Luke 21
5 When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
7 They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8 And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray, for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’[and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.
9 “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance, 15 for I will give you words[c] and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.
Two of my favorite Martin Luther quotes are both quotes that scholars argue he never said. Since I doubt any of us were actually around him all the time I can’t imagine we could know for sure if he said them or not. So based on that reasoning, they will continue to be my favorites.
One of them is: “Be thou comforted, little dog, Thou too in Resurrection shall have a little golden tail.” The story is that he said this to his own dog when it had fallen ill.
The second quote is: “"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today." They say there is no evidence in his writings for this but I can almost hear him saying it. After all he went through with his excommunication and threat of being executed, he continued on to build a life that brought hope and joy to many. No he wasn’t perfect, he was after all very human.
But it is this second quote that came to mind as I wondered how I would talk about stewardship today in light of our gospel reading. While we are giving our pledge cards with monetary pledges written on them, stewardship is not just money. Those of us who do not have much material wealth still can give of their time and talents. These are desperately needed. I wonder if we shouldn’t include space on our cards for these things as well.
Sometimes we feel a bit despondent about our churches. The numbers have dwindled. Finding pastors is challenging. Our budgets end up in the red at the end of the year because needs increase and incomes don’t. And today we read: “the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today.”
Why bother?
It is about hope. It is about faith. It is about trusting God. The church will always exist. Over 2000 years of persecution and political control and changes have not done it in. The church is always about the people of God. And God will not be constrained. God has always been and will always be the merciful, gracious, generous victor. (Amen?)
It is in that declaration that we put our trust. It is for that future that we invest. Our apple tree is not just for today's congregation, but rather for the congregations yet to come. Actually, if you plant an apple tree today it can take up to 12 years before fruit forms. (depending of course on the tree)
Why invest your time, talents and money? Because we pray that God’s kingdom will come. And it is in that kingdom that our investments will change the world.
I feel I need to insert a personal story here. Perhaps you have heard this kind of story before but I am not sure I ever have heard this said on a stewardship Sunday. And that may explain why I tend to be uncomfortable with stewardship sermons.
When we were stationed in Virginia, our family started attending a church there. They preached money giving all the time and encouraged people to give more than the tithe, 10% of one’s income. Maybe believing the message or simply out of guilt we gave as the preachers encouraged us. Until one day I found we could not afford boots for our daughter. That was my wake up call. I believe that God does not call us to give what we have not been given.
There are many talents I do not have. God did not make me a vocalist or an artist for example. And so I do not attempt to give these things. For my sake and for yours. I cannot give what I have not been given.
On the other hand, I do have enough writing talent to be able to give out of that. I have enough talent in the art of compassionate listening to give from that. I trust that I have enough talent in preaching to make my giving a blessing. And it is when I do not give from what I have been given that God is saddened.
So what am I asking? I am asking that we prayerfully give out of what we have been given, no more and no less. I am asking that we invest in the future kingdom of God, whatever it may end up looking like. I am asking we invest in the hope of tomorrow, no matter how shaky it might appear today. I am asking us to plant an apple seed for the sake of generations to come. God gave us the applre for nourishment with a seed to plant. We can enjoy the apple and still plant the seed.
And finally I thank you for all the seeds you have already planted. FaithFundations is an amazing investment in the future of not just the church but the world! Sandwiches seem like so little but if you could see the smiles of people who receive them, you would know how much they truly are. Our music ministries bless hearts not just in this sanctuary but over the radio and internet. Quilts, layettes, prayer shawls, etc mean everything to those who receive them. This church is a blessing. For today and tomorrow. Thank you.
The future has always been uncertain. We never know what lies ahead. And I for one am just as happy I don’t. But we can know that God is forever. God’s love is forever. And as Paul writes: nothing can separate us from that love. Thanks be to God.
Sit silently with me for a moment to simply know God’s love.
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