Pentecost 22

Good morning and welcome. How many here have anything to do with investments? (Don’t worry about a show of hands, it’s just a question posed.) Perhaps you use a specific agent, as our family does, or maybe you are just financially savvy and invest on your own. You know—take some of your hard-earned cash and buy some stocks or other types of investments?

The general rule of thumb for investors is that you invest when the stock price is low and make some profit by selling when the stock is higher. In today’s economy many find themselves in trouble trying to cash in stocks when the prices are low and interest rates are also low. It takes patience to play the investment game, that’s for sure. Yet patience is a virtue and certainly investing involves a certain amount of risk.

So, it’s not surprising that today’s Gospel speaks of investing… investing in God’s mission if you will. Jesus gives a great example… the parable or story of the talents. It’s a pretty straight forward story that explains how God will judge the world and His people.

The story goes like this…there is a man who leaves on a journey and he entrusts his property to his three slaves. Essentially, he is investing here and is going to expect a return on his investment down the road. He has given one slave five talents, another two and the third one.

So, the master departs and while he is away, the slaves put the talents to work. The first trades with his talents and earns five more. The second does the same and earns two more talents. The third slave however, simply buries the talents in the ground. Then comes the accounting. The master returns. Upon learning that two of the slaves have invested the talents well and earned more, he says, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”

The third slave appeared to be lazy with what he was given and offered the explanation that because the master was seen to be a harsh man, he was afraid and chose to do nothing with the talents but return them. The judgment was harsh. The talent was taken from him and given to the one who had ten talents. “To all them who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

The fate of the third slave was sealed as he was sent into the outer darkness. Now, what does this story or parable say to us? It is one about investment for sure and a return on that investment, and it is certainly about judgment. Perhaps the most pressing truth is that if we are not productive with what God has given us, we will lose it. Perhaps that is why many of our churches, not just the Anglican Church, but many, are suffering?

Spiritually speaking, each of the baptized is given at least one spiritual gift from God. Look this up in Paul’s first letter to the Church in Corinth. It says this. “Now, you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the Church, God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12:27-31).

All of these gifts are given by the Holy Spirit and are to be used to glorify God and build up the kingdom of God on earth. If I have the gift of voice and song and do not use it effectively, I could be compared with the slave in the parable who buried his talent. The bottom line is that the Church itself, the Body of Christ, misses that gift and is essentially hampered. The gift is there to be used and lies dormant. If all spiritual gifts were ignored, our Church would essentially be gutted of its message and the power of God to improve not only the life of the brothers and sister in Christ, but of the world God has called us to be a part of.

On the other hand, if we invest in God’s mission and utilize the gifts given, the blessings come to us. There are many successful churches that can claim this as truth, whose memberships and finances and mission is strong and growing. These churches or missions could be compared with the slave given 10 talents and making five more. There are other churches and missions that are smaller in numbers but faithful and giving and utilizing their gifts. These same churches and missions will also grow and receive the blessings of God. They can be compared with the slave who was given the lesser talents.

The bottom line is this. God calls each and every one of us into service for Him and He calls us as a Church, as community, to utilize the gifts He has given us for mission. In the Anglican Church of Canada, we have suggested there are five marks of mission. Here is what they are. Listen and consider how we as a church community are responding:

1. To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom. We have Good News. God so loved you and me that He gave His only begotten Son, to the end that all who believe in Him will not perish in sin but have eternal life. The plan of salvation is for all of God’s people in the world. To proclaim something is to give it voice. Have we been doing that? As a Church? As individuals?
2. To teach, baptize and nurture new believers. We have had the real joy of welcoming newcomers to St. James. We can always use more teachers, more who want to grow and to learn. You will hear more about Confirmation, for example, at the end of today’s service.
3. To respond to human need by loving service. There is much need in our world—hunger, poverty, sickness and disease, to name only a few. At St. James, we have created a Pastoral Care sub-committee. If you feel called to respond, ask about how to get involved.
4. To seek to transform unjust structures of society. This may seem harder, and is certainly a task for the committed and faithful believer. Ask yourself “What are the unjust structures in our midst? How can I be a part of that transformation process?”
5. To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. In the news lately, surely you may have heard about developing issues, like putting Hydro lines in the middle of pristine land, proper drainage of water and sewer, flood protection, protection of endangered species to name a few.

 Thankfully, it is not you or me who will be the ultimate judge of our actions on earth. In the end, it is true that it is not the quantity of the work we do for our God, or even the quality. Rather, we will most likely be judged by our attitude toward God and the gifts He has given us. There is always room for grace, as God so loved the world He gave His only Son, that we might have life. He has defeated the power of sin and death and given to us new life. Not just any ordinary life, but abundant life. Are you living an abundant life? If not, perhaps this is the moment for discernment.

The truth is, if we are not productive with what God has given us, we will lose those very gifts. Yet, if this parable teaches us anything, it is that we who have been given gifts and a call by our God must respond. Use it or lose it as the saying goes. To those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance.

There are indeed many churches that are struggling and lacking resources. Perhaps the gifts of God are being buried. No matter what your age, we all have a responsibility to utilize our gifts to assist God in His mission in the world. For some, the response will be through giving financially, in order that the mission is carried out. For others, it may be an active function of involvement in mission. Still others will be on the learning curve and moving toward a greater role in mission.

At St. James, it means more of reaching the neighborhood, and a continued effort to find ways to partner with our God in His mission. Let us continue to invest our efforts into God’s mission, expecting His blessings to flow!