Holy Dishonesty?

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
September 23rd 2007

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Holy Dishonesty?”
Luke 16:1-13

Struggles within Christian communities are nothing new. One only has to look at the book of Acts to learn this truth. As the saying goes: Where two are three are gathered in Jesus name, there is bound to be conflict. The specific struggles in communities really run the gamut. And while I am not sure if the story is true, I have heard it said that a new denomination sprung up over the choice of paint for a sanctuary. But the truth is, I believe, that the most important issues facing any community of faith have to do with sex and money. If a community does not have clear boundaries and understanding of both, a community can be ripped apart. Now, I was raised with the teaching that in polite society we are not to talk about those two topics. But, since Jesus talked more about money than any other topic, we are going to be a bit impolite this morning.
When I lived Atlanta, during seminary, I watched a lot of television preachers. I, like most people, do not often remember a sermon I heard from Sunday to Sunday. But there is one I will never forget. After claiming that faithful Christians never have money problems, my interest went from casual observer to hyper-focused critic. It turns out he was using the same passage we read this morning. The preacher told them that the point of the passage is that Jesus says it is the responsibility of his followers to get rich. The pastor then said, “And don’t let anyone tell you that Jesus was poor. Jesus was not poor. If Jesus was poor we would all be hypocrites.” At this, a chorus of “Amen’s” erupted. I must admit that my voice was part of the chorus but I doubt it was for the same reason as the twenty-thousand folks who had gathered that day. I tell this story not to chastise anyone but because I believe it will help look more critically at this passage as it relates to money and faith.
The parable begins and the manager is in trouble. Profits are down and the owner knows the manager is up to no good. When the owner demands an audit the manager goes into crisis mode: “What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg?” The manager, weighing his options, decides to go to all those who owe his boss money and refinance their debt at a lower rate and lessens the principle. Once he has saved his own skin, Jesus praises his faithfulness. Through the voice of the manager he says: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth…”
It is at this point in the passage where interpretations can go off track. Is Jesus commending the dishonesty of this manager? If so, does Jesus expect us to be dishonest? Does Jesus want us to gain wealth dishonestly? If the passage ended here we would be left with rather unsettling questions. However, the passage continues on for a few more verses. Jesus finally lays these questions to rest when he says: “You cannot serve God and wealth.” Those words keep any interpretation which seeks to see the Gospel as a blueprint to wealth. Despite the finality of this statement, we must go back into the passage and get some clarity on the difficult and unsettling parts of the parable.
Let us be clear, the dishonest manager is not a model for discipleship. Instead, this parable is intended for the religious leadership. In the verse immediately following this passage, we learn that the religious leaders, who are lovers of money, are angered by this assault on their character. Jesus is calling them to repent and make amends for their poor managerial skills of the community of faith.
When the manager sees the end of the gravy train, he makes sure to care for himself. When he goes to cancel people’s debt he is not righting a wrong or being altruistic. His actions are strictly practical in nature. Using the cultural value of reciprocity, the manager guarantees he will not go hungry. The manager, while dishonest, is smart enough to recognize that it will be relationships and not money and possessions that will save him. Jesus tells this story to the leaders of the faith community and its leadership who have yet to figure this out. They are so busy accumulating and protecting their wealth that they are unable to see how they have fallen into idolatry.
While calling what they are doing idolatry may seem like a stretch it is accurate. In the English translation we hear words about serving God and serving money. But in the Greek the word for money is Mammon, a name for a god. It is meant to emphasis that money has the power to take on the life of a god. So, Jesus warns the about the power and challenge of possessions and money. Simply put, Jesus says, how Christians use their money and possessions is not only an issue of economics but of faithful discipleship, service, and even worship.
This is the sort of passage which should hit us close to home. If we walk away and do not ask: What does this mean for us? We have ignored the one issue which Jesus deals with more than any other. Since we have talked recently about the role of possessions in our personal lives and the need to evaluate what may be standing in the way of our faithfulness, I will not do that again this morning. However, before we have a collective sigh of relief, I do plan on talking about the eight-hundred pound elephant in the room; the endowment. I do not plan to talk about it from the perspective of an economist, for I am not. Nor, do I believe I have the final or most authoritative statement, however I do believe I have something of value to offer.
Unless you are visiting with us for the very first time, you know that Westminster has an endowment which enables us to do ministry that a congregation of our size could not do. And, unless you are visiting with us for the first time, you may also know that we have struggled with how to use it in our corporate life together. The opinions range from those who believe we should not have an endowment and spend everything we have on the one hand and on the other hand to those who believe we should use little if any of the money at all. While this may be an over generalization it provides a good spectrum for our discussion. It is true, so that everyone is clear, we are spending the principle. This basically means that, if nothing changes, at some point in the future we will spend all the money. However, we should cease to allow it to act as a sword of Damocles. In other words spending down the endowment should not be the guiding principle in our life together.
Over the years, some members of Westminster have wrestled with what and how to use the endowment. But the truth is that as a community of faith, we will only be good stewards of this money if more people learn and ask questions regarding the endowment. We need to be asking the hard questions like: What does it mean for the followers of Jesus, who said you can’t serve money and God, to have an endowment? Do not hear me wrong, I believe we can be faithful and have an endowment. And, because we do have this money we must be good stewards. However, if the main goal of the endowment is our own personal survival, we are not being faithful. We must seek to use and to save this money so that we can do the ministry to which God is calling us.
I must make two confessions: The first is that I disagree with the belief that Westminster cannot survive without the endowment. This belief, whether intended or not, places money as the source of our community instead of God. Money is not what gives us life. In fact, if God wants us to die there is not enough money in the world to keep us open. However, I also disagree, just as strongly, with the belief that we should not have an endowment or that we should spend it down. While God can do amazing things, and make a way where there is no way, we have been given this gift to be good stewards. If we use it without considering the costs we are, intended or not, putting God to the test.
So what is the way forward? On this I do not have a hard and fast rule or even claim to have an answer. What we know is that over the years those who have gone before us gave this money because they had come to know the presence of God in their lives in this place and they wanted others to be able to do the same. If we keep this in mind our conversations and thoughts about money should take a different tone. As we are faced with questions and challenges regarding money let us seek to start by asking the question: How is God calling our community of faith to serve? Only then will we be able to faithfully ask: What resources do we have in order to accomplish God’s mission in this place. Because Jesus preached about the difficulty of money and faithfulness we cannot be careless nor can we hoard our possessions. So, the way forward may not be clear but, I pray that our decisions will be guided by a desire to be faithful to the ways of Jesus Christ and not survival. Amen? Amen.

Turned Toward Life

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
September 16th 2007

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Turned Toward Life”
Luke 15:1-10

It was in the book Foolishness to the Greeks by missionary and scholar Leslie Newbigin that my understanding of Christianity radically changed. Newbigin, a Presbyterian pastor, spent many years as a missionary in India. Upon his return to the England he believed that the future of the church depended upon its ability to share the gospel to Western Culture which he saw as decidedly not Christian. Newbigin spent his life challenging the ways that the church in England and the United States had so comfortably enmeshed itself with the surrounding culture. Instead of seeing the Gospel as a logical extension of western culture Newbigin followed the example of the apostle Paul. Paul talked about the Gospel as foolishness to the Greeks to emphasis that the wisdom of the Gospel and the wisdom of the world are, more often than we might expect, at odds with one another. It was this insight which helped me to understand the importance of thoughtfully examining our culture and tradition in light of the gospel message, not the other way around. In our passage this morning we see a real conflict between Gospel values and the values of culture.
In this passage we are deep in the heart of Jesus’ ministry. The crowds have flocked to hear the message of this young rabbi who stirs up trouble with the religious leadership. Jesus’ welcome for all people, not just the socially and religiously acceptable folk, has caused the ranks of his followers to swell. It also caused a dramatic increase in the number of people considered sinners in his followers. The increase in his following meant an increase in attacks from the religious leadership. One common insult was that Jesus: “welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Later on, Jesus will do so much of this eating with sinners that he is accused of being a drunkard and a glutton. You might see how this sort of reputation from a religious leader might cause some problems in the religious community.
Jesus’ response to these challenges and allegations is to tell stories. This morning’s story is particularly foolish, at least in the eyes of conventional wisdom. Jesus begins with a rhetorical question: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” Since this is a familiar story it can be easy to fall into the trap of believing there is one answer. However, the logical answer to the question is that no wise shepherd would go after one lost sheep. Loosing one sheep out of a hundred is really an acceptable loss. To leave ninety-nine sheep unattended in order to find one sheep is simply irresponsible. However, the irresponsibility does not stop there. Jesus then expects that the shepherd will invite the neighbors to celebrate his risking the life of ninety-nine sheep for the life of one lost sheep. But before anyone can challenge him on this, Jesus tells another foolishness story.
In the second story we have an unnamed woman who is supposed to represent God, so you know Jesus is already in trouble. It begins when this woman looses one of her silver coins. As a result, she tears her house apart in order to find the coin. It was a foolish action because the silver coin had about as much value as a penny. Once the coin if found; the woman gathers her friends together and has a party to celebrate the return of one small insignificant coin. Both are foolishness meant to shake up our understanding of God’s wisdom.
Just so there is no confusion we need to take a moment to get clear on the role of possessions in these stories. If we are not careful the rejoicing in this passage could be taken as joy for the return of possessions. However, the joy and celebration, textually, focuses on relationships. Notice that neither the shepherd nor the woman celebrate alone. There are no private parties. Instead, the celebration is all about the restoration of community found in the return.
So, if the recovery of possessions is not the focus of the passage, what is? I believe that the heart of this passage is the message of repentance. Immediately following the story of the returned sheep Jesus says: “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.” And, at the conclusion of the story about the lost coin Jesus says: “Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Often, passage has been used by the church to preach repentance to sinners who are the lost sheep or coins. However, that is not at work in this passage.
In both stories neither the sheep nor the coin returns on their own. In fact, all the action in both stories is done by those people represent God. At the end of the passage, Jesus does not say: Go and do as the shepherd and woman. And, in the stories neither the shepherd nor the woman preaches to the lost sheep or the lost coin about the need for repentance. Instead, repentance in this passage is most likely intended for the religious community. It is time for the religious community, more concerned with creating a homogeneous community of like-minded people, to welcome (not judge) those whom they consider ‘sinners.’ The call to repentance for the religious community means to turn away from certainty, legalism, and traditionalism. Repentance is an invitation to turn toward the ways of life. It is a way of discipleship which says yes to welcome, yes to hospitality, and yes to acceptance. However, turning toward this way of discipleship is far more difficult than turning from the ways of what is traditionally called sin. That is why so many religious people attack Jesus for the way he acts and teaches.
Despite news to the contrary, repentance is not a one time event. It is not a magic formula of words which work like a ‘get out of hell free card.’ Instead, repentance, or turning toward life, is a life-long discipline. This is true because, simply put, the powers of death have a strong pull. The messages of death are all around us: Kill your enemies before they kill you… It is foolish to spend time and energy on one worthless coin or foolish sheep… And the truth is that the lure of religious legalism is powerful in an age of chaos and doubt. The human tendency in these times is to want everything so ordered that there is no room for the mystery and complexity of God.
Repentance, or turning toward the ways of life, must be part of our daily existence. It is particularly true because the message Jesus preaches says that a lost sheep and worthless coin have value in God economy. That is why we must hear these foolish stories to remind us that following Jesus, turning toward life means we may just be seen as fools by our surrounding culture. So the question remains: Are we willing to turn toward the ways of life and even be fools for Jesus. Amen? Amen.

What Stands in Your Way?

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
September 9th 2007

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“What Stands in Your Way?”
Luke 14:25-33

If we are really honest with one another, occasionally Jesus says something that makes us rather uncomfortable. Today’s passage is just such an occasion. Hate! When I hear Jesus use that word I am left with this question: How is it that Jesus, the love of God incarnate, can use hate as a way to faithfulness? What are we supposed to do with this sort of language? After all, it seems like this passage is ripe for recruiting religious fanatics or for even starting our own cult. So, what are we to do when Jesus speaks of hate?
We must always be careful not to simply explain away the hard sayings of Jesus. They must be examined and understood as bearing truth. However, we must also be careful not to be overly simplistic and take the language of hate a face value. By examining the passage closely the Greek reveals that the term hate here does not indicate emotions. In other words, the harsh words directed toward the crowd, and all of us who hear, are not about how one feels but about how one acts. It is a rhetorical devise meant to shock the growing crowds so that they would really hear the simple truth: To follow Jesus means all other claims upon our life take a back seat.
But, that still doesn’t answer the question of whether or not we are to turn our backs on friends and family in order to follow Jesus? If we look a little closer, we find out that Jesus does not always talk about family in a positive light. Earlier in Luke’s gospel, Jesus’ mother and brothers come for a visit. When told of their arrival he says: My mother and brothers are those who do the will of God. Later, when a man asks Jesus if he can bury his father before following Jesus says: Those who put their hand to the plow and look back are not fit for the kingdom of heaven. These are not the sorts of things which fit well in with traditional family values.
Now do not worry, I am not trying to make Jesus out to be anti-family. In fact, it is my belief that Jesus teaches in such harsh ways to drive the point home that nothing is supposed to stand in the way of faithfulness to God. In each one of these instances, including our passage, Jesus is challenging family ties which have become an excuse or a road block to faith. While, Jesus does not condemn families he clearly challenges the way in which the claims of family have become an idol in society and have taken precedent over all other claims. In fact, Jesus is not tearing down families but inviting people to recognize that they are part of God’s family.
Another clue that Jesus is challenging anything which stands in the way of faithfulness is his final words to the crowd. He says: None of you can become my disciples if you do not give up all your possessions. Again, we encounter jarring words from the one we call savior. I believe these words are particularly jarring in our own culture where, in the lyrics from the Broadway Musical Rent says: “In America, you are what you own.” To give up our possessions, we give up our identity, our security, our very livelihood. It leaves me wondering? Is Jesus sentencing his disciples to certain destruction?
In the early church the disciples had a simple, though not easy, answer. They gave up all their possessions to the community of faith and shared what they had. They understood that no one person could do what Jesus was teaching them. To give up family and to give of possessions without another family or possessions was certain death. As a result, the early church took the teaching serious and created a new family with shared possessions. Everyone had what they needed and people sold what they had so that there was enough for everyone.
In the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, which is believed to be written by the same person, giving up possessions was undeniably a required act for discipleship. In chapter twelve of Luke the rich young man comes to Jesus claiming to have followed all the words of the law. When he asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus says, sell what you have and give it to the poor because where your treasure is, that is where your heart is. In chapter eighteen a different wealthy man hopes to follow Jesus. This time, Jesus tells him to; go and sell what you have and give it to the poor. The rich man rejects Jesus invitation to discipleship because he simply cannot imagine parting with his wealth, not even for Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel Jesus is clear: Possessions and wealth, while not always, can become the greatest impediment to faithfulness.
In this passage, Jesus takes on the great idols of his day: Family and Wealth. When Jesus calls people to follow, he says we must put aside anything which stands in the way. When Jesus does this he uses words which grab us by the throat. These hard sayings are intended to shake the foundations of our polite sensibilities and remind us that discipleship is all encompassing. However, history has shown us that Christians throughout the ages have hoped to ignore these difficult teachings. Or, when faced with passages like this we say things like; Jesus he is not dealing with the real world. Instead of wrestling with the hard questions and reality of our faith we spend energy and time building institutions or social clubs and then we parade our faith in the socially appropriate ways. This is why Jesus speaks in such direct and striking ways. The life of faith is not easy, but we are not called to do it alone.
As we are confronted with this passage we are still left with the lingering question. What about our families and possessions? I believe that this passage is not simply condemning either. In fact, I think the question could best be asked: What stands in our way and how? What are we clinging to that keeps us from following Jesus more faithfully? In our modern culture it might be family and is very likely that it is our wealth and possessions. But it can be so much more. Jesus’ great concern is with anything that stands in the way of our ability to pick up our cross and follow.
When faced with these words, it is easy to think that it is just too hard. But the good news it that Jesus’ call to pick up the cross is not a call to be perfect. After all, most of us are trapped by so many things, and relationships and commitments that we simply cannot imagine that things could be any different. And the idea that we have one more thing to pick up sounds overwhelming. That is why we must ask what is standing in our way to a deeper life of faith? What is it that we must left go of in order to live more faithfully? Jesus offers a very public invitation in this passage which has very private implications. Jesus’ invitation to follow is one which cannot be ignored or simply explained away. Each one of us is invited, to join together as we seek to be more faithful disciples.
The good news in all of this is that God is still at work in each of us, and in this community of faith. We are being called to give up anything which stands in our way. Maybe it’s our understanding of family or maybe it’s how we view and use our wealth and possessions. Whatever it is not one of us can make those decisions in isolation. We need the support, the encouragement and the accountability of each other. May God’s Spirit continue to work in each one of us and in this community so we will more clearly understand what we are being called to give up in order to say yes to Jesus. Amen? Amen.

From Welcome to Invitation

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
September 2nd 2007
Communion Sunday
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“From Welcome to Invitation”
Luke 14:1, 7-14

This fall we are going to go deep into the Gospel of Luke. On Sunday mornings we will read and preach from this Gospel. On Thursday night we will begin a bible study that will read through this Gospel. The whole purpose is to gain a deeper understanding of the teachings of Jesus in order to transform our lives into more faithful disciples. It may sound like a lofty goal, and, it is. But when faced with such lofty goals we will simply trust the Spirits work with each one of us and in our community which is living through a great deal of transition.
This mornings’ passage places us right in the thick of a recurring conflict between the religious establishment, the Pharisees, and Jesus. We should be careful not to demonize the Pharisees or consider them as the enemies of God. To do so would distort what the bible actually teaches. Instead, the bible teaches, that the Pharisees are religious people who know the scripture, who know the rules, and they know how to follow them. The conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees hinges on their accommodation with the surrounding culture. It seems that their accommodation with the culture means that their religious observances and teaching have little impact on the way they live in the world. In other words, their beliefs and practices are not congruent. For Jesus, and his followers, separating faith and practice is heresy.
I think that it is particularly appropriate for us to read this passage at the beginning of another school year. At least for me, the start of the school year always brought worries about the first few lunch periods. In those first few days the pecking order was set. So, at the sound of the lunch-time bell we ran fast in order to get the ‘best seats in the house.’ Once the order was set it was next to impossible to change. In fact, it was so well defined that everyone knew his or her place. It was a place, in my experience, where the ways of Jesus were not practiced. After all, just imagine the social unrest if the football team sat with the drama club. While this analogy could get pushed too far, the attention such actions would draw would be something like that faced by Jesus when he undermined the well ordered ancient system.
The opening line of our passage presents an ominous tone: “They were watching him closely…” Even before we learn anything about what Jesus is doing, we know there is trouble. Jesus invitation to dinner at the home of a Pharisee was a time of conflict, not fellowship. They have brought Jesus to watch his actions, and examine his words. But, Jesus is no fool; he too watches the actions of these good religious folks. What he finds out is rather disturbing.
It turns out that the most ‘religious people’ in the land have incorporated the values of the society without critical engagement. The meal, in ancient society, served an important social function. Where you sat, whom you would invite, and even the content of the conversation was all well ordered. The cornerstone of this ancient world, influenced by Hellenistic or Greek culture, was patronage. You would do things for others simply so they would do them for you. So, these religious folks struggle with one another for the best seat in the house. They also wear clothing with the purpose of gaining social status, and worst of all they are greedy. However, despite all these actions, they are very good at following their religious traditions. It appears that they have forgotten that God is not pleased when faith and practice are divorced. In other words, Jesus would not smile on politicians who perfect of are of using religious language to gain votes while doing little for the politically powerless of the Gulf Coast going on two years after Hurricane Katrina. It is clear that this encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees is a lesson for the religious people in every age. Whenever the faithful, in any society, become too accustomed to wealth and privilege or too comfortable with the culture; faith wedded to action becomes an endangered species.
At the heart of Jesus teaching is a direct challenge to one of the great beliefs of the Hellenistic world. Teaching people to humble themselves was anathema. After all, humility was not a virtue. In fact, it was believed to be a vice or a sign of weakness. And right in the midst of this gathering he has the audacity to say: if you exalt yourself, if you cling to your privileges, if you expect people to cater to you, God will not be pleased and will reverse your fortunes. To gain some insight on the radical nature of Jesus’ challenge, imagine him saying to us that modern capitalism is sinful. If you have an adverse reaction to that statement, you get a picture of what Jesus was doing at the dinner. It is a hard teaching but one from which Jesus does not shy away. Here he is; a guest in the home of the Pharisee and he has the audacity to challenge the very social practice of which they have built their reputations. I assume Jesus did not get a repeat invitation.
However, Jesus does not stop there; he goes on to challenge the ways in which guest lists were developed. Jesus says: When you have dinner parties, do not invite people who can reciprocate. Do not invite your close circle of friends or even your family and extended family. Instead, invite the people who are least likely or able to return the invitation. This was a direct challenge to the well established world which maintained a caste system where the poor would only socialize with the poor and the rich with the rich. Again, Jesus makes it clear that these sorts of social division are an abomination before God. Instead, Jesus says, break down these dividing walls of hostility. Open up your circle of friends; and even those you consider family. This, simply put, is the will of God.
In this encounter, Jesus invites these religious people to change their practice and their perspective. After all, they live in a privileged world which always seems to welcome them. Through their accommodation with the culture they have wealth and privilege, while their own people are suffering at the doorstep. In the midst of great feasts and wealth, people beg at the doors of God’s temple. The social world of the religious people had become an insulated place which made them unable to think about or even see those who were on the outside. In the midst of this grand illusion, Jesus reveals what they are unable or simply refuse to see.
What Jesus ultimately says is: you don’t get it. Stop trying to imitate the culture of the Romans who are oppressing your own people. Move beyond your comfortable circle of friends and invite people in. But that means some things may have to change. Jesus says: If you do as I say, if you invite others in your world view may get challenged. They may actually mess up your well ordered world with new ideas about all sorts of things, including worship or Sabbath observance. In fact, they may not even conform to your expectations. However, Jesus says: Invite them anyway; the household of God was not meant to be a social club for like minded people but a community for all people where all are valued and affirmed.
This passage is an invitation for us too. It is a call to move from being a place where people are welcome once they get in the door, to a place that invites all people to experience the welcome inside our doors. In order to do so, we must look closely at our life together and ask; are we living up to the challenge of being an inviting community? Where are we being called to open up our circle of friends and family in order to be more faithful disciples? And finally, who needs to hear the message we have to share? Let us go and invite people, invite them to be part of worship, invite them to be part of our informal meals, invite them into our homes, and yes, even invite them to participate in the decision making of this church. As we prepare to take part in this table feast, let us commit ourselves to the sort of radical welcome, and invitation offered in Jesus Christ. May it be a meal where we are so filled by the spirit of God that we are unafraid to look people in the eye, give them a real smile, extend a hand or hug in fellowship, greet them as children of God and invite them to the welcoming place we know Westminster to be. Amen? Amen.