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Stewardship & Building Bridges HOMILY PREACHED ON PENTECOST XX, OCT 2, 2005 [Matthew 21 33-46] God builds a vineyard and places us in it as stewards, so we’ve got to know there’s a time when we’ll be held accountable. I speak these words with some trepidation, because I know what sometimes happens to the messenger! On this Stewardship Sunday I want to hold up a vision, our commitment of time, talent and treasure being byproducts of that vision. Jesus’ parable gets down to basics: the servants sent to collect the owner’s portion are beaten up, one killed — a not-so-subtle reference to Jesus. Translate his parable into our present world situation: religions and cultures beating up and killing each other. We need to see the big picture, called to be good stewards of our faith, realizing that we human beings live not only in mystery, but in the context of what we’ve inherited, what we’ve been taught. The class speaker at last spring’s graduation from Harvard Divinity School was Eric Gutierrez.* I don’t know his background, but his words evoked that stewardship of faith which are the gifts of our Anglican tradition embodied in the Episcopal Church. Two seemingly disparate areas are brought together: integration of belief, personally, coupled with a "Middle Way" corporately. Together they allow us a unique ministry here: a bridge between Catholics and Protestants, religion and science, Christianity and other religions, all crucial to our co-existence on this planet — and together they inform our intellect and nourish our souls. Eric asks a basic question: "Who can presume to speak for God? Because so many are doing precisely that in our country today" and — I would add — around the world. "Here in the United States we seem to have forgotten the words of our greatest public theologian, Abraham Lincoln, who exhorted our nation not to claim God for our side, but, rather, to pray earnestly that we might be on God’s side. We need once again to reaffirm humility as a cornerstone of public theology. . . We must not conflate our will with the will of God and we must not mistake God’s will for our own religious orthodoxy, cultural bias, personal prejudice, or social conformity. He continues, "The immutable truth of God has been reduced to the rhetoric of Bible idolatry and the clash of civilizations. To acknowledge that none can know the mind of God, to admit the possibility of another, deeper understanding, is anathema to [the] religious crusaders turning our hospital rooms, our courtrooms, our classrooms, and our bedrooms into battlefields. "Where is our humility in the face of God? "In the Hebrew Bible, the prophet Micah asks, ‘And what does the Lord ask of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.’ I can think of no better guide for religious engagement in public life today. . . . Religious freedom in this country grew out of a humble recognition that we understand God differently, that no religion or individual has an exclusive claim or definitive understanding of God. … In light of this imperfect, all-too-human understanding, we must extend tolerance to all religious beliefs. "…Now," Eric continued, "I would go beyond tolerance to extend respect and honor… which does not in any way diminish or undermine the imperatives of strong and abiding faith. Being humble in our relationship to God and to those different from us is not moral relativism; it is humility before the greatness and mystery of God. It is not weakness of faith; it is the spiritual willingness to grow in faith. …To make room in our society for others’ faith is to understand that God’s will for each of us is specific and personal. It is to accept that the world goes beyond the limits of our own personal horizon. Rather than seeking a more perfect understanding and expression of God’s love, grace, and justice, the loudest religious voices keep playing theological rock/paper/scissors: My faith crushes your faith. My God trumps your God. But God is nondenominational. And how we share our religion says more about us than about God." I stand with Eric’s words, for they provide the big picture I think we need to see, a vision of Christianity that Silicon Valley and our nation desperately need to hear. We’re trying to proclaim that. It is my belief — as you know - that it is the very spirit of Jesus that allows us — in the words of our Baptism Covenant "to respect the dignity of every human being," whatever faith and culture, and see differences not as a threat, but as a potential for enlarging our view of the world and of God, as we try to be good stewards of this beautiful vineyard God has entrusted to us. Tim Gee and the Stewardship Committee composed a significant brochure with its invitation to "Join us as Stewards of God’s gifts." In their planning early in the summer they sent me a question: "What does God want you to do?" I was surprised to hear in my response parallels to Eric’s words, which I received this week. "What does God want you to do?" "No one knows for sure, of course, and it would be arrogant to assume that any mortal can discern the mind of God. (I’m always suspicious of people — clergy or lay — who assume to say what God’s will is for others!)" For me God’s will is LOVE PERSONIFIED. That’s what I keep seeing in Jesus. Not just God reflected in Jesus a long time ago, but love personified in every child, teen, and adult without regard to boundaries or borders, viewing each person as if he or she was your own child, brother or sister — or parent. You wouldn’t think of passing them by, disinterested, detached, if you saw them in need or trouble. The day after our daughter’s wedding here, I picked up my mother and sister at the Todds in Cupertino to spend a final night with us. After removing their luggage, I slammed down the trunk of the car and picked up their bags, as Mother asked me, "Ernest, could you open the trunk?" "Why? I’ve unloaded everything." "Well, my hand is caught in it. . ." My knees went weak as I looked and saw her shriveled fingers caught in the lid of the trunk. "It doesn’t hurt," she said, the thick rubber padding absorbing her hand where she had been supporting herself against the car. That emotional, heartfelt response is how I hope each of us can feel when we see a need, close at hand or abroad. What your pledge does is provide a ministry of all of us here - clergy and lay - that will take care of you through your earthly pilgrimage, even as all of us, joined together, help care for you and others in all dimensions of life and need: education and fellowship for all ages, worship, outreach, pastoral care, fellowship and spiritual growth. In considering your pledge for 2006, I hope you will vote with some passion to affirm your commitment here, knowing that this parish church stands for an accepting, caring, affirming attitude toward all people, expressed in our mission statement: Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church strives to be an inclusive community through authentic worship, relevant preaching, intelligent teaching, visionary outreach, enthusiastic stewardship, supportive care and Christian fellowship. I hope you can join us in fulfilling that vision here — in the Name of Christ. * Harvard Divinity Today. Summer 2005 Volume 1 Number 2
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