NUCC

November 6, 2005

Pentecost 25

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

Matthew 25:1-13

            I think back to a wedding several years ago.  The son of friends to the bride and groom was asked to be an usher. He had been carefully coached in wedding protocol. The wedding coordinator instructed the boy to ask the person he was escorting, "Are you a guest of the bride or groom?"

The lad understood completely. As he offered his arm to the first guest, he asked, "Whose side are you on?"

            This is the same question Joshua asked the Hebrew people as they established themselves in the Promised Land after forty years in the Sinai wilderness.  Joshua had gathered all of the different tribes together at Shechem.  There were tensions between them.  They did not all agree on what to do with the new land.  Now Joshua challenged them to put aside their differences.  Even more importantly Joshua challenged them to put aside the new gods they were tempted to worship in the new land.  He put the question to them not once, not twice, but three times.  “Whose side are you on?”  The people answered yes, but if you read further in the Bible they often forgot their promises.

            Here we are today almost at the end of the fifth year in the 21^st century.  We are so far away from Joshua and those primitive people in a rough land.  But are we so far away?  Aren’t we in a  similar situation?  In various ways and at various times we must also answer the same question Joshua put to the Israelites.  “Whose side are you on?”

            The challenge comes to us in our daily living with all of the different demands upon our time and energy.  We have so many choices and so many options.  What is most important in my life?  Where does God fit?  Where does God’s will guide me?  How do I choose among the “gods” of this day?

            Yes, there are many different religions in this world.  Our confirmands each year have an opportunity to learn a little bit about some of them.  We have been to a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque, and a Jewish synagogue.  But these are not the other “gods” that really tempt us.

            We know what some of those gods are.  One of them is a beautiful box which sits in our living rooms and family rooms.  We kneel before it for hours.  On that television we see people chasing after fame and fortune, we see all sorts of behavior modeled for us, we are tempted to buy this and  purchase that.  We learn that we cannot live without having this toy or that gadget.

            When we are away from that sacred little box we also know that there are other “gods” calling us.  We become wrapped up in our favorite  hobby or sport.  If we go to that holy place over in Green Bay called Lambeau Field it is like a religious experience for us.  If we tool our boat, bike, golf cart or four-wheeler around the course or trail we sometimes say that we were worshiping better than in church.  There are all sorts of demands on our time ---- some quite worthy and others a waste of time, some refreshing and some draining.  Through some we glorify God and through others we mock God.  You know what the “other gods” are in your life.  How will you deal with them?

            One of the challenges for each of us is to make priorities and decisions, to choose among all the demands for our time, money and energy.  Where does God fit into this scenario?  How important is God in my life?

            One way that we will answer this question during the next week is when we sit down to fill out the “Intention of Giving” card sent to each of our households.  We will be asked to think ahead and plan how much we will give to our church of our financial resources.  Undoubtedly you receive all sorts of requests for money.  Each day I receive requests from all sorts of organizations and I have to decide which ones are most important to me.  Most of them are worthy.  Most of them are reputable in their financial management.  But I can’t give to everybody.  How will I decide.

            This is an individual decision for each of us.  I trust that because you are worshiping in this church today that the Christian Church, specifically Neillsville United Church of Christ is very important to you.  You know that through your local church you are providing a place of help and inspiration.  Through this local church you are reaching out to the community around us.  Through this local church and our partners in the wider United Church of Christ and ecumenical church you will be helping the flood, hurricane, and earthquake victims long after even organizations like the Red Cross have picked up stakes and taken off for other emergencies.

            Today we will be gathering at the Lord’s Table for a special meal when we remember how Christ has saved us and how God’s Holy Spirit is present with us as we eat the bread and drink the wine.  We will remember that we are a people, just like the Israelites remembered they were a people as they gathered with Joshua and Shechem so many years ago.  As we gather about the Table today I invite you to renew your commitment to Jesus Christ.  I invite you to remember whose side you are on.  Then next Sunday I invite you to affirm that declaration as we gather for our Consecration Sunday and once again gather around tables for a celebration dinner.  May we say with the people of Israel:

“We will serve the LORD!”