Written and Delivered by The Rev. Mary Phelps

The gospel lesson we heard today is really two halves of a story that form "bookends" between which is the story of a hemorrhaging woman. Mark uses this arrangement several times throughout his Gospel because it is a good technique for listening - it helps us make connections. We don't read these stories as historical works so we can simply hear about all the great and wondrous things Jesus did for needy people long ago. If the Gospel is to be God's word to us today, it has to say something about us, about St. George's, about the reality of today and today's needs.

The characters in both of these stories are about as diametrically opposite as two people can be, but the kind of faith that the hemorrhaging woman has is the kind of faith Jairus also needs. Jesus restores both the woman and Jairus' daughter to life giving roles. The point is that where Jesus is, death is conquered. What does that authority over death look like, and how do we, experience that power today? What corporate act must we at St. George's - as the body of Christ, made up of people with both similarities and differences - do if we are to stare death in the face and raise up new life in this place? Let's see what answers we can get from our lesson today.

Our lesson today begins with Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee. He has crossed back and forth over this sea performing miracles in many places along its shores. Many have heard about all Jesus has done and the crowds around him are constant. As Jesus landed one man immediately stepped forward from the crowd. Jairus is no ordinary man; he is a distinguished, respected, and powerful leader of the synagogue. He is a man that is used to getting respect and results because he has long led his people with wisdom, keeping his home and the synagogue in order by planning well, keeping things on an even keel by doing the same things that have always worked year after year, and conservatively managing his personal and the congregation's finances. Then his daughter becomes gravely ill.

No one among his vast number of contacts could help him and no amount of money from his large bank account could cure his daughter who was slipping closer to death each day. Jairus becomes a desperate man, and he does something completely out of character - something quite uncharacteristic of synagogue leaders. They usually stood and watched Jesus with disapproval and believed he was a lawbreaker because he worked on the Sabbath.

Jairus threw himself at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to his home and lay hands on his daughter so that she would be cured and live. There is nothing wrong with being desperate, of being afraid and feeling powerless, but as head of his household and a leader in his congregation, Jairus' desperation was infecting everyone around him, paralyzing them with despair.

Fear often moves us to try new things. Jairus' eyes were opened and he understood God was working through Jesus. He publicly acknowledged his powerlessness knowing that healing only comes from God through Jesus. Jesus responds quickly to Jairus' pleas and they head to his house with the crowd in tow, but they are interrupted when a hemorrhaging woman touches Jesus' cloak.

As I said earlier, this woman is the opposite of the well known and respected Jairus. First she is a woman, and she is all alone. Without the protection of a husband and family she is powerless in society. She is very poor having spent all her money on doctors. Beyond this she is unclean, an outcast. Her continuous flow of blood has made her ritually unacceptable for twelve years. No wonder she approaches Jesus in a different way than Jarius did.

As Jesus passes by her she thinks "if only I touch his clothes it will be enough to heal me." So she reached through the crowd and touched his cloak. Immediately Jesus stopped in his tracks and asked his disciples who had touched him. They said, "you've got to be kidding; you're in a huge crowd, how are we to know who touched you?" Jesus said it wasn't the physical touch he felt; he had felt the power go out of him. At this point the woman, afraid and trembling came forward and told Jesus what she had done and why she had done it. Jesus responds by saying, "This is amazing! Daughter, your faith has made you well." Faith means trust, the woman trusted Jesus with her whole being. Faith is not a heady, in control thing; it is a commitment of one's whole existence. Jesus not only physically healed her, but by calling her "daughter" her relationship with God and her people had been restored.

During the delay Jairus' daughter has died. People are sent to tell Jesus it's too late and not to bother to come. Hearing this Jesus tells them they need to have faith like the woman he just cured. He proceeds to Jairus' home insisting the girl is not dead but is asleep. Once there he takes her hand and tells her to get up. To the surprise of all the people who had moments before been crying and planning the girl's funeral, the girl has suddenly become a healthy twelve year old child again.

These two stories are sandwiched together for a reason; the story about Jairus is one of the most graphic stories in the Bible about scarcity thinking. Your daughter is dead, don't bother Jesus the people said. There is no hope, no life, no abundance in your daughter anymore. But we have also just heard that with Jesus in our midst - Jesus as our conscious central focus - there is abundance even if death seems to be near.

Scarcity thinking drains and overwhelms us. It sucks the life out of otherwise generous people. Yet, when we let go and hand over our controlling ways to God, we are able to hear Jesus who said, "Do not be afraid, only believe." These words of Jesus come to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They bring us abundant life, blessing, and forgiveness. We are able to risk using the resources we have trusting there will always be enough to fill our needs.

Listen to this story written in At Ease, a book written to help congregations have healthy discussions about money and values.

There was once a really good salesman. He was so good that, as he interacted with God in prayer, he convinced God that he ought to be able to take a little of all he had with him when he died. God agreed, as long as whatever it was would fit in two suitcases.

The man thought long and hard, and then decided to sell much of what he had and filled the two suitcases with gold bullion. He packed them carefully in the cases, and sure enough not long after, he died.

He appeared at heaven's gates and St. Peter told him he would have to leave his suitcases at the door. "Just check with your boss," the salesman replied confidently.

St. Peter was gone a moment, and then returned. "Okay, you can bring them in. But you're going to have to show me what's in them before I let you through."

The man stepped forward and opened the cases. St. Peter's serious expression changed to one of puzzlement. His surprise showed on his face as he asked the salesman, "But why would you want to bring bricks?"

It's safe to say that this salesman's transformation was still in process as he left his earthly dwelling to travel on heavenly streets paved with gold. We are all involved in thinking what is valuable and what only seems valuable.

We remind ourselves that Jesus said it is a happier thing to give than to receive. As we unlearn old habits - the so-called common sense of the world with its shortsighted values - and learn the new habits of Christian discipleship, the fruit of God's Spirit begins to show in our lives: love, joy, peace, kindness, self-control, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness.

This morning we heard St. Paul tell the Corinthians, "For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich." The paradox of Christianity is that it is through giving that we receive. It is by giving that we become rich. It is by giving up power that we gain power; by giving up control we are freed. We need to decide whether or not we are truly being Christ's disciples when we are reluctant to dip into out savings account.

There is also a paradox testified to by many churchgoers who worship in vibrant, growing congregations. Those that pay their other bills first often say there is not much, or any, left over to give to the church and other charitable organizations. Yet when those same people make out their first check of the month to God in thanksgiving and sacrifice, their other needs always seem to be met.

Several years ago the movie, Pay it Forward, was an instant hit. Many of you saw it, and if you have not I encourage you to rent it on the way home. In fact, it would be a good idea for all of us to watch it again. In the movie a social studies assignment leads to social changes that spread from city to city. Assigned to come up with one idea that will improve humankind, a young boy decides that if he can do three good deeds for someone they in turn can "pay it forward" and then, positive changes can occur. And they did.

We need to have a "pay it forward" attitude if St. George's is going to grow and thrive in the future. If we wait to have the cash in hand before we do anything the church will continue to die a slow and painful death. We need to decide what we want to have, do we want the kinds of programs and congregational personality that draws people in, or a large untapped cash reserve?

We don't believe we can perform the miracles that Jesus did. We can't raise people from the dead. But we can raise up a strong, vibrant parish and reverse our downward trend. In offering what we now have, we not only receive from the gift of our giving, but many others in the wider community will have a better life than they now have. The question becomes, do you think God would prefer that we keep our savings account intact or use some of that money for the betterment of ourselves and those around us? We have a moral obligation to use the memorial money as the donor requested in a timely manner. Sitting on it year after year is wrong, and it is disrespectful to those who loved and help grow St. George's. Let us put our money where our faith is; is our faith and trust in God or is it in Citizen's State Bank? Jesus said store up your treasure in heaven not on earth. We can't take our money to heaven. Have enough faith in God to use it to help improve the world, or it will just get buried with us when we die. We have to believe that if we do the right thing everything will work out.

The Good News is that God has given us the gift of life. In our hearts we are not uncaring stingy people. We just need to redirect ourselves, give up our scarcity thinking, reaching out to those in need, believing that whatever we give will be returned to us threefold. By sharing our abundance, we can bring life to those who have little; by sharing what we have we are being good stewards. By being good stewards we become the holy people of God.