1st Sunday in Lent - 2007

Stewardship

Who Are We In God?

Who are we?

What a strange question or is it?

A little while ago, I had a phone call from someone returning a message I had left on her answerphone. She was obviously a little confused and started by saying ' who are you?' It was quite an unexpected question and it took me several minutes of explanation until 'the penny dropped.' And then we had quite a laugh about it, as there were several things that needed to be clarified for her until she could associate the voice on the other end of the line with a person she recognised and really knew quite well.

Who are you?

Who are we?

Who am I ?

What sort of an answer would you give to these questions. Would it be the same depending on who was asking them?

Would we start with our name? Our Christian name perhaps?
I remember the Quiet Day I went to prior to my Licensing which was based on the text,'God has called you by name and made you His own' and the small piece of wood I was given with my Christian name on it to remind me of this.

Would we think of linking ourselves with our family? - of our family name or surname? After all, we are somebody's son/daughter/ mother/ father/ grandmother / grandfather/ grandson/ grandchild/ husband/ wife/ aunt/ uncle/ sister/ brother/cousin etc.etc

Would we link ourselves to a geographical location - to a time in history - when and where we were born, lived, were at school, married and so on. It's interesting how popular genealogy is now - websites like 'genes reunited' coming after 'friends reunited .' Many of us, it seems, are searching for 'identity' - for a context in which to place ourselves - it is very difficult to exist in a vacuum!

We have a need to feel we belong, to have roots - this need will have, consciously or sub consciously, affected the way we think and behave. It is the old debate in a way about nature v. nurture.

So when it comes to our faith, the reason maybe why we are here today, this will also affect the way in which we think about life, about our attitudes to various current issues, to others and to God.

If we look at 'green' issues for a moment - should we as a church look at using low energy light bulbs or more energy efficient heating? We have fairly recently installed a condensing boiler in the Hall, as many of you will know, so we are perhaps a step along the road here! Should we walk rather than drive to Church, even when it is raining;as individuals, as Christians, should we be doing more on recycling or to reduce our carbon footprints like the Bishop of London, who I believe has just signed up to not flying for the next year. We do have a Diocesan Environment Adviser who is doing a great deal of work to help parishes become 'greener' and to understand the issues more clearly. We all have to make up our own minds and I'm sure that our decisions will not and cannot be the same but we shouldn't we be considering how we react to the threat of global warming and the changes this will mean for our world, for God's world.

There is also the current Trident debate, when the Bishop of Bath and Wells will be speaking against the use of nuclear weapons in the House of Lords tomorrow. What are our views on this one?

This next fortnight is Fair Trade Fortnight. As a Church, we signed up to being a Fair Trade parish about 2 years ago. Why did we do this? Just because Oxford Diocese and Sonning Deanery wanted their parishes to do so, or because we believe as individual Christians and as a Church, in Fair Trade and Justice, in supporting developing countries with their agriculture and products to get a fairer price for their goods, to help them to be more economically independent and to create a more just system of trade.
I remember that two ladies from Ghana came to Diocesan Synod to explain how the cocoa beans they produced to make Fair Trade ' Divine' chocolate meant they could now pay for their children's education, whereas before they belonged to the Fair Trade scheme, they did not receive enough money from their cocoa beans to do so.
There is still a long way to go, but support for Fair Trade is very heartening and we are asking you all to stay for coffee next Sunday, March 4th and to sample cakes and biscuits made with Fair Trade products so that we can send some money to Traidcraft and further raise awareness of the work that is being done. There is also a poster competition for the children, so watch this space. These ' Big Brews' are happening all over the country and there are other events locally which can be found on the Fair Trade website.

Is it then in our attitudes to life that we begin to work out who we are?
Lisa asked me to use the theme of ' Who are we in God? ' for this sermon, as we begin to take another much needed look at Stewardship this Lent.

Looking again at Psalm 100:

'Be sure that the Lord, he is God:
It is He who has made us and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture'

This makes the answer very clear. We are reminded that we didn't create the world in which we live and that our identity is bound up in our relation to God. Are the good things in this world ours by right or are they gifts and privileges that mean we offer a part back to God, in gratitude for what he has given us. We all know that we came into the world with nothing and that we shall leave it with nothing. As the funeral service reminds us;

'For God knows of what we are made:
He remembers that we are but dust.
Our days are like the grass:
We flourish like a flower of the field:
When the wind goes over it, it is gone
And its place will know it no more………………………
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…………………….'

Doesn't this tell us that we can only be stewards of this world while we are here - that we have a role in looking after, in safeguarding what is here for future generations as those who went before us did for us.

If we look at the passage from Deuteronomy, we see that the Israelites, having taken possession of the Promised Land, give the first fruits back to God . This is the land 'flowing with milk and honey', the land where they could feel safe and secure after their terrible ordeal in Egypt and the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. We are told much about how the Israelites understood their covenant with God.

It emphasises that the land is God's gift, that He showed His grace by giving it and the fulfilment of His promise. The giving of the first fruits is an expression of thanks to the creator, who graciously made the earth and who made this part available to His own people.

There is also an emphasis on history, tracing back to the call of Abraham, the exodus and the desert journey. God who made heaven and earth, remains powerfully active in the events of history.

The third emphasis is on worship and rejoicing. The land symbolised plenty and security and is testimony to the faithfulness of God, which is the reason for worship. Worship and gratitude lead to sharing and including others in the benefits which flow from this gracious God.

So we are stewards of our world for which we do not only have rights but responsibilities also.
This Old Testament lesson clearly shows us 'who we are in God.'

How does the Gospel for today, the account of Christ's temptations in the wilderness fit with all this?

The comparison is often made with the story of the Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, of their failure by giving in to the serpent and of Jesus' triumph by resisting ' the world, the flesh and the devil.' Jesus had also to work out who He was in relation to God during His time on earth - human or divine or both? The first temptation emphasises Christ's divinity. It would not have been a temptation for us, as we have no power to turn stones into bread. Yet as a human, Christ was obedient to God's word and refused to do it. The second temptation shows Christ quoting Scripture that the ultimate authority lies only with God. The third shows Christ's trust in Scripture, even though the devil is using it for his own purpose, and is firmly told;
'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'
So we see clearly here that Jesus is both human and divine, this was His relationship with God and this was the fine balance which He had to tread during earthly ministry.

The Gospel for Ash Wednesday also gives us some guidance on our relationship with God.
It is all about not fasting in public and making a great display of our penitence in public, like the hypocrites do, but rather do things quietly, it is between God and ourselves. This is the important relationship. Interestingly, the passage ends with those famous words that we should not 'lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, which moth and rust will consume and where thieves can break in and steal' but rather store up for ourselves treasures in heaven where this cannot happen. Where our treasure is there shall our hearts be also. A right relationship with God is all important and this is reflected in how we use our time, talents and money here and now.

During the next few weeks you will be hearing more about our much needed Stewardship campaign, how we need to share the financial responsibility for moving our Church forward and to discover how God wants us to get involved.

We do need to work out who we are in God - God who has called us by name to His service.

I passed a Church recently which had this sign outside:

'Whether you believe in God or not, God believes in you and welcomes you to this church every Sunday.' Surely, that is a good start.

Amen.

© Gillian Gyenes
Mar 2007

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