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So You Want to be a Liberal?!

Sermon by Sandra M. Thomas
August 3, 2008, Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill

Deuteronomy 10:12-22
II Corinthians 8:1-15

"…they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints”

I can’t say that I blame anyone who doesn’t want to be a liberal. Liberals are often misunderstood, misquoted, ridiculed and as we saw just last Sunday – shot at, as when a man in Tennessee, fed up with liberal preaching, walked into a Unitarian Church in Knoxville and shot two worshippers to death, wounding six others. It pleases me that their Presbyterian neighbors were right there with open arms and generous hearts, providing comfort and shelter. It can be dangerous to let others know that you aspire to be a liberal. Dangerous and just plain difficult to explain – for what exactly is a liberal? Aren’t they the folks who don’t take a stand on much of anything?

Being a conservative is much easier. A conservative lives by traditional values that most people find easy to describe, if difficult to maintain – such as tithing. The Apostle Paul could point you to chapter and verse in the foundational documents of conservative, traditional faith – 10% of your income, the first 10%, the finest, purest 10% belongs to God, given without reserve. So now, you want to be a liberal?

The second congregation I served was in the fastest growing 5 square miles in Maryland --a cornfield that changed overnight into technology row. The average age in community was 32, so there were a lot of young couples. We were one of the few churches around with an organ and a center aisle so we got calls by the hour for weddings, weddings, weddings. We could have done 5 or 6 wedding a weekend if we’d been willing – and finally we had to say “members only”. People would call the office – not to ask if they could be married at the church, but asking “How much does it cost?” We would answer: “Weddings are free for members who support the church”. Inevitably the next question was “How much does it cost to become a member?” The easiest answer became: “10% of your income for the rest of your life + your continual prayers, your weekly presence among us, and your volunteer service.” After a long breathless silence on the phone – we would hear a weak “Oh….” and [click]. We weren’t liberal enough for them.

Paul, writing again to the Corinthians, says “this is what I want from you” – give liberally – no more counting out 10 pennies on the dollar – shoving them across the counter for Jesus. I want to see generosity pouring from your hearts and wallets – like that of Jesus – who was rich, but for our sakes become poor so that through his poverty we might become rich. I want to see giving – like what comes from the churches in the poverty-stricken community of Macedonia – who have given far beyond their means – begging for the opportunity to participate in this ministry with their generous gifts.

Who wants to be a liberal?

Unlike the poor of Macedonia – we live in a culture of unprecedented wealth – in a recession that bumps us down from 87% of the worlds resources to 86% of the worlds resources….and I hate it – but really !?

We go through these days checking the stock market at noon, with some unexplainable hand – wringing, gripped with fear, stomachs churn at the thought of not having enough,br>

and in the stress, the pressure, the tightness our grip never lets go. We fear a manna deficit – if not today, then tomorrow, if not tomorrow then for our own 5 great grand children. We suffer with a bottomless pit of neediness that cries out for more and more – an insatiable worry with not having enough – even as we become increasingly wealthy – who can save us from ourselves?

Sue Monk Kidd writes about rushing home from a conference speaking engagement, know that she had another chapter due in her publishers hands the next day – hands gripping the stirring wheel, gas peddle pushing beyond the limit, mind on her writing – when on a two lane country highway the car in front of her grinds to a halt – and the car coming her way in the next lane also stops – and they sit – no one moves – the minutes tick by with no visible reason – her panic growing – what are they doing?! until she spots a North Carolina tortoise slowly ambling across the road….slowing ambling. With resignation, she rolls down her car windows, catches the scent of blossoming mountain laurel, notices the blue mountains surrounding her – the crisp blue sky – the glorious sunshine – and the turtle. Another deep breath cleanses her stress and she wonders “Why am I driving my life into oblivion with stress and pressure?” Gift of this turtle has opened my eyes to the glory of life.

The Bible begins in a liturgy of generosity – God creates, blesses, gives and gives and gives and it is all good. God rolls down the window, looks around and everything was good – very, very good

Exodus – God protected his wandering people with the shade of a cloud by day and a cloud of fire by night – water in the desert, manna – little flakes of bread God pursues and gives, rescues and shelters, guides and fights their anxiety

We say it takes money to make money. Paul says it takes poverty to produce abundance . Jesus gave himself to enrich others, and we should do the same. Our abundance and the poverty of others need to be brought into a new balance. Paul ends his stewardship letter by quoting Exodus 16: "And the one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little." The citation is from the story of the manna that transformed the wilderness into abundance.

For us, like ancient Israelites, the path to this type of life is not easy. Anyone can give away 10% because it is required. But generosity requires trust in our fellow human beings and that doesn’t always pay off.

Anne Saunders, Vice-President of Marketing for Starbucks , tries to instill in employees a spirit of generosity. And she invites employees to send her stories illustrating the outcomes of a generous spirit. One Starbucks barista messed up a customer’s order – giving her a “vente mocha latte extra hot with foam with peppermint sprinkles – rather than without sprinkles” so as an apology for the extra wait she gave the drive-through customer her coffee free. The lucky customer was struck by a moment of generosity and decided to pay for the person next in line. This lucky customer did the same for the customer behind her, and an articulated act of generosity ran for 9 transactions until someone decided to take the coffee and run. That’s what’s wrong with being liberal! Someone’s going to take advantage and run.

Scripture tells us that God’s love and grace and care is so extravagant that it is poured out on ours head, trickles down our faces, is packed into our hands until it overflows into the hands of everyone around. That’s what it means to be generous

John Wesley liked to teach in verse – easy to remember – one of his verses begins like a conservative’s theme song “Earn all you can – Save all you can – Give all you can”

In another verse – even more generous – he writes “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

Another Englishman, a generation later Winston Churchill said “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Today we gather in the shadow of him – who though he was rich, for our sake become poor – and we ask – what this gracious spirit for Jesus only? or does Jesus invite us all to this way of life-giving.

Douglas Hicks – Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University writes the gospel does not talk about absolute equality – but vigorously argues against excessive inequality. Generosity is the key to God’s kingdom – not a re-distribution of wealth. The Apostle Paul illustrates that when he writes to the Corinthians “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be this equality – at the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.”

Generosity is the Christian answer to materialism, stress, worry, fear, anxiety

We are not talking about political liberals or conservatives, church liberals or conservatives – but lives filled up and overflowing with liberal anxiety or liberal generosity. Don’t you ever dream about being wonderfully free – or think about what this day would be like if we were truly free – truly secure in God’s care – and truly generous with our world?

From this table we receive a little piece of bread – not enough to fill our pockets or purses, no armloads to carry home, not even enough to clinch in our needy hands and hold onto for dear life We receive here a reminder – that God has promised to liberally give us enough for today – to give us all that is very, very good – filling and fulfilling – for today. To give us all we need

From this table we receive a little – tiny glass of juice – nowhere near enough to quench our thirst, nothing at all like we would buy ourselves from the store, hardly a taste – just enough to remind us of the price tag on the love bestowed upon us with grace – so generous – overflowing – never- ending.

This table is set by a wildly radical liberal – come and risk the experience of being in his presence.

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