When I was in seminary, many of the professors tried to ease the anxiety of the students by saying, “Don’t worry about your grades.  What really counts is how much you learn.”  But at the same time they were telling us not to worry about our grades, they were also singling out the best students by electing them to honor societies and awarding them prizes for academic excellence.

 

It was all well and good for the professors to tell us not to worry about our grades, but as long as there were prizes and awards and accolades to be had, there would be students who would strive to attain them.  I know, because I was one of them; I wanted to be a successful seminary student, and in our society, the ultimate definition of “success” is to be the first, the best, the leader; to hold a high office or a top job; to have power, prestige, importance.

 

We might think this is a reflection of our modern-day culture, but in this morning’s Gospel lesson, we hear two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, exhibiting this same understanding of “success.”  As the disciples walk with Jesus toward Jerusalem, they can sense something in the air, a foreboding, that makes them afraid.  Seeing their apprehension, Jesus takes them aside and explains to his closest friends that what they are sensing is real, because when they arrive in Jerusalem, he will be condemned to death and killed. 

 

If you think this passage sounds like “deja vu all over again,” as Yogi Berra would put it, you’re right.  In a similar story we heard just a few weeks ago, Jesus told his disciples what awaited him in Jerusalem.  But instead of listening to him, they busied themselves by arguing with one another about which one of them was the greatest.  In response, Jesus had tried to explain to them about servant ministry, saying, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 

 

In this morning’s passage, this is the third time that Jesus has told his disciples about his upcoming arrest and death, but his words still don’t register with them.  And this time, when they hear what the future holds for their beloved rabbi, James and John make what seems to be a totally inappropriate and ill-timed request.  “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”

 

They tell him they want to have the honored seats to Jesus’ right and left in glory, and James’ and John’s request reveals their desire for authority, prominence, and favor – in other words, the earthly definition of success.  It makes us think that they really haven’t gotten the concept of servanthood figured out at all. 

 

Jesus must be deeply disappointed with these disciples.  For three years, they have followed him, watching him heal the sick, eat with outcasts, and serve the most marginalized members of society.  They have heard him preach about the Kingdom of God – a kingdom in which the existing powers would be toppled and replaced with a new order.  And yet, the disciples still think the Messiah will be a powerful, conquering hero to bring revolution to the political, economic and social structures.  What they haven’t quite grasped is that Jesus turns the idea of a Messiah upside down, and redefines his Godly kingship as about not might, but mercy; not power, but peace; not retribution, but redemption. 

 

For three years, the disciples have dedicated themselves to Jesus, leaving their homes, their families, and their fishing jobs in order to be part of his itinerant ministry.  And now they want a return on their investment; they want to know what’s in it for them.  And Jesus takes their – and our – ideas of influence, success, and status and turns them upside-down, saying “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” 

 

“Jesus, we want you to do for us anything we ask.”  It is a selfish, self-seeking, self-promoting request to the most unselfish of beings.  But it’s oh so human.  We want our needs met, our desires fulfilled, our wishes granted.  And the “what’s in it for me?” question remains a driving force in our society. 

 

This mindset has also, unfortunately, found its way into the Christian faith.  There are people who want to know what they will get out of Christianity if they commit themselves to it.  “How will Christ enrich my life, make me feel better, or deal with my problems?” they ask.  And they have the same questions about church.  In the words of one blogger on the internet: “I want to know what I can get for ME at a church.  Encouraging others to love and good works, working towards achieving the Great Commission, world missions, visiting orphans and widows, etc. etc.  BORING!  I want to know what I can get out of it.  What’s in it for me?  What have you done for me lately?”[1]

 

There are many people like this blogger who attend church with the mentality of a consumer.  And Jesus once again turns things upside down by commanding us not to take but to give -- give our hearts, souls, mind, and strength to loving God; give our promise to follow Christ; give our commitment to Christ’s church.

 

That’s what Sheri, Debbie, Diane, Jay, Jason and Kristen have done today as they have been received into membership at the First Congregational Church of Stoughton, United Church of Christ.  They have promised to be Christ’s disciples, to follow in the way of our Savior, to grow in the Christian faith, to participate in the life and mission of this family of God’s people, sharing regularly in our worship and joining in serving this community and the world.

 

And all of you have given your promise to grow together with these new members in knowing God and in being Christ’s witnesses in all the world.  Giving rather than taking.

 

James and John ask the question, “Teacher, will you do for us anything that we ask?”  And Jesus would have us turn that question upside down by instead asking, “Teacher, what can we do for you?” 

 

President John F. Kennedy injected this upside down question into our national life with a famous challenge: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”  And in Christ’s church, we are to ask our beloved rabbi, “Teacher, what can we do for you?” 

This past week, many of you received in the mail a packet of information about this year’s Stewardship Campaign, which formally kicks off today.  If you have not received your packet, please pick one up in the lobby as you head to Coffee fellowship. 

To frame this year’s campaign, the Stewardship Committee and I chose these words from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “We are well on our way, reaching out for Christ who has so wondrously reached out for us… We’re off and running, and we’re not turning back.”  These words sum up, we believe, where we are as a church.

We too are well on our way.  Over the past year, the Holy Spirit has blessed the First Congregational Church of Stoughton, United Church of Christ, with new hope, new faith, and new energy.  In the last seven months, we have received 21 new members, including the six we have welcomed today.  Every Sunday, we greet newcomers to our church; our Sunday school is growing; we have expanded our ministries and program offerings; and last year’s Stewardship Campaign was our most successful in years.

But there is still much work to do, and our challenge is to keep this positive momentum going.  We greatly need your financial support to carry on the good work that God has begun here at our beloved church.  It is a simple fact, and there is no getting around it, that our church needs money to pay our bills.  But at its core, stewardship is less about money and more about faith.  Stewardship is rooted in our covenant to walk forward together.  Stewardship is believing in God, even when we don't know where God is calling us to go.  Stewardship is caring for God's people.  And Stewardship is giving -- giving of ourselves, our time, and our talent, as well as our treasure, even when we don't know “what’s in it for us” or what we'll get in return.

 

Stewardship doesn't begin with money.  It begins when we decide, both as individuals and as a congregation, that we will keep our eyes on the goal and move into the future with faith and confidence in God.  It begins when we resolve to go where God is beckoning us onward and to not turn back. 

 

And it begins when we ask, “Jesus, what can we do for you and for this, our beloved church?”  Amen.