Over the past two Sundays, we’ve been in the midst of a sermon series on stewardship, considering both the why and the where of giving. We’ve seen just how powerful money can be and the simple truth is that either we have some control over our money and give it away, or we serve money as a slave. In giving to places like St. Luke’s, we put our treasures here in the hopes that our hearts will follow as we grow in the difference that Christ makes. Today, I want us to consider the how of giving.
The
first thing to say about how we give is that it is always in response to God’s
grace. As we all know, we came into this world with nothing but love and that is
all we will have on our way out. Any possessions, status, or relationships that
we have in between are gifts on loan to us. And this understanding of grace really
is the foundation for what we mean by “stewardship.” Sometimes in the Church we
use stained glass language.” It’s not that we mean to be obscure or use words
that most people don’t use in daily life – it’s just some ideas are so nuanced
that only a specialized word will do. And if we talked about fundraising – we’d
be missing the point. When the Church asks its members to contribute financially,
it’s not about us having enough to balance the budget, as wonderful as it is
when that happens. Stewardship is something different.
Let’s
say we want a budget of $500,000 and we received $500,000 – is that a success?
Most businesses and non-profits would say “yes.” But the Church says “Maybe.” A
successful stewardship effort happens when the theme for this campaign, “We are
the body of Christ,” is put into action. If we had a handful of donors who covered
the budget and no one else contributed, I would call that a failure, not a success
and that’s because stewardship isn’t about fundraising. Stewardship is about us
realizing that we are a part of something bigger than our individual interests
and concerns. We are the Body of Christ – that blessed fellowship that
transcends space and time. And so if not everyone is contributing then the
whole Body is not active and we are actually at a deficit, even if the budget
is balanced.
And
the other side of this coin is that stewardship is not only communal, it is
transformative. Stewardship is intended to change your relationship to
possessions and money. These things do not truly belong to us, regardless of
what Western philosophy would have us to believe. We are to hold things
tenderly, not as owners, but stewards – as people who receive things as a gift
and know we will one day leave all that we have to future generations. The
question is what shape will we leave these gifts in?
Again,
we all came into this world hungry and naked, utterly dependent on the love and
care of others. We fool ourselves if we think that we ever grow out of that
state of dependence. Yes, many of us have studied hard and worked hard, but we
have also benefited from systems bigger than us; systems that privilege some people
over others. We have all received wisdom from mentors, encouragement from
friends, and kindness from strangers. Without these things, where would we be? And
without God’s gracious gifts – we would be utterly lost. God created us from nothing
with a love that surpasses all understanding. God has forgiven us for things
done and left undone. God has come to us in Jesus to show us the way, the truth,
and the life. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit to give us courage,
guidance, and faith. God has not only given us the gift of life, but the gift
of a life worth living.
And
this all happened without us asking for or earning it. This is grace. And so stewardship
is not the way we pay God back; not at all. If we had all eternity, we couldn’t
even make a dent in bringing that ledger into balance. Rather, stewardship is a
way of seeing life as a gift and responding accordingly. Stewardship is about
gratitude, not obligation; about participation, not accumulation; about joy,
not guilt.
So
when the Church has a stewardship campaign, it really isn’t about the money, it’s
about helping us to be transformed in grace. The grace of knowing that, as the Body
of Christ, God has given us all that we need, of knowing that all we have is a
gift from God and so we can share what we have since it all ultimately belongs
to God. So a successful stewardship campaign is one in which we all come together
to participate in the gracious generosity of God. And that can’t be measured with
dollars alone.
Thus
far, I’ve spoken about how stewardship is about how we see our lives, how we
see our possessions, how we see ourselves. The barrier to this is that often, we
have trouble seeing these things because we are distracted and blinded by our
egos, by our doubts, by our insecurities, by the influence of corporations,
politicians, and even by religious leaders. Trust me, I know that I do not
deserve the authority and platform that I have – this vocation is a gift from
God and I strive to be a faithful and good steward and servant of this calling.
And so I pray that the influence I have is always used to bring people deeper
into God’s grace, and I beg for mercy when I fall short of that.
The
point though is that we are all blind to God’s grace at times. Consider the Gospel
text from Mark. Bartimaeus was blind, and yet he was able to see enough to call
to Jesus and ask him for mercy, calling him “Son of David,” a Messianic title. The
disciples, all of whom had their vision and had seen the previous miracles,
remain blind to who Jesus is – they don’t understand Jesus when he told them
about his coming Passion, they argue about who is the greatest even though Jesus
has been showing them that least is the greatest of all, they try to stop
having children come to Jesus because they cannot see that the Kingdom belongs
to these little ones.
We
are no better off. It’s why “come and see” is at the start of our parish
identity statement – it’s not something we come and see once, but something
that we have to come and see over and over again. When we hoard as private treasure,
we are blind to God’s abundance. When we refuse to forgive others, or ourselves,
we are blind to God’s mercy. When we fret about things, we are blind to God’s
love which is the most important thing in all of creation. And so Bartimaeus is
a great example of faith to us, as he is able to see something that we so often
miss.
One
scholar has defined faith as an act of courage that refuses to accept the
status quo. Or, in other words, faith is about seeing things beyond what is
currently visible. Bartimaeus might not have been able to see, but he had a great
sense of vision. He trusted that things unseen, such as his salvation, were possible.
And he trusted in the character of God to bring these unseen possibilities into
focus.
So
when the disciples tell him that Jesus was calling him to come near, he sprang
up and threw off his cloak. His cloak was his most valued possession. It was what
gave him some sense of self-made dignity as it was his clothing and his
shelter. That cloak allowed him to have something soft to sleep on, it is what kept
him warm on cold nights. The cloak was a sign of his poverty, and the custom
was that people would put coins on the edge of his cloak in the same way that
we sometimes will put some change into the cup or hat of someone we see begging
in the streets. And so can you imagine the scene? Bartimaeus leaps up, throws
the cloak off of him and the coins go in every direction.
It
was a bold move for Bartimaeus. Jesus asked him “What do you want me to do for
you?” He wanted to see. He could have asked for a lot of things – to be rich,
to be powerful, to be immortal. But all he wants is to see. Presumably, with
his vision, he’ll no longer be as much of a “charity case” and will have to
work instead of beg. He will be overwhelmed by all the things that he will see.
So why might he have chosen to have his sight?
Well,
immediately after he regained his sight, Mark tells us that Bartimaeus followed Jesus on the way. That word “way,” means road, so we can take this in a more
literal sense and say that went where Jesus was going. He used his sight to
follow Jesus. And we know where Jesus is heading – to Jerusalem, to be flogged,
beaten, crucified, and buried. Bartimaeus, presumably, was there to see all
these things. And Bartimaeus was perhaps one of those who, early on the first
day of the week, saw the impossible when the tomb was empty and the risen Jesus
appeared to the disciples. Bartimaeus didn’t ask for possessions or powers that
would fade, he asked to have sight to see the fullness of God’s love in Jesus.
He was able to see and follow Jesus in the way that leads to abundant and
eternal life.
Now
to do this, Bartimaeus had to throw off the cloak. And I wonder what you need
to throw off in order to be able to follow Jesus? I can’t answer that for you,
but I encourage you to give that some honest and deep thought. What blinders
need to come off? What heavy cloaks might provide us comfort, but actually
weigh us down from following Jesus?
Seeing
ourselves as stewards may well be a part of this. In the Church, we speak about
pledging. A pledge is not a promise, it’s more of a statement of intention. As
you know, the Church has no product to sell. We don’t charge for anything, so in
order to keep up our buildings, pay our staff, and fund ministries, we rely on
your contributions. But to plan appropriately, we need to know how much income
to expect. If we overestimate how much money will be given, we’ll end up spending
more than we receive, which is not sustainable. But if we underestimate, then
we can’t plan for projects and ministries or give our staff the compensation
they deserve.
Imagine
if your employer didn’t tell you what your pay would be next year. What if they
just said something like – “We’ll pay you something, somewhere between 1 and 7
percent of our total profits for the year.” Well, that would make it pretty tough
for you to make a budget. It would cause unnecessary anxiety. Making a pledge
doesn’t create a bill for you. There is absolutely zero shame or guilt in not
being able to fulfill a pledge – life happens and we understand that. Sometimes
you can give more, sometimes less than what you pledge. But it at least gives
us an idea to build a budget around. Plus, a pledge also helps you because you
have to make a budget and try to follow it. Don’t let the word “pledge” be
bigger or scarier than it sounds. Rather, a pledge is a way for you to respond in
gratitude as a steward, it is a way for your to participate in the vitality of
St. Luke’s, and it is a way to help yourself and our church in planning for a faithful
budget.
Again,
the goal of stewardship is transformation. And Bartimaeus gives us a glimpse of
what this looks like. When he comes to Jesus, he addresses him as “my teacher.”
The “my” is a signal that he has been transformed. He now looks to Jesus as his
way, his truth, and his life. In seeing ourselves as stewards and participating
in stewardship, we likewise look to Jesus to provide for us out of the
abundance of God’s love. We will come and see mercy, grace, peace, and
Resurrection life. By God’s grace, we will be able to say “I once was blind, but
now I see.”
