God’s Abundance
2 Kings 4:42-44, John 6:1-21

Dear friends in Christ…

Three weeks ago I announced that after 20 plus years of ministry in this congregation I’ve decided to end my call and to see where God will lead next. Next week is my final Sunday with you. Naturally that has caused me to look at the weekly lessons with my leaving in mind, and today is no exception.

In both 2 Kings and John 6 the stories of miraculous feedings are recorded. This is a strong theme in both the Old and New Testaments. By giving just a little bit, God can do great things for many.

There are 4 points that jump out at me from this lesson as I think about the past 20 years, as well as to prepare for what God has planned in the future.. The first is that the ministry of the church, at its core, is sharing God’s love with others. In both lessons there were large crowds of hungry people. In the feeding that Jesus did, the number given is 5000. That’s a lot of people. St. Paul Lutheran has the Cadillac of church kitchens and we’ve fed a lot of people through that kitchen and in the fellowship hall over the years. But I think that if I told our custodians to set up for 5000 and let Maureen and Darla know that’s how much food to get ready, I’d get some resistance. On the other hand, knowing them, they’d probably find a way to get it done.

But there were 5000 hungry people, and that’s all that seemed to matter to Jesus. He didn’t seem to care if they were men, women or children. He didn’t run a criminal background check or put some kind of stipulation on who was worthy to be fed. They were people in need and that’s all that mattered.

This congregation in my 20 years, and in the 120 years prior to my coming, has always been about reaching out to others in need. More than 10 years ago we came up with the mission statement, “Sharing Christ’s Love with Joy.” That really is what it’s all about. Sharing Christ’s love, both with one another in the body of Christ here, with the community and wider world.

Let me just recall a few highlights of how this has happened. In the early 90’s we did a few mission trips with youth and adults from Wyoming Methodist. We went to Appalachia and also to an Indian Reservation in Oklahoma. We served others and bonded with fellow Christians at Wyoming Methodist, some of those bonds continuing to this day. When you dig and build an outhouse together, like Gordy Pietruzewski and I did, along with others, you don’t forget that.

The youth mission trips really expanded when Pastor Jim Mericle tapped into a new servant organization called “Youthworks.” I think he started with 3 kids that went on a trip to Duluth, and at one point close to 30 went to San Francisco. My wife, Melissa, chaperoned many of those trips as our kids were of that age. Joe Rand continued the annual trips and a week ago you heard from some of our youth who had just returned from the Wind River Reservation on a trip led by Stephanie Wolfe, our new youth director. Many of you have supported those trips through your gifts and support of youth fundraisers. That’s reaching out to a world in need.

Within the church I’ve always been impressed by the way many of you reach out when you hear of someone with a special concern. Maybe it’s visiting an elderly member or someone who has lost a loved one or is recuperating from surgery. Arne Ranta has headed up a visitation ministry, but in addition to that, a lot happens spontaneously. Melissa and Jan Taylor have been leaders for the Care Package Ministry, finding people to bring a meal to someone in a time of need.

Our Sunday school has always been great about thinking of projects, like Operation Christmas Child, to help others. We’ve packaged meals for “Feed My Starving Children” and the Bible school kids raised money for a well in Tanzania. Speaking of that ministry, it has been another way this little church in Wyoming, MN has made an impact in a great big world.

I don’t have time to list all the great ministries that this church has done- there have been hundreds. Meeting the needs of others is what Jesus did, and we now seek to do as well.

The second thing that jumps out at me is that the resources needed to do the ministry, have already been provided. They’re already here. In the lesson, the resource was one boy who happened to have five loaves of bread and two fish. Andrew looked around and saw the boy, right in their midst. Jesus was then able to use the available resources to do a great miracle.

In my 20 years I have seen remarkable talent used for ministry in this congregation. In some cases we were blessed with this talent for a season, and folks have moved on to other places, as inevitably happens in the church. I think of the music ministry of Jeanne Richards, Brian and Pam Connolly, Meri Kroulik, Jeff Carlson, Joe Rand, Sheila Byl, Alicia Grams, Testify and solo work of Arne Ranta, Kirby Smith, Cherie Lundeen, Sondra Mericle, and Janelle Albee on flute, and on and on.

I think of all the volunteers who have taught Sunday school. VBS, and served as confirmation guides. There are those who have worked with youth, Darren Paulson, Pastor Jim, Joe, and now Stephanie.

There’s the office support of Kim, and Debbie, and Melissa, and the faithful newsletter volunteers who put the monthly newsletter together.

All of the computers have been donated and maintained by Rich Mayville. Steve Lundgren has used his knack for the technical to do our church website. Steve and Chris Kuehn and Ron Rozeske and Chris Timmons put together the service on powerpoint so it can be projected on the screen.

Then there the Bill Oswalds and John Petersons and late Glenn Gruetts of the world that can build and fix anything. Duane Jaeb gave a ton of time and talent, designing and making the wood sculpture of Peter walking on the water towards Jesus, which is on the wall in the narthex. Andy Peterson and Zella Oswald and their crews who have done the beautiful landscaping.

Again, I could go on forever with this, but the point is that all the resources for ministry are right here, and right now. You have done it in the past and you will do it in the future, to the glory of God.

The third thing that jumps out is that the resources have to be given. The boy had the resources, five loaves and two fish, and he gave them all to make this miracle possible. Maybe he had this food to bring home to his family. Maybe he had caught the fish and bought the loaves and he planned to sell them to make a little money for himself. Maybe he knew he would be gone for the day and this was his dinner. There were probably many reasons he could have said no to Jesus, he needed these things for himself.

But he didn’t do that. He gave them all to the Lord. What if he had held back? Take the fish, but not the bread. I’ll give you two loaves, and 1 fish, but I need the rest for myself. Would all the people have been fed as a result? Might some have gone hungry? We’ll never know, for this boy gave it all.

And this is the stewardship lesson we all need to be reminded of. We are all called to give to the Lord, so that others might be blessed. We give ourselves and whatever talents the Lord has provided us. We give our time, such a valuable gift in today’s world. We give our possessions, our money and sometimes in-kind gifts that others can use. Everyone can give something. There’s no excuse for Christians not to give. And that’s what resources the ministries we do for one another and for those in need. Without the sharing of the gifts, the 5000 would not have been fed. Without the sharing of our gifts, the ministry of the congregation is not possible.

I want to thank you personally for the sharing of your resources that has supported me and my family over these 20 years. It’s been a wonderful place to live, own a home, and raise a family. I want to thank you for the sharing of your resources which allowed the congregation to touch so many lives. I want to encourage you to continue to do so, to the very best of your ability, as new leadership emerges and is called in the days ahead. Nothing would please me more than to look back 20 years from now, at the age of 74, and be able to see how St. Paul Lutheran has continued its ministry with young and old, near and far. All the resources are right here. They just need to be shared.

And then finally, perhaps most importantly, we have to trust God to bring the blessing. We have to have faith that God is present and will provide. In the lesson, all the five thousand were fed, with twelve baskets full left over. Did the boy know this miracle was about to happen when he gave his loaves and fishes to the Lord? Of course not. He was probably thinking, “Well, there goes my lunch. I should have kept a loaf and a fish for myself. What will my parents say when they hear I was so foolish with these things?”

But, because he was willing to give, the blessing came. With the leftovers, he had way more than the five loaves and two fish he started with. Was that predictable? No. It was a blessing that came as a result of faith.

I have been a pastor for 28 years. Every church that I’ve ever known is trying to balance financial realities with the call to do ministry. It’s a hard thing to do. It’s hard, because ministry, and the resources to do it, always requires faith. The church does not tax you or charge an entrance fee to be part of it. It’s based on the free gifts that people give, which is always unpredictable. I’ll remember to my grave what Gene Dufeck, long time member of this church who went to be with the Lord on Feb. 1st, 2000, once said to me. I was grumbling about the church never having enough money, always having to ask for more, and so on. He said, “Well, if there were always enough, you would not need faith.” And he was right on. If the church is waiting for there to be enough, you’re going to wait a long time to do anything. I’m not saying we should be irresponsible with our resources. But I am saying ministry requires faith. Had the boy held on to his five loaves and 2 fish, or held back a portion, this miracle would never have happened. The crowds and disciples would never have known the amazing generosity of God. But he didn’t hold back. He gave it all- a crazy thing to do in so many ways. But it was in that bold act of faith, that Jesus then was able to bring the blessing. As you move forward from here, I urge you to keep this in mind. Don’t be paralyzed by fear, but step forth with courage by faith.

Reaching out to those in need is the fundamental ministry of the church. The resources are already here. God calls us to share what we have, and to trust that he will then bless to His glory that which has been given. Thanks for the countless ways you have demonstrated these truths in my 20 years with you. May you go forth with faith and courage, so this ministry might continue to flourish. Amen