Good and Faithful, or Wicked and Lazy?

This week was the second of three sermons looking at Matthew and the topic of preparing to wait.  Another one of my least favorites, the Parable of the Talents.  Ugh.  Another parable that goes against everything I learned.  

I have been thinking long and hard about the difference between the three servants.  Why did the first two decided to invest the money, while the third one hid it?  Since there is no comment about their individual abilities, I have to assume their circumstances were similar.  Although he sees them as having different levels of ability, the master trusts all three equally.  They begin the "challenge" on even footing.

The difference is not in how the master sees them, but in how they see the master.  The first two servants do not appear to fear the master.  They took what they had been given and acted.  The third not only lacked the faith and confidence to attempt to act, he was paralyzed by his fear.  At this point I want to start making excuses for him (me), but I know it won't do any good.  The third servant not only let fear prevent him from acting, it prevented him from having any kind of relationship with his master.

That really hit home for me.  Having been raised in a hell-fire-brimstone church, I was sure that God was always ready to punish, and I would never be "good enough."  It has been a struggle to work through that and find a loving God.  It's like the struggle to see setbacks and obstacles in life as opportunities.  I know from personal experience that how you see God shapes your relationship with God and also your actions (or inaction).  I do understand why the third servant hid the talent.

But, at the end of the day the message I'm getting in this study is that we are expected to use what has been given to us to further the work of God.  The kingdom is here, and not yet.  We must work to create communities that reflect and allow a peek at the kingdom yet to come. When we use what we have been given - creating communities of love, justice, compassion, welcome, peace - we demonstrate our faith in a loving and just God in unmistakeable actions.  Guess I had better get busy...  After all, I need to be responsible for getting myself ready, while I'm waiting.

Preparing For... What?

Friday I was preparing for a road trip and desperately wanted to download a new song for the ride.  It is a new, jazz version of a Javier Mendoza song I already have.  Despite my best efforts and persistence, I was not able to download the file and had to make the trip without it.  I was really looking forward to the music distracting me from my current worries, worries that I have been allowing to dominate my thoughts.  Frustrating.


I was finally able to download and listen to the song this morning.  I love the tune and the new arrangement is so cool.  The words are authentic, a bit seedy, but the underlying message is about being careful to not value temporal, transient, material things.  While I was listening I had a thought to do a Facebook search for someone I knew a long time ago.  I thought I found him, but as a board member of a non-profit based in Washington state.  A little confusing since he lives in Bolivia.

Of course I had to read up on the non-profit, and discovered it was in memory and honor of a young girl who died in a tragic accident while living in South America as an exchange student.  Since she lived in the same town I had lived in, and was basically on a trip very similar to one I had taken, it really struck home with me.   I felt like there was a message coming through for me, but it wasn't quite clear.

All I needed was a little clarification, and wouldn't you know it, the message in service provided that.  The upcoming sermons will be looking at how we wait and prepare for the coming of Christ, and how and where God comes to us.  First up - the parable of the ten bridesmaids.  Remember?  They were told to be ready for the bridegroom but didn't know when he would arrive.  When he did arrive, the five wise bridesmaids had enough oil for their lamps and were prepared, but the other five - the foolish ones - had to go out and get more oil.  While they were out buying oil they missed out on the wedding feast.

One of the most troubling aspects of this parable for me has always been that the five wise bridesmaids did not share with the others. Even when they asked.  In the back of my mind my German-Anlgo-Saxon-pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps-charity-begins-at-home upbringing  was satisfied with the story.  After all, they each got what they deserved, right?  But what about loving others as yourself?  Wouldn't that require sharing with those who didn't have enough?  The wise bridesmaids were welcomed to the feast, legitimizing their failure to share.  I find it uncomfortable to consider that there are negative consequences for our actions (or failures to act), even though cognitively I know there are always consequences.

The pastor offered an explanation that I have not considered.  The bridesmaids had to prepare themselves.  Those who had oil could not prepare, or save, those who ran out of oil.  They had to be responsible for their own actions, their own soul, be ready, because you never know when or where God will speak to you. Hearing the word, then acting, doing - this prepares you so that you can recognize the presence of God in your life.

Thwack.  The 2x4 hit home, up side of my head.  But I think I got the message.   Be ready, take care of preparing yourself and your spirit.  Be ready and open to the many different ways God is acting in your life. Be ready to recognize God in whatever way he shows up.  As I listened to that song this morning I realized that I have been preparing for sorrow, loss, failure.  But this mother who lost her child is preparing for hope, joy, service.  What an example!  I am taking steps to change that, and one of them is to strongly encourage you to read Etta's story at  http://ettaprojects.org/, and then act as you are moved to act.