Sermon by The Very Rev Chris Yaw, 11/12/2023, Matthew 25:1-3
Centering Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, May your will be done, through me.
My great grandfather emigrated to Detroit from Chatham, Ontario with barely 2 nickels to rub together.
He was smart, ambitious, and rather odd.
Taking the messy job of a railroad coal checker and bookkeeper for Alex Malcomson's coal company, Unlike any of his colleagues, he insisted on going to work in a suit.
He got to work early, stayed late. He didn't spend money on drinks, cards, or theater.
The other young men at the boarding house made fun of him.
But when a business opportunity came across Mr. Malcomson's desk,
A man named Henry Ford wanted Malcomson to invest,
And could he recommend a hardworking, young bookkeeper to help with his fledgling new company?
Guess who Malcomson recommended?
This rag-tag coal checker, Who had spent his entire career planning for this very moment!
The title of today's message is: Trim your lamps
God is bringing opportunity across your path.
Will you recognize it?
Are you ready for it?
Do you have enough oil?
Maybe you have come to church this morning down and discouraged?
'I'll never get that guy, that job, that home!'
Maybe you have settled into a well-worn rut of a routine that keeps you going each day, but holds little hope for tomorrow?
Maybe you have given up hope that things can ever get better?
Good thing we're not the only ones who have shown up this morning!
The Lord is here!
The God who brought planets and solar systems into existence with just a word, has shown up as well!
Trimming our lamps means holding onto hope! That God hears us! God hasn't forgotten us!
And this God is telling us:
Be encouraged!
Stay faithful!
Pack that oil!
Your bridegroom is coming!
Be ready!
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During the COVID lockdown my friend on the East Coast decided to build a modest row boat in his basement. What fun he had ordering the wood, bending, gluing, sawing, sanding, and staining.
But after 2 years of work, he discovered one thing he had not done well: measuring!
And the only way that boat got out of the basement was to double the size of the doorway!
He had gotten so caught up in what was in front of him that he couldn't see what was ahead of him.
Jesus once told a story about two men who were building their dream house.
One had found a beautiful spot right on the ocean!
Just a few steps from the dock,
Overlooking sunsets,
You could fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves.
The second builder found his spot farther inland,
Atop a granite mountain, Amidst trees, Had its own well and cellar.
Both places were idyllic when the weather was good.
But when the storms came,
The sandy foundation gave way,
And the house on the rock was the only one left standing.
We often make decisions based on short term assessments,
'That beach looks perfect!'
Without thinking through the longer-term ramifications,
Of what a devastating storm might cause.
The old diet phrase, 'A moment on the lips, forever on the hips' doesn't just hold true for ice cream -
In what ways are you being short-sighted this morning?
How is your obsession with the immediate robbing you of what a brighter future may hold?
Are we getting caught up in something that offers immediate gratification - but could lead to disaster down the road?
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As you know, our dear friend, Rabbi Aaron Starr, will be on hand today to speak about what's happening in Israel.
Through my friendship with Rabbi and his wife Rachel, I was given an amazing book by a Jewish author named Yossi Halevi - 'Letter's to my Palestinian Neighbor.' If you've not read it, it's well worth it.
Halevi, a Zionist, wants to live in peace and prosperity alongside his Palestinian neighbor - and in his book he writes that Palestinians and Jews not only have the right to self-determination, but also the right to self-definition.
What does this mean?
Years ago when I was divorced, I went to see a therapist to help me process things.
He told me that my ex-wife and I would almost surely have different narratives of 'what went wrong.' And that it usually wasn't productive to argue with her over who's right.
We'll have to learn to live together with very different stories...
She will have her own version, and I will have the right one...
Just seeing if you were listening...
Halevi says the same is true for Palestine and Israel.
One side is not going to convince the other that their story is correct.
They will have to learn to live together, quite productively, and even happily, while holding on to very different narratives - like my ex-wife and I do, I think, quite well.
Our gospel story this morning is about wisdom and foolishness.
A wise approach may be to follow our Presiding Bishop's command to love.
On Tuesday he issued a statement saying - put down the guns.
An immediate cease-fire is in order. Innocent lives are being lost.
A wise approach may be to get back to the negotiating table, where peace is made.
A wise approach may be to be open to self-definition -
You don't have to agree with your neighbors to live peaceably beside them.
I wonder if you're having a tiff with someone you care about -
And there are two different stories involved -
In what ways do you need to make peace - even though your stories are different?
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Two years ago, pro bowler Anthony Neurer did something amazing.
Anyone here who bowls knows how frustrated you get when you toss that first ball down the alley and leave the 7 and 10 pins standing.
The chances of even a pro knocking them down, converting a 10-7 split, is around one half of one percent. But that's exactly what Anthony Neurer did, only the 4th pro bowler ever,
And when he was asked 'How could he be so lucky?'
He said, 'It's funny, the more I practice, the luckier I get.'
When the 10-7 split came, Neurer was prepared because he had practiced.
He had anticipated it. Like the 5 wise bridesmaids.
God is bringing opportunity across your path.
Will you recognize it?
Are you ready for it?
Do you have enough oil?
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Fr. Steve Bancroft has rejoined us after taking 2 months off to travel.
And he likes to tell the story of a wealthy church member.
It was around this time of year - Stewardship Season.
And as the pledges were being counted the rector noticed that this wealthy church member had not made a very large pledge.
So, the rector called him, and said,
'What gives?'
The wealthy man said,
'I acquired all my wealth because I made wise decisions.'
'I'm very careful to make sure I get a good return on my investment.
'If I gave you more money, I'm not convinced you would know what to do with it.'
As we kick off our stewardship ingathering, please know that your Vestry is made up if wise bridesmaids - who know what to do with your faithful gifts.
We not only have a firm grip on what needs support, but on what we would like to do down the road.
Today we are proud to dedicate a project that has been close to my heart for years.
It's been one of my top goals of my ministry with you.
The St. David's Legacy Society.
Today we inaugurate the first dozen of what we hope will be dozens and dozens more people who have made provision for St. David's in their estate plans.
Likewise, bridesmaids who want to be ready for anything, we are planning for the long-term provision of our parish and its mission.
When you give to St. David's you give to its work of community building, community outreach, community change.
You got a pledge card in the mail this week:
God is bringing opportunity across your path.
Will you recognize it?
Are you ready for it?
Do you have enough oil?
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As some of you know, I have a younger brother, he's an engineer at GM.
He turned 59 this week.
And this past year he decided to join his daughter in a 5k race.
Realizing he had not run much in years, I was surprised and impressed!
He ran the race and did well. I asked him how he did it.
He said he got into the habit of running each day.
Sometimes far, sometimes not.
But he said he never missed a day, he was determined to reach his goal.
Friends, our goal, of being all that God wants us to be, is just as simple.
Not easy, but simple.
Take time, each day, for God.
Put away the Gizmo, turn off the news.
Declare, as Joshua did, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"
Take time to Be Prepared.
Take time to Get Equipped.
Take time to get your eyes off of what's in front of you and onto what's ahead of you.
God is bringing opportunity across your path.
Will you recognize it?
Are you ready for it?
Do you have enough oil?
I am looking out at a sea of wise bridesmaids, and maybe a few clever groomsmen -
And I am so humbled,
So proud,
So blessed,
To be doing this work together.
Can I get an amen?