Our Deepest Fear

Posted on Nov 15, 2020 in BLOG, General, Sermon |

                                                                                       
Pastor Rachel B. Livingston 
 

 I. Recap

This week we are concluding our sermon series that has journeyed through poetry from famous authors. We have seen that God can move anywhere, and we just have to open our eyes to where God is moving and open our ears to what God is saying.  Next week we will celebrate Christ the King Sunday as we celebrate the holiness and authority of our risen savior. But as we look back on what we have learned in this series,  we can remember that the first week showed us that “Life Ain’t Been No Crystal Stair” and that life sometimes brings us hardship, but we must hang on to God, as we engaged with Langston Hughes’s poem, “Mother to Son.”  We then were challenged to admit that Christ has the utmost authority, and that we must open our eyes to where God is moving because the movement of Christ is beyond our control and our preconceived notions as we engaged with Maya Angelou’s poem, “Still I Rise.”  We then found that our savior was a loving gentleman, who gave himself up as a living sacrifice that we might find new life, as we engaged with Emily Dickinson’s poem, “The Savior Must Have Been a Docile Gentleman.”  We then saw that God is our Good Shepherd who brings comfort in the midst of our darkest hour, as we engaged with Charles Dickens’s poem, “A Child’s Hymn”  We then were encouraged to build Beloved Community as we engaged with Nikki Giovanni’s poem, “You Came, Too.”  We then were challenged to follow the road that is most intertwined with God, as we engaged with Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken.”  We then saw that we must demand God’s justice as we explored what happens to a dream deferred, as we engaged with Langston Hughes’s poem, “Harlem.”  And then last week we were challenged to be transformed in love as we give love to others, as we engaged with Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem, “How Do I Love Thee?”  For these many weeks we have looked at the allegory, the metaphor, and the word usage and have found out more about our God, as we are growing in discipleship and relationship with our Lord.

 II. Our Deepest Fear

This week I must admit, that our poem is probably more of a quote and less of a poem, but it can be read like a poem as it answers the question that we have deep within our soul, a question that we ponder but are too afraid to allow to come to our lips, a question that for most people is lodged deep within the soul, the question that asks, “What is our deepest fear?” – What has the ability to shake our being, to make our heart race and our blood boil?  Our quote has been associated with many different people such as Nelson Mandela, but after some scouring of information, it seems that the quote is attributed to Marianne Williamson, an author and inspirational speaker, that some may remember, before our world was completely flipped upside down by COVID, that she ran in this most recent presidential election.  However, her quote states the following:

 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine, as children do.  We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

 

In God we are powerful beyond measure, God has given each of us spiritual gifts that when brought together help to build the Kingdom of God.
 

 III. Our Parable

Our scripture this morning uplifts a parable from our Lord Jesus Christ, the second parable in this chapter that brings light to eschatological reality, the time when Christ returns and humanity stands in final judgment.  The parable presents an allegory with the man representing Christ and the servants representing the followers of Christ.  The man gives each servant a payment of money.  It would seem that the man wants the servants to take the money and do something productive with it, and not just hold on to the money for safe keeping.  Two of the servants invested their money and doubled the money they had been given.  And the other servant took the money and buried it in the ground.  We too have been given a gift from our Lord, gifts that give life to the ministry of Jesus Christ, gifts that have the power to bring people to Jesus Christ, gifts that have the power to share the love of Jesus Christ with the world, gifts that have the power to bring peace to the world, gifts that have the power to establish justice, gifts that have the power to bring light in darkness, gifts that have the power to build the kingdom of God here on earth as we move in partnership with the Holy Spirit.  These gifts are meant to be put to use, to give God honor and glory, gifts that are meant to do the work that God calls us to, the work that furthers the Kingdom of God.  Who are we to not use what God has given us? God has meticulously crafted our very being, shaped our lungs that take in and release air that oxygen might flow in our being, God fashioned our eyes that take in the beautiful sights of creation and present information, God created our ears that can take in the melodious sounds of music, God shaped and molded our heart that it might pump blood through our veins, and through the movement of the Holy Spirit we have been gifted the things that give glory to God. To some the gift of apostleship, to some prophecy, to some exhortation, to some knowledge, to some teaching, to some service, to some wisdom, to some evangelism, to some healing, to some giving, and to some miracles. These are only some of the spiritual gifts, but who are we to not use what God has given to us? Who are we to not exalt our God with the gifts for the mission of the Kingdom?  What are we fearful of?

 

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’

 

As the servants come to the man to settle their account, an action that implies judgment day as we stand before God, answering for what we have done on this earth, standing before God witnessing what we have done to further God’s kingdom.  The two servants that invested their talents were able to present a doubling of their fund to the man, and the man rewarded them more responsibilities and gave them his joy. But the last servant, came to the man and said that they were worried that the man was harsh, worried that he might be angry, because he would not want to reap money from something he had not worked for. And because the servant only brought back what was given, the man took the talent from the servant gave it to one of the other servants and banished the servant forever.

As your pastor, I have to reveal a little of my vulnerability here, in that growing up, I never liked this parable.  I never understood it.  It seemed to me that God was asking people to engage in risky behavior.  That God is calling us to gamble and step out to gain more, rather than protect what you have been given.  What is so bad about saving and protecting what God has given you rather than putting the money on the line and possibly losing it.  And I will admit as a recovering perfectionist, it probably is more comfortable to me to have an exact plan for what will happen – I don’t feel at ease with things unless I know the exact outcome and can make appropriate plans around it, it doesn’t make much sense to me to risk it all and possibly lose it rather that perfectly making sure that money will be returned to the man that had given it.  However, if we look at the scripture, the man says that the servant who buried the talents knew that the money would reap reward if it was invested.  The servant even said that they were fearful of the man being upset that he might gain money he had not earned.  Therefore, the servant knew the greatness that could come from the gift and instead of putting it to use, held onto it.  It was as if the servant knew the possibilities, but was afraid to produce the fruit of actually using the gift given.  The reality is that sometimes our deepest fear is not that we will fail, sometimes we have already thought the problem through, have weighed the cost, and made a plan for if we fail.  Yes, failure is scary, but sometimes there is even more fear that we will be successful because we don’t want the responsibility that comes with our success.  This is what happened with the servant from our parable.  The servant seemed to be more worried about what would happen if he was successful. What could be so scary? Who are we not to use what God has given us?  Who are we not to put our gifts to great use?  We are called to share love with the other, we are called to feed the hungry, we are called to clothe the naked, we are called to set the captives free, and we are called to build Beloved Community.  Sometimes it is not that we are afraid of rejection if we give love, but we are afraid of really getting to know the people we meet and being vulnerable with them as we share God’s love.  Sometimes it is not that we are afraid of not being successful in feeding the hungry, but that we are afraid if we are successful and have to run the operation or if the program grows beyond what our fellowship hall might be able to hold.  Sometimes it isn’t that we are afraid of failing at clothing the naked, but we are afraid at being effective and getting a reputation in which people know us as the ones who help provide clothing.  Sometimes it isn’t that we are afraid of being rejected by the an institution to see the prisoner, but we are afraid of being successful and getting to know the prisoner and seeing them as a human being who did something wrong and not someone defined by the worst thing they have ever done.  Sometimes it isn’t that we are afraid that we will build equality in building Beloved  Community, but we are afraid that we might be successful that we might actually have to treat others with a sense of equality and work toward God’s love, peace, and justice.  The irony is that sometimes we are more afraid to be successful. 
 

 IV. Let Us Use Our Gifts

 God sent God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered an excruciating death on a cross, where he was beaten, bruised, and stretched out wide with nails in his hand.  Jesus suffered death and died, and remained silent in the grave for three days.  An on the third day, he rose from the dead.  In all this, he reconciled us back to God and granted new life.  As Christ did that, who are we to not use the gifts we have been given.  Who are we to be servants of God? Who are we to be leaders?  Who are we to be lovers of others?  Who are we to be those who demand peace and justice?

 

Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine, as children do.

 

Our goal as the people of God is to build up the Kingdom of God, to do the work that God has called us to do.  We are called to do dynamic things in the name of the Lord.  We are called to function in love that transforms the world and leads people to God.  We are called to touch the community that they might feel love, support, and the movement of God.  We are called to establish peace and justice.  We are called to build Beloved Community that develops equality and spreads love and joy.  We do all this from maximizing the gifts that God has given to us: some exhortation, some healing, some miracles, some teaching, some preaching, and some service.  What God has given, let us use for the transformation of the world, that shares the ways of Jesus Christ.

 

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

 

God moves within each of us, it is our responsibility to use what God has given us.  When we use our gifts, we liberate ourselves to build the Kingdom of God.  So, let us always function in ways that use the gifts that God has given us, to give God glory. Go out and do the most with what you have been given. Amen.