The Citizen, 2011-11-17, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2011.By Rev. Tom Murray
Knox United Church
The first lesson every politician
must learn is to address the issue
most important to the populace.
Without a doubt – and on a global
scale – that issue is easily
identifiable, even in these days.
Retreading a slogan popular in the
early 90s, one which James Carville
gave to Bill Clinton in his run-up to
election, “It’s the economy, stupid!”
What is everyone’s focus in the
dawn of this second decade of the
21st century is not new?
It was a pivotal concern for Jesus’
first century audience as well. In the
lectionary text of this past week
Jesus offers what seems to his
listeners a lesson in basic
economics. But it is the unique
economy of this thing he called “the
Kingdom” that Jesus presents. A
Kingdom economy that is based on
something more than a burgeoning
GNP. According to his parable in
Matthew 25:14-30 a positive
“bottom line” is determined by a life
of true discipleship prepared for a
future.
Do you ever get so frustrated by
inanimate elements in your life that
disturb your equilibrium so much
that you yell and scream inside and
vent to others? Like my pet-peeve:
when the deli worker puts that
irremovable price sticker across the
zip-bag zipper and in removing it to
open the product it destroys the bag.
Such frustrations, we all experience,
connects us with one of Jesus’
biggest “pet peeves” – the
fruitlessness of that which should be
fruitful.
Once when Jesus was hungry he
approached a fig tree and searched
its large, leafy branches for fruit. But
the fig tree had no fruit, bearing
nothing but leaves. Instead of
shrugging off his displeasure, and
seeking out a luncheon falafel, Jesus
roundly curses the fruitless tree. Is
this just Jesus indulging in the
frustration of the moment or
something much more significant to
us, even in our day?
David Hume, whom some say was
England's greatest gift to
philosophy, sought to express his
critique of Edmund Burke by
claiming on one occasion that Burke
offered only, “A great deal of flower,
a great deal of leaf, not much fruit!”
Bearing fruit or fruitfulness, has
been the demand of discipleship
from the very beginning. From Gen.
1 and God’s command to “Be
fruitful and multiply,” through Rev.
22 where God's promise "Behold, I
am coming soon! My reward is with
me, and I will give . . . according to
what each has done.
Jesus preached and healed before
some very large crowds, but he only
chose to teach 12 disciples. He
nourished and nurtured them for
scarcely three years and yet he
depended upon them “to be fruitful
and multiply” – to spread the word!
To witness to all they had
experienced and all they knew to be
true and good and beautiful! Every
new generation of disciples is reliant
on the witness of previous
generations.
A barren season or two of
discipleship potentially means the
loss of connection within entire
generations. Something we saw
happening in past generations and
happening now in the new
generation before us. Christians are
not “born,” Christians are “born
again!” “Born again” from feeding
on the trust and faith that only Jesus’
disciples and followers can generate
and share. In this parable, the third
servant was what we might call
realistic in his investment approach!
After all, he takes all the wealth
entrusted to him by his master and
buries it underground for
safekeeping. But while acting
realistically, he was not acting
productively.
It seems reasonable to believe that
Jesus did not like treasure being
buried. He didn’t teach his disciples
to bury their faith in some distant
future, he taught them to bear
witness to their faith in the here and
now! Jesus, expected his disciples
and followers to be as confident and
positive as they could be, thus
“adding to their number daily.”
(Acts 2:47)
The world too, is “confident” and
“positive” only it is written as
“bullish on capitalism,” as the lynch
pin of the world's economy. An
economy built on the give-and-take
between supply and demand,
capitalist endeavour and market
response. But, truth-be-told, for the
last 40 years we've been increasingly
trained for one thing –
consumerism!
The most recent counting has
found that the average person is now
exposed to about 3,500 advertising
messages per day. These are
messages that tell us what we need
to buy, to get, to “consume,” in order
to be fulfilled.
Consumerism has become our
most basic identity. We are what we
consume – the cars we drive, the
brands we wear, the apps we
download. As our culture reflects us;
"We “consume,” therefore we are.
How many of us respond to a bad
day by indulging in a little or lot of
“retail therapy?” Since birth we’ve
been taught and told that consuming
more feels good and is good. “When
the going gets tough, what do the
tough do...?” Why, they go
shopping!
As our economy struggles and
our bank accounts get anemic, we
are constantly told that in spending
more, things will be better!
Like real estate’s mantra, “location!
location! location!” ours is a cul-
ture based upon “consuming!
consuming! consuming!”
Our lives are not born to consume,
on the contrary, our faith is
expressed and impresses by all that
we can conceive in the life of others!
Jesus stresses that, we his disciples
and followers, are to be engaged in,
being fruitful! We are to bear fruit
and bear witness to the world. We
are to infuse Christ, his love, grace,
and mission, into each new
generation; by our fruit and our
light!
Jesus insists that we “build,” not
“bury” the next generation! Those
who are dead to life and hope are
buried! Those who are dead to love
and forgiveness are buried! Those
who bury their gifts, talents,
treasure, and strengths are buried
alive! The work of discipleship is to
bear witness to the hope, love and
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, November 20
Brussels Public School
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, November 20
Ethel United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Bible Study
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women At The Well
Evangelical Missionary Church
“The King’s Coming,
and Our Seeing Capacity”
November 20: Matt. 25:31-46
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
NOVEMBER 20
Becoming the You, You Were Meant To Be
NOVEMBER 27
Christmas IS Coming, Did You Wash Your Hands?
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
Church Office: 519-357-4883
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, November 20
Rev. Perry Chuipka
www.nabcom.ca/church
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
119 John’s Ave., Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
Rev. Mark Royall, Sr. Pastor
9:25 a.m.
Sunday School for all ages
10:30 a.m.
November 18 & 19
at Huron Chapel
Auburn
Come and do some Christmas
shopping as various vendors
from Huron County will be
selling their goods.
All proceeds go towards the
Huron County Aids Network.
From the Minister’s StudyEconomy put into religious perspective
Continued on page 23