November 21, 2004
Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Stewardship Sunday
Psalm 4
Matthew 6:5-14

In our faith tradition, this day which marks the end of the year is named "Christ the King Sunday." In our UCC tradition, this day is called the "Reign of Christ Sunday." Next Sunday, we begin another liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent, a time of darkness and emerging new life. For me, this day at the end of the year is kind of culminating day, a day to celebrate the fullness of the past year, a time to be thankful for all that God has done, a worship to harvest our gratitude for the gifts of life in a caring, compassionate community of seekers. It also happens to be Stewardship Sunday; today we bring our gifts of time, talent, treasure and trust, so that together, we might move into the coming year, supporting our mutual ministry at FCCB, and beyond.

One of the ministries we support beyond our local congregation is BOCA, Berkeley Organizing Congregations for Action. This past Tuesday night I flew on a red eye to Washington DC so that I could participate in a national meeting for clergy, sponsored by our national group of Community Organizers. Flying the red eye is not exactly fun, but there are things a person can do to make it better: drink water, bring a pillow and ear plugs, and if it is a clear night, look out the window every once in a while; you might be able to see the lights of the cities and towns of our vast country.

As I looked out the window in the midst of the night, I thought, this is what it means to have a God's eye view of the world. From the 30,000 ft or so above our world, I tried to imagine what prayers were being prayed in all those homes and churches and mosques that night. And I prayed too, for the millions of Americans, those in the red states and the blue, those who live in the mountains and the flatlands, those who have been here for generations and for those who might have escaped over the border that very night.

To have a God's eye view of the world, even for a moment, made me very grateful for our extraordinary land but I also was reminded of the permanent ache there must be in God's heart for all the struggles of the world.

Jesus possessed a God's eye view of the world. He was one who accepted his existence with an increasing readiness, not as a possession to defend, but as a gift to receive. Somehow he was able to find a stillness in the midst of the world, where he could open his hands to God's presence and find hope for himself, for his people and for the whole community. The prayer Jesus taught us is basically a rehearsal of the terms of our existence as we stand before God. There is awe and gratitude, petition and the overwhelming realization that nothing can be done without the presence of God in all our efforts. "Your kingdom come" reminds us of our deepest longing, that the love of God for the world is not only something we hope for, but that one day God's vision for the world will become manifest reality.

As people of faith, we are called to see the world through the point of view of God. We are tempted, especially in these days, to see the world from a political point of view, or from our personal experience. These are days and these are times that call us into another viewpoint-a prophetic stance. Richard Rohr, a comtemplative and activist, asks the question, "why are there so many festivals celebrating Christ the King, but none that celebrate Christ the Prophet? Most Christians want a King who blesses the status quo, rather than one who leads us out of it."

The prophet does not see the world from the view of political theory or personal piety. Our faith requires our embracing the world with the eyes of the prophet, that is one who carries within his or her own eyes, a vision of the world as God would have it. It means leaving the country of status quo and living in the country of God.

I believe that is how we are attempting to live and to worship God here in this place. Ours is a faith and a community of faith where we desire, not our personal satisfaction, nor ultimately, political victories. Our longing, it seems to me is centered in a deep desire to embrace God's vision for the world. Do we have the confidence that the prophetic vision we bring speaks truthfully for the God of the universe? In this vision, we see the lion and the calf together, the wolf dwells with the lamb and the leopard lies down with the kid. It's a bold and beautiful vision, and with it, we see the eyes of God gazing at the world.

We pray for this world. In all our actions, whether it be cooking Thanksgiving lunch for the homeless or painting a watercolor sunset, whether it be ushering on Sunday morning or being a youth leader Sunday afternoon, whether we sing in the choir or tell our stories in Adult Education, we are always quietly, consistently praying for the world, praying for God's kingdom to come, for the reign of Christ to come here, now. We are praying with open hands.

It's Stewardship Sunday. Every year, I have a custom I follow. I read my last Stewardship sermon. Last year I spoke to you about gratitude. Being grateful to God for the abundance of God's gifts in your own life and the life of community. This year, I want to bring you the simple message that we are ones who are called to see the world with God's eyes.

Tony Robinson reminds us that one of the clear specific and counterculteral practices to which the church has invited us is significant financial giving. He says that without the support and encouragement of community, he might still be dropping a dollar in the plate every week. But living in community and believing in church has helped him to form a pattern of giving away a significant percentage of his income. In a culture that glorifies the material, rather than the spiritual, we are learning to identify the voices of greed and the choruses of scarcity; "it's never enough, it is never enough." To live with a God's eye view of the world, believing in God's abundance is to learn how to pray with open hands. I heard it in Sarah Conning's voice as she said to us that she trusts in God to hold her life. I heard the same message last week from Elizabeth Driver, who reminded us that the community of faith is a wise place to invest treasure and trust. Paradoxically, we win some measure of control over that world of scarcity and greed when we refuse to buy in, when we give not only of ourselves, but of our wealth.

Our Stewardship Committee offered us the suggestion of increasing our pledge by a small percent, I believe it was 5%. I want to suggest to you this morning, that you increase your pledge or if you are pledging for the first time, to pledge with the promise of God's reign of peace on your heart.

What does that mean to you? What is the joy and the cost of your discipleship?

By pledging today, we are not simply giving, but we are offering. We offer ourselves to God. Our gifts are symbols of our labor, but they are also symbols of ourselves and the way we want to be in the world. We want to pray with open hands, not clenched fists and we want to offer ourselves to a world in which God's kingdom is always possible, is on the way, is coming . . . today and each day of our lives.

Amen.