PEOPLE WHO GIVE

October 22, 1989
8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Worship services
John M. Buchanan |
Fourth Presbyrerian Church, Chicago

Scripture
Luke 12:41-48

"Every one to whom much is given, of that one will much be required;:.."
- -Luke 12:48b

“Whatever else it is, religion is big business. America has more
clergy than Ford and Chrysler together have employees. If U. S. religion
were a company it would be number five on the Fortune 500, its $50 billion
of revenues putting it behind IBM and just ahead of GE." {Fortune,
September 25, 1989}

That's the. lead paragraph of an article in Fortune magazine, ;
September. 25 edition, "Turning Around the Lord's Business." The aim of -the
article was to analyze the shifting religious market in America from the
perspective of management. The author proposes that strong, growing
churches, regardless of their position on the conservative-liberal scale
will almost always be churches that do a good job serving their members.
That. is, they practice good management.

The implication is that religion and good management are not often
happily related in the institutional church. That's not news to church
people. And the reasons are fairly simple, I think. “Management" sounds
worldly and somewhere in the theological nerve center of most of us is the
old idea that religion and church are not supposed to be worldly, in fact
should be separate from, different from worldly enterprises, maybe even a
haven, an escape, a cloister ~ from all that is worldly.

In any. event, I read the Fortune article in September, tucked it ina
file and then this week focused my attention on the text we just heard - a
portion of the 12th chapter of the Gospel according to Luke - and I was
struck. by some connections. The passage itself is about management, about
efficient, effective, faithful management of someone else's property... And
it is about the particular responsibilities which fall on those who are
given the wherewithal ~— the materia] resources, the education, the
experience -.to be managers. It is a passage about stewardship; not
as a euphemism for raising money to meet the budget, but a much, much
broader and deeper concept of the steward, as a model for Christian
discipleship.

So aaeeend to that - that. sudden success, that unexpected | bigness,”

~. people, they were tramping on each other, There is, perhaps, “temptation, ~

TEs success: that the periods of persecution have brought the best.o

Ss ts occurred to me, that- the ‘dilemma of the™ televangelism business. is’ one.’

| precious resource’ of one! Ss own life.

you have, the more is: “expected of you.”

them=to- allow me to stay out later or do this. or that, or to low

justice, got this. one right: when he said:

= “The opening sentence of ‘the chapter. struck me because of. pits 8
similarity to. Fortune magazine! 8 dead: om

7 Miatever else it is, religion is big. business, “said Forty ge

oe “Th: the meantime, (when) so many thousands of. the multitude had:
“gathered together that they ‘trod upon one. another,’ ae “said Luke. fe: Ay

“And. it occurred. tome ‘that. just maybe. everything that follows is” :
all: ‘those =

people.” -Here they were a small. group of very odest people. be V3.0 02 :
"- probably 20-at the most, and following them at this point were. SO- many. Soares eee

am also something demanding about that kind of. success. and popularity.

2 “and -it further occurred ‘to me that one. “could argue, that. th :
“church ‘has been far better at. -handling adversity ‘then it has handled -

of us,
while” times of prosperity have-made us smalli-and- petty. . You could argue,

not: of long term, premeditated deceit, but. -the. gradual. seduction of big. —
“ wumbers: ‘and big dollars... and- that there is a ‘special accountabilit aa
~ exacted: 6 of ‘God's people during good ‘times,

“Being a Christian. in that situation, said Jesus, is. pest d
“thet wore "steward"... one who manages every resource at his or. her
disposal: faithfully. That includes money, power, influence and th

ine then Jesus added | one of those brilliant, “unforgettable
| "Bueryone to whom auch is given, of ‘that one will much b

: “That, the ethicists. say, is uniquely” Jesus. : Most. ethical § ee
geek: ‘out minimum requirements for all to follow,: lowest common: denominators
“= "don't-kill, don't Skea” " for instance. :: “Jesus is more “intere: a

graduated. morality: “proportionate duty" it has’ ‘been. called.

mb My. parents used to think like that. “y ‘was forever trying to. persuade

behavior | standards by ‘appealing toa jower common denominator: "Nobody: did
well on. that_test," or "But Bobby's. parents allow. him. to. go," 1: cused: ‘to -
“gays It never worked. "You! re. hot Bobby and we! re not Bobby's s. paren :
Ne way it: ‘got resolved. a : =.

“$0: ‘the: Old Testament. prophets: tell Israel - that to be bles ee
“to. be: chosen “by God’ -"is not always easy. In, fact “itis demanding because —
God! s expectations are connected to the blessing. a

And Andrew Carengie, certainly no advocate: ‘of Olid ‘Testament. social:

"This then is held to be the duty of the man of wealth...lo consider
all surplus revenues which come to him strietly as trust funds, which he is
called upon to administer in the manner which, in his judgment, is best
calculated te preduce the must beneficial results for the community."
[Democracy and the Gospel of Wealth, cited by Philip Wogaman, Economics and

Everyone to whom much is given, of that person, persans, churches,
nations, will much be required. There is no more relevant word. The
relevant question for us is always, "How shall I live?" How shal] 1 live in
this time and place, this world, here and now? How shall I spend out my
resources, my life?

On. thal matter our culture is, J] believe, in the middle of a critical
change. In the backwash of the 1960s we turned inward. Having failed to
defeat poverty, we decided that our chief end was to make as much money as
possible. Having seen our hopes for peace dashed by Vietnam and Vietnam's
tragic aftermath, which continues, we opted for peace of mind. Having seen
the best of. America's dreams confront the harsh realities of Watergate,
Iran-Contra, and a conscience-numbing parade of government officials
indicted for everything from peddling influence with defense contractors to
Simply stealing money from housing programs for the poor ~ we decided that
a better bet. might be to concentrate on self-fulfillment.

That's’ changing. Part of the reason is that we have tried
selfishness out as a life style and discovered that it doesn't feel right.
Douglas LaBier, a psychotherapist, writes a column for the Washineton Post
to "heip hollow souls make sense of it all." His patients, he says, are
“troubled winners" - people who are unhappy when they reach the top of the
ladder. A life too much devoted to pursuing money, power and position and
control over others ends up being emotionally impoverished. In a new book,
The Hunger for More, Searching for Values in an Age of Greed, the author,
Lawrence Shames, argues that the October '87 crash awakened young adults.
Pre-crash,. the widely accepted credo was “I believe that the pursuit of
wealth is- in itself exciting and engrossing and fashionable and worthy of
the best part of my focus, my attention, my passion, and in return the
pursuit of wealth will make me a success." Getober '87 corrected that.

My guess is that last weekend was another reminder.

2,000 years ago Jesus observed that "life is more than possessions."
We are relearning that, it seems. And if you happen to have possessions, it
is a matter of very great importance to know how to handle them: to know
how to own and use possessions rather than being owned and used by them.
One of the saddest news items I've read recently was about English Bay,
Alaska, an Aleut Indian fishing village, which has been forever changed,
net only by the Exxon Valdez's oil, but by the huge amounts of money the
Aleuts have earned working for Exxon to clean up the oil. “Instead of
hanging salmon to dry this month, as Aleut natives have done for centuries
- John was putting up a $3,000 television satellite on the bluff beside his
home. A few houses away, Jeff Evans, his hair painted green, churned up
the road with his new $1,500 Fat Cat motorbike, portable Stern headphones
over his ears, gold jewelry flashing. In years past he would have been
storing feod for winter.

10/22/89 ”

In ‘English Bay Lhere is-a | sharp increase in _ drunkenness and all they
“re lated ‘social: problems. that. accompany it.: Even:if’ the® salmon: return: “some.

"authorities wonder if English, Bay can survives: Mew York Mines, 9/18/89]

ee -are: always: in direct. proportion to the prosperity. and success

Jesus understood. the potential for tragedy when nen and women are

seduced by the promise of success, possessions, power, as their chief. end
in-life.-- Jesus taught that-faithfulness to him was: a matter: of. living: for.
him; being possessed, not. bythe pursuit.of. wealth, but. by-his passionate:
| love for the world....Living right, Jesus said; iwas-a. mattersof- managing

things | wisely, and knowing always that his: expectations: of us: =

we enjoy. LF

It is.a relevant word fer us today. Stewardship is the word. we use
~to-describe raising money. for the. church... and while we-are. big: business,
_ the-amouiits- are relatively modest. A few dollars’ more. per member: er week =
a: generous taxi tip - the cost of .a few drinks =~ would make the» difference ©
for’ most. churches My: ‘impatience with that kind of: stewardship: is that the.
~.issue is huge: it is howto, use everything: -how-to. manage all: fy es

a ‘possessions... Get. that. one right: and you'd 1- find yourself giving a ay:

"unheard of. amounts of money-to- the. church and. loving. ithe Write

humanity, the struggle to find a future that is neither: the prete
+ lordship: of the universe that. leads with a. dread. logic to coblivi
oe the: other. hand, the cowardly - shrinking away. from” all thought, plann

“recurrent: theme of an absent. landowner who. entrusts> the estate: fo. a steward.
- and returns ‘suddenly- and: unexpectedly to demand an accounting wa vse eee
powerful: ‘idea-for the early Christian Church. »The- name :for-that:
“. thinking’ is eschatology: and. it. ‘tnakes- us, frankly,” -uncomfortable.

oo ever-since’ there have been: many , many preachers; ‘prophets. and not a

history and built their. reputations, and scared. a lot: of: people.
diverted attention’ from: Jesus! lead priority o namely life ‘in--this

“- John Hall, "Stewardship. challenges us to a lifeof: worldly. Mee tome

ta: think: stewardship today:is to think in. very bold terms. -Tt:is tobe.)
plummeted into the center of the. spiritual. struggle of late 20th: century.

atious

On”

action that arrives. at change."

: Much of the. New: Testament is written with a: sense ofa | deadline”.
approach ing. The writers. clearly. believed that -in-their- own lifetime. they =
sowould> witness. the return-of “Jesus. Christ. and the summation: of: history. © The:

thing,-: the end did not. come-as: ‘the New Testament. writers anticipated

charlatans who have ‘reckoned: the day of -the- Lord's. return and* the

: Embarrassed by these. excesses we Presbyterians ignore it, gloss: over
_- quickly. as possible... I'd-like to.bring it..back: in this: morning, © nee
cautiously, not asia threat, or evenan approaching dead] ine’ ‘before » which”

- younand-I had better. get:our. lives together ‘or else - although: that has: LY
“always been a-fairly effective fund-raising: device.: I'd dike’to: bring: its
~~ back. in asthe wisdom to see that our lives: have a: ‘vertical as well
“horizontal dimension. » We. do live in-a portion of ‘God's eternity. /: r
lives are made precious by. reason of the fact ‘that they have-a beginning o
and -an-ending. History-may° net: come to an-:end. soon... but you and: T most: ae
certainly do. live in a-limited dimension. of history. rans oe ee ee

q see no divine intentionality in a random: earthquake and 3 aS “highway:

and: forsus 0

collapsing and I prefoundly disagree with anyone who does. But Towas wo

(10/22/89

reminded -thig week that we do live within perimeters: . and that because of
that, life cis very, very precious.

Thee Judeo-Christian faith, which I claim as wy-own, reminds me thatsall
I have is on loan for awhile. The earth is the Lord's -— not mine. I'm a
steward for a few decades. AJ1l I own, really and truly, is my life: a
segment of God's eternily, given to me with no strings attached, no
condition. My daily task is to live it as fully and thoroughly and.
Faithfolly.as I can. My choice, my commitment is to live it in gratitude
‘to -God-wha gave it to me, and in responsible stewardship, acknowledging
that: because I have been given -so very much, much is expected of me, by
God. ;

That- includes the resources 1 give — the money I give to the church,
and the agencies in the city I believe in.

It includes how I use my time and energy and how I invest my love.

It includes the whole estate — my life - a piece of God's eternity
put. atomy ‘disposal,

This: sermon. on stewardship actually began last August in a coed
conversation with a special friend. Sally died in September and because
she was our Close and dear friend | was asked to-say a few words at her
funeral.

Sally was in her early fifties, mother of -three, about to be a
prandmother. She loved her family without reservation. She loved and held
her three children together through a very painful divorce. She loved God
and the: Presbyterian Church and playing tennis and a good party. She was
an Elder. and.a Trustee in a Presbyterian Church. Ten years ago Sally
developéed‘a rare liver tumor, not malignant, but fast prowing. There was
-no treatment. And so she got bigger and bigger, as big as a nine month...
pregnancy and.still bigger. Finally a liver transplant seemed her only
hope... So. she went to the Mayo Clinic and waited. And because she was not
in immediate danger she waited for six months. Her spirit and love and-
sense of humor never. diminished.

During that time her family took turns staying with her. Her young
daughter-in-law teok a turn and Sally laughed about, how in three days her
daughter-in-law had been thoroughly immersed in the esoteric and intense
business of. organ transplants, hearing lectures, reading articles,
attending workshops and seminars on organ donation, organ recovery, organ
transportation, organ maintenance. On Sunday morning Sally took her
daughter-in-law, a non-church person, to the Presbyterian Church for
worship: Fhey sat. down, opened the bulletin and then her daughter-in-law
asked, “What in the world is that?" pointing to the organ offertory.

We stopped by to see Sally in August, a few weeks after her liver
transplant. She was not well, a stubborn infection was turning into
pneumonia... But she wanted to talk to us because she was trying to write a
thank you. note, anonymously, to the family of the person whose liver had

_ been donated and. transplanted. She showed me the notes she had written.

1N/99 48a

“I've come up with the coucept of stewardship" she said. “That's what it
is, isn't it, someone gave. me their life ima manner of speaking.":

Tits a matter of stewardship. Jt's a matter of learning to Live our
lives -like that, fnily and generously and faithfully and -that),--Jesus”
taught, is a matter of managing and iavesting and spending out’ ‘and
giving.- giving them away, until they are complete.

The funeral was not an easy assignment. TI closed with the-final -
passage-of- Julian, presented so powerfully by Linda Loving: last- Sinday
night... At the end of the play, and near the end of her remarkable Vife Julian
Says: ee :

"My life is a little thing
‘when it will end here
is God's secret.

And the world
is a little thing,

like a hazelnut
in his-her hand --

but it is in his ever-keeping,
it.-is in his ever<loving, .
it- is in his ever-making,

how. should any thing be amiss?

Yes, all shall be well,
-and al] will be welj

and thou shalt see thyself
_ that all manner of thing
shall be well."

That is true. That is the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All
will be well. But in the meantime there is the matter of these lives of
ours and how to live them fully and faithfully. in God's good grace. and’

lave.

"Everyone to whom much is given, of him -.of her - will much be
required.” ,

Amen.

10/22/89 6