Readings: Jeremiah 31.27-34; Psalm 119.97-104; 2 Timothy 3.10 – 4.5; Luke 18.1-14
May I speak in the name of God: Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.
Over the next few weeks leading up to November the 16th, with our patronal festival we will be thinking about stewarding our parish. There are lots and lots of ways to steward, and today I thought we would take a look at stewarding our values, because that’s what I see in our readings today.
Love and Compassion:
So, the value we’ve named, Love and Compassion, is something that we hold here. Well God in Jeremiah says, no longer will people eat sour grapes, the children will not inherit the consequences of their parents. And here we are in the Book of Consolation, which begin in chapter 30. Last week our reading showed the turn in the tide when God tells the exiles to live well even though they displaced. Because in Babylon’s wellbeing is their own. This week they’re assured of their return. But not only their return, their everlasting Belonging with God.
Belonging:
The second of our values here, Belonging. A New Covenant. It’s the only time that phrase is used in the Old Testament, A New Covenant, and it is picked up numerous times in the gospels. This new covenant is not reliant upon the people’s assent, unlike at Mt Sinai when Moses brought the law back down, he read out the law and the people assented. Instead, this covenant is all the work of God, putting the law in their hearts. And verses 35-37 tells us how this covenant will never end! “If the fixed order of the sun and stars were ever to cease, then also would Israel cease to be a nation before God.”
In Luke, we see God is a god of justice. Justice is what love looks like. Christian love is not a feeling, it is action, and it is all the things we do that ring justice to the world whether or not we want to do it, even the unjust judge still enacts justice. But Jesus tells us that God actively pursues justice for us and so we are encouraged to pray without ceasing. Nag God! Be a God Botherer!
If we have the kind of faith that tells us that God writes the law of Love, Compassion and Belonging on our hearts, how could we keep silent about it? Surely this is good news that the world needs to hear? Timothy is told to be persistent in proclaiming the good news, in favourable and unfavourable times.
Discipleship:
To be equipped to teach and love others, we must also learn and practice. During Advent we will have two groups, and I encourage one or other of them. The Waterhouse’s will lead one program on Thursday mornings, here on the verandah, and I will lead another at a time that is convenient to those who’d like to join. My intent with the group that I lead, is that it is a study. We learn and will dive more deeply into the scriptures and themes of Advent. Taking up these opportunities grows the discipleship of our own hearts and equips us for discipleship of those who we meet day to day.
Also during Advent is the beginning of our ministry to people who are isolated. The details still to come, but you are invited to join that ministry.
To steward the gifts God has given us here at St Catherine’s means we must consciously and actively engage with them. Complacency risks our culture, which in turn risks that which we wish to harvest: a life of abundance, here and now, with the hope of life eternal, each characterised by God’s love and compassion, belonging and discipleship.
So what does stewardship our values look like?
I’ll ask some other questions:
When was the last time you were the beneficiary of the love and compassion from someone here?
When was the last time someone here made you truly feel welcome so that you know you belong?
When was the last time your were discipled by someone here; helped to see the grace of God in your life or had the scriptures opened for you?
I have no doubt that these things are happening. My question is, have you named it as such? Have you turned to that person and said:
I see the love of God in you. Or,
Thank you for your gift of teaching. Or,
Because of your welcome which is the generosity of God, I know I belong here.
Stewardship is both encouraging and equipping. When we notice these things, we should tell each other, we should name it for what it is, encourage one another, and learn from each other.
And we are to pray. So, over these next few weeks, I ask you for your prayers.
I ask you to nag God on behalf of our parish, to find out in what ways we are called to steward this place, in all the different means, with all our talents and our time, with all our gifts.
Let’s be God Botherers.
Amen.