January 1, 2012 Help Wanted Northside United Methodist Church Matthew 25:31-46 Rev. Rebecca Mincieli, 508-385-8622 Let me say to you again Happy New Year! And just to start off the new year with some fun let's look at this video clip with Jay Leno. Video Clip Jay s Streetwalkers. That was pretty funny, wasn t it? But in some ways, it was also pretty sad. And my reason for showing you the clip is because of an article I read by author William Poundstone. He described how companies are trying to hire only the best people by using new and innovative interviewing techniques. You see, companies are worried today because we are living in what's called a depressed knowledge economy. That was obvious from the video clip. Most young people entering the workforce are not properly trained or educated. We live in an age of technology, and we're producing very few graduates skilled in math and the sciences, or, as you saw, even in just common knowledge. Some college graduates can't even write a coherent one page essay. And as a result, both the employer and the employee are in a state of desperation. New hiring techniques vary from company to company, but it seems a favorite of both the new age and techie companies, as well as the older mainline companies, is to ask job candidates some peculiar and quirky questions. Google, for instance, asked the following question: You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and thrown into a blender. Your mass is reduced so that your density is the same as usual. The blades will start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do? Other questions are On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you? If you could be any superhero, who would you be? What color best represents your personality? What animal are you? If you could go camping anywhere in the world, where would you pitch your tent? Obviously, there's no really right or wrong answer to those questions. Because the point of the questions is not so much the answer, but more importantly, the questions are posed to make the person reflect on themselves, and what's going on up here, in their heads. Companies want the right people for the job, for their business, and how the applicants respond to these questions give the interviewer an indication as to what kind of person they are, and what kind of employee they will be. And similarly, in today's scripture lesson, we find Jesus acting as an interviewer, so to speak. Asking us questions that make us reflect. Asking us questions that indicate what kind of person we are and just how seriously
we want the job of being his disciple, seeing if we are the right people for God s business. God s business of bringing compassion and love and hope to a hurting world. And so, as we come before him, he asks, When you see someone hungry and thirsty on the sidewalk, what do you do to satisfy that person s needs? When the women come to stay overnight at your church, or it s your church s time to serve at the Miracle Kitchen, how do you help? When a stranger comes to your workplace, your club, your home, your church, how do you receive them? Jesus is interested in our answer because he said, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did to me. And, then he said, in even more convicting words, Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. The lesson here is that Jesus takes our actions, our words, our giving, our service, personally very personally. Jesus puts himself in the shoes of the poor, the uneducated, the prisoner, the lonely, the marginalized. He puts himself in the shoes of the sick, the suffering, the lost, the least of these. And he watches how we respond to him. Are we selfish or sacrificial, are we greedy or generous, are we indifferent or involved toward others? The question that stands out for each one of us is: What kind of worker are we in God s business, and in what ways can we be more effective, more productive for the kingdom of God? And this first Sunday of the New Year is a good time to reflect on this question. Because it s a time for resolutions, right? And, just think, if one of your resolutions was to attend church more often well, you ve been to church every Sunday this year! Has anyone here not eaten a donut this morning? Then you ve stuck to a healthy diet this whole year so far. Did anyone exercise this morning? Guess what you ve exercised every single day this year. So far in 2012, hopefully you ve not gotten angry at anyone, you ve not overspent your budget, you ve stayed organized, you ve not thrown your clothes on the floor, not forgotten to floss, not been late for work, and you ve taken time to say your prayers. As of right now, this year is a perfect reflection of your best self. But the day isn t over. And as the days go on, I imagine junk food may be on the menu again, the exercise will get pushed back another day, you ll become frustrated enough to let loose some colorful words or have unholy thoughts, and.well you know where this is going. Yes, most resolutions are easily made and quickly dismissed. Because the problem with most of our resolutions is that we only try to make physical or cosmetic changes in our lives, when what we ought to do is resolve to make fundamental, spiritual changes that get to the heart of what kind of person we are. Because it is the deep, inner changes we make that will most affect our lives. And so perhaps our resolutions should
include being more sacrificial, more generous, more involved, more disciplined. As we head into a new year, the ultimate resolution that you and I as a Christian can make is to live as a true disciple of Jesus Christ and make it your business, my business, to be a part of God s business. And that means we must respond to those around us as if we were responding to Jesus Christ himself. Which often requires us to step outside what is comfortable and familiar to us, step outside our own self-centered existence. Just imagine what if our resolutions had nothing to do with us, and everything to do with others. What if we resolved to actually feed the hungry and clothe the poor by helping with the Miracle Kitchen, giving to the food pantry, helping with Overnights, donating to the Thrift Shop. What if we resolved that we will welcome the stranger and the next time we eat at a restaurant, we learn the waitperson s name, initiate a conversation and make them feel like a person, not a server. What if we resolve to become more aware of the needs around us and offer to help an ill or elderly neighbor, mentor a needy child, visit the sick and lonely or send them a card, transport someone who needs a ride. And here s one for you what if we resolved to get rid of our grudge, our resentment, our stubbornness and reach out to that person in forgiveness, reconciliation and love. What if we resolved to treat every person, every person, as if they were Jesus Christ. You know, Jesus said, The harvest is plentiful, the laborers are few. God has put out a Help Wanted sign asking for workers to be a part of His business in this world. It s a new year. And after this worship service, you will head out into the mission field of the world. A world that s not unlike that blender metaphor. Because you see, there are so many in that blender, in that desperate situation, including even ourselves. The blades are about to turn. What will you do? Let s take a few moments to reflect on that question and what might be our personal resolutions to the work of God in 2012. Prayer: Loving and Living God, you make all things new on earth and in heaven. We come to you in a new year with old fears yet new decisions, old habits yet new desires, old weaknesses yet new dreams. Because you are a God of hope, we know that you create all wonderful possibilities for the future. Because you are a God of love, we know that you accept and forgive our mistakes of the past. And so, at the beginning of this new year, 2012, we ask that you would bless us as we make this a time of renewal and recommitment to being about your work in this world. Amen.
Personal Prayers of Confessions Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Christian life is redemption from sin and consecration to God. Through our baptism, we have entered this life and into the new covenant of Jesus Christ. He sealed it with his own blood, that it might last forever. On the one side, God promises to give us new life in Christ, to be a new creation, molded into his image. On the other side, we are pledged to live no more for ourselves, but covenant to live only for Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. From time to time we renew our covenant with God, especially at the beginning of a new year, and when we gather at the Lords table. And so we begin our recommitment to this covenant by offering our prayers of confession, that we might be cleansed, made whole and open to the renewed filling of the Holy Spirit. Litany Holy and merciful God, as we reflect on our lives of this past year, we confess to you that we have sinned in our thoughts, words and actions, both by what we have done, and by what we have failed to do. We have sinned because we have not loved you, as Jesus commanded, with our whole heart, mind and strength. We have not put you first in our lives; instead we have put other things and other people before you, and thus separated ourselves from you. We confess that we have not always come to you in meaningful prayer. We confess that we have not always given you the worship you deserve. We lack the discipline to mature and grow in our faith and understanding. So we confess now our complacency and our indifference toward our relationship with you. We confess that we have not loved those around us with the same love and concern that we have for ourselves. We have not put ourselves in their shoes. We have not forgiven them with the same mercy as you have forgiven us. We have not offered the help that was needed through sacrifice and service to others We confess our pride, our hypocrisies, our apathy in life. We confess our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our lack of sacrifice in our giving and our service. Instead we love our material possessions and give attention to our own comfort and convenience.
We confess our intolerance, anger and impatience toward others. We confess our uncharitable thoughts, our quick and often false judgments, and our prejudice and contempt toward people of another race or religion, another economic level, another sexual orientation, another lifestyle. We confess our judgmental attitude toward those who are different from us.. We confess our sins against our own physical bodies. St. Paul said our bodies are temples of God, and we confess that through our habits, our appetites, our lack of exercise, we fail to care for our body, your temple as we should. We confess our waste and pollution of your creation, our throw-away attitude, and our lack of concern for the generations, our children and grandchildren, who will come after us Forgive us and restore us, gracious Lord. For just as Christ died and was raised to new life, so may we die to our old ways and be raised into the newness of life in Christ. This we ask in his name, amen. The Great Thanksgiving Personal Prayers for Covenant Renewal We have made our confessions. We have offered our Great Thanksgiving for God s covenant with us. And now we will renew our commitment to God. Our promise of faithfulness. Our resolve to be more faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Let us pray: O Gracious God Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we come once again acknowledging you as Lord of our lives. We realize that we cannot live as we should on our own. We cannot achieve eternal salvation on our own. We must rely on your love, your grace, your forgiveness and your strength. And so we humble ourselves before you and make our covenant, our promise of how we will resole to be laborers for your kingdom. Lord, we recommit to a time for meaningful prayer, following the example of Christ, so that we may grow in our relationship to you, so that we listen and understand your will for our lives.silent prayer Lord, we recommit to deepening our faith and understanding, becoming more mature and knowledgeable as disciples of Christ silent prayer
Lord, we recommit to this church, your church. We commit to generous giving of our money and our time. To regular attendance at worship, giving you this time each week, so that we may give you our praise and worship.silent prayer Lord, we recommit to offer compassion and service to others, to those who are hurting, those in need, knowing that whatever we do to the least of these we do to you silent prayer Lord, there are ways in which each of us individually and personally wish to commit to being more faithful, more obedient, disciples of Jesus Christ. And so in silence, we make our own promise to you...silent prayer WESLEY S COVENANT PRAYER In unison O Lord, I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, Exalted for thee or brought low by thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen. Holy Communion