Small-Church Sermon, Big Impact

The Rev. Kara Leslie is the Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Gonzales, the proud mama of Blair, Kris, and Jake, and our small-church sermon-writer for this edition of our newsletter. Mtr. Kara shares this sermon on the lectionary texts of Sept. 20 for other churches in the diocese to use. If you don’t have regular clergy to preach that Sunday, or if you are the regular preacher at your church and could use a little break, please consider reading this sermon out loud to the congregation, with proper attribution, of course. The scriptural texts for the day can be found here.

9-21-26 Proper 20 Year A

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The Rev. Kara Leslie

May the words of my mouth

And the meditations of our hearts

Be acceptable unto you, O Lord.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

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How not to be anxious could be the title of this sermon. Most of us want to know how to reduce the stress, worry, and tension in our lives.

I once belonged to a club called BPC: Blood Pressure Club (very different from the BCP- Book of Common Prayer). There were 4 of us– all neighbors–an older couple in their late 70’s, a middle-aged man who could outwork anyone I knew, and me, a younger woman going through a life change. Once a week we would gather for dinner, but before the prayer we would pass around the blood pressure cuff. The rule was you had to share your numbers. If anyone was stressed or hiding anxiety, we would all know. After a nice meal and wonderful conversation, we would retake our blood pressure, and the numbers were always better.

We all have things in life that make us anxious. This morning, we can hear obvious tension and stress in the scriptures from Exodus and Matthew and even the Collect, the prayer that collects us together and guides our understanding of the scriptures. It starts with these words

“Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things”

This prayer is intentional, instructional, and insightful in how we are to face these times we are living in, but this can also be very hard to do. Take the cost of gas, the price of food, the threats of war, the choices our youth and children face, the struggles of getting older, and the stress of everyday living. But our Collect reminds us that we are not alone in these things.

There were also stressors for our ancient brothers and sisters in the readings from Exodus and Matthew.

It hadn’t been that long since the Israelites left slavery in Egypt. Life was all new and strange, and the Israelites were anxious–but it came out as complaining. They said to Moses and Aaron, “You have brought us out into the wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” No doubt they are hungry, but they are also anxious because they had no idea where they were, what the future held, and, truthfully, if they were going to make it. They are angry, very angry, which is often a defense mechanism to cover up fear. Fear, anger, and anxiety are all very close cousins.

In our reading from Matthew, we hear of laborers who have been in the vineyard and in the hot sun all day while the other groups worked much less time. When the manager is ready to pay the workers, they all get the same pay. This manager starts with the ones who have been out there for the shortest amount of time, and they get the daily wage. Now the laborers from the early morning were watching with sharp eyes and anxious souls… surely they would get more- a sign-up early bonus- an extra hour of pay- even a tip–but they didn’t. They say to the manager…

“These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” Complaining cousins - anger and anxiety - appear again.

But what happens if, as the collect suggests, we direct our energy, souls, and minds to heavenly things?

For the Israelites, bread comes down from heaven. Under the fog, the fine, flaky, and fabulous bread is there for all. The Israelites' mouths are soon full of goodness from the Lord. The Lord provides a way!

The laborers in the vineyard are told by Jesus, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who”…is generous to all the first and the last. It is not based on their work, but rather the soul, the love, and the grace of the landowner. Sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?

Trusting heavenly things does help lower our earthly worry because we experience God’s generous grace; we know God hears our prayers–the nice ones and the complaints- and we can trust God’s justice is based in love and not in earthly terms.

Next, our collect offers guidance to us during this time when things are passing away and encourages us to hold onto what is fast and enduring.

The Israelites were dreaming of pots of meat, salted, with yummy broth perfect for dipping bread in. They thought Egypt, though miserable, was at least a known situation. But now they are in a wilderness,

starving, complaining, and scared. Moses and Aaron are trying to help them hold on to what is good and true about God. Yes, bread is important, but the promise of God being with them, listening to their hopes and dreams, their hurts and disappointments, having a God who genuinely cares about them is what Moses and Aaron want them to hold onto. Don’t get stuck in your stomach; have hope with your heart. What is enduring is God’s presence—forever and ever.

In Matthew we hear of God’s enduring generosity. You have to wonder if the next day the all-day workers in the vineyard were still stewing about the day before. We can reflect with gratitude or with bitterness. God’s grace and generous love don’t understand time. It is steadfast, forever and ever, and enduring. Not only when we can produce 20 hours a day but when we have to be fed because disease has taken away our mind and muscle. In our society where we can be defined by our job status, work ethic, and income, God instead calls us by name. God welcomes us to the table. God invites us to know the gracious love of Jesus Christ and to trust the gift of the Holy Spirit. No resume or references needed…only our presence is requested.

We might not be in a Blood Pressure Club, or able to work all day in the vineyard, or lost in a wilderness, but there are times in all our lives when experiences, words, actions or thoughts make our souls anxious. But whenever we confront those times and anxieties, here is what we can hold on to: God’s unconditional love.

1. God is with us and for us. Trust God to provide a way. Maybe not our first choice, or even one we thought of, but God is always with and for us.

2. God is gracious to all. We are all needed to care for the vineyard. Not only the young, healthy, perfect, but also the older, wiser, softer, and slower.

3. God has faith in you.

And when your faith in God is low then–

-Sing an old hymn like….Standing on the Promises, Old Rugged Cross, In the Garden, or a new one: Make it Well with My Soul

-Hold your hands together or with someone else when you say the Lord’s prayer

-Kiss your child on the head after they receive Holy Communion

Don’t let anxiety win… and if you feel like it is, then hold fast to something that reminds you of the truest lover of your soul–Jesus. God’s love for you endures all things and overcomes all things.

Today, I want to close by having us all say the collect together.

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.