“Stepping Up To Be Able”

Date:  October 18, 2009

Script:  Heb. 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45

Revd William F. Meier    ~   First United Methodist Church, Saint Cloud, Minnesota

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In the old cartoon strip, Calvin and Hobbes, we find the bright and mischievous Calvin walking along a trail with his faithful imaginary friend Hobbes. Given to a fantastic and often philosophical mind, Calvin asks his friend, “Hobbes, do you think our morality is defined by our actions, or by what’s in our hearts?” 

Balancing on a rock, Hobbes looks at Calvin and says simply, “I think our actions show what’s in our hearts.”  Next frame finds Calvin stupefied, thinking of the implications of what was said.  Then, the final frame: Calvin, with outstretched arms in outrage screams, “I resent that!”

Sometimes our actions do show what is in our hearts and we don’t like what we see.  Our self image is often based in our best hopes for ourselves and what we want to project to the world.  In a song by Bono called God Part 2 we find these words of irony, revealing the tension in our life between what we believe in and what we do: “I don’t believe in excess.  Success is to give.  I don’t believe in riches, but you should see where I live...”  Indeed, our actions reveal what is in our hearts, and we can think of our life story—our biography as our theology.  If people were to investigate every last detail of your life with the purpose of discovering what you believed in, what your deepest convictions and commitments are, what would your actions reveal? 

Walking down a dusty road, heading towards Jerusalem, Jesus tells his disciples for the third time that he is going to suffer and die there.  After some uncomfortable silence, James and John catch up to Jesus and ask for the favor of a special place in Jesus’ Kingdom—Vice President and chief of staff.  They wanted to Step Up into the inner power circle.  They were in it to see what they could get out of it.

We can only imagine the anguish in Jesus’ heart at that moment— the disappointment, much less the astonishment that the disciples would be that dense and miss the point of it all.  Jesus was about service and justice— not position, privilege, power!  The grace of Jesus is shown in the fact that his anger didn’t rise, and that he didn’t give it all up as hopeless at that point.  Their actions showed what was in their hearts.

Jesus attacks the culture of his day in proclaiming that greatness is in service, not position & power.  Honor and shame were the polarities of his culture.  To be a servant automatically put you in the shame neighborhood.  Jesus attacks the culture of our day in his proclamation that great living is found in great giving.  Great living is found in great giving— not getting, not accumulating, not consuming.  To Step Up, means to offer yourself, humble yourself…put others first.

How is it that we think of ourselves?  What kinds of ambitions rule our life and self image?  What does our biography reveal  about our theology?

Rev. Donald Shelby, a United Methodist Pastor from Santa Monica, California, now retired, said that

“What many people have forgotten—or never learned—… is that by the commitments we enter into and fulfill, the destiny of our soul is shaped, our stature as persons is determined and the strength of our character is forged.  This because life is comprised of choices to be reached and consequences to be lived through.  The deepest meanings of life are found through the promises we make and keep, and the loyalties which we claim and which claim us.  So Dag Hammarskjöld declared: ‘The most important thing in life is not to have run away.’”

Our fall Stewardship drive has the theme of Stepping Up, which is another way of saying not running away. Stepping up into the demands and opportunities that this time in our life brings.  Stepping up to meet the invitation of Christ.  Stepping up to meet a critical time in the life of our congregation with strength, outreach, mercy and justice, joy and faith. 

James and John give us examples of ambition centered in self—position, power, prestige.  Jesus invites us to go further…to Step Up… into a life found in that paradoxical, counterintuitive, world of giving and service.  And, far from diminishing us, life lived in this way enriches us:  Eric From said that “Giving is the highest expression of our power.  In the act of giving, I experience strength, true wealth, vitality and joy.  I experience myself as fulfilled, elevated, alive and ecstatically happy!”

The Hebrews lesson for today puts before us the image of Jesus as a high priest.  It also reminds us that we are “the priesthood of believers.”  What exactly is a priest in this sense?  Simply put, a priest is one who offers a sacrifice to God. 

Have you thought of your life as an offering?  Our prayers and liturgy urge us to take this seriously.  In the Communion prayer we say, “...We offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us.”

So much for coming to church to “get something out of it.”  Worship and life is a time of offering something to God!  Great living is found in great giving!  Not ego-boosting goodies, not position, power— but service…sacrifice.

Two men were one day talking about pledging and the church.  One of the men complained that the church was always asking for money, and that the preacher was forever badgering the people about tithing, and supporting this program or that project.  And he ranted and raved about a lot of other things.  The other man finally interrupted him.  He said, “Let me tell you a story about my son.  My son, like the church, has always been asking me for money, too, almost from the moment he was born.  It was a new pair of shoes that he outgrew in two months, a new pair of jeans, a new toy.  Then there was a bicycle, a football, a baseball and glove.  Then there came the trips to the orthodontist.  And then there was high school and money for dates, and for more jeans, and for taxes and insurance.  And once he banged up the car real good.  Everything was money; sometimes he appeared as a walking dollar sign.  Then he went off to college and there were unbelievable amounts for tuition and fraternity dues and ski trips and dates.  Every time I turned around there he was, asking for money.”  The man paused… cleared his throat and continued.  “Last year my 21-year-old son died of leukemia, and I would give anything if he were alive and asking me for money.  And you know, that’s a little how I feel about my church.  I’d rather have it alive and doing something and asking for money than dead and costing me nothing.  I love my church and my Lord and I suppose I can never give enough for all my blessings”[1]

I invite you to consider Stepping Up into this self-giving life in our stewardship drive this year, and beyond that in our ministry.  These life-shaping commitments indeed, do shape our souls and write a biography that reveals our theology—our beliefs.

Calvin didn’t like to see the mirror of his heart.  Jesus proclaims that great living is found in great giving.  You are a priest, offering your life to God— what does that offering look like?