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19th Sunday after Pentecost

Guest Preacher: Ruth Hoffman, Director, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry - New Mexico

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry - New Mexico is called to advocate for justice in public policy, with a particular emphasis on alleviating poverty and hunger, by speaking with and for those who have little or no political power and supporting ELCA members, congregations and ecumenical partners in the ministry of advocacy.

As a state public policy office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Rocky Mountain Synod, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry - New Mexico speaks on behalf of the official positions of the ELCA as applied to the specific context of public policy issues in New Mexico.

October 3, 2010

Ruth Hoffman

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

Psalm 37: 1-9

2Timothy 1:1-14

Luke 17:5-10

Good morning and thank you for this opportunity to be with you.  I don’t find myself in this role too often but I always appreciate the invitation.  I also want to be sure that you know how much Lutheran Advocacy Ministry appreciates your generous hospitality in hosting our office and supporting our ministry for more than 26 years.  Thank you. 

I have to admit that I struggled with the lessons for this day. They highlighted my tendencies to be impatient and afraid, to look for easy answers, and to second-guess myself.

I felt better after seeing and hearing the writer, Anne Lamott, at the Lensic this week. Her 1999 book, Traveling Mercies, reflects her journey as a follower of Jesus.

I am always heartened and cut myself a bit more slack, when I read again one of my favorite passages from that book which goes like this:

“It’s funny. I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox, full of shining tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience.  But when I grew  up I found that life handed you these rusty, bent, old tools – friendship, prayer, conscience, honesty – and said, Do the best you can with these, they will have to do.  And mostly, against all odds, they’re enough.”

I tried to use those tools to help me explore today’s lessons.

Each passage seems to speak about frustration and fear and yes, include a bit of whining.

Habakkuk cries for help to deal with destruction and violence as the “wicked surround the righteous” and “justice never prevails.”  In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, it seems that perhaps Timothy has complained about how hard it is to do what he is called to do and needs to be reminded to “rekindle the gift of God” and that “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice.”  In the gospel of Luke, the followers of Jesus seem to think that they are not capable of doing what Jesus says they should. He especially stresses that they must repeatedly forgive others and do what they “ought to have done!”  (notice that verses 1-10 include a number exclamation points!)

God answers Habakkuk and tells him to be patient and wait – that the righteous “live by their faith.”

Psalm 37 encourages us by using a lot of verbs.  We are told not to “fret” (mentioned 3 times) or “be envious.” But rather to “trust”; “do good”; “take delight”; “commit”; “be still”; “wait”; “refrain from anger”; “forsake wrath”

Paul tells Timothy to remember the faith of his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice. That he has been given “a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline” – not to be “ashamed” and to remember that “grace was given to us in Christ Jesus.” Timothy is also reminded that the Holy Spirit will help him to do these things.

Although the gospel lesson begins with verse 5 of the 17^th chapter of Luke, it is helpful to also read the preceding 4 verses.

“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard!  If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive.  And if the same person sins against you 7 times a day, and turns back to you 7 times and says “I repent”, you must forgive.’

Then in verse 5, his followers say to the Lord, very emphatically (the text includes another exclamation mark) -- “Increase our faith!”  As usual, Jesus’ instructs them using a metaphor and a parable. First saying that having faith the size of a mustard seed is sufficient to uproot a tree and plant it in the sea.  And then telling a story about slaves or servants doing their work as commanded without being thanked.

Jesus did not respond to his followers emphatically saying that he increase their faith by saying that they indeed needed more faith.  Rather he illustrates his message by telling them that they already have the faith they need and that they need to get to work and not be concerned about the reward for doing what they “ought” to do.

This is a tough lesson but at the same time very comforting.  We are to see in a new way, to put on a new pair of glasses. We are called to do what needs to be done without seeking praise or reward and, at the same time, to realize that we don’t need more faith. The faith we have is enough. We don’t need a magic wand or to be superhuman. We need to use the faith we already have to forgive as many times as we are asked; to see ourselves and our neighbors in a new way. To respond to God’s love for us by doing what God asks us to do not because we are expecting to be rewarded.

How do we do what is expected of us?  How do we live the ELCA tagline:  God’s work. Our hands? How do we transform “faith” from a noun to a verb?  How do we both “have” faith and “do” faith? 

As Anne Lamott said last Tuesday night – we do what needs to be done “one day at a time and in community.”  Each day we use our rusty, bent, old tools. Each day we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us on our journey.  Each day we ask for and receive forgiveness. Each day we start anew.  Each day we pray for strength, wisdom and guidance. Each day we support each other in our work and on our journeys.  Each day we give thanks for the opportunity to once again respond to God’s gift of grace by loving God and loving our neighbor.