Kahu's Manao

Keawala‘i Congregational Church
United Church of Christ (USA)

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Rev. Kealahou C. Alika

“God’s Abundant Presence”
John 6:1-21

Diane Weible is a friend and colleague who serves as the Associate Conference Minister for Stewardship for the Hawaii Conference of the United of Christ. Her ministry includes the more than 127 churches located on the islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Maui and Hawai‘i, including our own congregation here in Mākena.

Not too long ago Diane accepted an invitation to come and speak to our mokupuni or association that includes 27 churches located here on Maui as well as on Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i. We met in Wailuku. She spoke about stewardship and the ways in which we gather and manage the resources God has provided in order to support the mission and ministry of our churches.

Diane made a statement that I had heard her make on a previous occasion at a meeting in Honolulu. It made a lasting impression the first time and I appreciated hearing her again. She encouraged us to see that the gifts we offer to the church “come not out of scarcity but out of God’s abundance.” The gifts we offer are offered out of abundance, not scarcity.

It’s a difficult premise for us to accept given the present condition of the economy locally, nationally and globally. It would seem that we have run out of everything, especially money.

There isn’t a day that goes by that we do not hear the news of the drop in home sales and the increase in foreclosures; the decline in automobile purchases and the increase in gas prices, and on and on. We are told how bad things are and how much worse they will become while others say all of this is good, that out of necessity we are learning how to live within our means.

Even here at Keawala‘i the effect of the economy has had an impact on the resources we rely on to support our mission and ministry. It’s significant enough that the Board of Trustees will be inviting members and friends of the church to increase their giving in the months ahead.

On August 1st many of you will receive a letter of invitation for that purpose. The letter will also be posted on our web site and will appear in the September-October issue of our newsletter and journal.

While the letter specifically deals with the financial needs of the church, we know that the stewardship of resources includes not only money. Stewardship also involves the time and energy and commitment of individuals who are willing to serve as members of boards and committees and to participate in the various programs and activities of the church. It involves those who are willing to offer their kōkua at our annual events including – Christmas, Easter and our lū‘au in March of each year.

My hope is that each of us will respond not out of scarcity but out of God’s abundance. And if we find that difficult to understand we should not be surprised.

Our reading this morning from The Gospel According to John reminds us that we are in good company when it comes to our fear of whether or not we have what we need to sustain our lives. There was talk among the early disciples who were with Jesus one day about what to do with a large crowd that kept following him.

They saw what he was doing for the sick and so they came by the thousands – men, women and children. It was one thing for Jesus to heal them; it was quite another to feed them. It was Philip who pointed out what they lacked – not enough food and not enough money with which to buy more.

But Jesus instructs the disciples to have the people sit down and after blessing the food, all are fed. In one sense it was quite a miracle, but in another it may be that the miracle was that by sharing their food there was enough for everyone.

I imagine it would be like having pūpū or hors d’oeuvres – a piece of fish on a piece of bread - enough to satisfy one’s hunger as opposed to having a whole fish and a whole loaf of bread to one’s self. (v. 12) The people were not satiated. They were not stuffed. They were satisfied.

Whatever the miracle may have been – Jesus gave thanks not for the scarcity that Philip and others saw but for the abundance that God provided.

The world will emphasize the dynamics of scarcity. Jesus calls us to be faithful stewards of God’s abundance.

That abundance is not only in meeting our physical needs but our spiritual needs. What Jesus does in the feeding of those who came to him are the traditional acts of the host at a Jewish meal. Jesus offers God’s abundance which underscores that God is the true provider – not the global markets of the world. (Seasons of the Spirit, Congregational Life/Pentecost 1, Woodlake Publishing, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, 2008, page 70)

In doing so Jesus foreshadows the feeding of the disciples that will come at the Last Supper in Jerusalem just prior to his death and in the sharing of The Lord’s Supper among the disciples of each succeeding generation. We are reminded that as with the manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16), there is plenty of bread for all. In contrast to the story of the manna in the wilderness, Jesus orders the disciples to gather up what is left over for future use. (v. 12) (Op. cit.)

There is enough and more.

As for Jesus walking on the water it may seem like an odd episode but in the same way Jesus links the feeding of the five thousand with the Passover feast, so it is that he links himself with an understanding of the source of his authority and power. When the disciples see Jesus walking on the water they are not simply awestruck, they are “terrified.” (v. 19)

Jesus reaches out to them with compassion, reassuring them that God provides faith and salvation. “It is I” he said to them, “Do not be afraid.” (v. 20). Biblical scholars tell us that the phrase “It is I” may be translated as “I am.”

In that way Jesus links himself with God’s name “I AM” (Exodus 3:13-14). Whatever miracles Jesus is able to perform is shared with God.

It is this gift of faith and salvation that the writer of John seeks to emphasize. When we live with hope and trust in God, we live with an attitude of abundance. We know that the cynics of the world will scoff at the thought that there is more than enough food and water. We know how quickly we bristle at the thought that the distribution of the world’s abundance of resources may be the very cause for the scarcity we face.

But we also know that long after we are gone, long after the rise and fall of nations, the kingdom of God will remain. We know.

Sometime ago a question was raised about the name of this area that we call Mākena. Depending on the spelling and pronunciation of the word it could mean “a place of death or mourning” or “a place of abundance.” There are those who remember it as “a place of mourning.”

They remember stories of how entire villages of Hawaiians died in this area as a result of diseases that came with the arrival of Europeans and Americans. Stories were told of how our ancestors sought the comfort of the ocean when they were afflicted with high fevers, only to die later from pneumonia. So many died it is said that one could hear the voices of people wailing.

But there are also others who remember this area as “a place of abundance.” It is true that stories were told of frequent droughts in the area and that life here was difficult. However, it is also true that the people who lived here were able to trade fish for other food – potatoes from the upland area of ‘Ulupalakua and taro and other provisions from Nā Wai ‘Eha – the area that included Waikapū, Wailuku, Waiehu, and Waihe‘e.

There were sources of water in wells along the shoreline and in the ocean. There was an abundance of fish.

What do we say ourselves today? Do we see ourselves in Makena - “a place of mourning”; in a place of death; in a place of scarcity; in a place where there is not enough food or water? Or do we see ourselves in Mākena – a place of new life; a place of abundance; a place where there is enough for all; a place where are all are welcomed, loved, and accepted?

The decision we make will make all the difference not only in the world but for the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and they know me.” (John 10:14) “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

“I came,” Jesus said, “that (we) may have life, and have it abundantly” - not in scarcity, but in abundance.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

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