Lancaster First United Methodist Church
July 4, 2010
Galatians 6:7-16
Rev. Robert McDowell

“Sow What?”

Here’s a trivia question for us this morning.  What organization has 41,589 local churches, 11,221,781 professing members, 5,541,338 Sunday School participants, 55,346 clergy, 133 Annual Conferences, 69 Episcopal Areas, and 309 hospitals, clinics, and health centers?

I’ll make it multiple choice.  Is it A) The Big Ten Conference  B)  Starbucks or C) The United Methodist Church?  How many of you think the answer is “C?”

That’s correct.  The answer is “C.”  The United Methodist Church.

Those numbers are pretty incredible if you think about it.  Here’s just a little perspective on how expansive our denomination is.  Our church, Lancaster First United Methodist Church, is just one of eleven United Methodist Churches that use our city’s mailing address.

Our church is just one of 126 United Methodist Churches in our Capitol Area South District which includes five counties; Fairfield, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, & the southern part of Franklin County.  1 of 126 churches.

In our West Ohio Conference, we are one of approximately 1,100 United Methodist Churches.  And as we’ve already heard, we are just one congregation among the 41,589 United Methodist churches throughout the world.

That puts things a little in perspective.  I find great value in knowing that our church is part of a connectional denomination in which we are offering the love of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

A perfect example of this connectional spirit in our denomination was through our denomination’s immediate response to the earthquake in Haiti, six months ago.  The earthquake hit on a Tuesday and that following Sunday, our congregation raised over $4,000 for our denomination’s relief efforts.

But because the United Methodist Church is a connectional denomination, our denomination’s response team didn’t have to wait for churches to receive an offering that next Sunday morning.  They already had funds which they were able to use immediately on the day of the earthquake to help the people who were suffering.  The relief offerings which we received in our church that next Sunday morning, along with the several special offerings of other United Methodist congregations throughout the world, were then able to replenish the funds that had already been distributed for the sake of those in need.

Our connectional system is what allows our denomination to respond to disasters around the world as quickly as possible.

Three weeks from today, on Sunday, July 25^th, our church is going to do something that is out of the ordinary.  We’re going to be celebrating Christmas in July on that Sunday morning.  We’ll have Christmas decorations, Christmas carols, Christmas scriptures, a Christmas sermon, musicians from the Lancaster Festival will provide special music, Santa will make an appearance, and I’m even hoping that we’ll get to drink hot chocolate between worship services that Sunday morning.

And what would Christmas be without Christmas gifts? 

In all my years of pastoral ministry, I have heard a number of church members around the time of Christmas say in so many words, “It’s great that we give a lot of our money toward the end of the year to help people who are in need, but it’s a shame that we’re not as generous during the summer months.”

Well, here’s a perfect opportunity.  Just think what a difference it will make in our local community and world if we can duplicate the generous Christmas spirit we have in December in the middle of the summer as well.  Just think what it will be like to gather in this same place three weeks from today with someone announcing our large special offering total which will be used to help people who are in need.  Yes, July 25^th is going to be a very special day!

In our Galatians passage of scripture this morning, the Apostle Paul is somehow able to talk about the delicate topic of money without even using the word, money.  Instead, he uses the word, sowing.  We preachers are known to become a little uneasy in talking about money, so maybe we can all learn something from the Apostle Paul this morning. 

Paul writes, “For you reap whatever you sow.  If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.  So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.”

The topic of money was just as sensitive an issue in Paul’s day as it is in our own day.  But by talking about sowing, Paul is using a common agricultural image that the readers of his letter would have easily recognized.  And it’s not like Paul introduces this image out of the blue in his letter because at the end of chapter 5 in this same letter, he brings up the topic of fruit trees as he talks about the Fruit of the Spirit.

Paul is saying that if we sow to the Spirit, which for Paul means generously offering our financial resources to support the ministry and outreach of the church, we will then be able to reap a bountiful harvest, which means that we’ll be able to be faithful in our mission of reaching our community and world for Jesus Christ.

There are some churches that have a “so what?” attitude when it comes to thinking about the topic of money and how we might support the work and ministry of the church.  Perhaps the churches in the region of Galatia had a “so what” attitude which is one of the reasons why Paul needed to write this letter.

We all know how easy it can be to have a “so what?” attitude.  Sometimes the temptation is to want to hold back in our giving because we don’t realize what a difference our offering can make in the name of Jesus Christ throughout the world and so we say, “so what?”

So a preacher can stand up and talk as much as he or she wants about the need to give our money to the church, but unless we also share how those ministries are transforming the world for Jesus Christ, it might leave us with a “so what?” attitude.

This morning, I want us to think about what we are sowing when we offer our gifts to our Christmas in July special offering.

If you have attended a United Methodist church for any length of time, you have probably heard someone mention the word, “apportionments.”  Because the United Methodist denomination is a connectional church, each local United Methodist congregation, based on the size of their membership and operating budget, is expected to help financially support the ministries and outreach of the greater denomination.

Another way of describing apportionments is the phrase, “First Mile Giving.”  When our congregation pays its apportionments, we are fulfilling the first mile in giving to missions and outreach.  Second mile giving, would be giving to any mission or outreach ministries above and beyond our minimum apportionment requirements.

Our Christmas in July special offering will be going toward our apportionments or our “First Mile Mission Giving.” 

But sow what?  Why would our church want to pay our apportionments?  What are we sowing when we offer our gifts to this special offering?

Here is what we are sowing through our gifts.

First of all, we are sowing seeds that will support the four priorities of the United Methodist Church which were established at General Conference two years ago.  Just listen to what these four priorities are.

Priority #1 – Developing Principled Christian Leaders for the Church and the World.  Our denomination has made a commitment to the future of the church by saying that we are going to offer our gifts and resources through our payment of apportionments to do our very best to recruit and equip youth and young adults to discern if they are being called by God to pursue a ministry vocation.

We are already seeing the fruit of this priority as churches and pastors in our own West Ohio Conference are providing short-term ministry experiences for young people, giving them the opportunity to reflect on a possible calling from God to enter into professional Christian service.

Priority #2 – Creating New Places for New People and Renewing Existing Congregations.  One of the reasons why the church grew so rapidly in the 1950s and earlier was because our denomination was very intentional in starting new congregations in new neighborhoods and areas that were in need of a new church presence.  Starting new congregations is a key way for our denomination to reach more people and help them grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

But I also like it that this 2^nd priority is also designed to helping existing congregations like ours to be revitalized so that we can become even more effective in reaching our community for Jesus Christ.

Priority #3 – Engaging in Ministry with the Poor.  One of the distinctive features of our United Methodist theology is that we are to be in ministry with the poor.  This 3^rd priority is to help us strengthen what has always been an important focus of who we are as United Methodists. 

As we live in a world in which the middle class is shrinking and the gap between the haves and the have-nots is getting larger and larger, this is a critical time for the church to come alongside of those who are in need with the compassion and love of Jesus Christ.

And Priority #4 – Our apportionments are being used to stamp out the killer diseases of poverty by improving health globally.  You have probably heard these statistics or similar numbers like the ones I’m about to share with you, and it’s important that we as a church make this life and death issue a huge priority.

854 million people in our world today are hungry.  Each year 9 million people die worldwide because of hunger.  Over half of that number are children.  In this year alone, over five million children will have died because they didn’t have enough food to eat.  Over 5 million children.

If you want to break this down on a daily basis just for children alone, it comes out to 16,000 children who die every day because of hunger.  If we break it down into seconds, one child dies every five seconds from global poverty.  1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5.  

To help in stamping out the killer diseases of poverty, our apportionment money is helping to establish self-sustaining community radio stations to address ongoing social, spiritual, and health issues, particularly in Africa.  That’s just one example of how our denomination is addressing this 4^th priority. 

These are the four major priorities of our denomination and the use of our apportionment dollars.

What other ways are our apportionment dollars sowing seeds of hope and new life throughout our world?

We are sowing seeds to support United Methodist missionaries who are serving in 125 countries.  I find that number of countries where United Methodist missionaries are serving amazing. 

Through the payment of our denominational apportionments, we are helping the church to offer ministries and support to people who live throughout the world.

Our apportionment dollars are also helping people closer to where we live right here in the Lancaster and Columbus areas.  Let me mention these. 

Community Development for all People & Parsons Free Store  – This is a ministry working to improve the economic, social, and spiritual quality of life for residents of the south side of Columbus.   Now a worshipping congregation known as the Church for All people, the free store opened in 1999 and has helped over 34,000 people with food, household goods, and spiritual support.  For every $1 that is donated to support this outreach, $19 is returned to the community. 

Water’s Edge Ministry – Located in the village of Buckeye Lake, this ministry outreach provides toys, new clothing, gift cards, and programs that help people in need who live in that surrounding area. 

Westside Free Store – This is a ministry, similar to the other two free stores, but located on the Westside of Columbus.

One Community Ministries – Operating in the Circleville community, our apportionment dollars go to help ex-offenders as they re-enter the community.  Last fall, I attended a conference meeting in which an ex-offender who is involved in this ministry came to our meeting to thank the United Methodist churches for making this ministry possible.  

Through this outreach, this man in his early 20s was able to leave prison, find work, become part of a United Methodist Church, and begin a new chapter of his life.  I wish you could have seen the tears in his eyes as he offered words of gratitude to our district churches for helping him to get back on his feet again. 

Our apportionments are also used to support Mt. Sterling Community Center, New Holland Pathways to Discovery, & Wesley Church of Hope Freedom School.

There is so much more that can be said about how our apportionments and this Christmas in July special offering is sowing seeds of hope and new life throughout our world and right here in our own local area.  That’s why this is called “First Mile Giving.”  It’s the first mile of how our church is participating in missions and outreach throughout the world.

Penny and I have always believed in the importance of apportionments and that’s why we are excited to join with you in participating in our “Christmas in July” special offering.  Our deepest prayer is that on Sunday, July 25, not only that we enjoy celebrating Christmas on that Sunday morning which I’m sure we will, but that we will be amazed when the results of our special offering will be announced that day during worship.

When we hear that total amount announced, and knowing how this money will be used to sow seeds of the love of Jesus Christ throughout the world, it will truly feel like Christmas all over again. 

Thoughts/Actions Steps for the Week

1.      For more information on the United Methodist use of apportionment dollars, go to www.umc.org (denominational website) and www.capareasouth.org (local district website.)

2.      Pray about how you might participate in our “Christmas in July” special offering.