Sermons

So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith

He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

Clearly, we’ve got a problem. There’s a harvest to be taken in, but the laborers are few. Alarmingly few. And why? Sometimes, those who plant the wheat in the field will not welcome new laborers to the harvest, for fear that the field will change. Sometimes, we’re frustrated because the new laborers Don’t do the harvesting the way we’ve always done it. Sometimes, the new laborers don’t get right to work, and we assume they’re lazy, instead of wondering if it might be that no one ever taught them how to bring in the harvest, or that they’re not yet strong enough to work. Sometimes, it’s because no one ever told them that the owner of the field wants them there in the first place.

Growth will not happen—in a field of wheat or a Church— when those tending to it are without a shared vision. If we spend our time looking over our shoulders, pining for some glory days of the past, we will waste the only real time we can count on: today. If we blame others for not “getting with the program” or “pulling their weight” when they haven’t a clue what’s expected of them, If they haven’t been given a chance to be part of dreaming about what could be, then the harvest will rot in the field.

We delude ourselves if we think that by clinging to old ways we can stave off change. Change will always come knocking. The only difference is whether the changes will be occasions for celebration because we worked as a family to bring them about, or if they will be the result of a failure to act, or a stubborn attempt to revisit the past. If we cling at all, it must be only to Jesus Christ, Whose truth is both eternal and living; Timeless and yet dynamic. It is Christ, whose deep love for us gives us the hope required to build a vision that is not afraid of anything. It is Christ’s love for us that enables our hearts To make room for new possibilities, new dreams. It is Christ’s love, rekindling in us the child we once were, That allows us to believe once again That we are capable of amazing things.

We are at a particularly exciting juncture at St. Matthew’s. Over the past two years, our work in the field has not been easy. We were asked to do work that often seemed more difficult than we could handle. Sometimes, we felt too weary to work, and sometimes, we felt stronger because of the challenge. Some of our laborers have gone to work in other fields, and many new laborers have joined us. We have been blessed by the leadership & guidance of those who have stood the test of the scorching heat and thorns and yet have not wavered in their task.

Now, we are just weeks away from welcoming a new Rector to our parish. He will invite us to look at ourselves as a Church and our mission from a new perspective; to ask the questions, “What if?” and “How?” He will lead us in prayerful discernment of what new vision God has in store for us. We all love this community. For many of us, St. Matthew’s is our extended family. As we prepare for a new chapter in the life of our parish, remember that there are only two things that should stay the same in a Church. That the saving grace and love of Jesus Christ is proclaimed, and that everyone shares that love with each other. If we are focusing on that, then whether the color of the carpet changes, or the faces around us do, it matters little.

It is a time for new vision to sprout and flourish. It is a time for hope and growth. Pray that God will send laborers into the field for the harvest. Pray that we will have grace to do the work we have been given to do. Pray that we will have the grace to invite everyone in our family to be part of the harvest. If our vision of the future for St. Matthew’s is shared by all, there will be more than enough of laborers, and the harvest will be plentiful.

Amen