November 19, Matthew 25:14-30

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was leaving on a trip. He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. To one he gave five valuable coins, and to another he gave two, and to another he gave one. He gave to each servant according to that servant’s ability. Then he left on his journey.
“After the man left, the servant who had five valuable coins took them and went to work doing business with them. He gained five more. In the same way, the one who had two valuable coins gained two more. But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
“Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five valuable coins came forward with five additional coins. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Excellent! You are a good and faithful servant! You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’
“The second servant also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’
“Now the one who had received one valuable coin came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest grain where you haven’t sown. You gather crops where you haven’t spread seed. So I was afraid. And I hid my valuable coin in the ground. Here, you have what’s yours.’
“His master replied, ‘You evil and lazy servant! You knew that I harvest grain where I haven’t sown and that I gather crops where I haven’t spread seed? In that case, you should have turned my money over to the bankers so that when I returned, you could give me what belonged to me with interest. Therefore, take from him the valuable coin and give it to the one who has ten coins. Those who have much will receive more, and they will have more than they need. But as for those who don’t have much, even the little bit they have will be taken away from them. Now take the worthless servant and throw him outside into the darkness.’
“People there will be weeping and grinding their teeth.

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The kingdom of heaven is like this congregation.
The master gave his servants Lynn Roehm and Bob McKim coins of these engineering type minds and little did I know the precision with which they backed up a trailer on to a hitch, using hand gestures I had never seen, what would carry them through the day picking up food for the Backpack Program. They calculated everything. The weight of the trailer on various pickups, the weight of the trailer loaned by Ryder Brothers vs. the weight and hauling capacity of the one loaned when necessary from our friends at the Nazarene Church. They calculated the cost of various food items at Winco and Costco, and the cost of their time vs. the number of stores they visit. They calculated the time and efficiency of the food bring brought on a wrapped palate vs. the time when it wasn’t ready, twice. They calculated how long we could be in and out of Costco vs. the amount spent and how many dollars per minutes that would be, and how some months were lower or higher than another months depending on the school calendar and the reserves. They calculated which were better, regular hot dogs or polish dogs with sauerkraut, and who would treat this time the $3.18 cents it costs for the both of them with a large soda (and they are going to correct me after this sermon for not getting exact) and were slightly thrown off kilter when Bob offered to pay for mine, upsetting their evenness of turns. They calculated how many carts we needed, and who would get what food item, and how to position the boxes of Nutri-grain bars so the checkout person could scan the boxes from the outside, and when Bob should walk to the bring the truck around, and which class at the high school would be at the correct time to unload the trailer. They also loved when people walking around the store would ask them if they lived way off in the woods or were preparing for the rapture, and instead they got to tell them about their church’s community ministry that fed kids. I liked that part too. That was a coin I have been given too. But the coins of calculating, God gave Lynn and Bob McKim each these coins, according to their ability, and they are out investing them at Costco and Winco once a month.

God gave a super shiny coin to Karen-Kolb Schoneigh, it asked to take me to lunch the other day, as it had on occasion in the past, and I wasn’t sure what was the reasoning was, but unlike other times with other people, I didn’t think I was in trouble, (though, I have rarely been in trouble, it is my head’s go to), and I prayed that she was well and this wasn’t an, I or someone I love is really sick visit. Anyway, we met and she just checked in on how I was doing, about particular personal things I have shared with the congregation, and in general. It was so thoughtful, I was completely floored, but it isn’t the first time I have seen Karen check in on me and others. So much so that at the end of our conversation she asked how the Irvines were doing and did I have their address so she could write to them and check in sending care to their new home in Madras. She also, had noticed a gift of a new congregant and asked what I thought about asking that congregant to participate in a special way. It was a perfect idea, and one that took really noticing and caring and thinking about people, and this is a coin the master God gave Karen and it shines so bright, even if it is mostly at work in the exchanges behind the scenes, going unnoticed.

I saw another coin, and I have seen it a lot lately, and it has a great affinity for details, follow through, and helping others. God gave Linda Moxon this amazing coin. It is so precise that she knows after crafting the worship leader/nursery schedule/communion server/setup/usher greeter/everything under the sun schedule, who is gone what weekend, and then when they come home how they enjoyed it, or who needed to switch dates for sickness that we can be praying for, and who might be out of town for a day school, etc, etc. Because of this coins attention to detail and follow through, it is really good at pitching in and helping. I watch Linda offer to drive people to church and back, bring a meal, or visit with them in the car when they have a long trip. That same attention to detail is required to teach preschool where everything is always happening and Linda invests this coin by teaching out little ones Sunday School. That same attention to detail helps cut Advent Banners for hours while keeping conversion going. The master gave Linda Moxon an amazing coin for details, follow through and helping others and it is bringing forth the kingdom of God.

You see God has given out so many coins to this congregation,

Shirley and Dale - pride in Granddaughter
LaVonne knowing every detail of the church’s financial history,
Georgia Wells - grocery shopping for people
Spencer Smith - Writing the cards for Deacons
Jean Geddes - quiet love
Betty Kuhl - the steadfastness of her friendship with others
Phil Anderson - calming and redirecting kids
Jess Defrees - patience
Peter Ellingson - someone who knows a ton and could lead the Finance Committee is amazing at asking clarifying questions about processes and for clarity.
Dotty Miles - meals for the Bakers, and all those who had brought food, many of which were mentioned by name like the Carrs breakfast casserole.
Shannon Moon - Report from Buildings and Grounds - a page of major items
Cliff Schoenigh - a quick e-mail to help with an update to the Personnel Policy
Kyra - planning young families events
Sharon Defrees - writing science curriculum for our elementary schools. Robbie - Sharon favorite teacher., Dallas biology and land reclamation,
Judy Baker Girl’s Science from LaGrande. Daughters
Judy Baker’s care for her brother
Ginger Rembold - playing jazzy
Our secretary, Susan telling Bev that I would want her to call.
Mark Ferns - Bev. Cary. Hug.
Annie - noticing and giving a hug
Gary Yeoumans - deep care for LaVonne
Roxanna offering to drive the Martells.

This is a tiny bit of what I have seen or heard about in a couple weeks. I am one person, and I know many of these are just that tip of the iceberg, that tiny bit on top of a much bigger source of giving, serving and investing in the master’s kingdom of heaven. I believe that this church and it’s congregation are like the first two servants.

And yet, there are people in our church, who have said to me that there are a few in this congregation who do all the work and a lot who do only little or nothing, who bury their coins in the ground for safe keeping. I agree there are some in this congregation who do a ton, I would say there are many, many, who do a ton. We can so easily see have invested their coins and come back prosperous for the Master’s kingdom. But I see no one, who is not giving in their own way, what they can. Each time I have heard the critique, I have racked my brain to find the servant in this church who has buried their coin, and when I think about those who on the surface could be seen as doing more, I know the rest of that ice-berg, and think of all the various ways those people give, to their families, and their community, and their friends, and their animals, or the earth. It is not always so simple to add up like a trip to Costco, or a number of meals delivered. Other times I know, maybe they are just trying to live with depression, make their marriage work, heal from abuse, caregiver for family etc. Yet even those whose stories run deep, still give so much and I see it.

I likewise don’t believe in a God who is going to toss someone into outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth. I believe in a God who has given all of us coins, and is going to do everything to help us invest them. I believe we have an abundance here. And so, I challenge you next week, and this month, to try and count the money, to try and count the gifts shared, to try to count the wealth of service in this congregation. This is part of my job as a pastor, I am supposed to look, I am supposed to keep a keen eye on the way God is at work in you and I am only seeing the top of the iceberg. I am going to put a sheet in the Fellowship Hall and in November I invite you to write down everything you see of coins shared. You can use names or not, it can be inside this church and outside of it, it can be as varied of gifts as God can imagine. But I want us to write it down for this Stewardship Season, and this will be the end of your sermon, you will write it, you will bring forth the kingdom of God, you will tell us of the hope, and what it means to you. Amen.