Extra Christy
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Talent Show
http://www.christyramsey.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry081116-111012
Talent originally meant a measure of weight. So a talent of gold or silver was used as a measure of money. The exact weight of a talent varies from 60 to over a 100 pounds. So a talent was a large amount of money.
From the original meaning of weight, talent has come to mean a skill or ability due to this parable. I think it is helpful to keep the original meaning in mind when talking about the current meaning of talent.
Having a talent can be a weighty thing. Two of the servants in this story worked one buried it. Got it off his hands, no longer worried about it. Knew how much had, not like stock. There is something to be said for burying a talent, no gain, but no risk either. Free from using it.
Procrastination is one way to bury talent. Keeping the work buried until the last minute to keep from doing your best you put off the work, the project, or the job until you have to dig it up at the last minute and turn it in. I didn’t have much time. I could have done better. Risk avoidance.
Saving it is another way to bury talent. Saving is not encouraged in the Bible, the Hebrews are not allowed to save Manna, the disciples are to take only the bare necessities on their journey, parables talk about the futility of building large barns…when the trust is in things to save us instead of God to provide us, hoarding things is seen as not trusting God.
The two that get the larger amounts are treated the same way. They doubled their original gifts are praised and given even more. The reward for good work? More work!
One servants buries his talent. He does this not out of desire that is the best course in uncertain economic times, but out of the belief that his master is harsh, and reacts in fear of a demanding God not faith in a generous God. He gives back to this master exactly what the master gave him. No more or no less. The master is not pleased.
Next month, Sam Sapp is giving us a taste of next year’s Sunday School using Joan of Arcadia television shows. In this television show, Joan, a high school student, is directed by God again and again to unearth their talents. She is directed to be a cheerleader, join the chess club, the debate club, work on the yearbook, get an after school job and build a boat. Each time she invests in a new talent ripples of God’s love reach out and move the world closer to God’s kingdom.
Imagine a Christmas when you get a gift. It is familiar then you realize that it is the exact same gift you gave the person last year! You’ve been regifted! The box is unopened, the gift unused. Are you even? It gift calculus run by some, it balances perfectly, you have got back exactly what you were given. No disparity of generosity exists. Yet, we would be upset, because we gave the gift to be used. We are like God in that way. God is not pleased when abilities and resources he has entrusted us with are returned unused, unshared, unmultiplied.
There were two boys. One was a boy who made it a point every time his relatives visited to get out the last gift he had received from them and play with it when they could see. The relatives were pleased to see their gift being used and enjoyed. The other boy took special care to store the gifts in the original box unused but perfectly preserved on the shelf. (Maybe he’s a eBay millionaire by now!) But over time, the boy who used the toys got even more toys, because he enjoyed them and the joy was multiplied when the givers saw the joy. The boy with the toys on the shelf got less, because he hadn’t even used the ones he had, why did he need more? Want more blessings from God? Then use the ones you have!
Next time you are at the front doors of this building on the church side, look at the year on the cornerstone. 1929. The year the stock market crashed. That financial meltdown took away the financing for this building. Now the congregation could have buried the foundation and just hunkered down at their building on Para, but they didn’t. With some arm twisting by the Goodyear, an insurance company financed the building at a reduced amount and up this sanctuary went. What an investment! Not just in this congregation but in the future of Goodyear Heights, Akron and the country. When everything was falling down our spiritual forebearers build up. Look how the use of their talents have multiplied.
Ever come to church and GET MONEY? Well, it happened at least once. As a young pastor I signed a personal note for $500 and gave out $20 “talents” to twenty-five people. The sermon was on the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. After inviting a response, I had people sign out $25 to invest for the Lord and return in two months. I bought an Ad with my money and gave computer lessons and help. Others bought ingredients and baked pies for sale, others put up preserves, one did a quilt. One added $25 to his day trading amounts and played the stock market! And yes, one buried the $25 bill and turned it back in, unopened, just like our Bible story.
The money was turned in at the end of the two months and I paid off the note. We also had money left over to give to mission. The most important dividend was in the life of one of the participants. He was working at solid but unfulfilling job, but always wanted to draw. So he bought inks and canvas and created beautiful drawings. His wife saw them and “invested” in him to do more for her talent investment. Her talent was recognizing and encouraging talent in others. They sold well, which encouraged him to quit his day job and become a full time graphic artist! When I left several years later, he was happily using his talent as full time employment!
God gave us talents, personally and corporally to use, not to bury and preserve, but to spend, invest for the growth of his kingdom. Do not fear Don’t be afraid to use your talents! God will bless you just as Jesus promises in Matthew 25.
]]>Lighted Windows
http://www.christyramsey.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry081112-143341
The windows were alive this morning! The light revealed the beauty hidden during his last visit. There was no change in the building or the windows between visits. The difference was that this time, they were lighted from beyond.
Jesus talks about being the light of the world. In the Gospel of John he describes himself as that light. In Matthew, he tells his followers that they are the light of the world as well.
Seeing the difference that the addition of light makes to the church windows, bringing out hidden beauty, helps me understand the role of Christ and his followers in a dark world.
We are to show the world the beauty that is already there, but unnoticed and overlooked without light. Be that light.
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.' -- John 8:12 (NRSV)
'You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. -- Matthew 5:14-16 (NRSV)
]]>God's Choice
http://www.christyramsey.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry081105-143141
For the parts of the election that our choices didn't prevail, I offer a part of our worship time Sunday. Rather than asking the "God's choice" win, our prayers acknowledged that whoever wins the election will become God's choice for God turns all things to the good. Our prayers were that however the elections turned out; we would continue to work together to do God's will in God's world.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God, not even election results. I pointed out that our scripture for the day was from Revelation (never Revelations) and gave Reverend Tim Shapiro's commentary on the last book of the Bible: "No matter how bad things get; God will save God's people." Now things get pretty bad in Revelation, yet God saves God's people and prevails over all the evil in the universe. So, I believe that God will get us through this election cycle too.
Whether or not you are pleased with the election results, rest assured that the most important contest has been decided in our favor. God wins and so does humanity.
Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. - 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 (NIV)
]]>Church Loan
http://www.christyramsey.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry081029-142913
Yet I believe even then, the church is not ours. Some disagree with me; among them at least one Ohio judge, many congregationalists, even some Presbyterians. Who does it belong to? The easy answer is God, after all, all churches belong to God. An historic answer is found in our church consitituion that all property is held in trust for the denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA).
This Sunday we are celebrating "All Saints Sunday" where we remember those that have gone before us and now after death are in the church triumphant. Some of them were the ones who built the church building during the depression, others mortaged their own homes to contribute to the building fund, many others worked in choirs, Sunday Schools, dinner committees, youth programs or served as a deacon or elder.
All Saints Day reminds us of the faith of those that served God before us and even now are cheering us on as we take our turn between those that went before and those who follow us. We are stewards of the blessings of God which are lent to us while we are here. The blessings of God handed to us by the saints that went before us do not belong to the current generation anymore than the sky does. We do not own the church anymore than we can box and brand God's love just for us and our generation.
May you be blessed by all that the saints in your life have passed on to you, and may you enjoy them...and pass them on to others.
Of course, every house is built by someone, and God is really the one who built everything. -- Hebrews 3:4 (CEV)
]]>What Tomorrow May Bring
http://www.christyramsey.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry081022-142712
The author of James warns us against making financial plans for future profit for he points out that "no one knows what tomorrow will bring" He recommends adding the prefix: "If the Lord wills..." to all plans.
Ira Stanphill wrote a song after his wife left him and their ministry. You may not care for the style, but the words are appropriate half a century later:
I don't know about tomorrow; It may bring me poverty. But the one who feeds the sparrow, Is the one who stands by me---
Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand But I know who holds tomorrow And I know who holds my hand.
We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we know the Lord holds tomorrow.
Come now, you who say,"Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." -- James 4:13-15 (ESV)
]]>Mirror in My Wallet
http://www.christyramsey.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry081015-142521
I served a church in Pennsylvania that had old records that showed this information around the turn of the century (eighteen to nineteen, not the last turn!) but I didn't know it was still practiced in 2008!
What if we not only published the tithes and offerings amount but all the amounts given and spent throughout the year. What would that revealed about our priorities? What if we knew that this accounting would be sent to our family, friends, and neighbors?
I'm not saying it should be done, just if it was, how would that change our behavior? Would we tip more? Would we make sure our church offering exceeded the dinner bill? Maybe we would cut down on the amount we spent for specialty coffee! (Guilty!)
When you reach for your wallet in your pocket or purse today, try to look at yourself in its reflection.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does. -- James 1:22-25 (NIV)
]]>Think About These Things
http://www.christyramsey.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry081012-101155
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. - Philippians 4:8 NIV
Right click the text "related link" below and save to your computer to listen later. (Left click to listen now.)]]>What Matters
http://www.christyramsey.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry081008-141938
Suspicious, I butted in and asked our recruit, "Do you use your email?"
"No."
He went on to explain how months go by without him checking email. He had an email address. He just didn't read or write any messages. (Some days, when I look at my unread messages, I think he is wiser than me in that way.)
Some folks are like that about their faith. With effort, they can recite their church's address but rarely go there. The question of how does having that membership affect your daily life is what really matters.
Whether or not you use email is not of eternal importance. Whether or not your life sends a message of your faith...that matters.
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. -- James 2:14-17 (NIV)
I sometimes have to enlist my wife to get rid of "precious" things are of no value(!) that I can't bear to give up and away. Retired computers and books enjoyed years ago make up the majority of the "stuff" I have for no sane reason.
Moving is a great time to take inventory. It forces you to choose. It is either get rid of some stuff or not move! Literally, we would not be able to move in the new house. To move, we need to let loose.
Paul says that in our scripture reading for Sunday, in Philippians he says he was dropped everything he has weighed him down, marked it as rubbish, so like an unburdened runner he can "press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus."
What is holding you back from moving forward?
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 3:4b-14 (NIV)
]]>Giving Doorknockers
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As I consider how to install the pounder, I related it to my calling. I really am about installing personalized doorknockers for the one who stands at the door and knocks. I cannot open the door for someone else for Christ to enter, nor am I the one to be welcomed in. My place is getting door knockers put in, so folks know that Christ is knocking at the door to their heart.
Hope you hear Christ knocking today. Let me know if I can help.