Sermons

Stewardship Sunday 2007
"Strive to Tithe with God"
The Very Rev. Tracey Lind
October 21, 2007
Genesis 32:22-31; Luke 18:1-8

Have you ever had a sleepless night? Lying awake, checking the clock every hour on the hour, going to the bathroom, getting a drink of water or something to eat, tossing and turning, thinking too much, having strange dreams interspersed with fitful moments of sleep. And in the morning, when the alarm goes off, you awake up completely and utterly exhausted, feeling like you've been in a wrestling match all night long.

Sound familiar? There are lots of reasons for sleepless nights: concern about a job interview, an important meeting, or a big test; guilt over a fight, an argument, something said, done or left undone; anger about a situation at home, work or school; confusion about a relationship; fear of illness; loneliness for a departed loved one; sickness, pain or anxiety; or worry about war, interest rates, school violence, or even climate change. The reasons go on and on, but the truth is that most, if not all of us, know the experience of a sleepless, fitful night.

Jacob, one of the ancestors of our faith, had such a night on the banks of the River Jabbock. As the story goes, Jacob encountered an "angel of God" in the middle of the night. He wrestled with this being all night long and emerged from the experience a new man with a new name, a new attitude, and a new identity.

Jacob was quite a character. He was not particularly strong, but he was very bright and creative. And because of his past behavior, on the night of his wrestling match, Jacob (whose name means "cheater") had some things on his mind, concerns that would cause anyone to lose sleep. He had conned his brother Esau out of his birthright, and therefore, had to leave home in a hurry. Years later, he tricked his father-in-law Laban out of a lot of cattle, and once again, had to leave town in the middle of the night. He now was returning home, not knowing what to expect. In an effort to defend himself from possible retribution by his brother Esau, Jacob first divided his property and then separated himself from his family, servants, animals and possessions. He camped alone on the banks of the River Jabbock to await the day of his reckoning.

There he received a night visitor who "wrestled with him till the breaking of the day." Even though his hip was thrown out of joint, Jacob was winning the fight when his opponent said he had to go for dawn was coming. But Jacob would not let him loose until he gave his blessing. The stranger responded: "Your name shall no more be Jacob but Israel." Then the angel blessed him and departed. Somehow in the middle of a sleepless night, Jacob, the cheater, became Israel, "the one who strives with God."

I cannot think of a better bible story to use as a text for preaching on Stewardship Sunday than the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel of God. Wrestling with God seems to be an apt image for talking about stewardship anytime, but especially during times of uncertainty. I think most of us probably have experienced some sleepless nights; and lying awake, many of us have re-examined our priorities, and some of us have made difficult decisions and hard choices about our lives.

Stewardship, in its broadest definition, is about setting priorities and making deliberate and intentional choices. It is everything we do with everything we have after we say, "I believe."

For lots of us, stewardship is a wrestling match with God. I liken it to being caught in between two very strong persons, each pulling in a different direction. Do I invest in God or mammon? Do I pull inward or extend outward? Do I embrace or exclude? Do I trust or fear? Do I take a risk or play it safe? Do I believe in abundance or scarcity? Do I choose God's way or the way of the world?

A few years ago, the leadership of Trinity Cathedral made a decision to embrace the future and to extend our resources in ways our ancestors and we never imagined.

Who would have thought that we'd have three distinct Sunday services, weekly Choral Evensong, noonday prayers for healing, labyrinth walks, and medieval feasts - or as they say in the restaurant business, multiple seatings at one table? Those who laid the foundation of this gothic cathedral never imagined the way we'd use this great sacred space.

Who would have thought that we'd have a booming Sunday school, two youth groups, and a 20/30's ministry? Who would have imagined that we could sustain year-round educational programs that promote biblical literacy, peace and justice, inter-faith understanding, environmental stewardship, contemplative spirituality, civil liberties, health and wellness, responsible parenting, and ethical decision-making? And who would have thought that we would bring James Forbes, Diane Rehm, and so many other biblical scholars, theologians, contemplatives, and activists to engage our minds and enliven our spirits? Those who created Sunday School classrooms in the basement of Mather Hall never imagined the scope of today's cathedral education program.

Who would have thought, we'd invest a portion of our endowment to redevelop our campus on the corner of Euclid and East 22nd Street? Who would have imagined we would restore Euclid Avenue storefronts for fair-trade retail activity, create an art gallery open to the public, develop a popular, low-cost conference center, install a geo-thermal heating and cooling system, and make this entire facility accessible to the physically challenged? Those who built this magnificent edifice at the turn of the century never anticipated what we built in Trinity Commons, much less the fact that we received over a quarter million visits last year. But while other institutions moved out of downtown Cleveland, the leaders of Trinity Cathedral invested in the future of our city.

Who would have thought that we'd still be serving a hot meal to hundreds hungry and homeless neighbors every Sunday? And who would have imagined that we would be doing health screening, creating art, and offering legal assistance to our guests? I can't believe that those who established the Sunday Lunch Ministry two decades ago expected it would still be needed today.

Who would have thought that we'd be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Brownbag concerts this year, as well as hosting the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, Apollo's Fire, Girl Culture, Tuba Christmas, GroundWorks DanceTheater, and the national PBS fund raising concert? Today, Trinity Cathedral is considered one of the city's significant producers and venues of excellent music and art.

Who would have thought that we'd be planting community gardens, tutoring in the schools, working to end the death penalty, hosting important conversations about peace in the Middle East, teaching conversational Spanish, walking with Paul, or knitting with Judith? It's mind-boggling the programs we offer and the initiatives we sponsor to proclaim God's justice, love and mercy for all creation.

Trinity Cathedral's vision is one of incarnation and imagination. We strive to share the creativity, passion, energy and love of Christ with our neighbors, both near and far. We seek to equip our members to become the persistent and faithful widow who in this morning's gospel relentlessly demands peace and justice. We exist to offer radical hospitality and respite to friend and stranger. Our mission and ministry create sacred common ground where people can strive with God and one another in the midst of a complex and ever changing world.

Our ancestors in faith were intentional about stewardship when they established Trinity Cathedral. They wanted to Trinity to be a spiritual inspiration for the city of Cleveland and the Diocese of Ohio. Their faithful stewardship, their choices and priorities, created the foundation for our ministry today. Now it's our turn. Our faithful stewardship - our choices and our priorities - will create the foundation for the future.

The ministry of Trinity Cathedral can continue to grow, only if we, in our generation, are responsible stewards of the resources we've inherited; and if we exercise intentional, deliberate, and sacrificial sharing of our own precious individual time, talent and treasure.

If you believe in the mission and ministry of Trinity Cathedral, if you value the radical hospitality we offer, the inclusive message of God's love we proclaim, and the extensive embrace of God's creation - then please, be generous in your financial support.

On behalf of the Stewardship Committee, the Cathedral Council and the Vestry of Trinity Cathedral, I invite you to strive with God in making your stewardship commitment this morning. You might find yourself wrestling a bit. You might even find that when you bring your pledge card to the altar, you walk with a limp - a persistent reminder that you walk with God.