Sermon: Abilities and Talents
13 November 2011
Rev. Barry W. Szymanski, J.D.
First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa
GOSPEL - Matthew 25:14-30

Picture Jesus surrounded by people like you and I – and as he tells this story – he makes frequent eye contact with you. Jesus said: "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”

And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave!

You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

SERMON

Aptitudes and Talents

A factory has steel come into it and gizmos come out of it for people to purchase and use.

An insurance office has money come in and money goes out when a car or house is damaged. A financial office has stock market information come into it, and people rely on that information to increase their wealth.

An accountant takes fiscal records and assembles them into a tax report. A lawyer takes raw ideas and drafts a well ordered contract. What comes into this church? What does this church produce? We don't make gizmos, or pay out claims, or increase wealth, or pay the government, or draft agreements. So what do we do? Why do we exist? Some here might answer that we help train our youth. We teach them in Sunday School. But others here can retort that little kids learn to be nice in kindergarten. And what about you – you are adults? Are you a 'finished product?' I have feet of clay! Or is this, or any, church something else? Are there even similarities so that we can, or cannot, compare gizmos with church?

Is a church of this world? Or is it of another world? Who is the leader? Whose church is it? If this church is not a factory, than what is it? Because if we here do not produce anything, Or clarify anything, Or organize anything, Or invest in anything, Or insure anything, Then what are we? Why does FCC exist?

Some might say that Jesus started the church. There are others who argue that Jesus did not want an organized church. However Jesus was a regular attendee at Temple. And his followers continued to attend Temple. Yet that does not lead to the question of what church is? And what does 'church' do?

Let's back up to general organizational structures. When we speak of factories, insurance and financial offices, and accountants and lawyers, and construction workers we are talking about people. Businesses refer to their employees as assets. What a long time ago was called a 'personnel' department, is now called 'human resources'. If people are incompetent, or lazy, or not interested in their jobs, then the factories and offices of a business will fail.

All businesses look for competent individuals, who want to work hard, learn their jobs well, and have good attitudes. Good managers work as trainers to build up their employees. Good coaches of football, soccer, and other sports work to inspire their athletes to give their best. This is regardless of the age of the athlete. A good employee, in whatever field, must become good at what they do. This is true for heating and air-conditioning technicians, anesthesiologists, and airline pilots. If God gives us abilities, we work with our abilities. Some people are artistic. Some are mechanically inclined. Some drivers, some cooks. You can ask if your talents are just hidden? Are you afraid to find other talents? And, if that is the case, what might you be afraid of?

Are you afraid of success or do you fear failure? Are you troubled to move out of your comfort zone only to find that you are not good at something new. What I have found in life is that when I am uncomfortable in a situation, I look forward to change. When I am unhappy with the circumstance I find myself in, I welcome an adjustment in my life. However, and this is a big however, when I am comfortable, I do my best to avoid change. Why should I want to modify my life if I am contented? So, when a change comes about, I might even be somewhat aggressive about fighting that change. But life has a way of forcing the issue. Stuff breaks.

Two weeks ago one of our cats took a liking to a leather camera case that I have had for years. It was very beat up. But it was serviceable and I liked it, in part because it did its job, and partly because it was not flashy. But one of our cats destroyed it. Change was forced upon me. I need to get another padded case. I am really unhappy about it. So we can move from camera cases, to cars that are damaged beyond repair to houses that are destroyed by fire.

Let's move to something really important. My father and my mother are both deceased. Neither death was easy to accept. I knew they were getting older. I knew when each announced they had cancer. But death was not welcome. And I cannot not hug either anymore. I cannot talk with them anymore. I had to adapt in my life. I had to learn to live without my parents.

So, in life, whether because of a death of a very loved member of one's family, or because of a loss of a thing, or the termination of employment, we are forced to adjust our lives. We are forced to do something different from what we had planned. We are forced to reexamine our goals, and to use our talents in ways that we, perhaps, never expected.

In every aspect of life God prompts us to do something. When we look at life on a spiritual level, we can often see God's hands at work. We know that death occurs. Loss of things happen. Hard to accept, but we move on. Yet we realize that Jesus is there with us. Jesus is telling us, that however little the action we take, he is with us, and we are to do something. However slight the attitude adjustment we make, we are to take it. We are to use our talents and abilities and to increase them in order to grow as a person.

We have each been given gifts so that we can know God better, and to increase God's work in this world. We have skills to make God's world a better place. We have the abilities to build the Kingdom of Heaven, “. . . on earth as it in Heaven".

What small efforts can we make? We can smile. Say positive words. Encourage others. Support what others do. Give of time. Donate money to charities, and, if I may add, and I must add, this church needs your support and pledges at this time.

A lot of great work goes on here – you are aware of some of it – you may not be aware of all of it – but you are a supporter of it, and it takes a substantial sum to just open these doors every week. You can't say that someone else can give, but I will not, at this time. If you don't give, this church will suffer. Please remember that it is God's church, with much good happening here.

What else can you do? Be there for your friends. Be there for others. Be nice when it is easy. In Jesus name be nice when it is hard. Thank others for what they do for you. Thank others for who they are. Thank others for just being who they are. Thank God for a beautiful sunset.

Let's move a little deeper: In church you and I learn to pray, to worship, to praise God. What we are seeking is a relationship with God - - a significant connection with the divine. We want to build a strong bridge between us and God. We want to know and feel that God is involved with our lives, and that we are involved with God and his work.

Once we realize the talents that we have, we also grasp the real power that we have. And we also become conscious of the real choices that we can make. We begin to recognize that we have been freely given gifts that other people don't have. And we understand that others have gifts that we don't have.

As Congregationalists, we cherish the concepts of Faith, and Freedom, and Fellowship.

In Jesus' parable, the Master did not tell any of his servants what they should do with the talents he gave them. He left them with absolute freedom. He gave them no direction. He did not load them with an unreasonable burden. He let them live their lives until he returned. That parable was about living.

Look at Jesus' own life. He lived it fully. He used every gift that God gave him. Jesus grew in his relationship with His Father. Jesus did not hold onto the Ten Commandments as an article of faith. What Jesus did do was to call God His Father. Jesus did not give us a list of what to believe. Jesus gives us a new relationship with God. Jesus gives us a new covenantal involvement between himself and us. We are his, and he wants to be with us.

Jesus' religion, if I can call it that, is not only living a good life, but of having a significant relationship with Him. And then, because of knowing God as intimately as any human can know God, of loving those around us because of Jesus. All people become our neighbors.

Having talents is a great responsibility. In the parable we learn that the Master was really not interested in getting more money. He was apparently rich enough so that he could have invested himself. He wanted to see what his servants could do on their own. God wants to see what we do on our own. God wants us to take risks. The only servant who was really disciplined was the one who did not take any risks at all. In this parable Jesus is pointing out that we are to resist fear. Jesus told us not to fear.

Look at: Mt 1:20, 10:26,28,31, 14:5, 27, 17:7, 21:46, 28:8, 10.

Let me boil this down. You and I can say that we have no extra time. That is probably true. You and I can say that we have little money to spare. If that is the case, it is. You and I can say that we have few talents or aptitudes, or personal gifts. That may be true, but yet unexamined. You and I can say that we have no skills in carpentry, writing, mechanics, dance, handling money, computers or electronics, or any gift for beauty, or a gift for prayer. That is probably true at this time, because it is not yet fully developed. But what you and I cannot say is that we have no gift for kindness. We cannot say that we can never be a cheerful heart to others. For, and this is important, no matter what we do not have in abundance, you and I all have the ability to love and to love generously and with abandon!

Let me close with a passage in a letter written by Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, when he said; and I may add, with a great amount of emotion. Paul was a very emotional person. "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." I believe that the reason that church exists: is to manifest God’s Holy Spirit. And I believe that the talents parable told by Jesus were important to Paul, and he lived his life to the fullest because of it – and he was dedicated to starting churches, and strengthening existing churches – with real members – real people like you and me – with real talents – especially the talent to love with abandon. Amen.