"THE SUBSTANCE IN THE SWEETNESS"

The theme for our series this month is "Living as Stewards for God: How Sweet It Is." As a fun way of symbolizing the aspects of our stewardship, each week we're using a different candy to represent the day's focus. Last week "Life Savers" were used to define and help facilitate prayer in our lives; if you missed that, be sure to ask someone to fill you in. Today, as we focus on our stewardship of service, everyone should have gotten a miniature "Almond Joy" candy bar.

Why an "Almond Joy?" I mean, it's basically a hunk of gooey, sticky, sugary coconut covered in rich, milk chocolate. A lot of empty calories with no nutritional value, right?!

Wrong! You see in the middle of all that sweetness there is something of substance: the almond. Almonds have a wonderful place in our faith history, they are of medicinal use and they do have some very positive nutritional value! Almonds contain vitamin E – a healthy antioxidant that helps fight some kinds of cancer. They are cholesterol free and are low in saturated fat. Almonds, pounded in water to make "almond milk," can be used as a substitute for dairy products for those who are allergic to cow's milk. Almond milk can also be helpful in cases of kidney and bladder stones...and eating about six almonds can help ease heartburn.

As I said, almonds also play a part in the history of our faith tradition. The Hebrew word for almond means "awakening," a reference to the almond blossom, which is the first to bloom in the spring. The almond played an important role in the lives of the ancient Hebrew people. Jacob included almond nuts in his gifts to Joseph in Egypt; the decorations on lamp stands referenced in the book of Exodus were modeled after the almond blossom, and Aaron's rod was made from an almond tree branch. According to the prophet Jeremiah, the almond also symbolized the dependability of God.

Who knew?! Something of such substance in the middle of the sweetness that is called the "Almond Joy."

Today we want to focus on the idea of "service." Our service to God – which we provide, of course, through our service to and with other people – is one of the ways that we manage or make good use of the gifts and abilities which God has given each of us. Now when it comes to an example of one who knew what service to God was really all about, we have no better example to turn to than Jesus. He was the original "servant leader" – the "suffering servant" who made the will of God central to his life at all times.

We heard, this morning, words attributed to the apostle Peter, recorded in the Book of Acts, where we are told "...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."

Jesus "went about doing good;" that's what "service" – bottom line – is all about: using the good things we have been given by God – our time, our energy, our skills, talents, abilities – to DO GOOD. Jesus once told his disciples, "...anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. That one will do even greater things than these...." At Christmas time, we proclaimed – by the birth of Christ – the coming of "Emmanuel": God with us. So, like Jesus, God is with us, and we, too, are empowered by the Holy Spirit to go around "doing good."

One of the ways we can "do good" is to accept that each of us is called to be a minister. I don't mean everyone is called to be a full-time church pastor or necessarily to do professional work with the church, but every Christian is gifted and called to serve in some aspect of the ministries of the church. Scripture tells us, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all people."

I believe that Jesus himself served in the ministries of the "church" of his time, the synogogue. In the Gsopel of Luke, chapter 4, verse 16, we're told, "...on the Sabbath day Jesus went into the synogogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read." Jesus was on the Reader's Team! Now if participation in the ministry of the local church was good enough for Jesus....!

We're very blessed in this church that many, many of you "get it" – you understand your calling to be a part of the life and ministry of the church through the use of your spiritual gifts. This "body," however, is not complete and fully whole. You see, there are still folks here who aren't using any of their gifts in ministry. I think there are primarily two reasons for that, two "belief systems" that are holding some folks back. One is the "somebody else" belief...the other is the "anybody else" belief.

The "somebody else" belief is that somebody else will take care of it. I mean, look at all these people. So what...bulletins have to be collated and folded and stapled and distributed. "Somebody else" will do it. So what...songs need to be sung, music needs to be played, the sound system has to be monitored, the tables and ice and snacks for the social time have to be set up, the altar has to be cared for – "somebody else" will do it. " ‘Somebody else' will do those things and, hey, while they're at it, I wish somebody would start offering more of those groups and classes and social activities and service projects this church ought to be doing! ‘Somebody else' really needs to get on the ball!!" That's one belief system that's holding some folks back.

The other is the "anybody else" belief. You know, "‘Anybody else' could do a better job than I could. I'm not very talented; I can't sing or preach. I'm just an ‘ordinary' person. I doubt if anything I could do would make any difference. ‘Anybody else' ought to volunteer."

Now both of those belief systems can cripple the body of Christ! The former is hurtful because it says that serving God just doesn't rank on our personal agendas. But the latter is even worse...because it says that only a few of us rank with God! As far as I'm concerned, that's verging on blasphemy! As Nelson Mandela said, "You are a child of God; your playing small doesn't serve the world." And it certainly doesn't serve God! It's people -- not God -- who have elevated some gifts and abilities above others. The world values a pretty face. But all the good looks in the world won't keep you from limping if you lose both your little toes! Every part of the body is valuable...and this body of Christ will never be completely whole and fully healthy until every part is working and being used to do good!

We're not called to be "stars;" we're called to be lamps. Stars – whether in the heavens or in the people and professions of earth – may inspire us, dazzle us, and entice us to dream. But the light of a star won't keep you from stubbing your toe on a rock as you wander down a dark and lonely road. We are to serve as lamps for one another. Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. ...no person lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Creator in Heaven."

I think one of the most miraculous things Jesus ever did was to get a huge group of people to pool their individual resources for the benefit of all. You may remember – or have at least heard references to – the story called "the feeding of the 5000." All four of the Gospels record a variation on the story of a time when Jesus had been speaking all day to a very large crowd. As it got later and later and supper time was drawing near, the disciples starting worrying about who was going to feed all these people. In John's version of the story, the disciples found one little boy who had five small barley loaves (sort of like little rolls or buns) and two small fish. Jesus told the thousands of people to sit down. He took the bread and fish, gave thanks for them, and began to distribute them. Well, not only did all the people get plenty to eat, but they also gathered up twelve baskets of leftovers!

Now, of course, that story is usually used as an example of a "miraculous sign" – Jesus "multiplied" the loaves and fishes. But, just as "food for thought," here's another possibility. What if Jesus used that little boy's generosity and willingness to share what he had as an example to the people. What if, as the boy's sack lunch was shared, "suddenly," through the crowd came a growing murmur. "Oh, hey...look at this...I have a whole loaf of bread here I forgot all about!" "Why, look at that...3 mangos in the bottom of my bag! Have one!" "Hey, don't we have a jar of olive oil in that basket there?" "Oh, man...here's a chicken I forgot all about!" And suddenly, when everyone came out with what they had to share, no one went hungry and there was more than enough!

Now really...wouldn't that be just as much of a miracle? If everyone used the little bit they had to give...and to serve...no one would go hungry and there would be more than enough! But it will never happen if we keep hiding our fish and sitting around on our buns!

We too easily take for granted the importance of the gifts that we have been given. We often fail to realize the purpose and necessity of what we have to offer to the church and to the world. What we miss when that happens is how much better our own lives would be if we would freely give of our selves.

We all want our lives to be sweet...but we also want them to have meaning...to have substance. Service is the substance in the sweetness of life and...like in the Almond Joy...we can have both. Having the sweetness and the substance may mean opening ourselves up to a very different use of our lives.

My prayer for all of us today is that we might learn to pray the prayer of a man named Gordon who said: "Don't give us just blessings; give us grace to be obedient to your commands and desires.

Don't give us status; give us a place to serve.
Don't give us things just for our use; use us.
Don't give us the best jobs; put us to work.
Don't give us only pleasure; give us also perspective.
Don't give us easy satisfaction; teach us how to sacrifice.
Don't give us cheap entertainment; enable us.
Don't give us the highest salaries; give us strength to do your will.
Don't give us a mansion to live in; give us a springboard to take Christ's love to the whole world.
Our great joy is in pleasing our Lord; no other joy in life is comparable."
God does want us to have joy in our lives...a joy built around substance – the joy that grows around genuine and freely given service. Amen.

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