RVCC Pastor's Sermon

Sermon - October 26, 2008

“The Sermon on the Amount”

By Rev. Nancy Foran
Proverbs 11:24-25

A hundred dollar bill, a twenty dollar bill, and a one dollar bill meet up at the shredder at the end of their lives.

The hundred dollar bill says, “I have seen the whole world during my lifetime. Why, I have been on cruises in the Caribbean, safaris in Africa, and vacations in Europe.”

The twenty dollar bill says, “Well, I have done a lot too. I have been to Las Vegas, Disney World, and Starbucks.”

They both turn to the one dollar bill and ask, “How about you? What have you done in your lifetime?”

The one dollar bill, not wanting to be outdone, says, “I have seen the whole country as well. I have been from church to church to church.”

Then the hundred dollar bill asks, “What’s a church?”

That’s a joke. It’s a stewardship joke. You can find tons of them on the internet. It’s like the one where the minister is talking to the choir director after worship and says, “Next time when I preach on tithing, don’t use ‘Jesus Paid It All” as our invitational hymn.”

I am not sure why stewardship and money jokes are so prevalent because, when you come right down to it, in this day and age, if a church does not have money for its programs and missions, the congregation is sucked into an ever descending depressive spiral until one day the doors of that church close forever.

We may not really believe that money makes the world go round, but it sure helps. Stewardship then is no laughing matter. And so today, on the brink of the climax of our own Stewardship Commitment Campaign, which is next Sunday here at RVCC, we take the gloves off and talk honestly – right here in worship – about the M word.

However, it is the M word in the context of something else. You see, the Stewardship Campaign here at RVCC is really about sharing. It is about sharing our money with an institution, this church, that throughout the year we say means a great deal to us. We say we love the music – our Adult Choir, the Youth Singers, the Men’s Choir. We say we love the worship services – the creative stuff that does on and even the sermons sometimes.

We say that our kids are learning those important values here that they do not seem to learn in school and those faith stories that we do not have time to teach them at home. We say we love the fellowship – the camaraderie of the calendar dinner or washing pots, dishing out gravy, and mashing potatoes together at the pot roast suppers.

We say we love the opportunities we have to learn as adults – perhaps in Walt’s summer book and Bible studies or at a Presumpscot Union Parish Lenten study. We say we love our traditions – the hanging of the greens, the Maundy Thursday Seder meal. We say we love the quiet times – a pastoral visit or a hospital call.

We say we love our mission work – serving in the soup kitchen, weatherizing local homes, sending mission teams to places like Tennessee, and just knowing that someone in need can come to us, and we can ease their burden with money for gas for their car or food for their family or oil to heat their home.

And because it takes money (either directly or indirectly) to do all that loving, your Church Council and Walt our Stewardship Coordinator and me your Pastor are asking you to reflect upon what you will share with this church that we say we love and upon just how you will commit to participate in the 2009 financial life of RVCC.

And as you do so, remember, of course, that sharing is not just about us – you and me – and this community of folks who gather here on Sunday mornings. It is about the relationship we have with God and to what extent we trust in the abundance of God’s love and promises and in our belief that with God all things are possible – even giving more than we think at first glance we could possibly give to an institution we say we love.

As Keenan Kelsey wrote, “And so we are called to do what seems absurd to the rest of our world. We give our money away -- freely, generously, joyfully. We give it away because we love our church, we value this faith community, and we believe that in giving, we genuinely receive. We give it away because we honor and thank a power higher, greater, more loving and giving than ourselves. We give it away because we trust that Power to take care of us. We give it away not because we have to but because we want to. Giving is not about church budgets, building programs, or stewardship campaigns. It's about love. It’s about gratitude. It’s about abundance.”

However, let’s be realistic here. We are in the midst of uncertain and downright scary economic times. Many of us are already stretched thin. We owe too much on credit cards. We are buying heating oil at exorbitant locked in prices. Every time we go to the grocery store, we pay more and more and more. In the midst of all these personal challenges, it is easy to wonder: Are we really in a position to share this year? Can we share as much as last year? Could we even contemplate sharing more?

I guess my response – both as your pastor and as a Christian just like you who strives to follow the Gospel message of loving my neighbor – my response is that we need to take this sharing business even more seriously this year than we perhaps have in the past – not in spite of the uncertain and downright scary economic times – but precisely because of them. A community who shares is who we are as the Raymond Village Community Church, a small congregation woven into the warp and woof of Raymond, Maine.

We have maintained ever since you called me as your pastor at least that we are a church family that wants to be there for this community. We want to welcome men and women into the safety of our worship. We want to bring joy to people through our music. We want to share the message of Jesus through our programs. We want to extend the love of Christ through our fellowship and our generous mission. That’s right! A community that shares is who we are as the Raymond Village Community Church.

As I wrote in the Weathervane this month, there are and will be a lot of hurting people in Raymond this year – people who live in cold houses, who need a helping hand, a comforting hug, and a place to learn about the true meaning of giving. A small church like RVCC is one of the most flexible, responsive, efficient, and sensitive vehicles for reaching people on a variety of levels throughout our community.

We are like an extended family – and families take care of their members. You are the ears and eyes of the Body of Christ here in this town. You are the ones who bring to our attention to an elderly couple who needs help weatherizing their home or a family whose name should be added to our Thanksgiving basket list.

This congregation is a GIFT to the Raymond community – and we need your GIFTS if we are to continue to meet the needs of those around us – with outright financial assistance, with fellowship and a good pot roast supper in the summer, with opportunities to come together to worship God, to teach our children important family values, and to offer many and varied ways of knowing Christ.

God’s purpose for the church is about changing and saving lives. That is what the money you pledge and give to RVCC will do! Giving is an act of worship and devotion and in the end is about strengthening our relationship with God. Giving is about walking the talk, which is something that we have always said is an important part of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

How much you will decide to pledge or plan to give to our church for its 2009 financial nurturing is something that we will need to wrestle with this coming week. However, I would ask you to really think about it and prayerfully consider your options. After all, we are a family here at RVCC and part of the extended family of the Raymond community. It is not just about you or me. As Vern Christopherson wrote, “It's about all of us together. We are trying to accomplish something in mission.” We are trying to be the Body of Christ. We are committed to sharing because it is who we are as a church family.

Now we come to the sticky part of the stewardship sermon – it’s the part where the gloves come off. Oh, no, you may be saying. Now is when she talks about the T word (tithing) and makes us feel guilty.

I hope you know me well enough to trust that that is not my intent. I do ask you, however, to take some time this week to examine with God your willingness and ability to share. Do some simple calculations.

As Lawrence Piper wrote, “what I am talking about is that we spend a lot of money without ever thinking about it, and then, when it comes to the church, we suddenly decide it's time to put on the brakes. Why not hold back on some other kinds of spending? Or at least become aware what we are doing?

Now this is an old (but still pertinent statistic): In 1996, the average American spent 20 times more money on soda pop and 10 times more on gardening and fertilizers than they spent on world missions….Over time, these little things, obviously, add up. They are not exactly necessities like, say peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But we don't think about them. Then when church comes around, it's "oops, I'm out of dough, sorry".

So please think about it. Take a guess what percentage of your income you share with RVCC now – and then calculate it, so you know for sure. And if you are not sure how to do the calculations, let Lori or me know – and we’ll help you out. Don't haggle over whether you use gross or net income. Pick the income base that makes sense to you.

Ask yourself if the percentage you come up really reflects your love for this church. Most people find that it falls far short. But that’ OK if you go ahead and set a goal for giving. Maybe it will be at the level of tithing. Maybe not. What is important is to get a handle on, and better understanding of, your spending and giving habits.

Making the jump to reach your goal all at once might seem impossible. However, do not despair and give up. Look for a way to work toward that goal. For example, every year, increase your pledge by a tenth. If it's $100 this year, go for $110 the next, $121 the year after that, then $133 and so forth. In a few years, 7 to be exact, you will find your pledge has doubled, and unless your income also doubled, you will be giving a larger fraction of your income to this church. Now - that is learning to share in a way that reflects your love and commitment to RVCC (Lawrence Piper).

And lo and behold, when we all do that, the world of the generous really does get bigger and bigger – just like the proverb said it would. And we also continue to be who we are – a small but vital church in Raymond, Maine, one that shares and so one that changes and saves lives, in short, a church that walks the talk and lives by the Gospel message to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength – and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Sermon - October 26, 2008

“The Sermon on the Amount”

By Rev. Nancy Foran Proverbs 11:24-25

By Rev. Nancy Foran
Proverbs 11:24-25