by your increased giving to this congregation which results in more going on from our midst. But we can also do it by increasing the percentage of what we give to the churchwide expression. Presently we give about 7% of our member contributions to synod benevolence. We could show our support of our church by giving more dollars, but also by increasing the percentage. The tithe, 10% of our income, is the biblical mandate for individuals and families. It should be our goal as a congregation as well.
I know many of you bewail the state of our congregation today, compared to how it was in the past. But the truth is, we are a very healthy congregation. The church building is home to a number of important ministries and social programs, not to mention PEASE Academy and the students who call this their school. Our members are involved in all sorts of projects that help others: meals on wheels, families moving Forward, Habitat, Loaves & Fishes, Friendly Visitors. We have a strong youth program and an evolving young adult ministry. We support our shut-ins with communion, prayers and visits. We are ministering to university students. We offer outstanding worship and music and we are generous with our dollars to help others. In a few moments we will ask you to take the pledge card that you brought with you this week, or take one from the ushers who will come down the aisle, and fill it out – unless you are one of our advanced givers who have already pledged over $110,000 towards the work of this congregation in 2010. All of you are invited to come forward when you are ready, to put your weekly offering or your pledge card or your visitor card in the basket. Then when the cards are brought to the altar, they will be dedicated to God’s work and service in the coming year.
“We make these pledges each year as a sign of our commitment to discipleship and servanthood. We do it trusting that while the church is only a fallible, human expression of a heavenly reign which is yet to come, it is still one of the best ways on earth of doing God’s work – locally, regionally, and nationally. Giving in a giving community, the church, does not leave us vulnerable, but allows us to participate in the very heart of God’s mission with joy. When we understand God’s mission, we are delighted to participate. We no longer need to feel anxious or vulnerable. We are free to be gracious and hopeful. We are free to join in a mission that is greater than our individual selves. We are free to join in Christ’s love in the world. Amen.
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