November 19th, 2023

Money.
Today we get to talk about money again!!
Which is hard, because it’s something we don’t really like to talk about.
Whether we have a lot, or a little, we tend to keep our money close,
And we tend to keep our money secret.

But today, we’ve got to talk about it.
Today we hear yet another story from Jesus:
A story about Christ’s second coming:
About being ready, and prepared:
But it also includes MONEY.

In the story, a man goes on a journey:
And gives his slaves his money--
To keep it safe, and to invest it until the man returns at some unknown time.

This man didn’t just give his slaves a few coins.
He gave them “talents”
A talent: is thought to be a large sum of money:
Worth more than 15 years of wages for a laborer.


This is a lot of money.
Imagine being those slaves:
Getting hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep safe. 

To one slave the man gave five talents: 75 years worth of wages.
To another he gave two: 30 years worth of wages.
And to a third slave, he gave one talent: still 15 years worth of wages.
The man was entrusting his money and property to these slaves while he was away.

The two slaves who were given five and 2 talents, 
made more money out of what the man had given them.

They “Invested” it in some way.
But the slave with one talent, buried the talent in the ground: 
and hid the money.
    
Some might say that this slave used the best method of security:
Burying the money in the ground, so it would not be lost.

When the owner returns, however, we see his anger.
That this particular slave, responded out of fear--
He was afraid:
Unwilling to take a risk: by burying his money in the ground.

I am not suggesting that everyone should invest all of their money.
Because that’s not what this story is about.

This story: is about positive action:
Responding to our responsibilities positively:
Rather than out of fear:
Rather than Out of negativity:
Or Rather than just doing nothing--
Burying what we have in the ground.

This story is about growing in our abundance when we live in Positive action.
As the master says at the end of the story: “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance;
But from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

We need not get hung up on that second part:
Because there is NO ONE who has absolutely nothing.
Everyone has SOMETHING:
But will the response be one of positive action?
Or fearful burying?

This story is about Acting Positively:
And it is where we get the word “talent” in our modern usage.
As in: to share our gifts and “talents” 
Our “natural abilities”
The things we are good at, the things that we have been blessed with:

Our “talents”
Is the same word used in this story, for a large sum of money.

In this month of November:
We have a heightened awareness of our money:
As the holiday season begins:
And all of the bargains for Christmas presents are already beginning.

But in this month of November,
We also have a heightened awareness of gratitude and thanksgiving.
Often: when we are grateful for what we have:
We put it to good use.

We don’t bury our gratitude in the ground.
We use our blessings:
We use our talents:
And we share them with the world.

I taught this, just this week with our girl scout troop.
We were learning about gratitude.
And how when we’re thankful:
Truly thankful:
We give more of ourselves as a way of saying thanks.

Our first and second grade girl scouts explored the things they were thankful for: and then we made treats to share with the teachers and staff at their school, as a way of saying thank you: For all they have given us.

We don’t bury our gratitude in the ground.
We use our blessings, and our talents,
And we share them with the world.

And this includes money.
But that’s sometimes harder.

We are fairly “okay” with sharing our “gifts and talents” with one another, and with our communities.
But sometimes sharing our money is a bit harder.
Because it’s scary.
We can live in fear: like the slave who buried the money.

Or we can respond positively:
By sharing what we have--
Including our money:
Because giving is really about how we say “thank you.”
It’s about responding out of positive gratitude for all that God has given us.

It’s also about sharing in relationship to what we have.
And all of us are different.

This is why, the man who went on a journey,
Gave talents to the slaves to “each according to his ability.”
We don’t all give the same amount:
Because we don’t all have the same amount.
And that’s okay:
As long as we respond in positive gratitude for what we DO Have.
Because we DO all have SOMETHING.

What do you have?
What is your ability?
What blessing can you give,
Out of the blessings that you have received?

The parable of the talents is not just about money.
But about remembering that we all have something to give.
Give according to your ability.
And give it joyfully. 

Amen. 

Celebrating Birthdays: Jan Peske, Marian Becker and George Metko
See you Thanksgiving Eve for the Community Service at 6:30 pm.