Sermon for October 1, 2023 - The Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost
Stewardship
As I have shared in the past, my journey towards ordination was anything but straight. I was so convinced, so determined to pursue my dream of ordained ministry, that nothing would stop me. After fabulously flaming out of my first undergraduate program, I immediately enrolled in another school to pick up where I left off. Never did I stop for a moment to reflect on where I was and why. My stay in that school was cut short in part because the foreign language department was cut back affecting my ability to continue on as a Russian major. It was also cut short because I was still not ready to be in school again. However, I didn’t know that then. I still needed a degree to go to seminary, and by then my friends were beginning to graduate providing a sense of urgency to finish my degree so I would not be left behind. So, I enrolled in yet another program, and yet again I made no progress, and another program with no progress, just wasting money and more importantly time.
I rode that spiral all the way to the bottom, and the whole time, I never stopped to question what was happening. I was fueled by this singular focus. My ego coupled with my deep desire blinded me to the point that nearly five years had passed with nothing to show for it. I was no closer to achieving my goals, no closer to ordination than when I started. Finally, and initially for practical reasons, I was able to break my destructive cycle. By being forced to let go of that dream of ordination, I began a process of self-emptying, a process of letting go of my ego, letting go of my deepest desires. By letting go of all it, by emptying myself of my will and my desires, I was able to fill my self with God’s will and God’s desire. In that moment, God’s desire was for me to break out of my destructive cycles and begin to heal. It was then that I finally started to move closer to my dream. Looking back on it now, if only I trusted where God was leading me, even though it was away from my dream, instead of blazing my own way, then I could see that God was still leading me to the same destination, just by a different path. I could not effectively live out God’s call on my heart, I could not serve God and serve others until I emptied myself of my self, in order to be filled with God’s light and love.
There is a fancy seminary word for this process of self-emptying, Kenosis, which is the Greek word for emptiness. Kenosis is simply understood as the “self-emptying” of one's personal will to become entirely receptive to divine will, often referred to as the will of God. This concept comes to us from our reading of Paul’s letter to the Philippians:
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.”
Often called “the Christ Hymn,” on the supposition that Paul is quoting at least in part a very early hymn from the worship of the church, these verses have generated and shaped endless debates about the nature of Christ’s humanity and divinity, his saving work, and its relationship to the Christian life. Because Jesus let go of his will and desires, he was able to fulfill the mission of God through his death and resurrection. Paul is appealing to the the Philippians to be like Christ, to let go of their interests, in order to better serve their neighbours. He invites hearers to reflect on Jesus Christ and to orient their lives around him. Not only is Christ an example, but he also embodies God’s will and work for humanity, and so deservedly is the object of our devotion. The passage is not merely instructional — it is doxological. We believers not only learn from this Jesus Christ, but we join all creation in professing he “is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” because at the heart of the Christian faith is to serve others as Christ came to serve, not be served. As Christ served God, so too should they serve each other in like manner. Paul points to this Kenosis of Jesus as an example for church to follow, and as I learned on my own journey, it is something for us to consider as we seek to serve others.
Hopefully you have had an opportunity to read my article in the latest Saints Alive about our stewardship campaign this year, entitled “You’re home at All Saints.” This week you will be receiving a stewardship package in the mail with a letter, pledge cards, and a brochure about all the ways that you can serve by being apart of this parish family. As part of this campaign, we are intentionally focusing on two of the three pillars of stewardship, our time and talents, as together we seek ways for you to become involved in the rhythm and life of the parish. Your treasure, your financial gifts are still greatly needed because we are still operating in a deficit budget. And we also see a need that goes beyond financial as we need help both in and outside these walls. This campaign is more about exploring how you might want to serve in and through this place in the year to come. On the back of the pledge form is a list of all of our ministries and we are inviting you to consider where and how you might serve. Over the coming weeks you will hear short stories from your fellow parishioners about why All Saints is their home and why they serve God here. These are meant to inspire you to reflect on your story of why All Saints is your home. Then, on Sunday October 29th we will have our pledge in-gathering where you will be invited to bring up your pledge card and lay it on the altar to be blessed.
We hope that each and every person takes the time to reflect on how you serve here in your spiritual home. Each of you has a place here. Each of you has something unique to offer. And we need help in all areas of life here in your home from help in worship, hospitality, pastoral care, outreach, and even our Children, Youth, and Family program. So let us be like Christ and empty ourselves, so that we might be filled with the Holy Spirit as we serve God in and through All Saints.
