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The Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost
Lord, we pray thee that thy grace may always precede and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Proper 23)
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The Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost
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Scripture citation(s): John 20:24-29; Hebrews 10:35-11:1
A Sermon by
Fr. Mead
on
John 20:24-29; Hebrews 10:35-11:1
✛
Follow the Money
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Thomas answered [Jesus], “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.
In the Name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. Amen.
This first Sunday in October each year we celebrate our parish’s dedication to Saint Thomas the Apostle. Thomas, who was an honest and brave, if somewhat flat-footed, member of Jesus’ Twelve Apostles, is famous as the one who would not believe Jesus’ Resurrection until he saw it for himself, even to the point of touching the Lord’s wounds. Yet Doubting Thomas made the supreme confession of faith in the crucified, risen Lord who stood before him: “My Lord and my God!” It does not even appear that he needed to take up the Lord’s invitation to reach out and touch.
We, believers and followers of Christ who were not with Thomas and the others in the Upper Room, receive a blessing from the risen Lord as “those who have not seen and yet believe.” At this great Church of Saint Thomas, it is our mission to do everything possible to make evident the truth of that heartfelt confession, My Lord and my God. We worship, love and serve Our Lord Jesus Christ on this street corner at the center of the World’s Great City of New York, through gloriously fashioned stone and stained glass, liturgy and music (through the Anglican tradition and our unique choral heritage), through preaching and teaching and pastoral work, through service and fellowship and, yes, fun. And all of these things require money to sustain. So it is perfectly appropriate that the Every Member Canvass Sermon occur on our Feast of Dedication. Every single one of us has a part to play in supporting the mission of Saint Thomas Church and Choir School. This is the day to count our blessings.
Earlier generations of parishioners have left us this legacy. They have also provided us with an endowment that has made our existence possible. The problem is, we draw down more from our invested funds than we should. We should not spend more than five percent; we spend about seven percent. Our portfolio by the grace of God and the prudence of our investment committee has grown more than the draw-down, but I trust you see the problem.
The income each year from pledges and gifts coming from the present generation amounts to about 12 percent of the annual operating cost of the Church and Choir School. We have made good progress over the past three years, moving up from 10 percent or less, as our pledges have broken the $1 million mark for 2006 and 2007. But to make up the deficit, our pledging needs to be about twice what it is. Let’s see if we can make more headway towards this goal in 2008.
We have 68 people who pledge $5000 or more per year, or at least $100 each week. Of these 68, 31 pledge at least $10,000 per year or $200 a week. When I began as Rector in 1996, I could count on the fingers of one hand the number who pledged $10,000 or more annually. What I call the leadership pledgers and donors, those 68 of us at or above $5000 including the 31 of us at or above $10,000, account for nearly $800,000 of our total pledge of nearly $1.2 million for 2007. Now there are a good number of you somewhere between $1,000 and $5,000. Think of how you might raise your pledge with a difference of $50 or even $25 a week more. So I ask you, can you join us in the leadership group? If so, Hallelujah. It’s a growing pool of leaders who make a big difference. Come join us in that pool; the water’s fine.
But we need every single “widow’s mite.” Whoever you are, we need your pledge. We have made gains there too. With help from those of you who attend Saint Thomas occasionally or by webcast, we now have well over 600 pledging units. Jesus commended the widow’s mite because it had spiritual power. It represented all she had. It was the proportion, the expression of devotion and love, that the Lord recognized; so much so, that he said the widow’s offering was greater than the larger sums afforded by the richer donors. We need leadership donors. We need the spiritual power of the participation of every single one of you. And the poor person’s offering, the widow’s penny, is especially powerful. The more of them we have, the stronger and safer Saint Thomas will be.
I have already made direct appeals to our leadership givers. Now I appeal directly to every one of you, whether you are here now, or reading or hearing about this sermon later, or out there in our webcast congregation. The pledge cards have been sent out to our mailing list. We have an enthusiastic Canvass Committee. The Sunday School has been part of it. Your can spot committee members with their name tags and red ribbons and friendly faces. They have put pledge brochures in the pews. You can also pledge safely online on our website. Please, pray over and make a generous, joyful pledge to Saint Thomas Church, the primary place of your worship and nurture in Christ. Your church pledge is unique, unlike all your other contributions, because, like Holy Communion, it connects you to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, where your treasure is, there will you heart be also. He may be the first person who said, so truly, follow the money! Find out the truth of what he says. Try the biblical standard of tithing (ten percent), or figure some other percentage, off the top of your income. Off the top: God first. Then let the other things fall into place. Your heart follows your money. You become a stronger believer and disciple, simply by starting with and following your money! Pledge to God first. I ask you to try for two reasons. First, Saint Thomas deserves our support. Second, if many of you take me up on my appeal, your hearts will follow your money, and whether you are rich or poor, you will help grow a larger group of more dedicated disciples of our Lord in this place. We each need to give our money; God made us this way. I tithe my own treasure to Saint Thomas, a church which I love and believe in with all my heart; I know the blessing from my own experience, and I want you to know it too.
A word about attitude. When the Apostle Paul was conducting not only an Every Member Canvass at Corinth, but what looks like a Capital Funds Drive on behalf of the poor old First Church in Jerusalem, he said, God loves a cheerful giver. Cheer, joy and even hilarity should be in our giving here. What a privilege it is to be called on to sustain this great mission, the mission from which each of us benefits so much! Pledge, give, and let your heart follow your money. And know that the Lord, the God of our joy and gladness, loves a cheerful giver. A cheerful giver reflects God’s own love for us. May the grace and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, the faith of his holy Apostle Thomas, the watchful guard of his good angels, and the prayers of his Mother and all his saints, assist our Every Member Canvass for 2008.
In the Name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. Amen.
