The Rev. John A. Baldwin
October 30, 2011
October 30, 2011
Year A Proper 26 RCL
Growing Together In Commitment Faithfully
A chicken and a pig decided to go out to breakfast one morning at Joe's Diner. After looking over the menu, the chicken said to the pig, "Look they're offering a special on bacon and eggs for breakfast. How does that sound to you?" The pig replied, "No thanks. For you eggs are a contribution. For me, bacon is a total commitment".
Our theme for this morning, as we come to the culmination of our 4 week Every Member Commitment campaign, is this: Growing together in commitment faithfully". This morning I'm going to address the topic of commitment, which has both healthy, life-giving & vital aspects, as well as unhealthy, depleting & even, at times, addictive aspects.
We have only to look at our Epistle this morning from Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians to glimpse the kind of commitment Paul had in preaching the Good news of the Gospel.....namely that Jesus has been raised to life, and the world has changed dramatically as a result. Paul writes, "We worked night and day....while we preached to you the gospel of God. We exhorted each one of you & encouraged you & charged you to lead a life worthy of God." Paul is an example of commitment at its best: internal, focused, clear, energetic & purpose-driven. He is committed to encouraging others to lead a life worthy of God.
Jesus, in this morning's Gospel, gives us an example of commitment that is not so healthy, in his depiction of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were very committed in their interpretation of the Law, and in demanding its observance. They were righteously indignant at anyone, such as Jesus, who violated the Law of Moses (as they interpreted it), even if by so doing love & mercy were effected....such as healing on the Sabbath. The problem, as Jesus shrewdly observes, however, is this: "The Pharisees preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders. They do all their deeds to be seen by men." Their commitment doesn't come from the heart, but from externals. Obedience is far more important than compassion.
Every one of us has commitments, some very clear, and others quite subtle. Here are a few of them - commitments to family members (our parents, spouse, or children); to serving our country in the military; to earning a living; to being people of integrity, faithful to our values and beliefs; to using our leisure time for enjoyment and refreshment; to keeping informed and in touch with others; to improving ourselves through study and action. Many of these commitments are healthy & bring meaning and purpose to our lives. Other commitments are less healthy, such as commitment to substances which are detrimental to our well-being; commitment to political & societal viewpoints that demean others; commitment to cherished beliefs which fly in the face of common sense and the changing world around us; commitment to old wounds, slights & bitterness we won't let go of; commitment to fear or disengagement from the suffering of others.
Some or our commitments we take very seriously. Others we take lightly, or don't think about much at all. Some of us are under-committed, skating along on the surface of life without making much of an impact on anyone or anything. Others of us are over-committed and perhaps experiencing stress & anxiety because of it.
If we have the courage to look closely at where our greatest commitments in life lie, a good place to look is at our credit card statement or check book entries. There will be reflected the commitment we have made to a bank when we purchased a car or house; the commitment we have made to the well-being of our family in our utility, clothing, food, education & insurance bills; as well as the commitments we make to our own fun and enjoyment. Sometimes what's very telling, is in looking carefully at what may be missing. Is giving beyond ourselves reflected in our check book entries?: to our faith community; to those in need or suffering; to advocacy groups who are addressing our concerns and values; to our youth and the future of our world?
As a faith community, it is vitally important that we examine our commitments and ask ourselves the question: Are we more like the chicken or the pig? Do we make contributions like the chicken which don't demand a whole lot of us? or are we perhaps called like the pig, when we give of ourselves, to make a total commitment?
Jesus lays out some very challenging calls to action from his disciples that involve far more than occasional contributions. In fact, his whole Sermon on the Mount is a call to total commitment: to God; to mercy, justice and peace; to forgiveness and truthfulness; to integrity and faithfulness. Anyone who believes you can live an authentic Christian life by half-measures simply doesn't get it. It takes commitment.
No where, I believe, is it clearer as to what is required in the way of Christian commitment in order to be a loyal and devoted follower of Jesus Christ than in those 5 questions asked in our Baptismal Covenant: Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? Will you persevere in resisting evil, and whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
Our task as a faith community is to grow day by day, week by week, year by year in commitment to God as expressed in our Baptismal Covenant - worshiping faithfully; resisting evil in its many disguises; proclaiming the good news of God's love & grace; seeing Jesus Christ in every person we meet; and striving with our hearts, souls and minds that justice & peace may flourish in our lives & in our community.
May God grant us the strength to commit ourselves to the growth of God's Kingdom in ourselves, our family, our church, our community, and our world. Amen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Joshua 3:7-17 -
Micah 3:5-12 -
1 Thessalonians 2: 9-13 - we worked night and day....while we preached to you the gospel of God. We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to lead a life worthy of God.
Matthew 23: 1-12 - The Pharisees preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders. They do all their deeds to be seen by men. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
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Lectionary: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:1-12
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