Sermons

Fathers' Day
June 18, 2006

The Rev. Rob McCann
Interim Rector, St, Matthew's Episcopal Church

Sometime ago I was part of a leadership team that led a retreat about "money"- an issue that can exist for all of us. We asked ourselves to picture an occasion of personal generosity and relay our feelings.

I shared a story about my Dad. He was retiring after 49 years and his three sons threw a party to honor him and his many years of service.

During the evening he let slip a comment that got right to me - "Well it looks like I'll have to live with the car I have." It sounded like - this is the end of the line, instead this is the beginning of a new dimension of my life.

In a spontaneous gesture I simply said to him. "Dad! Why don't we exchange cars - my new Oldsmobile for your old Plymouth?" I don't know where the urge to make that offer came from. It just seemed right. (That's not to say that spontaneity can't set up "giver's remorse".)

The next day he asked me if I was all right? I assured him I was. We signed over our respective ownerships and had almost a ceremonial exchange of the keys. My silver-streak beauty for his '57 red and white klunker.

(There were no trumpets accompanying this occasion. I did hear one droning bagpipe, however, in my imagination.)

Well you should have been there!

I suggested that he take the Olds for a ride. He got in carefully. Smelled the leather. Revved the motor. Took off like a proverbial bat. I could hear him screeched the tires as he turned each corner of the block. Finally, He pulled up next to me as I stood in the street.

""I'll take it!" Dad was always such a hard sell.

Then it was my turn to try out his - actually mine, now - the '57 Plymouth." It was that model with the god-awful fins. I got in looked around and noticed that the shift left me less manly. It was the one with the push-buttons. How em-barrassing! And here I was use to "voom voom"".

A lot of surprising things happened as a result of this out of the blue exchange.

The pastor of the parish, in my former life, where I was in residence suggested subtly that the Church would get a bad name if I continued to drive the heap. Like they weren't paying me enough to buy a real car. (They weren't) He wanted to know the story. He was so nosey. Nosey with me gets nowhere!

The students at seminary where I was teaching surmised that I had taken a secret vow of poverty and were impressed enough to seek me out as a spiritual director.

My father also got a lot of mileage out of the transaction. He even had fun with my brothers by trying to parlay the bargain: "Look what Rob gave me! Do you have anything in mind?"

Once again, I didn't plan any of this. It was completely spontaneous. (I'm glad that it doesn't happen all the time. I'd be in the "poor house", as we use to say.) I felt so good having done this. This episode has become one of my seminal stories about my Dad and me. I thank you for listening. For it touches me very much.

Once you start down the road of any kind of generosity, the direction of your life changes. You don't feel so tied to things. You can use them or lose them. And the cycle of what's mine and only mine gets undermined.

Someone once said to me with such sincerity: "I didn't make my money to give it away."" He was a close enough friend that I could say to him - "Ultimately, there are only two things that happen to money. You either plan to give it away, or it's taken away."

I don't know anything that is more transformative than generosity of one's time, talent or treasure. It's a clear way into the spiritual life.

A few weeks ago you received a 'mid-year' letter from Raymond Schulz, the chair of stewardship, concerning stewardship and the need to prepare for a budgetary adjustment that includes the search and call of a new rector.

Stewardship at its core is not just paying another bill, but rather a commitment to be taken on with membership in this parish community.

May I invite you to reflect on the following and, in the quietness of your own space, find which comment reflects more your personal thinking and feeling.

1) Money is too personal to be discussed.
2) Rarely do I make a connection between faith and money
3) The church of St. Matthew managed for 140+ years and will find a way out of any financial problem without me.
4) St. Matthew's is well-endowed.

The first four comments are calls for greater reflection and correction.

5) To be honest I'm giving what I can afford
6) There is a stewardship message of time, talent or treasure almost every Sunday when I listen to the gospel proclaimed
7) Where your treasure is, there might your heart be also

The last three comments are calls to go deeper into the spiritual direction that you are going.

Professor Robert Withnow, director of the Center for the Study of American Religion at Princeton University and a weekly communicant, suggests that:
+Cultural impediments about money can be overcome
+Money is too important to leave entirely to the economists
+The meaning of money should be discussed. Start in your own family.
+Clergy and vestry members could better communicate the church's mission and material needs.

I welcome you to reflect on your generosity and respond prayerfully to God.

I thank you for taking to heart and mind a subject that takes hard concentration and personal commitment.

I urge you to consider making a pledge either for the first time or increase your present pledge or make a one time gift so that our parish could live up to its mission and ministry.

The small seed of generosity can grow into an amazing tree that serves a wider world, by reaching out to others. The wisdom of Jesus is that first place to learn how to bring generosity into our lives.

Amen.

Sermons

Fathers' DayJune 18, 2006

The Rev. Rob McCann Interim Rector, St, Matthew's Episcopal Church

Fathers' Day
June 18, 2006

The Rev. Rob McCann
Interim Rector, St, Matthew's Episcopal Church