July 31, 2016 "Enough Is Enough"

Hosea 11 Luke 12:13-21 Hosea 1 had been the assigned passage for last Sunday. But on your Anniversary, preaching: “Go marry a prostitute, and raise the children of others by her” saying the people of God have throughout history prostituted themselves, did not seem as attractive as A Fruit Basket, or preaching on Important Opportunities worth sacrificing our security. Life is filled with choices, the difficulty is that as much as we know what is right, the alternative is still enticing. This morning's sermon has two parts, the first on our need to Succeed, not on the basis of our community, or changing a social condition, but only for our own desires, which is Greed. The second is on Forgiveness, not as being a good thing, or the right thing, but because the brokenness of no-relationship destroys us. We know without hearing a sermon that Greed is the sin of Coveting. Greed is based on an assumption of Scarcity of limited resources, and that assumption is based on Anxiety / Fear. But I confess I have a problem, and need your help. I do not think I am the only one, but sometimes it's hard to tell, because this is a taboo people do not talk about. The problem is having enough. It is not that I do not have enough. It is just that sometimes, I feel like I do not… never enough time, enough money, never enough stuff. From 1976 until 1996 our Church had a deficit budget, not only Budgeting to spend Reserves, but overspending the Budget by a total of $200,000. Over the last 19 years, in addition to the Budget we raised over $3,000,000, we have annually been blessed with receiving more than we spent, which allowed us to repay mortgages early saving millions of dollars of compound interest, as well as adding to our Reserves over $600,000 not from Wills or Estates but from General Giving. Eight months ago, we received an unsolicited pledge of an additional $300,000 intended to stimulate all of us in our giving, Six months ago, we learned that because of NYS Taxes, this could not be done. Are we suddenly in debt: No. But somehow, not receiving a gift we thought we were receiving, made us disappointed, not a Success. Surrounding: the Prostitute whom Hosea married, and Israel whom God loves, and Jesus being asked to divide the inheritance, and the parable of the Rich Fool, is the issue of Success. Not Miserliness, not Cheating, but using any and every means necessary to succeed. This is a tricky one this morning, because ours is a world built on Success; even more so because the Church has no tangible product to sell, even Heaven and Sanctification have delayed gratification; and also my own salary is based on your success and your generosity and support of what we are doing, but not success at all costs. We are surrounded everywhere by overt and subliminal messages, telling us that we are incomplete, insufficient, unsatisfied; however if we buy what they are selling, be it toothpaste, or the latest pill, a new computer or car, or version of the truth, then we could become complete and satisfied, at least until the next version of the iPhone comes out. Our culture connects Consumption with Satisfaction, Happiness with Possessions, Material wealth demonstrates the Good Life, the success and failure of the Nation are based on our Economy. Last weekend the sidewalks were blockaded with people buying and selling, this week the docks and park are filled with polished antique boats, from Thanksgiving to New Years the Dickens Characters are pushing us to purchase, and we feel as if we are not doing our civic duty if we are not supporting the local businesses. Before we were married, I was able to pack everything I owned including my mattress in a VW 411, it was the hatchback version of a Volkswagen bug. When we graduated from Grad School, everything my wife and I owned, occupied no more space than our Dining room. When our parents left us to dispose of their belongings, we found stuff they had not used in decades, and we vowed to give whatever we were not using to those who would appreciate it. But every time I drive near the Home & Garden stores a voice invites “Buy me.” The A&E television network debuted a show in 2009 called “Hoarders,” which was the most watched series premiere among 18-54 year olds and despite being dropped 6 years later, was brought back each of the last two years because of people's identification with compulsive consumers. Several years ago, my brother bought a farm that had been owned by Carl a man with short-term memory loss. The house and barn were filled to the rafters with stuff, because when he would need a new Hot Water Heater he would buy one, then forget and go buy another, and a third. My brother sold all the stuff that was hoarded there and made enough money to pay the purchase price of the farm. So deep down, I know that money and possessions cannot make a person happy, yet secretly I believe I could handle it and may be the exception to the rule. It is as if I have 2 soundtracks in my head. The one is from the Beatles “Can't Buy Me Love” “I'll buy you a diamond ring my friend if it makes you feel alright. I'll get you anything my friend, if it makes you feel alright. 'Cause I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love...” while the other is the Joel Grey and Liza Minelli song from Cabaret “Money, money, money, money, money... Money makes the world go around, the world go around, the world go around, Money makes the world go around... it's all the world can see.” What scares me about this parable, is how easily we identify with the Rich Fool. He has not cheated anyone, he is not a thief. He has worked hard all his life and been rewarded with success. He knows how to plan and follow through, and imagines how great it would be to give to our kids what they need to pay off their education debts, being able to see the world, not having to worry about the future, never again having to worry about whether my spouse would be taken care of. The false illusion is that money creates independence. Money could allow us to transcend being mortal, could allow us to escape being dependent upon others, most especially God. Different from other Prophets, Hosea is told to experience the one-sided relationship God feels with Israel by marrying a Prostitute named “Gomer.” The problem is that while she is beautiful, while she can satisfy his every desire, she feels nothing for him, Gomer's only desire is for money not for Hosea. She conceives and has children, but Hosea knows these may well be the offspring of other lovers, so names them “To make her suffer,” “Never to be pitied,” “Not my Child.” Even so, Hosea is responsible for them, and pays for their food, their clothing, their education, all their wants and needs, and Gomer's wants and desires, until ultimately Hosea and God say “Enough, I cannot take it anymore” and cuts off Gomer / her children, divorcing them, sending them away. As much as God was attempting to demonstrate the one-sided love God has for us through Hosea, few of us could ever identify with marrying a prostitute, although most of us can identify with relationships which have at times been one sided. Where as care-givers, more is asked of us than we ever imagined possible, and because of illness the other cannot demonstrate affection or love, may even make the care-giver to be the focus of their pain and suffering. More realistically we can identify with adult sibling relationships, where one has made a promise to their parents, the others do not support; where one is power of attorney and the others only picture the worth of possessions or moving on. At times I have wondered, if this question about inheritance was the reality behind the Parables of the Prodigal Son and Elder Son, with the younger demanding his inheritance not from the Father, but from the brother and from Jesus? The basis of Jesus calling the man a Fool is that while successful, while hard-working, he can only see life as a reflection of his possessions, the accumulation of his toys. One of the reasons I enjoy being a pastor rather than an attorney, is that when a person dies, rather than being responsible for the division of assets, we have responsibility for collecting / sharing their stories. The point of hope, is that in this morning’s reading from Hosea, and at the end of the Parable, there is realization that the path we have followed was wrong. While for the man in the parable it may have been too late, with God it is never too late to forgive, to heal cut-offs, redeem the lost. The point of forgiveness is not that the other has atoned for their wrong, or made restitution, or even that they admitted their error, or said “I am sorry.” Forgiveness is recognition that being without each other, having a broken relationship hurts so much, we have to forgive.