All Saints Lutheran Church
Pastor Raita Neely
September 21, 2003
P18B James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; Mark 9:30-37
Erma Bombeck, with her characteristic wit, claimed that whenever she wanted to hide something, she put it behind the dish towel. No one, she said, had found anything there in nearly thirty years.

How different then, our Gospel for today which suggests that we can rise no higher in life than to be a servant. Jesus certainly expresses that view as he teaches his disciples. And Jesus is not one to talk the talk, without walking the walk. Listen what the Apostle Paul writes in Philippians, "though Jesus was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.....And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-even death on a cross" (Phil.2:6-8)

For our sake, Jesus became a servant, even giving his life for us. So we look to him to show us how to become people with a heart to serve without thought of reward.

Jesus placed a child in the midst of his disciples. In Jesus' day, children were regarded as second-class persons, only slaves were lower than children. Through the child, Jesus demonstrated that the focus of faithful mission and ministry must never be about personal greatness, prestige, power, wealth, or selfish pursuits. The focus of faithful mission and ministry must always be about humility, innocence, and serving others.

Jesus points you and me in a direction that is not easy. Instead of worrying about our own position, we should be concerned for the weakest and most humble member of the community, typified by the child. Moreover, Jesus identifies with the child, the representative of those who are poor, needy, and without status. Our joy is to offer caring and compassion, welcome and hospitality to "the children" among us.

I have said that the children were the poor and the needy in Jesus day. Unfortunately, that is still the case for many children today. And I'm not even referring to children world wide, who live in slavery, who are poor and those who are hungry and those who are ill.

Let's take a look at children right here in Minnesota, one of the better states to live in. I am haunted by the faces of children which we saw hanging in panels here at All Saints to make us more aware of the plight of children. On any night in Minnesota, 3000 children are homeless. Those families who can't find a temporary home, or transitional housing pack their belongings in a plastic Target bag before they are turned out of emergency shelters. Still others spend the nights huddled in cars, under bridges, or on the street. The average age of the homeless child is six and a half, 40% are from working families, but if your wage is between $5.15/hr to $6.15 /hr there is no way you can afford housing, even if you work two jobs. Many families are homeless because of the shortage of low income housing and escalating rents. 12% of children under age 18 in Minnesota live in poverty. Many are from single parent families. Last year, 50% of the people served by food shelves were children and 20% were the elderly.

When children live for extended periods of time without a sense of stability or home, these children find themselves at risk-emotionally, physically, socially, and
intellectually. Their stomachs growl, their eyes blur from lack of sleep, they are twice as susceptible to respiratory disease and tuberculosis and 6 times more likely to have stunted growth and the risk of anemia than the average child who has a home. 75% of homeless children test below grade level in reading and 54% test below grade level in math. Their impact on all support systems is huge.

How might we who confess Jesus serve these children and their families. Yes, we have the Love Fund, and we help some through Families in need. Money, food, clothing and supplies are always needed and welcome. Yet what has been shown to be most effective for children at risk in order to have a better chance at more stability is relationships. Primary, of course is the parent child relationship, but high quality relationships with teachers, tutors, mentors and relationships with other competent and caring adults help reverse the effects of homelessness. I think if you talk to any of the public school teachers here at All Saints, they will know of some children who could greatly benefit from a one on one relationship with a caring adult. Sometimes all it takes is reading together, working on math together, or helping the child learn English. I know that George Rowley at Hospitality House knows many children who could benefit from the attention of mature, caring adults. We don't have to look very far for an opportunity to serve children, your neighborhood school, ICA, your daily newspaper and the staff at All Saints can steer you to the agencies and people who need you.

When we think of servant living, many of us think of Mother Teresa who labored among the nameless, dying people of the streets in India. In her book "Reaching Out In Love" she says that many groups and individuals would come and ask her how they could help her in her work among the poorest of the poor. Her first response was always that their families and neighbors should come first. She would tell them, "I want you to find the poor, right in your own home first. And begin love there. And find out about your next-door neighbor. Do you know who they are and what they need?"

And then she would share this story about a very poor Hindu family. "A gentleman came to our house and said: "Mother Teresa, there is a family with eight children who have not eaten for sometime. Do something for them." So I took some rice and went there immediately. And I saw the children-their eyes shining with hunger. I don't know if you have ever seen hunger. It is a terrible thing-the look on the face of a hungry person-but I have seen it often. The mother of that family took the rice from my hands and divided it in two. She took half of it and went out of the house. When she came back, I asked her: "Where did you go? What did you do?" And she gave me a simple answer: "My neighbors are hungry also."

What struck Mother Teresa was that the mother knew that the Muslim family next door were also starving. Mother Teresa comments, " I was very much surprised that she knew the hunger of the other family, for as a rule, when we are suffering, when we are in trouble, we have no time for others. Yet this mother knew and had the courage to love and to give."

We all know of the work of former president Jimmy Carter. Many do not regard him as a great president, although history may be kinder to him than his peers. He travels around the world, not seeking applause, but working with Habitat for Humanity and being a peace negotiator.

In the Twin Cities area, we have all heard of Mary Jo Copeland and her work with and concern for the poor, especially her work with children as she looks to provide a safe place for children who are orphaned. I know that some of you have volunteered at Sharing and Caring hands, others of you have taken care of children at Mary's place.

The Crisis Nursery is another agency looking for people and for items to make life easier for people in crisis.

In our congregation there are some of you who risk criticism and opposition as you work for affordable housing. There are those of you who deny yourselves leisure and freedom and even comfort to care for an invalid or elderly neighbor or relative or friend. There are those who always seem to be available for whatever service you are asked to give, though you seldom receive any recognition and often not even a thank-you.

There are those whose gifts to the church and to mission are a genuine sacrifice, who give not because they have to but because they want to, not what they can easily afford, but what they can hardly afford. One of our youth, made one hundred twenty dollars at a garage sale and gave one hundred of it to feed starving children. Some of you have been blessed with an abundance of material possessions and you share eagerly, never asking to be recognized in any way. A few weeks ago, a person who is not even connected to All Saints, heard about our Families in Need program, and sent us $1000. This is joy in being a servant to others.

Before our ninth graders are confirmed, Pastor Tim and I have an interview with each of them. Over the years, when asked what made the greatest impression on them, or what gave them the most joy as they participated in confirmation, they mention the service projects that the groups did - Operation Christmas Child, and working with children at Mary's Place are mentioned with great frequency. Our youth recognize, that there is joy and value in serving, and that it is our Christian calling to serve.

Today we come to Christ's table. We discover here forgiveness for our own arrogance and ambition. We encounter here ministry to pattern our own feeble attempts at servant hood, as we remember Jesus at the last supper, washing and then lovingly drying the feet of the disciples and telling them to love each other. In our welcome at the table we experience hospitality which in turn will shape our own ministries of hospitality and welcome of service and care for the world.

Come to the feast of Christ. Come with hands outstretched in need. Come, in readiness for service and ministry. Above all, come with the eyes of a child, to see Christ present in this meal. Witness the wonder and celebration, the delight of God who comes to us in Jesus and who welcomes every one of us to the feast.

Today, I would like to close my sermon with a prayer by James Langford, a teacher at Notre Dame university. After their children graduated from college, the Langfords adopted two hard to place biracial children and for the last seven years have been running a year round camp for challenged and disadvantaged children.

Let us pray:
Lord, I need to talk to you about the children.
Sometimes I wonder why you keep sending them to us.
You surely know how we treat them, what we do to them.
You have taken so many of them back before they even owned a doll Or dreamed of hitting a home run Or thought about living long enough to graduate from high school. We have let them die of random gunshots, starvation, drugs, and disease, Of loneliness, abuse, and despair. A friend who is a counselor at a local elementary school told me That in the past two weeks he has dealt with
Two suicide notes, three fifth graders who have joined a notorious gang, And more than a few fourth and fifth graders who are sexually active. What have we done....or not done....to your children? Who can they trust? What must you be suffering. You, who still a child, amazed the elders in the temple You, who though exhausted at the end of a day of preaching and teaching,
ordered your apostles not to prevent the children from you.
And it was you, Lord who told us that unless we become like children We cannot enter the kingdom.
I think what you meant was unless we speak the truth,
Unless we trust and dream and hope and love
Unless we play and laugh and reach out to others
With both hands like children are meant to do, we cannot be ready to see You. Surely You didn't mean that you want us to be like so many children today, afraid, alone, neglected, molested, threatened, street wise, suspicious, hopeless. How can we be childlike if children cannot be children anymore? Show us the way, Lord. Start at the beginning. Teach us how to see ourselves. Our actions and omissions, through a child's eyes. Remind us: All children are our children. And we are all your children. Help us. Amen. (Edited by James Langford and Leroy S. Rouner, Walking With God in a Fragile World - p.33)