You Are Entrusted

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“You Are Entrusted”

Sermon for MCC New Haven

September 22, 2013

Rev. Brian Hutchison, M.Div.

1 Tim. 2:1-4

Luke 16:10-15

Genesis 1:29, “God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food… And it was so. God saw everything that [God] had made, and indeed, it was very good.”

         Evolutionary evidence has shown us that the world did not come together in six literal days. The creation stories are just that, stories. (Fortunately a recent attempt to put creationism into science textbooks in Texas failed.) But that doesn’t mean that we can’t find wisdom in our ancient scriptures. In the first chapter of Genesis, God entrusts humanity with caring for the earth. God calls all of creation Good and sets humanity out on a great adventure of discovering all the wonderful things God has made.

         Fast-forward to the industrial age. Humans have made a hole in the protective ozone layer by our carbon emissions. We have contributed significantly to global warming, which endangers thousands of species of animals and risks our quality of life in the future. The practice of fracking involves digging into the earth to harvest natural gas. In too many places, fracking has resulted in people turning on their tap water and being able to light it on fire because it is highly contaminated. The contamination is making them ill, especially with cancer.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 continues to make people living on the Gulf sick. The spill began on April 20^th 2010 and gushed for 87 days until it was capped on July 15^th.  210 million gallons of oil spilled into the ocean during that time. Some of the oil was collected by skimming the surface. But a chemical called Corexit was sprayed by plane over the water to disburse the oil. This method has made it extremely difficult to collect any more of the oil. Corexit also caused many on the Gulf to become ill, adding insult to injury.

         Even now, legislators are pushing for the Keystone Pipeline to be built across the United States, which would allow crude oil to be transported underground, stretching from Canada and the Northern United States to be processed in Texas near the Gulf of Mexico (of all places). Imagine the damage this could do to our country’s beauty.

         Nuclear waste from the Fukushima power plant explosion in Japan on March 11^th 2011 continues to pollute the Pacific Ocean.

         The industrial age has allowed humans to accomplish marvelous things. We can now travel faster than ever around the world. Our electronics allow us to work faster and faster in a world economy now based on information technology. We continue to excel in knowledge in all subjects. But what good is all of our knowledge if we don’t have the wisdom to treat the earth with reverence? Perhaps our money should say, “In Technology We Trust.”

         The effects of war also ruin our earth. Mahatma Gandhi made the point: “An eye for an eye until the whole world is blind.” In war, “A bomb for a bomb until the world is gone.” In the early 1970s, Dr. William Thetford said to Dr. Helen Schucman at Columbia University, “There must be another way, and I’m determined to find it.” She agreed and soon began to write A Course in Miracles. Now known commonly as The Course or ACIM, A Course in Miracles aims “at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance” (1).

         I would not be standing in front of you week after week doing what I do if I did not fully believe that “There is another way” and that the way is God’s love for all of creation.

         Folks, you are entrusted! (Repeat after me, “I am entrusted!”) You are entrusted with the care of the earth. You are entrusted with the care of your friends and family. And you are entrusted with the health of your church. A group of nuns who call themselves “Green Nuns” (as in being ecologically green) sing a chant together. I invite you to sing it with me the second time. "Sacred is the call, awesome indeed the entrustment. Tending the Holy, Tending the Holy." You are not inconsequential on this earth. Every one of our actions has a consequence in the world and it can be for the building of the Reign of Divine Love on earth or for its detriment.

         New Thought Christianity teaches that even our thoughts have consequences. Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Watch your thoughts; They become words. Watch your words; They become deeds. Watch your deeds; They become habits. Watch your habits; They become character. Character is everything.”

         So let’s start at the thought level. Do you think that the earth is worthy of being loved unconditionally? If so, do your deeds reflect that thought? If so, do you have habits that support your good deeds? If so, does your personal character reflect your habit of good deeds?

         Next think about humanity. Does God call us to love all people unconditionally? If so, do your deeds reflect that thought? If so, do you have habits that support your good deeds? If so, does your personal character reflect your habit of good deeds?

         Finally, think about your church. Does God call you to give all you can of your Time, Talent, and Treasure for the building of God’s Commonwealth here and now? If so, do your deeds reflect that thought? If so, do you have habits that support your good deeds? If so, does your personal character reflect your habit of good deeds?

         Today is Harvest Sunday, as it is the first day of Fall, also known as the Autumnal Equinox. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called during this season to discern what the fruits of our labor are. Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel reading from Luke that no matter how much you have or what gifts you have to give the world, your faithfulness is what counts. He says, “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.” Jesus continues, saying, if you haven’t been faithful with what the world gives you, then who will trust you with what God gives you? You can’t serve two lords. You cannot serve both God and wealth.

         Greed is what is rotting both our earth and our hearts. Greed for oil pollutes our world. Greed for wealth takes our spirits’ focus away from doing God’s work of love in the world and focuses it on the fear of lack. A scarcity mentality is a distrust in God. This is the prophetic word of the Spirit today: A scarcity mentality is a distrust in God. When we live with a scarcity mentality, we are putting wealth as a priority over God.

         How many of us have said, “If I only won the lottery, I would be happy.” Is that really true? I know that I would be happy to wipe out my student loans and pay off some other things, but luxury does not promise happiness. Remember the words of Jesus in Luke 6:20, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Commonwealth of God.”

         I am stunned to be quoting a sitting Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, but I can this week. He said in his sermon this past week, “Money sickens our minds, poisons our thoughts, even poisons our faith, leading us down the path of jealousy, quarrels, suspicion and conflict. It drives to idle words and pointless discussions. It also corrupts the mind of some people that see religion as a source of profit. … “But, Father, I read the Ten Commandments and they say nothing about the evils of money. Against which Commandment do you sin when you do something for money? Against the first one! You worship a false idol. And this is the reason: because money becomes an idol and you worship it. And that's why Jesus tells us that you cannot serve money and the living God: either one or the other.” I’m really starting to like this Pope Francis! He is the first Pope in history to take his name after St. Francis of Assisi, and he seems to be speaking in accord with the voluntary poverty that St. Francis lived and taught.

         Suffering is not required of us from God. God does not require us to nearly starve if we are to follow Christ. But what God does require of us comes from Micah 6:8, “to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God” (TEV).  I cannot tell you what is just, loving, or humble about Christian CEOs making seven-figure salaries while their companies pay less than a living wage. And I certainly cannot understand how Congress (which is made up of many who call themselves “Christian”) just a couple days ago cut $40 Billion from the Food Stamps program for 2014. What would Jesus say to 3.8 million Americans losing benefits and possibly going hungry or malnourished because of the greedy actions of Congress? What I know of the Gospel tells me that these things are a shame and a terrible sin.

         Lebanese Mystic Christian Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy. For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half [people’s] hunger. And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine. And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle [people’s] ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.”

         Do you labor with the Love of God or just for the paycheck? Do you seek to climb up on others’ shoulders or do you seek to bring the hierarchy to justice? And finally at a level very close to you, do you seek to build up your church in every way you can or do you only give when you are certain you will receive something? We have a choice each day of choosing the Economy of God or the Economy of Ego. In the Economy of God, when we “seek first the Commonwealth of God and right relationship with God and others, THEN blessings will be given to you.” In the Economy of Ego, “The one who dies with the most toys wins.”

         I advise you as the reading today from First Timothy advises the church: “Pray for EVERYONE so that we may lead peaceful lives in being like God, retaining our dignity.” Prayers are like boomerangs. Throw them out far and wide and they shall return a blessing to you. May peace and economic justice prevail on earth! Amen.

Queer Sheep: Square One to Square Forty-Four

“Queer Sheep: Square One to Square Forty-Four”

Sermon for MCC New Haven

September 15, 2013

Rev. Brian Hutchison, M.Div.

Luke 15:1-10

         Rev. Elder Freda Smith was the first woman ordained in Metropolitan Community Churches in 1971. She was also the first female Elder in MCC and was Vice Moderator of MCC for decades. Freda Smith is significant to MCC’s history because she brought feminism to a male-led denomination. She insisted that our bylaws were fully inclusive of women. She also insisted that gender-inclusive language is used throughout our churches. So since 1981, MCC has had a policy of Inclusive Language, which has expanded to also include issues of racism, classism, ablism, and more.

         I mention Rev. Elder Freda today because the gospel reading today from Luke is one of her favorites. She has a famous sermon she preaches around the world called, “Purple Grass.” In that sermon, Freda imagines a flock of sheep. They are good sheep. They generally listen to the shepherd and go where he leads. They bleat their prayers before counting shepherds at night. But in that flock was one sheep that did not like to graze the way the other sheep did. The other sheep liked to eat green grass, while this sheep preferred purple grass. She had tried eating green grass but just didn’t like it. But purple grass- now that she found delicious! She would search the whole pasture just to find patches of purple grass to eat. The other sheep found this odd. They would bleat at her angrily for not liking the same grass as them. “Baaaaad!” This discouraged the poor little sheep. She knew she was different but didn’t know why there was anything wrong with that.

         One day, the flock bleated so angrily at the sheep that enjoyed purple grass that she ran away from the flock. She had been shunned. Cold and alone at night, she feared wolves. She missed her shepherd. She thought to herself, “I bet the shepherd wouldn’t mind if he knew I liked purple grass. I miss him.” Then seemingly out of nowhere, the shepherd appeared, happy to have found his lost sheep. He picked her up, wrapped her around his shoulders and brought her back to the flock.

         When they returned, the shepherd placed her right in the middle of a patch of purple grass. “He knows!” she thought. She happily began to graze away. Seeing how the shepherd had encouraged that peculiar little sheep to eat what she liked, the flock stopped bothering her. Finally, the flock was whole again.

         I didn’t tell this story the same way Freda Smith does. Freda tells it with a special radiance that has made it a well-loved tale. But the moral of the story still rings true for us all these decades later. It still has the power to touch our lives the way it has changed the lives of many over the years.

         I don’t know about you, but I love me some purple grass! I could graze all day, amen?? I first knew that I liked purple grass when I was four years old and I haven’t ever gotten sick of it. I know within the depths of my soul that God is the one who gave me the appetite for purple grass and I am no longer ashamed to eat it every day.

         Jesus asks in the parable from the Gospel of Luke today, “Which one of you having a hundred sheep and losing one wouldn’t have the heart to go looking for the lost one until it is found?” Fundamentalists tend to twist this passage to say that the so-called “sinner” needs to be brought back to the flock to stop sinning. He had wandered away from the straight path. She was on the road to hell. But this is all read into the text. The shepherd doesn’t shame the sheep for leaving. He doesn’t threaten to make her into lamb chops J. What does he do? He rejoices! He throws a party for finding the lost sheep again.

         Though this is commonly called, “The Parable of the Lost Sheep,” we have to remember a very important spiritual truth: we are never truly lost. Remember the words of Psalm 139 (7-12), “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”

         Children of the Omnipresent God, there is nowhere you can go where God is not present for you! You can be in the middle of a natural disaster and God is still there holding you. You can hit rock bottom on drugs or alcohol or overeating and feel like life isn’t worth living anymore, and God is still there trying to breathe life back into you. God sits with those in prison. God plots against those who run the worldwide sex trafficking business. God was in every room of every floor of the twin towers when they collapsed twelve years ago in New York City. And God kissed the wounds of the children in Syria who were victims of chemical warfare.

         I believe the phrase, “Home is where your heart is.” And I also believe with all my heart that God seeks continually to lead us all home. When we sing songs about God leading us home, it’s not just about the afterlife. The Good Shepherd seeks to bring us home to ourselves, to our most authentic and loving selves.

         In the Gospel of John (10:14-16), Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as [Abba] knows me and I know [Abba]. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” In 1992, an international organization called Other Sheep began as a ministry to LGBT people around the world. In addition to MCC’s ministry around the world, Other Sheep has preached the Good News of God’s radically inclusive love to queer folks around the world, even when there wasn’t a faith community like MCC that would take us in.

         Square one of our ministry in 1968 when MCC was founded was to help individuals to accept themselves as children of God just as they are. After that, our mission was to change society to be more accepting. We are still doing that important work. But there are still more “other sheep” who avoid religion like a plague. Two of the largest demographics in the US are “spiritual but not religious” and “spiritual and also religious.” The number of people who have been either shunned from the flock or turned off by the flock’s behavior has risen consistently over the past thirty years. We now find ourselves in a postmodern, post-church world. We are not alone in struggling to attract new people. Our society is just plain tired of being preached at and chooses to stay estranged from the flock.

         You may have noticed that I use the word “queer” a lot. I don’t do it just because I like the word or because I personally identify as such. I know that there is a generation that had this word used against them. But today, if someone called me queer, I would smile and agree!

         In the wider sense of the word as it is used now, queer is not just an easier way of saying LGBT. “Queer” smears the lines between and among these modern categories. It recognizes that people do not fit neatly into boxes, into strict categories. And God is the same way. God cannot be put in a box! Christians have been attempting to seal God into chapels and cathedrals for centuries. But their efforts have never kept God out of the bars, the bathhouses, and the back alleys.

         If we want to be relevant in the 21^st century, we need to break out of the box as a community of faith. We can’t do things “the way they have always been done.” It has been said that the “Last Seven Words of the Church” will be “We have always done it that way.” There are some gems that are worth keeping. And there are some antiques that are worth restoring. But there are is a field of purple grass that God has prepared for our future. That is our dream. But in order for the dream to become a reality, you have to believe it. Will you believe the dream with me? If so, say “Amen!” Amen.

“Never for the sake of peace and quiet deny your convictions.” – Dag Hammarskjold, First Secretary General of the UN

Abundance in the Potter's Hand

“Abundance In The Potter’s Hand”

Sermon for MCC New Haven

September 8, 2013

Rev. Brian Hutchison, M.Div.

Jeremiah 18:1-6

Luke 14:25-33

·      The Potter’s House

o  Come on down with me to the Potter’s House!

o  The Still Small Voice of God calls us to where we should be at any given moment.

o  No matter where we are in the world, God will use the situation to teach us wisdom.

o  We are each vessels in God’s hands. God molds us to be the best we can be. But unlike clay, we have free will. So we can choose to be stubborn. We can throw rocks into our clay. We can dry ourselves up.

o  The best clay for God to work with is flexible, wet, and malleable. How do we stay wet and flexible? We have to dip into the waters of Deep Discipleship.

·      The Cost of Discipleship

o  Jesus warns those who want to follow him that it is not an easy path. It is an anti-empire path. It is an anti-oppression path. It may mean leaving some people behind who do not foster your spiritual growth.

o  In the words of ACIM, we must make the choice of shifting our perception from fear to Love. This process is counter-intuitive. The world teaches us to fear and that love shows weakness. It takes relearning love in order to live it.

o  Jesus does not instruct to “hate” your family. What he meant was that we need to love God above all else, even our own lives, comforts, and opinions. (The Good News Bible got it right.)

o  Following Jesus means also letting go of attachment to belongings. We are not required to sell everything we have and live in poverty. But we are required to be grateful for what we have and to value people over possessions and value God over people.

o  I have seen victims of natural disasters lose everything they own. They are naturally devastated, but they always say the same thing, “I have my loved ones and that’s all that matters.”

o  At the heart of Buddhism is the letting go of attachments. The Buddha said himself, “You only lose what you cling to.”

·      Building for the Future

o  Instead of attaching, Jesus gives us an alternative option: center in the Now and move forward.

o  Jesus gives us the analogy of preparing to build a tower. It’s a very simple metaphor that everyone can understand. You don’t start building until you have first planned out your materials, how much it will cost, etc.

o  We have the same task on our hands. As we look into our future, we cannot just hope for the best. We have to make an intentional decision to invest in our future as a community.

o  Do you realize what a beacon of light this community has been, is now, and can be in the future in New Haven?

o  When we have prepared ourselves to be true disciples, clay in God’s hands, we are ready to be joyful givers…

Faithful Stewardship at MCC New Haven

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Faithful Stewardship 2013/2014

At first glace, you may look at a stewardship campaign and think a number of things: 1) “It must be that time of year again.” 2) “The church must need money.” or 3) “What’s stewardship?” I’ll answer those questions transparently.

First, we do not have a “stewardship season.” Though all members vote on our budget once a year, we continually evaluate how we can be better stewards of the many blessings God has given us. It is always time to be part of the divine cycle of giving and receiving! Remember the words of Luke (6:38) “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." We give continually, not purchasing an experience or a feeling, but rather in trust that God’s cycle of blessing requires joyful giving.

Secondly, yes, the church does need money. In fact, our weekly offering only covers about a third of our expenses (much less our budget). The rest is taken out of investments to cover expenses, but that can’t last forever. Our Board of Directors has done all it can to trim expenses down to absolute basic needs. Our pastor is only paid part-time though he works full-time. (Remember the words of the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 9:14) “[Jesus] commanded that those who proclaim the Gospel should get their living by the Gospel.” We can currently only afford to pay a pianist to play twice per month. We also require more technology in order to improve our worship experience. We have completely emptied our building fund. The need is indeed great. But don’t panic! God has not given up on us, and we have not finished our calling!

Thirdly, stewardship is the prayerful process of assessing the mission of our individual congregation, looking honestly at what it will cost to live it out, and dedicating together to making the dream happen. Stewardship involves each member and friend of the congregation taking ownership of the church’s purpose by making a covenant together. This covenant involves a promise to give Time, Talent, and Treasure. There is no doubt that the majority of the congregation intends to give in these ways in some form, but making a promise in a tangible way keeps us all accountable to working toward our dream together and making it happen.

Today, you will receive a Pledge Card. One side allows you to update your current basic information so that we can best keep in touch with you (even if you think we already have it). The other side allows you to write down how exactly you plan to fulfill your ministry areas of Time, Talent, and Treasure. Do you dedicate to making it to Sunday services and other church activities as often as possible and on time? What hidden talents do you have that the church could benefit from? How much of your income can you pledge to give in the coming year?

That number can be difficult to figure out. Some of us have been part of churches that have a tradition of tithing. Tithing is a principal from the Hebrew Bible in which God’s people were required to give back ten percent of their earnings in order to ensure that the community was taken care of. For the farmers of the time, that meant ten percent of their crops. Though we do not live in Ancient Israel, the idea of looking at percentage rather than just dollar amount still rings true for us.

Today’s economy has made living difficult for the majority of the U.S. Though the recession started five years ago, we are still feeling it. That factor is fully understood. But also keep in mind that other than small fundraisers, weekly offerings are our only income. We do not receive any other outside funds. We give 12% of our offering every month to our denomination, Metropolitan Community Churches. In return, they provide much-needed programming, training, and support for local churches and they do work around the world spreading God’s message of Unconditional Love. Our denomination requires a tithe from local churches, and the local church strongly encourages percentage giving from members as well.

So we come back to that same question: “What percentage works for me?” We suggest a method for choosing:

1)                    Look at your financial records and see how much you have been giving on average per month.  If you didn’t write it down, do an estimate.

2)                    Take that number and divide it by your monthly take-home pay. You should come up with a decimal. For example, $200 offering divided by $2,000 take-home pay equals “.10”. This means you are giving 10% of your income.

3)                    If the number you came up with has a zero (or several zeros) after the decimal point, you are giving less than one percent of your income.

4)                    Choose a percentage to give:

Percentage	Take-Home Pay	Multiplied By	Equals Offering
1%		.01
2%		.02
3%		.03
4%		.04
5%		.05
6%		.06
7%		.07
8%		.08
9%		.09
10%		.10

            Just seeing the number won’t necessarily tell you what percentage to choose. You may see a number and think, “Wow, I could do a lot with that money!” Yes, that is true. But beyond your basic needs, does the work of sharing the All Inclusive Gospel not deserve a strong portion of the fruits of the labor God has blessed you with the ability to do? Pray about it. Talk to God about it. God will lead you to generosity.

            In Luke’s book, The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4, verse 32, it says this: “Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common” (NRSV). We may not be a Christian commune, but we do believe in taking good care of each other. Sometimes that means bringing someone hot soup when they aren’t well or giving someone a ride to the hospital. Just as importantly, it means giving our “best gift” each Sunday so that there is a place for joyful and inspiring worship for us all to start off the week.

            We must never forget that we are also building a future for those yet to come. Do you remember the first time you heard that you are God’s Beloved: Deeply Loved, Richly Gifted, Highly Favored, and Abundantly Blessed? That great cloud of witnesses that came before you made it so that you can have a faith community to call home. They paid it forward. It is now our time to do the same.

           

Our Financial Goals for 2013/2014

1)                    Every member and friend of the church pledges on a percentage basis.

2)                    We meet and surpass our budget each month.

3)                    We supplement our giving with a monthly fundraiser.

4)                    We raise the Pastor’s salary to full-time over 6 months.

5)                    We provide the Pastor with health insurance.

6)                    We hire a musician to play every Sunday.

7)                    We eventually begin to reimburse our Building Fund.

If we truly mean what we say each Sunday, that we are “Abundantly Blessed,” then we need to live it out. Instead of repeating negative statements like, “We are struggling” or “I don’t know how we are going to survive,” start saying, “We are on the way to thriving!” and “We are living abundance!” and “God really has blessed us!”

Please join our Pastor and Board of Directors in building the future of our beloved community together. If we all give 100% of our lives to God, we will see miracles happen! And always remember: “Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7, NRSV).