The Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost s1

THE TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR C - PROPER 25 LUKE 9:61 OCTOBER 23, 2016 ST. AUGUSTINE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH MORROW, GEORGIA THE REVEREND BARRY GRIFFIN

“GOOD REASONS NOT TO FOLLOW JESUS”

Last week my sister Glenda posted a message on Facebook that really disturbed me. She wrote: “Well, I’m at the emergency room. Today was not a good day. Thought I’d step out of my comfort zone and go horseback riding, something I haven’t done since I was a teenager. It turned out to be a big, big mistake! I got on the horse and started out slow, but then we went a little faster. Before I knew it, we were going as fast as the horse could go. I couldn’t take the pace and fell off, but I caught my foot in the stirrup with the horse dragging me. It just wouldn’t stop. Thank goodness the manager at the Toys-R-Us came out and unplugged the machine!” “Now,” Glenda wrote, “how many of you actually read what I wrote? If you did, copy and paste for someone else to get a good laugh!” So, good people of St. Augustine’s, the church sent out a letter last week. Senior Warden JoAnn Blackstock wrote an excellent letter about stewardship. I won’t ask how many of you actually read the letter. But I’ll bet most of you did read it or set it aside to read later as I sometimes do. In any case, it’s a fine letter. It’s about following Jesus. Because when all is said and done, that’s what stewardship is about. It’s more than giving money to the church, though giving money is very important. Stewardship is about following the Lord. JoAnn’s letter was inspired. The inspiration came to her on a certain Sunday last July. The gospel that day was from the ninth chapter of Luke: As Jesus and his disciples were going along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said “Just let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.” Three people wanted to follow Jesus. Now, these were good people with good intentions: people a lot like you and me. Like most people they meant well. They wanted to do good. They wanted to follow Jesus. But there was a problem. They had other priorities. But first, Lord, let me do this or that. And some day, when all my ducks are in a row; when I get my mortgage paid off; when I retire and have time to volunteer; when all of life’s obligations are finally behind me, then I will follow.” Of course, life doesn’t work that way. As JoAnn said in her letter: “Our time on earth is a God given gift and limited at best.” Our time on earth is limited. In the summer of 1986 I was a chaplain at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. Hospital chaplains have many duties. Some are pleasant. Some are not. Often Chaplains must tell people that their loved one has died. At Grady I did this many times. One time remains vivid in my memory. It was August. It was very hot. It was late afternoon. I was summoned to tell a man that his wife had died. She died from a sudden, massive heart attack. That’s all I knew. I walked into a small office. The man was seated. I shook his hand. When he saw my chaplain’s badge his worst fear was realized. When they see your chaplain’s badge they know it’s bad news. I sat down across from him. He looked out the window. “I’m very sorry,” I said. “Your wife had a massive heart attack. She did not survive. I am very sorry.” He sat in silence, looking out the window. I did not interrupt. When he finally turned and faced me I gave him the manila envelope that contained his wife’s belongings. He pulled out her wrist watch and focused on it. Still staring at the watch, he said words I’ll never forget. He said: “One hour ago we were at home, sitting in front of the TV, watching the Braves game. And now she’s gone.” Our time on earth is a God given gift and limited at best. No matter how long we live, life is short. There will always be reasons to postpone doing what we intend to do. “But first, Lord, let me just do this or that or whatever.” Now is the time to do what you intend to do. Now is the time to follow Jesus. I don’t think it means walking away from your responsibilities. I think it means understanding that your time is limited, that what you intend to do should not be postponed. Now is the time. There’s a hymn that we sing at 11 o’clock worship. We sang it today.

I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.

There will always be good reasons to postpone following Jesus. There will always be good reasons not to pledge, not to give your time, to withhold your gifts until a later date. Good reasons will always be with us. That’s life. That’s not going to change. Now is the time to follow Jesus. Good reasons aside, the happiest, most fulfilled people I know are those who give generously of themselves and their means. That’s stewardship. That’s following Jesus. And that’s what we’re about at St. Augustine’s Church.

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