Tools for God’s Work

Good morning. It's consecration Sunday and, I think most of you know this but for those who don't, I'm Lou Kolb, and I'll be delivering the message this morning. Actually, it's the 3rd time I've been asked to speak to you on Consecration Sunday and I suspect some of you may start to get a bit uneasy when you see me up here. Is he going to talk about money again? Well yes, yes I am.

Some folks, nonbelievers mostly, actually think that all the church ever talks about is money. But those of you who are regular members of St. Mark's know that that's not the case here. And even if it were, we would have no less an example than Jesus Christ himself.

Remember, last year, I mentioned that Jesus talked about money more than anything else in the gospel except the kingdom of God. So, we will talk about money, and other things as well, because our main topic is not money but stewardship, but we'll start out talking about money if only because of the inevitable, unavoidable cards that we will pass out later, on which you will be asked to voluntarily write a number representing what you think you'll give to St. Mark's this coming year, and I'll have instructions for you later on that process.

Unlike NPR, I don't have a handsome tote bag to give you. But also unlike NPR, my harangue will only last for 15 minutes, not two weeks.

What are we accomplishing when we give to St. Mark's? Of course, there are things that need to be taken care of and most of us were raised to be responsible. To do the right thing. And to care for what we have here. In a building this large and complex, something always needs attention.

We were having a worship and music meeting a few weeks ago in the middle lounge. It was right around noon and the bells in the tower began to play the Westminster chimes as they're programmed to do. As familiar as the Westminster chimes melody is to most of us, (ding dong ding dong. Ding dong ding dong.) it was immediately obvious that one of the bells was not ringing when it should have. So Pastor is making arrangements to have that fixed and that will result in a bill that we must pay. It's one of those things that can't be foreseen but must be taken care of.

That's how the world works. The world, runs on money. It can be a means to an end, as in paying our bills.

To some people, it can become an end in itself. Being human, I think we all have some of that in us. Ever play the lottery? Kathy and I sometimes do. There's always that little hope that we'll strike it rich. Few do. And of those who have won, the overwhelming majority of stories are about people who have been made miserable by the windfall. I don't know about you but, so far, having too much money is something I haven't had to worry about yet. And that's just as well because there are enough other pitfalls to avoid in this world that runs on money.

Jesus talked often about the trouble money could get us into and he also talked about where real value could be found. We Christians strive to be people of God! We sing it in the service when we sing “This Is the Feast of Victory for Our God!”. The words are from the book of Revelation. Remember? We sing "Worthy is Christ the lamb who was slain. Whose blood set us free to be people of God!"

While the currency of the world is money, the currency of God, in so far as we are concerned, is the blood of Christ. The blood shed by Jesus on the cross. That currency paid bills that would be otherwise utterly unpayable by us. But that's the kind of giver God is! He gives lavishly and extravagantly!

Remember the wedding at Cana? They gave Jesus ordinary water and Jesus, through God, gave the wedding guests incredibly high quality wine. At the end of a long day when there were five-thousand people to be fed, and all they had were a few loaves and a couple fishes, God gave so lavishly that day that not only was everyone fed but they had 12 baskets left over. And when our unworthy bacon needed salvation, he didn't even spare his own son.

So when you write down that number on the card later this morning, it is an act of worship! Of showing God's “worth ship” to you.

If you are new to all this, you might be wondering why it is called Consecration Sunday. To consecrate is to dedicate to a divine purpose. Certainly, the money that we pledge will do ordinary things like pay bills, but it will also make it possible to do the things that help us to know Christ, like several Bible studies, The Way, and Sunday school for kids and adults. And also to do the things that make Christ known like Family Promise, our 4th of July gathering, and publicizing what goes on here at St. Mark's.

And that brings me to my next point. I mentioned earlier that stewardship is more than just money. It is also time and talent. To say that Pastor Elkin is a hands-on pastor may be a bit of an under-statement. There are many and varied ministries going on here and he is involved in all of them. But as we all know by now, at the end of the year, he will be, as he so elegantly puts it, concluding his ministry here at St. Mark's. And this might be a good time to interject that when he leaves at the end of the year, this parish will not be set adrift. Bishop Collins and Pastor Kerry Auker, the dean of the west branch conference, have assured the St. Mark's church council that, starting on the first of the year, this church will be served by either an interim pastor or what's called an intentional pastor. So we will be covered when it comes to pastoral care. But it may be a while before we have a full-time, dedicated pastor such as the one we're losing in Pastor Elkin.

As I said, we have a lot of ministries going on here. If at all possible, they must continue. So someone may ask you to join this or lead that. If you're like me, you might answer with something like "Are you kidding?" that's exactly what I said to Wally Brandau the first time he asked me to preach. And all he wanted was a little Lenten homily. I told him that I'd never done that before and that I didn't know how and yada, yada, yada. But he persisted and, at length, prevailed.

And of course, I had similar responses when I was asked to join the council and chair a committee. And I'm not necessarily very good at any of those things. But doing them had the benefit of pushing me toward God to find the help and the answers I needed. He always provided that help when I prayed for it, much of it coming from very able people in this congregation.

And we are blessed to have lots of people with significant skills and talents in our congregation. Bob Miller who is a fabulous wood worker, Lou DeSeau who is a wizard with electrical wiring, and experienced leaders like Ray Huff and Walt Haussmann. And that's just a sampling. Most of these folks have served St. Mark's for years and some, like Walt and Ray, may be taking lesser roles as they rotate off of church council this spring.

Who will take their places? These are all things to consider as we address the stewardship of this church today. If you're concerned that you don't have what it takes to take a more active role in this church, remember the story Jesus told in this morning's gospel. He told the apostles, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree be uprooted and planted in the sea and it will obey.

I haven't tried to move any mulberry trees but I have asked for many things of God in the course of my work as a council person and a committee person and many of them have been granted. And I trust that the things that were denied me, were done for my own good—which God would know far more about than I would.

If you were to do something risky for this church, either by giving more than you have previously, or by stepping out in faith to do something for this church you're not entirely sure you can do, I'm certain He would take at least as good care of you.

We are a family here, a community in Christ. We spoke a year ago on Consecration Sunday about how this church is still vital and thriving and about how much there was still to be done here at St. Mark's. To do it, some of us may have to move out of our comfort zones. And that's always scary. But God seems to have given us what we need; a willing and generous congregation and the assurance he gave in Jeremiah, “for I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not evil.” And so, armed with our faith in Him, let's get to work.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.