Sermon \u2013 October 5, 2014<\/p>\n
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW<\/p>\n
St. John\u2019s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY<\/p>\n
Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 22) Track 1<\/a><\/p>\n When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce.\u00a0Matthew 21:34<\/em><\/p>\n Please be seated.<\/p>\n We are doing a number of things today. \u00a0It is stewardship Sunday when we focus on what of God\u2019s we return to God. \u00a0And we are remembering St. Francis, whose commemoration was yesterday, with having our pets here with us this morning and blessing them after the service.<\/p>\n I\u2019m more of a cat person than anything. \u00a0Since the day I was born, cats have lived with me off and on. \u00a0Sometimes it\u2019s one cat and sometimes it\u2019s as many as three cats. \u00a0Many of my cats have come to me, chosen me. \u00a0Seems they are messengers from God, really.<\/p>\n For instance, in late 1980, I was going through a tough time. \u00a0I was a single mom, barely able to make ends meet. \u00a0At Christmas, though, I held my traditional open house.\u00a0 At some point in the evening, someone opened the door and in walked a beautiful tiger cat! \u00a0Just walked in, mind you!\u00a0 Later the next summer when we moved to Ithaca so I could go to college fulltime, he came with us and used to sit on my books while I was studying. \u00a0My two young children and I needed his love, antics and companionship.<\/p>\n So many stories I could tell of the cats who have just walked in to my life and just shown up as loving companions along the way. \u00a0I\u2019m sure you have many of your own.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve talked before about what it means to be a steward:\u00a0 being a steward is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care\u2026.\u00a0 It is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one\u2019s care.<\/p>\n When we have pets, we must be good stewards.\u00a0 Pets rely upon us to care for them. \u00a0We feed them well. \u00a0We do what we can to keep them safe from harm. \u00a0We do what we can to give them a good home. \u00a0When they\u2019re sick, we do what we can to help them get well. \u00a0When we can\u2019t do these things, we find them good homes with someone else. \u00a0We feel so strongly about this as a society, that we have laws about what it means to be good stewards to the animals in our care. \u00a0We are appalled by cruelty to animals.\u00a0 We \u201cget\u201d what being a good steward of God\u2019s creation means through caring for our pets.<\/p>\n And today, we are being asked to consider what it means to be good stewards to God\u2019s church, the church of God\u2019s son, Jesus Christ. \u00a0Most specifically, we are being asked to consider what it means to be a good steward of St. John\u2019s Episcopal Church.<\/p>\n God tells us through Jesus\u2019 parable. \u00a0God provided a vineyard\u2026a carefully built vineyard. \u00a0It had everything \u2013 a fence to keep animals out; a wine press so the harvest could be preserved; and a watchtower, because the workers would live in the vineyard during the harvest and the watchtower provided safety. \u00a0The workers provided the labor to ensure, as much as possible, that there would be a good harvest. \u00a0Of course, they couldn\u2019t control the weather, but they could otherwise tend to the grape crop.<\/p>\n Similarly, God has given us all of the basic things we need to be The Episcopal Church in this region of Kentucky. \u00a0We are charged with providing careful and responsible management of the basics God has given us, so that God\u2019s mission with God\u2019s people can be realized. \u00a0And for those of you who just finished confirmation class, you know that this mission of the church is to \u201crestore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.\u201d (BCP, pg 855)<\/p>\n And according to our catechism, the church pursues our mission, \u201cas it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.\u201d (BCP, pg 855)\u00a0 Now, we probably need to have regular conversations about what we truly need to be the church. \u00a0What do we add to the fence, the watchtower, and the winepress that God has provided?<\/p>\n But for today, let\u2019s assume that we agree that to pursue our mission, that to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ, that we need a facility, a park, items for worship and for spiritual growth, resources for outreach and a priest. \u00a0Those are the elements necessary to being the church\u2026to restoring all people to unity with God and each other in Christ\u2026to pray, worship, proclaim the Gospel, and promote justice, peace, and love.<\/p>\n God has given us everything we need. \u00a0God asks only that we do the labor and produce a good harvest. \u00a0God asks us to be good stewards\u2026to be careful and responsible managers of what\u2019s been entrusted to us.<\/p>\n We know what this means with our pets, yet become squeamish when it comes to talking about what it means for the church, what it means for St. John\u2019s. \u00a0And that\u2019s the question put to us in today\u2019s parable. \u00a0When God sends God\u2019s workers to collect the harvest, what will be our response? \u00a0Will we kill the workers and even God\u2019s Son, so we can steal what is rightfully the landowner\u2019s\u2026what is rightfully God\u2019s? \u00a0Or will we do our part to care for the vineyard\u2026to provide the resources necessary for a good harvest? \u00a0Will God need to find new tenants for God\u2019s vineyard known as St. John\u2019s Episcopal Church?<\/p>\n Amen<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sermon \u2013 October 5, 2014 The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, CSW St. John\u2019s Episcopal Church, Corbin, KY Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 22) Track 1 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect … Continue reading