Reverend Ref +

SERMON
26 PENTECOST
PROPER 28A

Matthew 25:14-15, 19-29

Does anybody else have a problem with this gospel? It is so different from anything else . . . the master gives talents to his slaves, and then disappears. God doesn't abandon us, "I am with you always," said Jesus. God doesn't punish us for following the Law; for in burying the treasure, the slave was avoiding usury. And God certainly doesn't base his rule on fear, as this master apparently does.

So where do we go with this? What can we take from this gospel into our lives today? I think there are a couple of areas we can look at that apply to us.

The first, and most obvious, is that we need to use the talents we have been given. Every one of us has a talent, some of us have multiple talents, and there isn't any one talent that is "better" than any other talent, they are simply different. The person who sings like an angel, bakes pies from scratch and sews clothes for the orphanage isn't any more talented than the person who can read a spreadsheet.

The second, and most important, aspect is that using your talents requires us to take risks. This doesn't really come through with the first two slaves, because Jesus simply states that they took their talents and doubled them. It's with the third slave, though, that this comes out. He knew the master to be a harsh man; this knowledge generated fear and that fear immobilized him. What if he lost his talent? What if he was unsuccessful? What if he created a debt rather than a surplus? All of these questions, so he simply buried his talent in the ground where it had no opportunity at all.

How does that saying go . . . "It's better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all."

We take risks every day. We take our first steps as toddlers. We drive during snow storms. We take new jobs. We go back to school. We retire early. We come to church. It's a risk to love your enemies. It's a risk to publicly proclaim your faith. It's a risk to say, "I've sinned, please forgive me." We grow as people because we are willing to risk.

We not only grow as individuals when we risk, but we grow as a collective. Our parish will only grow if and when we take risks. The first point of our mission statement says, "Invite people into our midst." For Episcopalians, inviting people to church is a huge risk. Since I've been here, how many people have you invited to church? If we are to grow and flourish we must take risks, and inviting people into our midst is just one of many. What kind of risks am I getting at? In three words -- time, talent and treasure.

There is the risk of treasure. If you look at pledging as another bill you have to pay, the risk seems personally high; but if you look at pledging as an expression of gratitude, thankfulness and abundance, the risk changes. It moves from, "How much money am I losing," to, "The more I pledge the more the diocese will decrease its financial support." Hmmm. What would it look like if we were to be financially self-sufficient? Are we willing to risk living out a theology of abundance and take that chance?

There is the risk of talent. Maybe you have a talent for cooking or baking. Are you willing to risk letting that be known and end up being called every time there's a function that requires food? Maybe you have a talent for accounting. Are you willing to risk letting that be known to become the parish treasurer? After all, Polly & George can't do it forever. Maybe you have a talent for singing. Are you willing to let that be known and risk becoming a choir director? There's a fear that if you let your talent be known you'll have to use it at church. If that's what you are thinking, then you are burying your talent in the ground just like that third slave.

There is the risk of time. Our lives have become so busy. I'll grant you that people here aren't as overly busy as they are in Chicago, but people are busy. My daughter plays in the pep band, she has homework, she was in a production of "Pinocchio", she played volleyball, and I'm sure that you can rattle off all of the things that keep you busy. But are you willing to risk your time for the church? Time on Sunday mornings to come, or time after service in the study sessions I offer, or time to rake leaves, or paint, or clean, or participate in a weekday program that might be offered? Time is precious. Are you willing to risk sharing that time in order to build up this parish?

We are called to love our neighbors and enemies. We are called to care for God's creation. We are called to share our abundance with others. We are called to use our talents. We are called to live boldy. We are called to take risks. Like the angel told the women after the resurrection, and Jesus told the women after the resurrection, and the angel told Mary before the birth, "Be not afraid."

You received a pledge card in your copy of "The Good News." This week, when the gospel is about using our talents, taking risks and not being afraid, I would like you to seriously consider how important this place is and how you might boldly use your time, talent and treasure in a way that reflects your understanding of our mission.

We all have talents that God gave us; don't bury them in the ground because you are afraid to use them.