A sermon preached September 18, 2011 at Crissey Farm

By the Rev. Frances A. Hills, Rector

Exodus 16:2-15, Matthew 20:1-16

What astonishing scriptures these are! They seem to fly in the face of some of our most cherished economic assumptions, like saving. We value saving, being able to have and “put away” more than enough/more than what we need for today. Even better is having MUCH more than enough. Enough to last us months or years or even a good, long retirement.

But then there’s this story about God providing quail and “bread from heaven”, manna. The Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness after their escape from Egypt. They’re hungry and cranky. They’re complaining and blaming Moses for taking them away from the slave-food they had in Egypt. They might have been slave-driven and oppressed, but at least they knew when they’d have their next meal.  So they’re free, but hungry and cranky. Then God tells them there will be meat at night and bread in the morning, Here’s the thing though, they can only take what they need for just one day…JUST ENOUGH.  God promises them God will supply what they need each day. God wants the people to learn to TRUST God in all things. To reinforce this, if they try to store up quail or manna—more than ENOUGH—then it always spoils overnight. So the people must learn to TRUST God one day at a time.

Jesus certainly echoes this when he teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”. ‘Such a familiar prayer, but do we think about what it really means?

We’re admitting we ultimately cannot supply what we need, and we’re asking God to give us what we need each day. In the asking, we’re acknowledging that God can supply our need. AND GOD WILL!

In the Gospel today, Jesus takes this much further, and again it flies in the face of some of our most cherished economic assumptions. Jesus gives us this parable about how the laborers who worked only one hour were paid the same as those who worked all day. Now what was paid to each was in fact, “a day’s wage”, which meant it was enough, just enough, to supply that day’s basic needs. Well, of course the ones who worked hard all day were furious…It wasn’t “fair”! Yet we must remember, in God’s economy, in God’s Kingdom, what’s “fair” is also what’s “just”. Perhaps for God the “minimum wage” (so to speak) is “a day’s pay”, like the quail and manna in the wilderness.

It’s important to remember here that Jesus always uses parables to give us images of what the Kingdom of God is like. In the Kingdom, God’s economy reigns. Giving all not only what’s fair, but also what’s just. And even more…God generously lavishing on us more than we can ask for or imagine, as the landowner choose to do for the laborer who worked only one hour. In God’s economy, in God’s Kingdom, there’s nothing for the all-day laborer to resent. He got what he needed and what he’d expected to be paid. Justice was done.

Now if the Kingdom of God is when God amazes us with God’s generosity, then, as children of this God, made in God’s likeness and image, I believe we are called to help bring in that generous Kingdom, “On earth as it is in heaven”. I believe we are called to amaze others with our generosity. I believe this congregation does from time to time amaze others with generosity. And I want to tell you a couple of stories about that…

As you may know, last weekend I was at the Bishop Search and Transition Committee’s Organizing Retreat with members of the Standing Committee and with our Consultant for the process. I sat at the lunch table Saturday with our Consultant, our Chaplain, and with Taylor Albright, member of the Search Committee and the rector of the church at Southwick. You may remember that the Southwick Church was planted just a few years ago. Until last year, when it became self-sustaining, it was the major recipient of the Diocesan Alleluia Fund. At lunch we talked about how the oldest and newest churches in the diocese were represented at our table. (With apologies to the newly formed “All Saints” in North Adams/Adams, which really is the newest church.)

Anyway, Taylor started telling the Consultant about how a couple of years ago

St. James, which was recently homeless and trying to discern what to do about our building and about our future, had actually sent a generous check to the Alleluia Fund to help the Southwick Church get firmly established. To us at the time, this just seemed like a good use of our Outreach money, but it turns out we actually amazed others with our generosity…Giving them a glimpse of God’s economy, God’s Kingdom.

You will hear more about this later, but on Thursday night, your Vestry agreed to do what we can to help our friend, neighbor, and partner in mission, Taft Farms. As you know they have been extravagantly generous to us with Gideon’s Garden, in helping to nurture youth and feed hungry people. But now the recent flooding has nearly pulled them under, and we have offered to help. Some at Taft Farms have told me personally that they are amazed by our generosity.

I know as your rector for nearly 4 years, you never cease to amaze me with your generosity! I think this is truly one of the Spiritual Gifts of this parish, and I hope we will continue to act out of this spirit of generosity even in these times when we might be tempted to try to store up more than enough for ourselves.  No doubt as we move forward into the future we will continue to be called upon to reflect God’s generous heart, to show the world God’s Kingdom, to use our gifts, and to amaze others with our generosity. I pray we are always up to this call. Amen.

Parts of this sermon were inspired by a sermon written by the Rev. Kirk Alan Kubicek, co-rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Ellicott Mills, Elicott City, MD.