In today’s
Gospel John finds Jesus in prayer. The prayer is Jesus legacy, His last will
and testament. Jesus has passed what he
received from the Father onto us, His believers.
“They were yours, You
gave them to me.”
The legacy
is one of relationship, from the Father to the Son and onto we disciples. This
relationship is eternal, forever, forged in life eternal. His prayer is not for
the whole world but for us, the believers, those who have entered into His
relationship with the Father. Christ prays that we are special; we are not of
the world.
“As I was sent into the
world, so I have sent them into the world”
In other
words, we share not only in the relationship but also the responsibilities
given to the Son by the Father. The responsibilities of loving our neighbors as
ourselves, of being our brother’s keeper, of making disciples of the nations.
Christ’s legacy is a powerful one. A legacy of relationship, blessings,
sanctification and of responsibility.
As I
prepared for this morning I began to think about what the composition of
Christ’s legacy was. It is powerful, changing millions of life over 2,000
years. It is the composite of all His actions, teachings and preaching. It
entails how He lived, how and who He loved, how He lived, the sum of all His
values and lastly how He communicated these things in a meaningful way to
future generations.
As the
Father gave to the Son, here at the Cathedral we enjoy a rich and powerful
legacy. I read the names carved in the stone of the cathedral walls and how
they labored to build Christ’s church. A Senior Warden who served for 38 years,
a Vestryman who served for 40 years. I imagine them kneeling and praying in
these pews. They left us a rich legacy:
·
A
beautiful sanctuary
·
Excellence
in worship
·
A
rich and strong faith community
·
A
tradition of a wonderful music program
·
Outreach
– A Room at the End, New Bethany, New Hope
·
Our
Youth – baptism, confirmation, Sunday School and camp
We rest in the shade of
trees planted by others.
What legacy will we
leave?
It seems to
me the church is under attack. Christians beheaded in the Middle East, churches
bombed and burned. It has been 1500
years since Christians were faced with these issues. In the courts, schools,
government and in the media we are under attack. For Christ prays today,
“The world has hated
them because they do not belong to the world.”
Can you
imagine Western Civilization without the church? Or the US without the pilgrims
who settled our country in Pa, Mass, Rhode Island and Maryland who came looking
for religious freedom? Is our legacy to be the generation that saw the demise
of the church or will our legacy be that we are Easter people, resurrectionists
that saw the birth of a new day for the church?
William
Covey writes about legacies. He suggests we start with the end in mind and work
backwards to the present. That we write our own obituary. An obituary is a value statement filled with
info about who someone loved, where they found God and how they helped their
fellow man. What he is suggesting is that we can intentionally craft our
legacies.
In 1990 50%
of all giving in the USA went to religious organizations. In 2012 that number
had dropped to 29%, a decrease of 40% in revenues for religion. In the wake of
9-11, Katrina, natural disaster and the Great Recession the need for the
church’s helping hands in greater than ever. We have more to do with fewer
resources.
Planned
giving creates a significant portion of giving. 50% of Americans leave no will.
Those people elect to let the state decide who will raise their children, get
their pets, family heirlooms and our financial resources. Of the 50% of
Episcopalians who have a will, only one in three will leave a gift to the
church in that will. One of your legacy choices can be to leave a gift to the
church in your will. 80% of all planned gifts come from bequests in wills. A
simple codicil is all one need to leave a percentage of your estate to the
church. This is a vales based decision. Your lawyer or accountant cannot advise
you about the eternal relationship you share with the Father and the Son.
Many ask
about leaving everything to their family. Our last will and testament will
impact a family for generations. It is your last chance to reinforce your
Christian values to the family. Do those values include faith, abundance, love,
blessing and generosity or scarcity, fear and creating a welfare state for the
family?
Think of the
ministry that changed your life for Jesus. Jesus calls us to change lives, to
build His kingdom and to make disciples of the nations. We are Easter people!
Support the ministries that bring you closer to Christ; outreach, worship,
music, or youth.
We have
inherited a legacy from the Father and the Son. We share an eternal
relationship with the Father and the Son. We share an eternal relationship with
them. Likewise we share a blessing and a legacy at the Cathedral. We also share
in the responsibilities of loving God the Father and our neighbors.
“As you have sent me
into the world, so I sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify
myself, so they might be sanctified in the truth.”
The truth is God’s word. And the
choice is ours to make. How will you shape your legacy?
