In these last several weeks, as we have journeyed with God and each other, Pastor Ruth has been sharing messages from Robert Schnase’s book about Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. In each of them, she has challenged us as individuals and as a congregation on how to move to the next level of our faith journeys, . . . to be the disciples God would want us to be, to use our gifts and talents as God intended, to be sheep and not goats.
The lectionary readings for today do much the same thing. They speak of living faithfully, purposeful lives, living out and sharing our gifts, boldly acting as the living, breathing, trusting disciples of God He has called us to be.
In the reading from 1 Thessalonians that Teresa read, we heard that we need to be acting, not waiting; that we need to be awake, doing the work of the kingdom. We need to trust that God will reward us at the right time. That we will be gathered in as those sheep that Pastor Ruth talked about a few Sundays ago.
Today’s scripture from Matthew which Nancy just read, is the Parable of the Talents. It is one of three parables Christ told in a row on the end times. They are about hope but also about judgment. He gave this parable immediately after the parable of the ten maidens where 5 were ready, awake, as in the story in 1 Thessalonians that Teresa read, with their lamps ready, ready for the bridegroom, Jesus, on his return. And those 5 who were not ready, without their lamps lit, cast out into the utter darkness. But we don’t have to be fearful.
And the parable of the talents is right before the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.
I don’t think that is a coincidence. I don’t think God just happened to be talking about these three visions of the end times, together. He talked about being ready and using our talents right before talking about how we should treat our neighbors, . . . our enemies, those that society has cast out for no reason.
I think Christ was saying something important about who we are and who God wants us to be, as we live in this troubled world.
Christ spoke in the sheep and the goats story, and maybe it is best to use the goats part, as it is to focus on the servant with one talent. Both are stories of that day when we stand before Jesus.
We need to be awake and working, because we don’t know when Christ will come. But we don’t need to be cowering in fear. We are children of the light, bound for salvation. We can act boldly, risking our gifts, our talents for God. We have the assurance of his promise, but knowing too that Christ is watching, seeing our walk in this life.
We must be acting as sheep, seeing that piece of the sacred, that image of Christ within our neighbors. That person we see on the street, in the store, at work, or maybe at Our Family’s Table, the least of these, those who need us, that Christ is talking about.
Pastor Ruth’s challenges to us over the last few weeks, are really the same challenges that the church in Thessalonica had, or that those who were listening to these next two parables about the end times, about the Talents and about the Sheep and the Goats.
In the first sermon, Pastor Ruth covered radical hospitality. She asked:
“Is there someone in our lives that we need to practice with? Are there issues or problems with people in our lives that we need to get radical with? Are there situations within our churches that need us to practice what we preach with?”
Then, Pastor Ruth spoke about passionate worship. She asked us: “Is it really the passions of the world that matter or are our passions much more than that? What is it that we value most in the world? What are our Passions? What is it that means the most to you and to me? How will we...you and me. . . be that passionate lover that God so wants us to be? What are we willing to risk to let our passion be shown for the entire world to see? Who is the true lover of our souls?”
On 10/16, Pastor Ruth covered intentional faith development. She asked: “How is it with your faith? . . . Are you intentionally finding ways to nourish it. . .
On 10/23, Pastor Ruth talked about risk-taking mission and service (dba. . . going out on a limb.) She asked us: “how much more are we. . . you and me. . . willing to stretch our imaginations? Is there a need not being met in our church or community that requires us to act in faith and service? How can we as a church continue to find new ways to serve the least. . . the lost . . . and the forgotten? How will you answer the call of the Good Shepherd. . . will you be a sheep or a goat?” Right now.
Right after that, Mary Ann and I felt called to do what we are doing today and next Sunday, calling us to the extra coats and extra socks collection, these things that are on the altar rail. And, God wasn’t done, because last Sunday right after church, four of us when to Kathy Baker’s house. She and her daughter often went to Our Family’s Table. They are moving out of state and she called to have us come to get yard sale stuff. She said she wanted to give because she knows the good this congregation will do. There was a whole roomful of things, including . . . 5 coats for our collection. Amen.
Last week, Pastor Ruth pulled it together, talking with us about extravagant generosity. She challenged us with these words, “Next week, we will be offering our pledges on the altar. My challenge to you and to me is this. I want us to dig down deep and pray about what we will be giving back to God. Think honestly about what God has given us and what we can give back in return, and come back next week and “happily” bring our offering to God and show our trust in Him as we do so.”
Pastor Ruth and I, as husband and wife, did talk about what we would be giving to the church, based on this challenge.
But this week, as I have been preparing for today, I have been thinking that the Parable of the Talents goes far beyond our monetary gifts, what we have to share with God. What we have been given and what we are to do with our gifts. It is a very broad challenge indeed.
We need to look within us, within our faith, we need to name our talents, our gifts, how we can be sheep, how we can help those in need, and how we can be called children of God, not goats for the fires, lost for eternity, when Christ does come again, even if a thief in the night.
I’m also reminded of David Abbott’s question to us last year at our Church Conference, “What do you have in your hand”. What gifts do you have, what talents can be used?
We need to think about what risks we will take, trusting in God to provide.
God provided in the desert, the manna and quail (Exodus 16).
In the story of the Widow of Zarephath, the Flour and Oil were always enough for the widow and her son (1 Kings 17), Elijah had asked for food she knew she barely had enough; she provided; but God provided for her. She trusted in God to provide.
And, we need to remember it isn’t how much we have to give, it is how we give. The story of the Widow’s Gift is where She gave just two small coins but it was all she had. (Luke 20:45-21:4). She trusted in God for the rest. That was more than all the others gave, out of their abundance.
And we have to give extravagantly of our gifts, like the precious nard poured out on Jesus feet and then washing his feet with her hair. (John 12:1-8, Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9).
And, more than all, we need to remember the example of Christ, His Gift, taking on the sins of the world, . . . giving up his kingship for the cross, . . . his deity . . . for the humble stuff of clay, . . . dying in our place.
Can we offer less than our best? Should we, if we truly claim to be his disciples. What gifts and talents do we have? And what are we willing to do in Christ’s name to use them for God’s glory? Will we risk it all, or will we bury our gifts? What will we say when we come before the judgment seat?
Let us pray:
“Eternal God, teach us to risk what we treasure as a practice of devotion to you, trusting you with what you have entrusted to us.” (by Paul Escamilla, Upper Room Disciplines for 2011, November 12, 2011.)
Amen.
November 13, 2011
Worship Theme: “Using Our Gifts, Our Talents”
Matthew 25:14-30 (Message Bible)
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (KJV)
Prayer of St. Francis (Unison Prayer)
and sermon, “Stuck in One Place / Cowering in Fear”
Matthew 25:1-13
Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids (NRSV)
Matthew 25:31-46 (The Message Bible)
Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
Exodus 16
the Manna and the Quail
1 Kings 17
Widow of Zarephath
Luke 20:45-21:4
The Widow’s Gift
John 12:1-8,
Matthew 26:6-13,
Mark 14:3-9
washing Jesus’ feet
by Raymond A. Foss
http://www.facebook.com/raymond.a.foss
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
November 13, 2011
Twenty-Second Sunday of Pentecost
Laity Sunday
&
Worship Theme: Extravagant Generosity
2 Corinthians 9:6-10 (Common English Bible)
1Timothy 6:17-19 (Common English Bible)
Psalm 100 (Common English Bible) (Call to Worship)
Marcia McFee, A Great Thanksgiving
http://marciamcfee.typepad.com/files/come-to-the-table-interactive-great-thanks.pdf
and sermon, “Jesus Gave It All”
by Pastor Ruth L. Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s
Whisper” blogSuncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
November 6, 2011
Twenty-First Sunday of Pentecost
All Saints Day
&
Fifth and Sixth of Six part sermon series on
“Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations”
http://fivepractices.org/books/five-practices-of-fruitful-congregations/
and the book by the same name, by Robert Schnase,
http://methodistthinker.com/2009/01/14/bishop-robert-schnase-on-the-five-practices/,
bishop of the Missouri Area of the United Methodist Church
http://www.moumethodist.org/page.asp?PKValue=777
&
Worship Theme: “Risk-Taking Mission and Service”
Matthew 25:31-46 (The Message Bible)
Luke 6:32-36 (Common English Bible)
Psalm 99:1-3, 9 (Common English Bible) (Call to Worship)
Unison Prayer
Prayer of dedication (GBOD 2011)
and sermon, “Out on a Limb”
by Pastor Ruth L. Foss
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
October 23, 2011
Nineteenth Sunday of Pentecost
&
Worship Theme: “Intentional Faith Development”
Acts 2:42-47 (The Message Bible)
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (Common English Bible)
Psalm 103:1-5 (Common English Bible) (Call to Worship)
Unison Prayer:
“Loving God, we thank you for this day. Thank you for
your Word that guides and sustains us. As we hear
your Word may we rejoice in your loving-kindness and goodness;
may we draw ever closer to you.
We pray for eyes to see you in the world,
ears to hear your whisper on the wind, and a heart that is
moldable in your hands. All this we pray in the
name above all names, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Prayer of dedication (GBOD 2011, prepared for 10/9/2011 service)
and sermon,
“Equipped for the Journey”
by Pastor Ruth L. Foss
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
October 16, 2011
Nineteenth Sunday of Pentecost
&
Worship Theme: “The Practice of Passionate Worship”
Psalm 84:5-12
Psalm 84:1-4
Psalm 25:1-2a, 4-5 (Call to Worship)
Unison Prayer (GBOD 2011)
http://www.gbod.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=nhLRJ2PMKsG&b=5511965&ct=7918849
A Prayer for World Communion Sunday
by Safiyah Fosua
Prayers of Dedication (GBOD 2005)
and sermon, “I Give You My Heart”
Pastor Ruth L. Foss
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
October 2, 2011
Seventeenth Sunday of Pentecost
World Communion Sunday
&
Worship Theme: “The Practice of Radical Hospitality”
Romans 15:1-7 (NRSV Bible)
Romans 15:1-13 (NRSV Bible)
James 1:22-25 (Common English Bible)
Psalm 118:28-29 (Common English Bible)(Call to Worship)
Sermon: “That’s Radical Man!”
Pastor Ruth L. Foss
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
September 25, 2011
Sixteenth Sunday of Pentecost
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