Pastor Jim Kniseley
presented this sermon at Resurrection on March 27, 2011, the Third Sunday of
Lent. The video is “A Way of Life” and
is part of the ELCA Stewardship Program, Make It Simple. The theme of Resurrection’s Stewardship
Appeal is “Share God’s Blessings…Imagine the Possibilities!”
Video
Fred and Connie Claycomb are living a life of simplicity and
generosity. They raise vegetables on
their 10 acres of land near Bedford, Pennsylvania. The sign next to the collection basket at
their roadside stand reads, “please help yourself and put your money in the
basket.” Some of the wisdom this fine
Christian couple shares includes:
·
“live
a simple life and don’t let things get too complicated”
·
“God
provides for every need that I have”
·
“you
can’t outgive God”
The best part of this video is the unspoken. Seeing them work with their very young
grandsons on the farm and knowing they are imparting their values to them is
invaluable.
Sermon
You and I can live a life of simplicity and generosity. It doesn’t have to be a pipe dream. The values that we are hearing today from Fred and Connie Claycomb are good
and wholesome values. They are based in
biblical teaching and they are very much Christ-centered.
Many of us here today have lived the supposed American
dream. We’ve accumulated lots of
stuff. Some of us know what it means to
buy a larger house just so our stuff will fit into it. Some of us here know how difficult it becomes
when we need to downsize and move into a smaller house. What to do with our stuff?
I think that Fred and Connie are talking about much more than
just stuff. They are talking about an
attitude, a philosophy about life. It is
something they want desperately to pass on to their family, including those
adorable two grandsons.
They want to live in such a way that they can know first-hand
the generosity of the Lord. Connie says
as she looks back on her life, “God provided for every need that I had.” These two are not being unmindful or unrealistic
about their life. Fred says that there
have been some very rough years for them financially. They attribute their getting through those
rough times to God’s leading them and being with them.
This is a couple that wants to be generous in their giving
back to the Lord. Some might advise them
to forget giving to the church or other worthy causes and just take care of
their own needs. But listen to their
experience. They express well what Jesus
and St. Paul say over and over again.
Fred says “you can’t outgive God…the more you give, it seems, the more
is provided.” Mark Allen Powell shares
another quote that seem appropriate, “At the end of your life what is important
is not what you’ve accumulated, but what you’ve given away.”
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Do not worry,
saying, ‘What shall we eat’ or ‘what shall we wear?’…But seek first his kingdom
and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
St. Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians, “I have
learned to be content with whatever I have.
I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have
plenty. In any and all circumstances I
have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty
and of being in need . I can do all
things through him who strengthens me.”
The Resurrection Guiding Principle that we can look to today
is this one: Jesus is Lord and Savior – in all that we say and do we serve Jesus,
for by His grace we are saved through faith.
Just think about what
we’re declaring: Jesus is Lord and Savior, and our life and actions show others
that we truly believe it. We trust in
God and our words and actions are a witness.
The image I want to leave with you today is one from the
video. It is the Claycomb’s roadside
stand that is open 24 hours per day and I want us to particularly focus on the
basket with the sign that reads “please help yourself and put your money in the
basket.”
·
I
want to live in a world in which I can attribute all I have as a gift from God.
·
I
want to live in a world in which I can not only not worry, but I can be
generous in sharing with others.
·
I want to live in a community in which we can
trust one another.
·
I want to live in a world in which I don’t
care if someone in need takes some of my vegetables and doesn’t leave payment in
the basket.
·
I want to live in a world in which love is
expressed not just in words but also in actions.
I know that we are on to something good and worthy when we
declare:
RLC: God’s Purpose for Resurrection
Lutheran Church is to Reflect
the Love of Christ by Reaching, Loving and Caring. To the Power of
Three: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen!