Community Church Sermons

Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost, Year C – October 7, 2001

"Guarding The Good Treasure”

2 Timothy 1:1-14

All around the globe this Sabbath weekend, Christian people are uniting around the Table of the Lord. It is World Communion Sunday, and we put aside all differences of ritual, dogma, and style to come together as sisters and brothers in Christ. So as we worship today, look around and become aware of the company you are in – not just in this place, but all around the world. What an amazing, colorful, and diverse family we are as we gather together under the cross of Christ!

You know, they say that a cross was found the other day in the twisted and still smoldering wreckage of the World Trade Centers. It is a cruciform formed by the joining of two steel beams that once were part of the towers’ frame. Portions of the beams were twisted or torn off, leaving only the shape of a battered cross. Rescue workers and others who saw it took it as a sign that, in the midst of all the destruction of September 11^th, the Lord is still present – Love is still there – Faith is still alive – and Hope still endures.

A week or so ago, we may wondered about that, facing the enormous task of cleaning up and moving on to engage the powers of evil. But then one day, someone moved a pile of debris – a crane lifted up some twisted steel – a front end loader scooped out a mound of rubble – and there it was!

A cross.

The sign that unites us in Christ.

For me, there is something almost prophetic for Christian people in that discovery. Mind you, if I were Jewish or Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist, I would probably not be moved by the finding of a cross. Give me a Star of David, or a Crescent, or the main symbol of my own religion and I will be moved. But a cross – well, a cross speaks so directly and personally to those of us who are Christian. So what is this cross trying to say to us?

A long, long time ago, a young man named Timothy received a letter. Timothy was Paul’s personal representative to the church at Ephesus and other churches located in what is modern Turkey. The churches there were having a terrible time for the Roman emperor Nero had begun a widespread campaign of terror and persecution against them. They were living in troubled times

I suppose the reaction of the Christian people in those churches was similar to our reaction to the recent terrorist attacks here. A Pew Research Group poll released just this week says that 71% of Americans are experiencing depression over the tragic events of September 11^th. Nearly half those polled have difficulty concentrating. And one in three of us report difficulty sleeping at night. According to the Pew Research Group, Americans are more saddened, more frightened, and more fatigued in the aftermath of these events than they were during the Gulf War.

And we can sense it right here in our own church. At our Service of Remembrance and Hope held the Friday after the attacks, you could just about reach out and touch the terrible emotional burdens people carried with them into the service. As our leaders have planned our Stewardship Campaign for next year, they have done so with deep concern and anxiety about how difficult economic times will affect our ability to fulfill our responsibilities as a church. Many of our members worry about their children, and grandchildren – especially those who are now being deployed to far away places. Those who depend upon investments to support them in retirement are anxious about their security. And the young families of our church – what a difficult time for them as they try to interpret for their children the meaning of these events, and to allay their fears.

Now I don’t know how all these goings-on are affecting all of you personally, but I do know what Christians can do to lift themselves above the smoke and destruction, and take on these challenges in a positive and powerful way.

This is what Timothy was advised as he faced times like these: “Guard the good treasure entrusted to you!”

This is an interesting way of saying it, don’t you think? To respond to the darkness of this hour by relying upon the good treasure that has been entrusted to you! The treasure of Christ. The treasure of salvation. The treasure of new life in God. How easy it is in the midst of terror, and pain, and difficulty to lose sight of the fact that our lives contain an amazing TREASURE! And it is precisely this TREASURE that can become the resource to help us overcome the times in which we live!

And in this letter to Timothy, he – and we - are told that there are two things we must do to energize or make use of this treasure within:

First of all, we must remember. The letter reminds Timothy to remember his faith – a faith first found in his grandmother Lois. And then in his mother Eunice. And now that faith has taken root in Timothy himself.

Do you remember the faith of your grandparents or parents? Someone, a while ago, told me about how they grew up in deep poverty. They remember how – late at night – when everyone else was supposed to be sleeping – they quietly watched as their mother used to fall on her knees at the foot of her bed and pray. They still remember how – as poor as they were – she thanked God every night for all the blessings they’d received. And then she would ask for strength to face tomorrow. And in the morning, she would go out and clean others’ houses, and take in their laundry, and still find time to be a mother and a wife. She could take a potato and turn it into a four-course meal. She could take a ball of yarn and transform it into Christmas gifts for the whole family. And every night, she’d fall on her knees and thank God for the blessings. And ask for strength for the morning. This person told me they’ve never seen such faith as they saw in their mother.

If you’ve ever seen faith like that, friends…remember it!

Someone else recently told me that they’d made an interesting discovery about themselves. As they thought back over the major turning points of their life, they saw that faith has been the key ingredient at every juncture. A turning to God. Crying out for help. Asking God for wisdom to make the right choice. Seeking God’s help to recover from a big mistake. This person said, “Now that I look back, I can see God’s hand quietly at work in the background of my life. I didn’t always know it then, but I can see it now!”

Faith! That’s what your grandparents, parents, and you yourself have used to face the immense challenges of living as a human being in this broken world! Faith in God has brought you through all the experiences of life to this very moment. It has been passed on to you from generation to generation – through grandparents, parents, family and friends. Many of you remember the day you were baptized or confirmed and gave your life to Jesus. You may have been just a kid when that happened, and a lot of water has gone over the dam since that time. But God’s grace - coupled with your faith - has brought you safe thus far, and – as the old song says - grace WILL lead you through this time, too!

So remember the faith! And take hold of it! And use it every day! In times like these, it’s so important to remember and rely upon your FAITH!

And then there’s a second related piece of advice for young Timothy and us that will help release the treasure we have within. The letter says, “Stir up – rekindle – the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

This is a reference to Timothy’s call to ministry when St. Paul commissioned him by the laying on of hands. And what it means is simply this: when hard times come, remember your faith – that’s number one. But secondly, STIR UP your ministry!!!

I’ve been thinking recently about what I can do to help in the struggle against evil, and the healing of this hurt, and the building of a better world. What can I do? One 52-year old, over-the-hill, yankee preacher with a bad golf game?

Well, the letter tells me what to do. Stir up your ministry! Work at being a better preacher. Endeavor to become a better pastor than you ever have before. Serve your congregation with more energy and dedication. Become more creative in caring for people, and more giving, and more nurturing, and more available than you’ve ever dreamed possible! And work at letting Christ shine through you like never before! Take the gift, and stir it up!!!

What can Steve Nash do in times like these? Well, Steve can work with his team of people to develop new classes and programs that will provide resources for people to use as they face they challenge of daily living. And Bob Puckett? Why, Bob can become even friendlier - if that’s possible! He can work with his outreach team to make sure that no resident of our community is left out and unsupported by a loving church as they face the challenge of beginning life in a new setting, and in times like these.

What about our musicians? What can they do to help overcome the tragedy of these days? Well, they can set their sights higher than ever before – become better musicians – extend their ministry and bring their beautiful gift of music to more people, more circumstances, and more hearts! They can give people a song to sing in troubled times! They’ve got to take their gift, and not just use it. They’ve got to STIR IT UP!

Stir up our ministry! That’s how we can help in this monumental struggle! As a congregation, we have some unique gifts. One of our key ministries is in bringing people together, and building unity. We must work harder at that than ever before, especially now with the world so torn apart! We can intensify our efforts to build bridges of understanding between people of different faith perspectives. We can show the world that loving our neighbors includes Muslims, and Jews, and even those who don’t believe in anything. And we are committed as a church to bringing Christ’s love outside the four walls of our church building. So we must redouble our efforts in Mission, sending more volunteers into the community to help others, giving more money to worthy causes, discovering more avenues through which we care for the people around us. We can organize more outreach projects, and identify more needs we can meet to bring the love of Jesus to others! And we as a church have a ministry with children. And we need to do better for them than we’ve ever done before! Do you realize how these poor little ones who God has given us responsibility for have been emotionally and spiritually injured by the events of September 11^th? The world of innocence has been stripped away from them. Who knows what the future holds? We need to do better for the children and the young families of our church and community than we have EVER done before!

What can people like us do?

Why, we can stir up the ministry God has given us!

Well, what will happen if we do? What will happen if we remember our faith and use it every day? What will happen if we as a church stir up our ministry?

Well, here is what will happen, according to the promises of God. One day, the dust and debris of the world’s destruction will begin to move and shift. Little by little, bit by bit, the smoke will clear, the rubble will be removed, and people will begin to see something beautiful emerge.

Something that looks and feels like a cross. The symbol of the presence of Christ.

Just like the one found at the World Trade Center site the other day.

We will raise up high in our world a beautiful sign that the Lord is still present - Love is still there – Faith is still alive – and Hope still endures!

Friends, there is no greater gift you and I can give each other, our neighbors, and our world in times like these!