Presented September 6, 2020 by Rev. Jesse Larson
Based on Luke 9:10-17
Last week, I introduced the idea of the “myth of scarcity.” Scarcity is THE driving force behind so many of our actions. The world over is filled with anxiety concerning resources and opportunities are quickly running out. The future grows inevitably bleak, and so we need to horde and defend.
The theologian Walter Bruggemann labels this idea of scarcity a myth because the Bible describes God as creating a world that has fruitfulness, vitality and growth in its very DNA. This theme is found throughout scripture, including today’s passage.
Today’s Bible lesson of the feeding of the five thousand is one of the few stories that is found in each of the four Gospels. Since all four authors chose to include this story, we must consider it to be important.
We find Jesus among large crowds of people, healing many who were sick. After what was surely a long, tiring day, the disciples ask Jesus to send the crowds away so that they can go for dinner. However, Jesus responds, saying, “You give them something to eat.” The disciples quickly reply, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” We become overwhelmed by a problem, and so we want to shut it down. Still, Jesus asks them to be a part of the solution. Jesus takes what appears to be a meager supply of bread and fish, he gives thanks to God and then has the disciples give the food to the crowds. Sure enough, 5,000 men are fed, as well as countless other women and children, too.
This text gets at an important core of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus—“what are you going to do to help?” That is, how do to become a part of the solution, how do we help to build the kingdom of God here on Earth. And how do we take leaps of faith on behalf of love and hope rather than fear and scarcity? Today’s text demonstrates that having faith in Christ combined with our own gifts enable us to do miraculous things.
The truth is that there are scarce resources in our world which we must use wisely. The world is changing so fast, it’s hard to keep up. But, Jesus encourages us to consider how we respond to the challenges we face—through hording and violence, or through creativity and faithfulness. The world has tried wars plenty of times; I wonder if we might try a different approach?
As Christians, we are encouraged to see the good in others, in our experiences, and in ourselves. The more faithful we become, the more hopeful and positive we are, and vice versa. Moreover, we understand gratitude. We have been given so much from God. Our gratitude and faith help us to reframe the ways we approach the world—either through the lens of scarcity or bounty. We are still realists who acknowledge very real problems in our midst—joblessness, climate change, and systemic racism.
But as we grapple with these issues, rather than give into fear or scarcity, we should inventory our gifts, strengths, our resources, and our many blessings.
In creating our “Inventory of Abundance” we ask, “What do we have to be thankful for? What are our gifts? What are our resources? What excites us about the future?
It is true that our economy isn’t what it once was. Finding lasting, quality jobs can be really challenging. Our oceans are filled with plastics. Our churches are shrinking, and each year roughly 10,000 churches close in the US alone. But that is not the whole story. Communities and churches are responding to the seismic shifts in our society in some very meaningful ways. Lots of cool stuff is happening all around us, if we just have the eyes to see it. The good news is that there are many ways people are rejecting scarcity. Specifically, I want to highlight some of the unique ways Presbyterians are creatively responding to what’s happening in our world.
Presbyterian Homes is an organization that helps transform church campuses into retirement villages and nursing homes. Often, the sanctuary remains intact and becomes a more vibrant community with more people able to easily access it. And smaller congregations no longer have to manage the burden of maintaining a sizable property.
Indeed, many churches are using their campuses in new ways. Some are providing space for chefs, caterers, artists, counselors, and entrepreneurs. In turn, these renters provide a host of special events for church members and the larger community, transforming our churches into vital community centers.
A Presbyterian congregation in Los Angeles has partnered with a local elementary school to provide kids with instruments. The children then use the church’s sanctuary as a practice and performance space for the entire community.
Many of our congregations are comprised of retired folks. We may not have as much energy as we used to, but we do have more free time. Some church members are becoming pen pals and tutors with local school children. Others are volunteering as adoptive grand parents to young people in need of care and mentoring. Others support local businesses by arranging outings for members.
Some congregations are using their endowments to pay off medical debt. Others are modifying space in their buildings to provide small apartments for young people with limited income.
The PCUSA’s “1001 Worshiping Communities” funds a variety of new worship initiatives. Our own Rev. Judy Davis has been bringing the community together to share our stories with one another. In Chicago, my best friend founded an intentional Christian community with six other friends from seminary in 2008. They share many belongings in common, they offer affordable rooms for rent, and they prepare a homecooked meal every night for residents and guests.
Sometimes it’s as easy as identifying a need and then researching how communities are responding to the need. Who can we partner with? What resources do we have to bring to the project? And how would this project be fun, sustainable, and life-giving to all parties involved? Then, it’s time for a leap of faith and to see what happens!
What are our gifts and resources here at Bethany? What is our shared vision for our future? How will you help to serve God’s people? As we continue to face the uncertainty of tomorrow—as people have done since the beginning of time—may we encouraged to think creatively about the issues we face. It may mean doing things very differently, but then again, isn’t the church meant to adapt to the needs of the people?
May we refuse to give into the myth of scarcity, feeling that life is always out to get us. Rather, may we inventory our abundance—our many blessings, our many gifts, our many resources—and may we put them all to use and live into our call as co-creators.
Amen.
