Do not be afraid

 

Genesis 15:1-6; Luke 12:32-40

Our readings today begin with the same message: Do not be afraid, followed by assurances that there is reason to hope and trust.

God says to Abraham, Do not be afraid you won’t have children. I promise you will have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky.

And Jesus says to the disciples, Do not be afraid to give up everything to follow me. Be ready to receive what God will give you.

Too often, we look at our circumstances from a limited point of view. We see the lack of whatever we hope for as the reality. We don’t see the possibilities. The glass is half empty, or even closer than that to the bottom. We know money is finite. $50 is not $100 if we want to pay a $75 bill.

But I want to challenge the limited resource viewpoint. Over and over in scripture, God made a little become a lot. When Elisha visited the widow, a jar of oil and a bit of flour lasted for many days. Jesus made water into wine and a boy’s lunch fed a crowd of thousands. When we believe in a God of abundance, great things, amazing things can happen.

I have heard that people in this congregation consider their faith private, and don’t easily share it. I understand, for many years we have been taught that we don’t talk about money, politics, or religion. I agree that in some circumstances, it can be uncomfortable or even a big problem to talk about these things.

Yet …. If people hadn’t shared their faith with me, I wouldn’t be a believer in Jesus, I wouldn’t be a Lutheran, I wouldn’t be a pastor. I stand here today because people other than my immediate family members told me about Jesus when I was an adult, a young parent. I believe God put them in my path, to intercept my non-church-going ways and sent me to church, where I met the real Jesus. This is the abundance of Spirit at work.

I have also heard that people at University Lutheran Church in Gainesville Florida are worried the church will close its doors. People are worried there won’t be enough money to keep the doors open. People are concerned there won’t be enough members to keep things going. People are worried the Campus ministry will fall apart.

But, I remind you that our God is a God of abundance. There will be enough people, enough money, enough passion to make ULC a vibrant church. IF y’all are willing to work together to make it happen.

As we begin this interim time together, the council will begin with some background work, a 6-page checklist: making sure the constitution is up to date; making sure the membership list is current; making sure the finances are handled well and that the buildings are in good shape. You have already been working on the financial aspect of going forward. We will poke around in closets and drawers and files to clean out the unnecessary, discover the important, and make room for new.

There will be several focused meetings, some with just council, and one or two with every member who wants to attend. We will examine church history and look for patterns. We will look to the future, with hopes and visions for what is possible.  

Pastor Rob Carlson from the Synod office will be a partner on our journey, offering insight into ways of being church and of doing campus ministry.

In all of our exploring, we will trust in God to guide us. The future will look different from the past, and even from the present. This was true for Abraham and Sarah, and it was true for Jesus’ little flock of disciples and followers. The message then and now is “Do not be afraid.”

I want to finish with a story. I am a member of the Order of Lutheran Franciscans. The feast day of St Clare of Assisi is Thursday this week. Clare was the daughter of a wealthy family in Assisi. In about 1211, Clare heard Francis of Assisi preach about poverty and his simple way of following Jesus. Clare met with him and together they made plans for her to join him. At the same time, her family was in negotiations for her to marry the son of another wealthy family.

A convent was established for Clare, her sister Agnes, and several other women. They lived simply, owning nothing, because when we own something, we have to devote attention to caring for it. This distracts us from devoting attention to God.

They ate no meat and consumed only the produce from their garden and the food donated by people in the town. They had no beds or shoes, yet lived happy lives worshiping Jesus and serving the needy who came to their doors.

She fought off an invasion of Saracen soldiers by showing them the bread of Holy Communion. Clare lived this way for 40 years, 27 of those years seriously ill, never leaving the convent.

Clare wrote a Rule for the order, which defines how the community lives together. Pope Innocent IV finally authorized the Rule in 1253, two days before Clare died. People of her day thought her rule of poverty was too strict for women. People thought the order wouldn’t last, but we know them today as the Poor Clares.

Why am I telling you about Clare today? Because when Francis preached in her town, she heard the encouragement: “Do not be afraid.”

As we move through the process of transition, let’s remember to not be afraid, and to trust Jesus to guide us into the future God envisions for ULC Gainesville.

Amen