Tied down and bound up...

It is autumn in the mountains... colorful leaves, cool, rainy weather, crisp sunshine with startling blue skies, a young bear in our driveway looking for food and shelter, a gazillion walnuts on the ground, mallards on the pond, and stewardship sermons in all the churches. Like falling leaves, stewardship sermons are dropping on churchgoers ears this season of harvest.
In my childhood at Clyattville Baptist Church, there were two schools of thought about stewardship campaigns. One group, to which my daddy belonged, believed that you took financial responsibility as a church member as seriously as you did attendance without the prodding of another committee. Another group believed most people needed reminders to support the financial life of the church and without a stewardship campaign, the church would go bankrupt. So the pastor very wisely made room for both points of view with a low keyed stewardship campaign that consisted of one sermon, special envelopes in the pew racks and announcements for one month giving everyone a chance to do as they wished with the budget needs of the church.
The sermons used one of two gospel stories... the rich young ruler, or the man who gathered all his harvest into the storehouse then laid back to celebrate. The point of the sermons was always the same. To whom much has been given (and that meant ALL of us), much was required. And in case we forgot the point from last year’s sermon, we would be reminded that it is harder for a rich man to enter heaven than to thread the eye of a needle with a camel. The hymn selection always included “Bring Ye All Your Tithes Into the Storehouse” and “I Surrender All”.
While surfing denominational internet web sites, I saw not much has changed... shame and blame for being rich, shame and guilt for not sharing enough, blame for being more than and less than at the same time, exhortations to do more and give more.
But last week I heard a sermon preached by our friend, Russell, that stood the rich young ruler story on its head and blew apart what I thought I knew about this story in Mark. Russell put the story in context. We heard a brief explanation of the character of the Gospel of Mark... no muss, no fuss, no pretty singing angels, no resurrection, like Jack Webb on “Dragnet”, just the facts, ma’am. He laid out the time line for when this young ruler showed up to talk to Jesus. Jesus was probably packing up, getting ready to move on when this young man approached him. Perhaps Jesus didn’t even look up when he was addressed because his first response was perfunctory... keep the commandments, he said. But when the young ruler responded saying he had kept the commandments since his youth, Jesus looked up, saw him and loved him. He saw him and loved him... and according to Russell, he saw what had the young ruler tied up in knots, crunched and bound. It was not the money but the love or need for the money to keep the hole in his soul filled.
So Jesus said what the young ruler needed to hear. “You won’t be free until you can let go of what is holding you back. Money is your god. When you can give it away to the poor, you will set yourself free.” Literalism keeps us tied to one interpretation of this story and indeed, we should be willing to give generously of our riches to those who need it. But, that is not the only layer to the story of this encounter. Bondage, slavery of the soul, stiff necks and tight jaws, clenched fists and cold hearts... where am I in slavery? What keeps me tied up in knots” How can I let go of my perceived wants and needs? Wipe away the illusion that I am in control of me, myself and I? Let go of the holding back that keeps me from living free, giving with joy and gratitude for all I have been given? How can I love God enough to let my whole self be seen and loved, bending my head to take the yoke that is easy and light when I surrender all to the One who sees me and loves me not in spite of but just because.
Russell had us sing the old hymn “I Surrender All” as our closing hymn and for just a few minutes, my heart cracked open, my head bent, my soul took a deep breath as the prayer took root in my heart. This week I have lived with surrender to God written on the tablet of my heart. “All to Jesus I surrender, all to him I freely give. I will ever love and trust him, in his presence daily live. All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to thee. Fill me with thy love and power, let thy blessing fall on me. I surrender all, I surrender all, all to thee my blessed Savior, I surrender all.” It helps to sing this old hymn now and then as a reminder and as a prayer... number 82 in the Broadman hymnal if you have it. I will still be singing it this week. Sing along with me if you want to...