Malachi 3:13-4:2a, 5-6
Psalm 98
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Luke 21:5-19
Christians often have a slightly different view of things. Take creation for example. I'm certainly not among those Christians who advocate teaching creationism in the narrow sense, but I do believe God is the creator, whether God used a big bang, evolution, or some other method. There is a discipline called Christian ethics, where Christians bring a particular dimension to the field of ethics based on the life of Jesus.
Have you ever hear of Christian mathematics? I don't suppose you could find a college class in Christian mathematics, even at a church sponsored school. Some of you may even wonder what this crazy priest has in mind. Christian mathematics? This is the time in the church year when many people are working on stewardship. I'd like to suggest to you that Christian stewardship is a kind of Christian mathematics. It becomes pretty clear in reading the Bible that things don't always add up the way we think they might. In the Old Testament, there are many stories of strange mathematics. That was before Christ, so I have to amend my theory a little, it's not just Christian mathematics, we got it from the Hebrew people, our ancestors in the faith. Remember the story of Elijah staying with a poor woman who only had enough food for one last meal. She offered what she had, but instead of being used up, the flour bin still had some left. Funny mathematics. 1 cup of flour minus one cup of flour leaves one more cup of flour.
In the New Testament, there are many more examples. Jesus fed crowds of people with a little bit of food that any fool could see wasn't enough to go around. What kind of division and multiplication is that? Our gospel lesson this morning begins at verse five of chapter 21 of Luke. Just before that in the first four verses, we are told the story Jesus and the disciples were at the temple one day, watching people leave their offerings. A poor woman put in two small copper coins, and Jesus said she gave more than the all the rich people, who I suppose actually put in more cash. Funny mathematics. William Temple, an Archbishop of Canterbury in the early 20th century wrote, "The world minus God equals zero. God minus the world equals God." Christian mathematics.
In the portion of Luke's gospel we read today, it is getting close to the end of Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus and the disciples had just been watching people present their offerings at the temple. Somebody talked about beautiful the stones of the Temple walls were, and the beauty of the gifts that had been dedicated to God. Jesus said, "It has no lasting value."
This is a hard text to consider when we try in our small congregations to be good stewards of our buildings. Of course we know buildings in themselves have no lasting value, but it is obvious that if we don't take care of this structure, eventually it would collapse into the basement, like old abandoned farm buildings from generations gone by.
So it is not the building that is of lasting value. It is what can and does happen inside this building that is of lasting value. This building is only a gathering place, but it is a gathering place of Christian people. It is a place where we baptize people, bring them into the fellowship of the church, and mark them as Christ's own, forever. Marked as Christ's own, forever. There's permanence for you. There's lasting value.
This is a place where we gather to find comfort and strength to make our way through the chaos of the world that we sometimes feel. It is a place where seekers can come to question "what does it mean to be a Christian in contemporary America where cultural diversity and religious freedom are affirmed?" This is a place where Christian education and formation take place as we gather for worship, study, and fellowship.
This is a place where we come to find support and comfort when we lose a loved one to death. This is a place where we can come to find comfort and support in other painful life circumstances. This is also a place where we come to celebrate happy events like weddings, births, anniversaries, and other good occasions. This is a place where we also find ourselves challenged at times. The weekly readings from the Bible cover the breadth of human need and experience. Some comfort us, some give us hope, some may annoy us. But some challenge us. Like the prophet Malachi this morning.
Malachi is talking about the day of judgment. "Then once more you shall distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not. ... For you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings." (Oh, that's where the words to that Christmas carol come from!) In our hearts, I suspect we realize this isn't just the neurotic ramblings of a lunatic. This isn't just some ranting preacher threatening that God is about to "getcha." Beneath the colorful language of burning stubble, there is a deeper point about truth, justice, and living with integrity, for none of us knows when our life will end.
In stewardship terms, Malachi isn't saying give more money or God will getcha. Malachi is saying, "Get your priorities straight, people." That is just as hard to hear, in some ways. I like to think I have set some priorities in my life, and that they're pretty good ones, consistent with the teaching of Jesus. When I hear Malachi, I have to take another look, and confess that not all my priorities are in order. When I hear the gospel lesson, I have to admit I like a lot of the stuff in my life, even though I know deep down it has no lasting value. I know I use my time in ways that aren't always consistent with what I believe, or say I believe. I haven't "arrived" yet. None of us has, I suppose.
The lessons are all the more powerful to us after the attacks in September and threats of bio-terrorism. Some people have asked the question whether we are entering the last days and whether God's judgment is upon us. I don't think so, it could be, but Jesus told us that no one knows the hour or the day. I don't believe acts of terrorism are in any way acts of God. I believe that God's grace is abundant, and God wants what is best for us even when we don't know what that is. God does give us comfort when we are hurting. God does give us the light of hope in a dark world. We can find meaning in life when we are searching, through the grace of God. And, God does challenge us, for our own well being, for the well being of the community, for the health of our souls. But I cannot believe that terrorism is God's challenge to us. Rather the challenge is in how we live in this world with wars, insurrections, terrorism, fear, and suffering. God invites us to live with faith, by God's grace made known to us in Jesus Christ, and poured into our lives through the continuing action of the Holy Spirit.
God invites us to live with faith. That applies to stewardship also. Christian stewardship is not just getting enough money for the church budget, for paying for heat, and lights. Christian stewardship is about how we as Christians set our priorities and values. It is about how we use the time, talent, and money we have in conjunction with what we say are our Christian values. I see the work of the Total Ministry team in your cluster as a part of your stewardship of time and talent, working together for the mission of the church. Christian stewardship is about how we as individuals and as a community respond to God's call using the gifts God gives us. It involves a funny sort of mathematics. One cup of flour minus one cup of flour leaves one more cup of flour. Two fish plus five loaves of bread equals enough to feed a crowd. "The world minus God equals zero. God minus the world equals God."
Live with faith. Follow the way of Christ. In this way we gain our souls, and we find what is of enduring value.