Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Scriptures: Amos 8:4-7; Luke 16:1-13
Key Verse: “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." (Luke 16:10)
Last Friday, I attended an event hosted by my home congregation. The name of the event was ‘Build Up Branch Out’ beautifully taken from Sirach 24:16-17, “Like an oak I spread out my branches, magnificent and graceful. Like a grapevine I put out lovely shoots; my blossoms give way to rich and glorious fruit.” The original intent behind this event was for a stewardship-based capital campaign. The church building isn’t a small one. The size of the community has become smaller but still big enough to accomplish remarkable missions and ministries that God has entrusted to them and to make significant impact locally and globally. Due to the life span of its roof having reached its end, the leadership team used this opportunity to raise money and create another opportunity to refresh the core statement of their vision for them, ‘Building, Belonging, Becoming.’
I ended my 18-month contract with this community, my home congregation, as an interim pastor at the end of 2020. For the sake of creating good boundaries during the time they were calling a permanent pastor, I had to distance myself from this community and paused all the relationships that I had built with them for at least a year. Since then, I have been back to worship only three times this year. Whenever I go back, I sit alone, only greet those who come to me, and leave the church as soon as the worship is over. Last Friday was my fourth time visiting. The moment I walked into the gathering space, I chose to sit at the back, which was appropriate, I thought.
By the time the event started at 6:00 pm, I had greeted and chatted with a few members. That was nice. I got a plate of delicious food and had a simple chat with two other people who sat at the same table. It was a very well thought out and executed event. After the President of the Church Council gave an introduction, the associate pastor led us through the small group session. So, the two people sitting in front of us turned to us and made a small group of five. We began to share our thoughts on the question, “How has God impacted your life through your involvement with Trinity Lutheran Church & Schools?”
Somehow, I was convinced that I was the least qualified person to share since I hadn’t actively engaged or participated for a while. So, I waited for my turn. It turned out that I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t been back to my home congregation. Since the pandemic, many ministries had to pause, and many gatherings in person were either stopped or discouraged. From the moment the church began to invest in its electronic equipment for live stream worship and zoom meetings in March 2021, people had been learning and adapting to the new way of being a church. And such a new way of being a church lasted too long to the point some had a tough time readjusting it again. The common shared response from all the small groups was that we all valued relationships that we had built either from our first visit or our long-term participation. So, I raised a question for my group to think, “If we all valued relationships, what can we do creatively to build relationships while many feel comfortable worshiping from home? Are there consequences when we rely on too much electronic equipment?” The ultimate question might be, “How can we be faithful stewards of relationships that God has restored to us and for us?”
Currently I am serving as interim pastor at a much smaller congregation. I often feel a sense of urgency while seeing visitors on Sundays in terms of stewarding relationships. If there are people who consistently invest in people by building authentic loving and forgiving relationships, who wouldn’t want to belong to such a graced community? The biggest challenge is that most people have already built solid relationships with certain people or groups. It is easier to keep the relationships that we have already built, such as sitting with our family members during worship or hanging out with those whom we serve together through certain ministries. There isn’t much space left for forming new relationships. Occasional simple greetings on Sunday won’t help much for a long-term relationship. And the increased number of people who enjoy worshiping from home isn’t helpful either.
To respond to my own questions that I raised for my small group to think about, I decided to visit my home congregation again last Sunday since it was my day off. I wanted to see what it was like to be a faithful steward of relationships that God has restored for me and others. I arrived 15 minutes early and took time to greet whomever I saw instead of avoiding socializing. I sat at a new place and hoped that I would meet someone new, which I did. It wasn’t hard at all. It took a different mindset, a new perspective, and a new aptitude.
Isn’t the invitation about what we read in Luke 14:7-14 three weeks ago? God invites all into God’s kingdom because relationships matter. Isn’t carrying the cross what we read about in Luke 14:25-33 two weeks ago? Jesus asks all followers to carry the cross because relationships matter. Isn’t the lost and found what we read about in Luke 15:1-10 last week? God seeks the lost ones because relationships matter. And the story we read about the dishonest manager squandering his master’s possessions in Luke 16:1-13 this week? God values faithfulness and honesty because they hold and ground our relationships.
The word ‘steward’ in Greek, οικονομοσ, is often translated as ‘manager’ just as in Luke 16:1. In response to God’s love to us and for us through Jesus’ cross, we understand all that we have and all that we are belong to God alone without our own merits. Yes, God has entrusted us, God’s stewards, to care for God’s creation. Without building authentic relationships and nurturing them, how can we be faithful stewards? Jesus said in Luke 10, “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.” Let us start something small, faithful in honesty, stewarding relationships from where we are with what we have. May God bless each small or big step we take. With a different mindset, a new perspective, and a new aptitude, we shall see the flourishing relationships in our midst. Amen.
Komentarze