Mindekirken
Nov. 17, 2002

Pr. Jens Arne Dale

Matthew 25:14-30

My father was a teacher at a Christian agricultural school in all his years. During a period of revival he experienced a strong call to break up and begin as preacher full-time. One winter evening, the great decision was made. He was on his way to the principal’s house to deliver his resignation. From then on God would support him and his family. Then, something strange happened in the moonlight in the middle of a field. It was as if God stopped him and a clear inner voice said: You shall not resign as a teacher, but continue to serve me in your daily work. That was basically what happened. He combined his work of teaching with other interests with counseling and preaching.

We are called to belong to God and serve him with everything we have. What do you have that you were not given?, Paul asks in 1 Cor. 4:7. Life is a gift from Him, our body, abilities and power, family and friends, time and treasure. Everything that we have is a gift. To be a disciple of Jesus is to give it back to him. The wonderful thing is that when we surrender something to God, we get it back. It’s like our Lord smiles at us and says thanks, and then asks us to take care of everything on behalf of him.

Paul often presented himself as the servant of Jesus Christ, Rom. 1:1 He uses the Greek word dulos, which originally means slave. Paul was born as a free man, yes, he was even born into the extremely exclusive Roman citizenship. It gave him the protection of law of order, and a traveling passport, and he even had the means to travel around. Even so, he did not feel free. The evil I do not want is what I do. Rom. 7:19. In this respect, he was a slave of sin. But he got a new Lord. Jesus bought him. And to be a slave of Jesus didn’t mean bondage, but freedom. When we were baptized, we were marked with the sign of the cross. It may be compared to the mark of a slave. We belong to the one who loved us and gave himself for us. To be a slave of Jesus Christ means to be set free, free to love, free to serve. To Paul it included a call to be an apostle. The aim of his life became: bringing the gospel out. The love of Christ urges us on…Those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. 2 Cor. 5:14-15

You are probably not supposed to pack up and leave for China as a missionary, but, there where you are, in the middle of life, with family and friends, job and interests, you are supposed to serve Jesus. It’s about integrity at work care for family and loyalty as a citizen. To be a disciple of Jesus is also a call to live in the fellowship of the church of God on earth. To many of us, Mindekirken is the congregation where God has called us to live the life of faith. Think big about the place God has given you here. Your place should not be empty when the congregation celebrates the service. Everyone has his or her special gift. We are members of the body of Christ and when we use our gifts the body of Christ is build up. Some have the gift of being a leader. Some ministry and others are teachers, etc. When Paul writes about this in Rom 12, he says that the compassionate should do it in cheerfulness. Let love be genuine. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rom. 12:11. Reading this, I have a vision of greeters and ushers at Mindekirken, folks busy with the Treasure Chest sale, yes, it even smells like lutefisk from these verses.

On Stewardship Sunday, we focus on several questions. How can I use my time in the congregation? What tasks might I have? To rewrite an American president: Don’t ask what the congregation can do for you, but what you can do for the congregation. It has been exciting to get to know Mindekirken. There’s a multitude of talents in so many respects: clever and willing workers. We are allowed to consider with gladness and gratitude what happens at committees and meetings, teaching and music, etc, and say: Thank you God for everything you do through us. It’s his grace that we are used by him. And at the same time we look forward. To be a congregation means life and growth. We constantly try to find better ways of organizing practical work, arrange for fellowship in worship and care.

Paul used his Roman citizenship for what it was worth. When he claimed his right, it was in order to let the gospel prevail. We shall use the possibilities which our Norwegian heritage gives us. It’s Mindekirken’s special call from God to be a congregation which addresses people of Norwegian ancestry. At this point, we have to be outspoken and use all possible opportunities.

In Rom. 12:8, Paul says that the one who gives should do it with generosity. Do you remember that Jesus one day sat and watched the ones who put money into the treasury of the temple? Many rich people gave large sums, but then a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins. Why did Jesus say that she put in more than all the others? Directly translated from Greek, it says: She gave all her life, Mark 12:44. This is the Biblical principle of giving. We give back what in reality belongs to God. In the Old Testament, it describes how the people gave the tithes, 10% of their income. The rule was so well established that if one gave any less than 10%, that part was regarded as stolen from the Lord. Malachi 3:8. In the New Testament, tithing is no longer law, but an option. Freedom and joy of giving is underlined. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. 9:7

There are people who give a lot even though they don’t have very much. Maybe they have a greater personal freedom than rich people who feel grief from giving away some of their abundance. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, Jesus said, Matt. 6:21. At Central Lutheran Church, they now have pasted thousands of paper hearts with reference to this verse on the corridor walls. Where your treasure is… It may be useful to ask that question, where really is my treasure? If we only live for perishable values, we are poor. The ideal of Jesus is that we should be rich in God, rich in joy, peace, grace, love, rich at giving. It is more blessed to give than to receive, Jesus said, Acts 20:35.

In Today’s text we meet servants who had invested what they had got in a wonderful way. But with the last one it was the opposite. God frees us from the darkened and bitter mind that makes one bury the talent down in the ground. Today, we want to challenge you to be concrete in your relationship to God where giving is concerned. In 1 Cor. 16, we read about giving on a weekly basis. Now it’s our turn to estimate how much we might give to our church next year. Think and find out approximately how much your income will be for next year. Pray, and ask God to show you what percentage of this you might give cheerfully. How much would that be a week? It’s good Christian management to make a budget for the congregation. The estimate of giving cards are the key to this. We will take time in silence afterwards to think, pray, and write. Then we will go to the offering table up by the altar and give our estimate cards together with today’s offering. To those of you who prefer not to come forward, the ushers will go along the pews as usual, to collect your regular offering as well as the estimate cards. Members who are not here, and those of you who for some reason need more time before you decide what to write, may take the card home to do during the coming week. Next Sunday, we will have dedication Sunday and celebrate with a potluck lunch for church coffee. I promise a short sermon that day. And as a visible thanks for the privilege of giving, we’ll lift up the plate with the estimate cards and thank God that we are allowed to enrich ourselves by giving.

Glory be to God, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, one true God now and forever. Amen