Jack Hardaway
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Joy has come to the world.
The whole world.
Through the Cross of our Lord.
We forget that so easily.
Today we remember and give thanks.
The Gospel today at first glance is about divorce and children.
A careful reading shows that it is about much more than that.
Just like the parable of the Sower is about much more than gardening, so Jesus’ teaching on divorce is about much more than divorce.
Divorce becomes a parable of our failed humanity and God’s blessing of a new beginning.
Between the lines the teaching has the warning of using scripture and God as weapons to hurt someone.
That isn’t what the Bible is for, or what God is about.
Though that does seem to be how they are used most often.
Communion.
From the beginning of creation, the purpose of creation is about communion, and that is what scripture is for, and that is what God is about.
That is what the parable of divorce is about.
And that is what Grace Church is about.
The one broken on the cross takes on our broken lives and blesses us to start over again as children of God’s kingdom.
Joy has come to the whole world.
All creation waits for us to join in that song, for our hardness of heart to open wide.
Grace Church has always lived out that joy and welcomed everyone.
God’s grace works like that, it drives the hard hearted to distraction, until their hearts grow soft.
Because, joy has come to the whole world.
The cross of Jesus is that powerful.
Our hearts change.
We are always waking up to that. We are always remembering that. We live the gift of that joy that cost God everything.
Stewardship is about one thing, telling God thank you, for life itself, but especially for being set free by the cross of our Lord, the cross of Jesus.
It isn’t about paying dues, or keeping the lights on.
How many ways can I tell God thankyou? That is Stewardship. It’s real simple.
Our pledge drive for 2022 starts today, it is simply one way to give God thanks and praise.
How thankful am I? How much thanks do I dare?
Susan and I tithe. We tithe to the ministry of Grace and St. George, a full 10% off the top. And we do more than that for additional outreach and special projects. We have not always been able to do that. It takes work and sacrifice. It has not always easy, it has not always been with a joyful heart, it has always been a challenge to dare to be that thankful, to dare to live that joy.
To me it has always felt like God has been daring me, “I double dog dare you Jack, to become truly free.”
That’s the thing about freedom, and joy, and thanksgiving, they always challenge us to become yet more free, yet more joyful, yet more thankful.
Where will it take us?
We begin something today, the 2022 pledge drive, giving thanks for joy coming to the whole world by virtue of the Cross of Jesus. The pledge drive will last until All Saints Sunday. We will do some following up after the BBQ, reminding the forgetful.
Keep the feast.
Keep the joy.
Keep the double dog dare.