The Trouble With Talents

Monday night I attended a pastor's conference called Fresh Expressions. The idea was a missional focus on doing church in a new way. Missional is a focus in which the church moves from it's setting, out into a new and different setting. In short, missional is church on mission for the kingdom. The issue with missional is that it comes in different shapes, sizes, and denominations. It manifests itself in both conservative, moderate, and progressive churches alike. (And yes, that book you're reading that tells you how to do church says the same thing that the book you dislike says. It just says it differently and in your polity).

The concept of missional church is not a new concept. Churches have been missional since their beginnings. Every generation has their version, their understanding of what missional means. If a church is doing a creative ministry that is reaching out or going into places they would not normally go and ministering, then they are, by definition, a missional church.

The issue I struggled with Monday night was not the issue of a missional church but was with the concept of fresh expressions of the church. These fresh expressions were not anything new: creating alternative worship services, house churches, cafe churches, ministerial expressions of church in a creative way. At one time something like Backyard Bible Clubs and Vacation Bible Schools were considered a fresh expression of church. Motorcycle ministries are a fresh expression of church. I think you understand the concept.

2 years ago this March, I participated in something called Pursuing Missional Faithfulness. It was born out of a “program” called Pursuing Ministerial Vitalness. The idea behind the concept is that a church begins a journey with God into discovering their story and their mission in their context for their church. Every church involved in the process spends 18 months meeting in prayer triplets, cottage clusters, and participating in cluster retreats with 3-4 other churches experiencing the same thing. During these 18 months, we were to spend time praying and listening to what was God was saying and showing to them. The idea being, that at the end of the 18 months, the church would have a clearer picture of their 10 year story, their 10 year vision of what God was asking them to do.

As I sat in the sanctuary with other pastors and ministers, listening to this presentation on how the church can reach others. I began to think about the parable of the talents. I'm sure you are familiar with the parable, but if not let me tell you a story:

A man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 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;so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 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. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 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. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Matthew's intent with the parable of the talents is clear. He understood the parable as an exhortation for followers of Jesus to be faithful in their obedience until his return. If we were to look at Matthew's intent, the message of Jesus, and the church today, we might get a story like this:

One day, a wealthy retiring pastor took his three associates and divided among them his congregation, each to their tenure. To the first he gave 500 members of the 1000 member congregation. To the second he gave 450 members. To the third he gave the remaining 50. The first minister took his new congregation and built a church in a wealthy subdivision outside of town. He began his ministry by organizing a building fund and implementing a new program that worked for a church in California. The second took his new congregation and moved it into the heart of the city, right next to the businesses and political offices and the homeless. The second pastor began his ministry by instituting a pledge campaign and focused solely on maintaining his church's budget. The third moved her congregation out to the country and moved into an old church. She began her ministry by spending every morning in prayer with her congregation. After some time, they began to create ministries based on the needs of their community.

A few years later while at a pastors' conference, the three ministers sat down to have lunch with their old retired pastor. The retired pastor inquired about his old church, now divided into threes. The first began, “We moved outside of the city and now house the biggest church in the area. We have a $64 million main campus. We also have three campuses around the city and host a church via the internet. You can sign in and worship online. We literally have a church that spans the nation and the world. We also have gone from 500 to 100,000 on our main campus and we average about 1,000+ at our other campuses. We implemented a program that allows us to feed my picture and a hologram version of myself to the other campuses. I am able to preach at 4 different sites all at the same time.”

The retired pastor remained silent.

The second began likewise, “We moved further into the city, right next to all the downtown businesses and government buildings. Over the past three years, we have grown our budget and now have an operating budget of $10 million. We have grown in number from 450 to 1500. Of those 1500, several are prominent businessmen and prominent politicians, including the Governor and on the occasion, the President (when he's in town). Also, every one of our church members are debt free.”

Likewise the retired pastor remained silent.

The third began humbly, “We left the city and moved into the country. We have taken residence in a old church surrounded by a community in need. We spent the first year or so praying what God would have us do. During that time we learned that several in the community were in need of food, so we began to grow a garden behind the church. Every Saturday we host a free farmer's market in which those in need might have fresh veggies and fruits for their family, along with a community food pantry. We also learned that many struggled with different addictions so we began a Narcotics and Alcoholic Anonymous programs to help them. We also learned that several of the children had no place to go, so we began opening up our church for them to come in and have a safe space to play, do homework, and spend time with a lot of retired members. We have also several who cannot afford health insurance, so we host a free health clinic once a month; while several members help cover the medical costs of those in need. We average 75 in attendance on Sunday and we struggle to make our budget. However we are growing in our faith and continuing to learn to place our complete faith in God's steadfast love.” She said as tears began to fill her eyes.

The retired pastor looked at her and with a kind smile said, “Job well done my good and faithful servant. You and your community will inherit all that I have, for you have taken what I gave you and grew it a hundredfold. You have made an old pastor proud.”

As I think back to Monday night, I finally understand the purpose of the parable. Many churches and pastors try to be like the first two churches in the story. We want to go to church, we want to be a part of the Christian faith as long as it benefits us instead of changing us. If we were completely honest, we would admit that the Christian faith does not benefit us. Sure, we can focus on the salvation piece of the faith and the benefits of eternal life; but doing so would only focus on the benefits and not the point of the faith. The Christian faith asks a lot more than it gives. We are asked to live obediently and faithfully. We are asked to be self sacrificial and humble. We are asked to turn the other cheek and sell everything. The Christian faith requires us to become a part of something that is supposed to change us.

The parable of the talents is about more than being good stewards and giving to a church budget. It is a reminder for churches to live faithfully into the story God is writing. The failure of the third servant is not that he disobeyed his master. He wasn't commanded to go and double the talent he was given. He was simply entrusted with the a share of the master's property. He was expected to care for that property and watch over it. His failure is that he did not care for what was entrusted to him. The servant allowed his fear of the master to rule his life. He sought to protect what he had and not risk for fear of retribution. However, as we know, his failure is what brought on his removal from the master's sight. He did not allow himself to be changed.

I believe God expects churches to change. I do not think he expects them to change in the way we are accustomed to change. I do not think God cares about churches changing services or what type of music they worship too. I do not think God cares if budgets are met or that every church member is debt free. I do not think God cares too much about $64 million church buildings. I know God doesn't care about pastors preaching at six locations at once. I believe the change God desires for us is the type of change that completely transforms us. I believe the change God looks for, what the parable is speaking to, is a church that lives out the Gospel message.

If Jesus is our model of perfection and model of who we are supposed to be like as Hebrews indicates, then the change I believe God is looking for can be found in three simple commandments, “Love your Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Go and make disciples of every nation.” I believe when Jesus tells us the parable of the talents, he is asking us if we are going to be faithful and obedient with what he has entrusted us with. And Christ has entrusted us with all that God has given us. I believe if we begin to focus on those around us and care for those in our presence; we will see a change in our church. The worse thing a church can do is strive to be like another church. We do not need purpose driven churches or fresh expression churches that all look alike. We need churches to live faithfully with one another, care for one another, and love one another. I truly believe that if we were to live in such a way, we would begin to see a change in the community around us, and then surrounding communities, and then the world.

We have all been given a talent. What we do with that talent is up to us. We can either bury it or risk it. The parable teaches us that risking it is better than burying it. Let us be a risky church. Let us be a missional church that goes, not the extra mile, but the third mile, the fourth mile, the fifth mile, the green mile. Let us be a church that unapologetically changes its community. Let us begin our journey with God. Let us trust that God has a plan for the church. Let us be who God is creating us to be. Amen.