SOLI/Update - The bedrock of stewardship

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
-Luke 16:19-21

The Lazaruses all around us

The woman named Elizabeth called my church again today looking for help. The last time she called was in July. She her three children live in a dreary fleabag motels notorious for being last-ditch, low-income housing in our rural county. Her story was the same: With the end of the month, her money had run out, and she had no food. Could we help?

Is it coincidence that her call came on the same day I am preparing a sermon on Sunday's Gospel text, Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Luke 16:19-31? The rich man, who is not named in the Gospel but whom tradition has named Dives, lived in luxury and walked past Lazarus, covered with sores and begging for scraps at his gate.

When both men die, Lazarus is taken up to Abraham, whereas Dives is in torment in hell. But even in hell, knowing that Lazarus was now in heaven, Dives still looks upon Lazarus as something less than he. He asks Abraham to order Lazarus to cool him with water, and then to go to warn his brothers, lest they encounter the same fate as he.

On the phone, Elizabeth told a familiar tale of being shuffled from agency to agency, each one quite willing to give her futile leads for help. She told the tale of being trapped in poverty, unable to save for an apartment, unable to find child-care that would enable her to work, unable to afford transportation that would take her to any job in our area where there is no public transportation. It's a real bind. No easy solutions.

I gave Elizabeth a voucher for $25 in food at a local market. It's a scrap from the table of plenty. The money is less than what I pay to take my own two children for a night at the movies ($6 apiece for three tickets, $6 for a large popcorn that we share, and $2 apiece for root beers, for a total of $28). And I'm keenly aware that I write this essay on a laptop computer that was a 2006 tax deduction for me in the amount of $1600 -- enough to give Elizabeth first and last month's rent in a shabby apartment.

In his lifetime, Martin Luther King Jr. preached frequently on the parable of Dives and Lazarus. Here is what King said in a sermon delivered at the National Cathedral in April 1968, when he was organizing his "Poor People's Campaign":

"Dives didn’t go to hell because he was rich; Dives didn’t realize that his wealth was his opportunity. It was his opportunity to bridge the gulf that separated him from his brother Lazarus. Dives went to hell because he was passed by Lazarus every day and he never really saw him. He went to hell because he allowed his brother to become invisible. Dives went to hell because he maximized the minimum and minimized the maximum. Indeed, Dives went to hell because he sought to be a conscientious objector in the war against poverty." (Click here to read King's entire sermon, which has lots of other great insights.)

In the Gospels, when Dives asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers, Abraham responds: "'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead" (verse 31).

We Americans, most of whom live in luxury by world standards, have received this parable by the One who HAS risen from the dead. Are we convinced?

Sharing as a Central Practice in the Economy of God
Journal of Lutheran Ethics

"While it doesn’t seem to make much sense in our contemporary economy which is based on exchange, God’s economy is based on sharing, on grace. God freely gives us many of the things we find enjoyable: sun, water, air, friends, family, our bodies, the ability to enjoy food and the ability to share with others. We respond to those gifts by giving to God’s creatures, ourselves and the whole created order.Click here for "Sharing as a Central Practice in the Economy of God ," from the Journal of Lutheran Ethics.

Do We Trust God With Our Hearts but not Our Wallets?
Reardon

"The reasons that people give are pretty simple, but the reasons that people withhold their giving are much more complicated. If you talk to someone who tithes they will say something like, 'God has done so much for me,' or, 'It is all about gratitude,' or 'It all belongs to God anyway.' They are all variations on a theme that puts God at the center of their lives." Click here for “Do we trust God with our hearts but not our wallets?,” an archive essay from The Rev. Dana Reardon, our regular columnist. Click here to read more archived essays.

Celebrate Generosity
Here is a great resource for congregations looking for something new to do with stewardship. Celebrate Generosity aims to encourage members of a congregation to increase their giving up to a full tithe or another set goal amount. The free 27-page resource contains not only how-to guides, but also workshop outlines, sample handout materials and other materials. Everything you'll need. It's written by Eugene Grimm, one of the most respected stewardship authors today. Click here for "Celebrate Generosity" posted on the website of the ELCA Central States Synod.

H. George Anderson

Stewardship as a Lifestyle
Here is a Bible study/workshop that explains stewardship in practical, discipleship terms. "Stewardship is like a magnet passing over the jumbled pins and needles of our life, organizing them into a meaningful pattern. Click here for "Stewardship as a Lifestyle." Written by former ELCA Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson.

Stewardship from the Lectionary
Your Church

Looking for a way to put more stewardship into your preaching? Here is a great help -- a weekly commentary that highlights stewardship aspects in the weekly lectionary texts. Click here for "Stewardship from the Lectionary," from ELCA Stewardship Resources.