CONFERENCE 2014, HAMILTON

Worship Preceeding the Caucus Meetings

Matthew 25:14-30

We note that in the parable of the talents, the word talent is a Greek word for money, and a word whose English translation refers to the innate or inherent abilities / potentials of an individual person.

l want to focus my message this morning exclusively on the third servant in the story; the one who had been given with one talent by his master – this story is found in verses 24-29.

24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away”.

l will come back to the story in just a few moments.

Metiria Turei, the Green Party MP, who advocates for feeding the school children, recently wrote in the Green Party Website these words: She says, quote…

  • “New Zealand should be the best place in the world to grow up. But for 285,000 Kiwi children currently in poverty, that’s just not the case;
  • Persistent poverty damages a child for the rest of their life. And it damages our country;
  • We’re spending over $6 billion a year on preventable crime, illness and lost of educational opportunities – the direct cost of keeping kids in poverty;
  • Many of our poorest children are excluded from getting the same support the state gives other kids who need it, because their parents don’t work enough.” – end of quote.

l am not suggesting for any moment, that the parents of these 285,000 kiwi children livig in poverty are simply the “wicked”; the “lazy” and the “good for nothing” mums and dads – just like the third servant in this parable.

Rather, l would like us all this morning, to think as a Church, not as individuals, but as a church; and then respond to this parable as a Church.

In other words, as a church within a society where these 285,000 kids who live in poverty; what is our collective response to this parable?

  1. One of the most important practical functions of the Church is: to teach, to encourage, to live by, and to role model the virtues that contribute to our economic success as a community. As the Church is made up of people like you and me – it is our collective responsibility to teach, encourage, live by, and to role model the virtues that contribute to our economic well being of our society.

According to this Parable; such virtues that we, as a Church, are called to teach, encourage, live, and to role model includes:

being industrious;

frugality;

concern for home and family and especially the children;

delay of self gratification for a future goal;

honesty in one's dealings;

and perseverance in an undertaking.

And by the way, the oxford dictionary defines the word frugality as, “the quality of being economical with food or money, good management, prudence, carefulness; it is a direct opposite of being extravagance or waistfullness.

During one of his radio shows - Duncan Garner, a Radio Live announcer and a strong advocate for free lunch in schools - says in his response to a suggestion that the parents of these kiwi children in poverty must be held accountable for not looking after the needs of their children - Duncan said that: “while the parents may have not been looking after the needs of their children; it is not the fault of these children for being poor; and the problem now belongs to the whole nation of NZ”.

So the problem is not just a problem with some people out there somewhere. It is right in our midst, and it is our Church’s problem as well.

But, is it possible that some of these 285,000 kiwi children in porverty belong to the Church, to any denomination including the Methodist Church of NZ?

If it is, then I suggest that we have not been very good in role modeling the virtues that contribute to the economic success of our society?

We are not shining our little light every day, as the choir that sang that chorus at the Conference Dinner last night, “This little of mine I’m going to let it shine”

Furthermore, it is my observation that in many of the Pacific communities in NZ; the value of expediency, cultural and religious relativity - appear to be far more important than the social needs of their own families and of their children.

If we are honest enough to admit it; then I suggest that these examples might be just the two of many ways that the church contributes to the problem of child poverty in New Zealand.

  1. As a church, we need to give a positive value to individual success, and the hard labour that requires one to become prosperous.

For example - during the rise of capitalism in the West; the Calvinist Protestant ethics encourage its believers to interpret their success as a sign of God's favour.

So today, however, it is imperative that the wealth of Western capitalism be shared by all peoples.

This of course requires that in every society, whether in the West or in NZ; to develop its own strategies in order to challenge the accumulation of wealth.

But why do we have to challenge those who accumulate wealth; when in the earlier part of this parable supports and values the wealth accumulation?

And even at the conclusion of the parable (verses 28, 29), strongly refects this ideology: 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away”.

Doesn’t that sound like “the poor becomes poorer and the rich gets richer”; a phrase that we often hear about these days in NZ?

The problem begins - when susccess and the accumulation of wealth becomes an end in itself for many individuals, especially in the Weatern countries – for me, this is the downside of the Western individualistic culture. This brings me to my last point:

  1. One of the significant and popular way for the Church to justify success and accumulation of wealth – is to devote it to charitable and public ends. There are of couse numerous examples of this justification of weath accumulation throughout the history of the Christian Church. Once we accumulate and celebrate wealth, then we must give it away to those who needs it most.

Compassion and generousity are the logical end of capitalist accumulation; and we as Christian and as a Church, are called to role mode this justification of wealth accumulation.

We have an obligation, as a Church, to make the best use of what has been given to us. Yes given to all of us as a Church, and not to accumulate wealth for rainy days when it is already raining – but to give it out to those who need it most.

Let’s pray:

Last Hymn / Song

Dismissal and Blessings.

Asofiafia Tauamiti Samoa Saleupolu