The parables we’ve been hearing the last couple of Sundays—the ones that feature sowing, planting, harvesting, and reaping—reflect a closeness to the land and the rhythms of Earth in Matthew’s account of the Gospel. This “agrarian Jesus” takes a sudden turn this Sunday to become an economist. The parables about treasure hidden in a field, and the “pearl of great price,” and the labor of fishermen, as well as the labor of a woman making bread all evoke various economic issues, but they certainly don’t fit very neatly into sensible paradigms that either modern or ancient economists would recognize.
What kind of sense can we make from the story of one who sells everything in order to buy a field that has treasure in it, or a merchant who doesn’t just liquidate underperforming stocks but actually sells absolutely everything in order to buy the one pearl of great value? What kind of divine economy is Matthew presenting here? It is certainly not what we call global capitalism today, it’s also not Soviet-style communism, nor even democratic socialism (which would be my pick for a system closest to Gospel values, just as it was among some of the leading theologians of the Church of England in the nineteenth century). All of those options have at least some kind of underlying logic that can be analyzed and articulated and then debated—but logic of any kind seems to unravel in these Gospel parables.
Imagining a so-called “divine economy” is not as strange as it might sound at first. There’s a long history of referring to God’s own economic relations as the Holy Trinity and, by extension, how those same trinitarian relations intertwine with the rest of God’s creation. It’s helpful in that regard to recall that the word “economy” comes from two Greek words: oikos, which means “house,” and nomos, which means “law.” In that sense, an “economist” is one who seeks to create an orderly household for the benefit of all who live there, whether a single family, or the “household” of a town or village, or households on a much larger scale. That’s the theological logic behind the image of God as an economist: the creating, redeeming, and sustaining God seeks to manage the whole creation in such a way that every creature can thrive; the divine economy resides at the very heart of reality itself.
The parables we will hear on Sunday are not the only ones that deal directly or by inference with economic issues, and all of them, without exception, scramble the usual methods for assessing economic vitality: shareholder prophets are not maximized; resources are not fairly distributed but are given mostly to the poor and those who have not in any traditional way earned them; standard notions of equality are cast aside in favor of generosity and even reckless gestures of abundance. God’s own lively economic relations run entirely on self-giving love—which I’m guessing will never be a hallmark policy of the U.S. Federal Reserve, no matter which political party is in power.
Matthew reminds us about the householding roots of economics not only with the image of a woman baking bread but also with the concluding parable in this week’s lectionary text, a parable about a householder who brings out both the old and the new from the household treasure. This is not only a reminder that God’s own economy begins close to home, but also that we cannot rely solely on models from the past but must also encounter and consider the brand new—even when such novelty disturbs or disrupts our most cherished expectations. What would it look like to cultivate a household of faith at All Saints’ Parish that is rooted entirely in grace and compassion? What kind of healing might such a religious household prompt among us, even those of us not entirely aware that we’re even wounded? What kind of witness to the Gospel would this offer to the wider world around us and how might this offer in fresh ways a path into the transforming love of God?
Those are exactly the questions Matthew’s economic Jesus would have us ponder together as we gather at the Eucharistic table on Sunday—the table of God’s own self-giving love.
Dates and Notices
- Finnish Sisu! Spending time way up North in the Keweenaw Peninsula has been inspiring me to refresh my connections to my Finnish ancestry. My paternal grandparents were actually a mix of both Swedish and Finnish families, as many along the coastline of modern Finland are. I’ve also been fascinated by the Finnish concept of “sisu,” which refers to a kind of gritty determination and resilience (which is obviously an asset for the brutal winters in Nordic countries) but also a fortitude to face the future boldly and with hope, regardless of the circumstances. I’m keeping those Finnish touchstones in mind as we prepare here at All Saints’ Parish to Honor our Ancestors in this second half of the calendar year as a way to bridge a budget gap. Please see the section below on how you might “sponsor a Sunday” and honor your roots at the same time! This will be a wonderful way to lead up to our All Saints’ Day celebration on November 1.
- Outdoor Sanctuary: One of the “happy accidents” that emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic in this parish was creating an “outdoor sanctuary” on the parish hall lawn, which we have continued to use each summer. Two reasons among several for this practice: we become much more visible to the surrounding community and we lower barriers to access for those who want to try us out; and being outside for worship embodies our ongoing commitment to ecological renewal and healing. The current plan is to be outside for the first time this summer on this coming Sunday at the 10:15 liturgy (the 8:30 liturgy will always inside). We will of course monitor the weather and the air quality to ensure people can be comfortable outside; if there is any change to the plan, we will notify everyone by email or text message.
- The Bishop Search Committee has concluded its work and when the slate of candidates has been approved by the Standing Committee, a formal announcement will be made! A special announcement will be sent out to this email list after the slate has been announced. The candidates will then be scheduled (likely in September) for a series of “meet and greet” events around the diocese before the election takes place late in October. Please keep this brand new Diocese of the Great Lakes in your prayers!
- Many thanks to all who participated in our Bi-Annual Parish Meeting this past Sunday and to everyone who brought such wonderful food for our “picnic”! The slate of lay leaders standing for election was approved by acclamation, and they are:
- For Vestry: Larry Engel and Rita Davenport.
- For Diocesan Convention: Bobbie Gaunt and Julia Lamb.
- For Endowment Fund Trustees: Janet Eder and Mary Ryder
- For the Nominating Committee: Lisa Baker and Margaret Mason
- Preaching Schedule: One of the blessings of having the Rev. Rebekah Taylor among us as our “Missioner for Digital Ministry” is the gift of having her preach on occasion! Rebekah is now currently scheduled to preach on these Sundays: August 2, August 23, September 13, October 11, and October 18.
- Be Sure to Vote! While November is still just a bit more than three months away, you can actually cast your vote much sooner for various political offices! Early voting happens here in Saugatuck and Douglas from July 25—August 2, and from October 24—November 1. Given the importance of politics for the common good, voting really should be considered a spiritual discipline, and one that is engaged thoughtfully and prayerfully—be sure to vote, if not early, then on time!
A Community of Care
Please let us know how we may pray for you—concerns as well as celebrations—and other requests you may have as we strengthen our bonds of care and compassion with each other here in western Michigan and with those around the world in need of prayer.
Prayer Requests
- The United States of America—for a restoration of peace and for a renewed commitment to the common good; for an end to systemic racism and violence; for social and economic justice; for a courageous engagement with ecological renewal and healing.
- For an end to violence and a lasting peace with justice throughout the world—in the Middle East (especially in Iran, the nations of the Gulf region, and still also Gaza and the West Bank), and in Ukraine.
- The mission and shared ministry of this parish, for pastoral insight and ministerial discernment for the clergy and lay leaders, especially the Vestry and our various Ministry Teams.
- Katelyn, for comfort and healing.
- Mary Saba, for healing.
- Frank Lindsay, for healing.
- Sky and Dale Ann Suydam, for resilience and courage.
- Kevin Martin, for healing and renewed strength.
- Susan Gaunt, for renewed strength and healing.
- Ruth Vanden Bosch, for resilience and healing.
- Mike Mulcahy and Chris Seidel, for comfort and strength.
Special Occasions in July
Do we have your special occasions on file? Would you like to prayerfully celebrate your baptismal anniversary? Ordination anniversary? Let us know what you would like us to remember with you and we’ll post it!
Birthdays – July
Matt Jackson 7/18, Rose Meengs 7/23, Stephen Baker 7/24, Vicki Berghuis 7/25, Cynthia Sorensen 7/26
Wedding Anniversaries – July
James and Julia Lamb 7/8, Francis and Vicki Berghuis 7/24
Honoring Ancestors and Sponsoring a Sunday
Notes from Fr. Jay on the Budget and the Liturgy
One of the many blessings of this parish is that we are not named for just one or even two saints but for all the saints! What a rich inheritance, indeed! While some of us are well versed in our own family’s ancestry (I’ve been exploring this much more since moving back here to Michigan, where I was born), all of us have a saintly ancestry as Christians, a long tradition of ancestors in the faith whose lives and witness to the Gospel continue to inspire and equip us today. As we face the second half of this calendar year with a revenue gap in our budget, this is the perfect time to honor our ancestors by sponsoring a Sunday! First, a brief word about the budget.
You may recall that the budget-making process last fall included plans to expand our marketing efforts (by securing the services of a marketing and communications agency) and hiring a missioner for our digital ministry efforts (which we have done with Rebekah Taylor). We knew this would be a stretch for us financially, and the budget passed by the vestry included a gap of $32K which we anticipated bridging with a mid-year campaign (in addition to other sources, such as grants, and also the wonderful generosity of parishioners).
We have been growing along this good road with an ambitious pledge goal that we actually exceeded this year (more than $200K!), with a wonderful Black History Month event at the end of February, more than 300 people at our Jazz for Justice concert last month, and plans for a lively Season of Creation in September. Meanwhile, new people visit us nearly every Sunday, and we have new members on the books! God is richly blessing our shared ministry and witness to the Gospel in this place, and now is the time for those who can to support all these efforts with a special financial gift.
Remembering and honoring our ancestors—whether these are actual family members, inspiring figures from the past or today, or a saint that motivates your own faith journey—is a way to deepen our roots, strengthen our sense of belonging in a rapidly changing world, and fortifying our foundation for the future. As I noted above, the Finnish sense of “sisu” in that regard is a source of enduring resilience, and I have also found it expanding my posture of gratitude.
Please join me in this ancestral celebration in this parish dedicated to all the saints and consider sponsoring a Sunday for $500. We will gladly publish any “ancestor” you wish to honor and we can celebrate more than one honoree on a Sunday! Several people can join together to honor a figure they all find inspiring. A form will be available in the sanctuary for you to fill out for this purpose, but for now, you can send this information to Sally in the parish office: your name(s), the Sunday you wish to sponsor, the name of the one(s) you wish to honor and why you are honoring them.
