240428 Sermon on the costs and benefits of church membership (Easter 5) April 28, 2024 Rev. Michael Holmen's Sermons

    • Christianity

 Audio recording Sermon manuscript: [Jesus said,] “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.” There was once a man who I thought might be interested in joining the congregation. He had attended services. He had family who were members. So I was talking to him about how a person could join the congregation. The first step is learning what we believe as a congregation, so I told him about the class I do with the Small Catechism. I went on for some time about that until I ultimately asked him what he thought. I will always remember his response. He said, “What’s in it for me?” I guess that was a good question, because I didn’t have a good answer. I don’t remember what I said. All that I remember is that I wasn’t very satisfied with my answer. “What’s in it for me?” is a thought that is deeply seated in our human nature. Nobody has to teach us to look out for ourselves. From the day we were born we have a very keen sense for our own advantage. A good idea is an idea that’s good for me. A good deal is a deal that’s good for me. If we are only looking for our own advantage, then church membership can be a pretty tough sale. To become a member we start off with maybe 12-15 hours of instruction. Perhaps the most important part of being a member is that you come to church for about an hour a week. A lot of people find that hour to be boring. All the while you should pay for these opportunities with your offerings. And then, if you prove yourself to be a faithful member by doing all these things, and if you have the right gifts and talents, then you might be asked to serve on a board or committee. That’s more time, more effort. If you’re lucky, you might even get to be involved in some dispute or controversy with all the stress and trouble that goes along with that. Sound like a good deal? I could answer these downsides of membership in several ways. You’ve probably already thought of some. But I’d like to take on the main idea itself. We naturally believe that a good deal is a deal that’s good for me, but who said that that has to be the definition of a good deal? I know that there are many authorities who teach that everyone must look out for their own interests. I know that big businesses follow this rule. I know that even our common sense teaches this. It’s as simple as asking the question, “What do you want?” Do you want more or do you want less? The answer seems obvious. However, what is left out from all these thought is that God is the giver of our daily bread. Whatever any of us has or doesn’t have is from God. There are people who have worked their fingers to the bone, and they have very little. There are lazy people and foolish people who have hit the jackpot, so to speak. By the seeming accidents of circumstances or heredity they have much more money than any of you will ever have. It is not enough to believe in yourself. It is not enough to ruthlessly follow your own interests. I know that we are taught that over and over, but that doesn’t make it true. If God doesn’t crown your efforts with success, then you won’t succeed. But let’s suppose I’ve failed to convince you. You still believe that you can bless yourself with your smarts and your hard work. In this supposition I’ll even grant you the best of successes. You live a charmed life from the time you are 5 until you are 85—80 years of brilliant success! What then? Psalm 49 says: “Even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.” Psalm 49 is a remarkable psalm. It is kind of the opposite of what is so often promoted as wisdom among us. Among us it is almost like people believe that they won’t ever die. They think they can grab as much as they can forever. Psalm 49 says, “No.” Man is an animal. He lives for a while, then he dies. The psalm brings up the death of sheep. Maybe you’ve seen livestock that has died and has begun to de

 Audio recording Sermon manuscript: [Jesus said,] “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.” There was once a man who I thought might be interested in joining the congregation. He had attended services. He had family who were members. So I was talking to him about how a person could join the congregation. The first step is learning what we believe as a congregation, so I told him about the class I do with the Small Catechism. I went on for some time about that until I ultimately asked him what he thought. I will always remember his response. He said, “What’s in it for me?” I guess that was a good question, because I didn’t have a good answer. I don’t remember what I said. All that I remember is that I wasn’t very satisfied with my answer. “What’s in it for me?” is a thought that is deeply seated in our human nature. Nobody has to teach us to look out for ourselves. From the day we were born we have a very keen sense for our own advantage. A good idea is an idea that’s good for me. A good deal is a deal that’s good for me. If we are only looking for our own advantage, then church membership can be a pretty tough sale. To become a member we start off with maybe 12-15 hours of instruction. Perhaps the most important part of being a member is that you come to church for about an hour a week. A lot of people find that hour to be boring. All the while you should pay for these opportunities with your offerings. And then, if you prove yourself to be a faithful member by doing all these things, and if you have the right gifts and talents, then you might be asked to serve on a board or committee. That’s more time, more effort. If you’re lucky, you might even get to be involved in some dispute or controversy with all the stress and trouble that goes along with that. Sound like a good deal? I could answer these downsides of membership in several ways. You’ve probably already thought of some. But I’d like to take on the main idea itself. We naturally believe that a good deal is a deal that’s good for me, but who said that that has to be the definition of a good deal? I know that there are many authorities who teach that everyone must look out for their own interests. I know that big businesses follow this rule. I know that even our common sense teaches this. It’s as simple as asking the question, “What do you want?” Do you want more or do you want less? The answer seems obvious. However, what is left out from all these thought is that God is the giver of our daily bread. Whatever any of us has or doesn’t have is from God. There are people who have worked their fingers to the bone, and they have very little. There are lazy people and foolish people who have hit the jackpot, so to speak. By the seeming accidents of circumstances or heredity they have much more money than any of you will ever have. It is not enough to believe in yourself. It is not enough to ruthlessly follow your own interests. I know that we are taught that over and over, but that doesn’t make it true. If God doesn’t crown your efforts with success, then you won’t succeed. But let’s suppose I’ve failed to convince you. You still believe that you can bless yourself with your smarts and your hard work. In this supposition I’ll even grant you the best of successes. You live a charmed life from the time you are 5 until you are 85—80 years of brilliant success! What then? Psalm 49 says: “Even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.” Psalm 49 is a remarkable psalm. It is kind of the opposite of what is so often promoted as wisdom among us. Among us it is almost like people believe that they won’t ever die. They think they can grab as much as they can forever. Psalm 49 says, “No.” Man is an animal. He lives for a while, then he dies. The psalm brings up the death of sheep. Maybe you’ve seen livestock that has died and has begun to de