SERMON, PROPER 14C, LUKE 12:32-40

Do not be afraid. When have we heard that before? How about every time an angel visits, or whenever God is asking us to trust him. Peter and the boat come immediately to mind here.

You remember Peter, don't you? He and the other disciples see Jesus walking on the water and Jesus says, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." At which point Peter puts him to the test and says, "Then command me to come to you on the water." Jesus does and Peter walks on water . . . for a bit anyway.

Do not be afraid, says Jesus. Sell your possessions and give alms. I don't know about you, but I don't have that much faith. I don't know if I could do the St. Francis thing, sell all my possessions and live as an itinerant preacher dude. And if I doubt that about myself, I sure can't ask my congregation to do that.

However, let's be very clear that selling our possessions isn't simply doling out your extra items that you've outgrown. What Jesus is talking about is a reallocation of wealth and a reordering of society.

Last week's sermon touched on this a little bit, but how much stuff do we need? What if we took an inventory of the stuff in our lives with an eye to paring down to just the necessities? How much stuff could we get rid of and still live better than the vast majority of people in the world? And once we've sold it, would we be willing to part with the money we raised? Would you donate it all to the discretionary fund or the building fund or the outreach fund?

Jesus not only talks about a reallocation of wealth, but a reordering of society. The slaves who are faithful and do the work of the master -- ie the disciples who are faithful and alert and working towards the kingdom of God -- will be elevated to the place of honor while the master serves them. There's that Lukan theology of reversal again.

All of this -- selling your possessions, giving alms, and working for the kingdom -- all of this is predicated on faith. It is based on our value system and where we put our trust. Do we value our things, our possessions, our stuff? Are we willing to give God and church the best we have to offer? Do not be afraid.

Jesus said, "Where our treasure is, there your heart will be." Where are our treasures? We spend our time decorating our houses, buying pretty knick knacks and fashionable clothes. Eventually most of that stuff ends up in the trash. Oh, a few items get handed on, but most of it doesn't. Lots of us get caught up in the American race of, "He who dies with the most toys wins." But the reality is that he who dies with the most toys still dies.

So what's my point here? There are actually two: don't be afraid, and how can we reallocate our resources so that this congregation can thrive?

First, don't be afraid. Jesus isn't calling us out of the boat to drown. God isn't asking us to live like vagabonds. But Jesus is asking us to get out of the boat and walk on water. God is asking us to trust him and put our treasure and resources into something that won't wear out and be destroyed.

On one of the blogs I read, the author said he watched a show called "Fat March," in which seriously obese people are challenged to walk 570 miles to lose weight. One of the participants fell into her old mindset and kept saying, "I can't, I can't, it's too far."

We may have some of that mentality. This congregation has been down for so long that we find ourselves saying, "We can't, it's too much, it's too complicated." It is if we believe that.

Don't be afraid. What do we want to happen here? What do we believe will happen here? Attendance is up overall. A new roof. A few programs. We aren't going to be successful overnight. But if we believe, if we move from looking at obstacles to looking at opportunities, if we keep working at it one step at a time, then pretty soon we will have covered those 570 miles. We will have walked on water. We will be alert and working and rewarded by the Master.

First, don't be afraid. Second, reallocate resources. Growth does take money. New carpet. New signage. Physical upkeep. Program materials. Outreach. Mission trips. The list goes on. We all love this place, but will it be here for the next generation? The only way to ensure that is to see this place as a treasure and treat it as such.

This is always the part priests hate talking about, because in reality every little bit helps. Every penny, from the widow's mite to the wealthy benefactor, it all helps. But if we continue to try and pledge from our extras, or from a theology of scarcity, we won't last.

What are we willing to pay for fine art, or our collection of whatevers, or for our hobbies? Are not the kingdom of God and our mission in the Ruby Valley more important than those things? Do not be afraid to give God and church a higher priority in your life.

Let's get out of the boat and walk on water. Let's treat this place as the treasure it is and make it a priority. Let's continue to be alert and proclaim the Good News. Let's look at our opportunities. And more than anything, let's not be afraid.