union avenue christian church |
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God, the Accountant Hebrews 4:12 – 16; Mark 10:17 – 31 “Sing me no song We live in the state carrying the nickname ‘show me state.’ But this has become a universal mantra of contemporary culture. We want evidence not just rhetoric. At the same time, we are sharing and exhibiting so much more of what used to be reserved for private conversations or closed meetings. In fact, a new slang phrase is TMI — too much information! We should be asking for time out when details of intimacy are aired beyond the couple involved; when dysfunctional family or sibling relationships spill into the press; when intra-office quarrels play themselves into the larger corporation. Somehow we have lost the understanding of boundaries in conversation and the media. Certainly when these issues become matters of injustice, they need to be dealt with appropriately. But more often voyeurism has become the norm for us and we get sucked into enjoying details that are none of our business. Yet in our core most of us are hiding — or thinking we are hiding — significant pieces of our true nature from everyone else. What if I show how narrowly I feel? What if I show how little I want to share? What if I show the true intention of my actions? What if I show how I truly feel about those people or that activity? As much ‘laundry’ as we seem to be showing in our interactions of life today there is still the notion that we can protect our deepest and most intimate secrets, feelings, intentions from anyone and everyone. Enter the word of God! The word of God is not just scripture; although the word of God is contained IN scripture. The word of God is not just Jesus Christ; although he embodies it. The word of God is the full presence of God that is ‘living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,’ all seeing, all knowing. There is no place hidden from the word of God; there is no thought reserved from the word of God; there is no intention, no consideration, no desire, no action, no anything that can be hidden from God. Hypocrisy — the simulation of goodness, when in fact, there is no goodness within — is not only an abomination with God, but it is futile. God knows and sees through us. God knows what good there is and what good there is not! In thinking about some of the worst and reoccurring dreams I have had there is, of course, the one about losing sermon notes (that’s a typical preacher nightmare), there was the one that plagued me for years about not finding the correct room for my dissertation defense, but one that spans specific time or experience is the nakedness dream. We all fear being naked; yet our scripture writer claims this IS a reality. We all are laid bare to the eyes of God — God, who WILL BE rendered an accounting of all that we are, all that we do, all that we intend to do, all that we actually do, all that we don’t want to do, and all that we never get done. God is the real “SHOW ME” force! To be completely known is probably the deepest need of every human and, yet, the deepest fear. As we continue to consider our community life — our faith community life — this fall at Union Avenue, we are being asked to think about the places along the way of our lives and the life of this congregation. It is a challenging experience to consider when in our life we felt the most and best known; when we were the best integrated of inner and outer; intention and action. At those moments in our life we are not hiding — we are not holding secrets close to our chests. And in those very moments the strength of our relationship with God will be at its height. In the same way, when we are integrated (as a faith community) with what we claim about ourselves and what we are doing in our ministries, we will also be the strongest in our witness because God does not tolerate hypocrisy. God, the accountant sees all and knows all. God knows what gifts have been given to this congregation and God knows what expectations are placed on the congregation. And, ultimately, God will be taking the accounting. God also knows the gifts given to each of us. Created in the image of God — imageo Dei — means we also are gift-givers. We are made to be giving creatures. When — in our lives — we accept that reality, we will find ways to fulfill it. We will live in ways that are constantly pushing the limits of what we give and how we give. The world needs us to give. My goodness, there are needs to respond to every moment of every day. God needs us to give to the needy world, and we sense those compelling needs. Today, some folks ask: Is tithing before or after taxes? Is tithing before or after our mortgage? Take it up with the accountant, dear friends; the REAL accountant — God! I promise you when you begin to tithe, giving the first portion, you will not stop at 10 percent of any equation because you will have tapped the core of who you were created to be — an image of God. In every church I have served, at least one parishioner has told me he (or she) was so upset with a policy or staff person or direction of the church that he was going to stop giving. I suppose those folks have wanted me to be angry, or threatened, or jump to their demands. |
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