The Rector’s Address
Mark 10: 13-16
January 26, 1997
As has been my custom over the last several years, on the morning of the parish meeting, I make my report at the major service. I do this because of a feeling that the rector’s report should be made in the context of worship: for worship has been and remains the primary reason for our being. It’s what sets us apart as a Christian community.
This morning, I am planning my remarks within the framework of an old children’s story which I have adapted. It has a lot of different versions, but they all bear the same title: “The Story of Stone Soup.” Here’s my Epiphany version.
Three strangers trudged down a road in a foreign land. The three strangers were on a journey, following a star. They were tired and hungry, for they had not eaten or rested for several days.
“How I would like a good meal,” said the first. “And a welcome place to sit and rest,” said the second. “Don’t forget we are on a mission,” said the third. “We journey to find the Christ child.”
Suddenly, ahead of them, they saw the light of a village.
“Maybe we will find some food,” said the first. “Perhaps they will be friendly,” said the second. “No harm in trying,” said the third.
Now, the inhabitants of that place were fearful of Strangers.
They kept hoping that new people would not stop at their village. And since they were not a well-to-do village, they said to themselves, “If strangers ask for food, we will tell them we have none. Possibly then, they will leave.” So they hurried to hide what little they had when they saw the strangers coming.
The three strangers arrived and said, “God bless this community and everyone who resides here. Could you spare a bit of food for three people on a journey to find Christ?”
“Sorry, we have no food. Times have been hard,” said several inhabitants. “And we already have too many mouths to feed,” said some of the others.
“Well then,” said the three strangers, “we will make stone soup.” Stone soup, that will be interesting to see, the people muttered to themselves. “All we need,” the strangers said, “are some stones and a large pot.” Someone quickly fetched a pot for them. And now they said, “If each of you would go to your home and get a bucket of water and put a small amount of food with the water, we will quickly make some soup.”
Each person did as requested, except in their buckets, all they brought was water. For each villager had said to himself, “Some one else can bring food. I need what I have for myself. Anyway my neighbors have more than I do. They surely can make a contribution of food.”
Soon, each person dumped the contents of their bucket, and the pot began to boil. But when the strangers lifted the lid of the pot, all they saw were three stones and some water boiling. Everybody laughed at the strangers, saying, “What a silly idea. Soup from stones. You three are just dreamers. Be on your way.”
And so the three travelers left that community, still following the star. Finally, just as nightfall was descending, they came to another village. As they entered, they cried out, “God bless this community and everyone who resides here. We are three people searching for the Christ child, and we would ask you for food and a place to rest.” The people from the village said, “We have almost no food. The winter has been difficult. But you are welcome to rest here.”
Then the first stranger said, “I guess we will have to make stone soup.” The inhabitants of the village simply stared and said to themselves, “Are these three strangers magicians’ One of the strangers said, “We will need the largest pot you can find.” And the mayor brought this forth from his home. And then another said, “Fill it with water, and put some sticks to light a fire under it.”
It took many buckets to fill the pot, and soon a roaring fire was going under it. And then they found three smooth stones to put in the pot. And then they prayed, giving thanks to God for what they had.
As the strangers began to stir the water, they turned to one of the children standing nearby and said, “We can use a little salt and pepper.” The Child quickly fetched these condiments.
After a while, they said, “Stones like these make good soup, but what if there were carrots? It would be better.” And another Child ran and brought a bundle of carrots from the bin beneath his house.
As they were slicing the carrots, one of the strangers said, “Good stone soup really ought to have cabbage, but it’s no use asking for what you don’t have.” “I think my parents have some hidden in their cupboard,” said a little girl. Soon she returned with three heads of cabbage. And so it went, all through the evening. One or another of the strangers would say, “My, we can use a few potatoes, or a little meat, or some rice,” and a young person would run home to get it.
At last, the soup was ready. “All the community is invited to join us,” said the strangers. “But first, tables must be set.” Great tables were placed in the center of the square.
As they began to sit down, someone said, “Surely we need bread for a feast like this.” And instantly, someone supplied the bread.
Never had there been such a feast. The whole community ate and sang far into the night. As the feast continued, each person seemed to glow with an inner radiance. When it was over, the mayor said to the strangers, “Go in peace, for what you have taught us is that we shall never be hungry again. You may be searching for Christ. But as for us, we have found Christ together in this meal. And for this, we give thanks for your visit.”
Stone soup. It’s a children’s story that’ve adapted with the help of Matthew and Luke. But I ask you to think of its implications for our life at St Philip’s.
In the first village, the inhabitants never actualized the vision. The reason was that they saw themselves as too poor, too lacking in resources to respond. This is a common illusion for many people. It’s almost a parody of poverty. Compared to someone else, I appear to be poor, or at least less fortunate. It’s what I call the “small potatoes syndrome.” Here’s how it goes – because I’m so little, so poor, or have so little to contribute – my gifts, my talents, my treasure will not matter.
The secret we celebrate each Sunday is that every person is important, and each person’s gifts joined together, is what make a great parish. In the coming year, I want to find new ways to get that message across. And I’m not simply speaking about the capital campaign, although that certainly is an illustration. My dream is that, more and more, we can learn what it means to share our gifts and our talents in ministry. As far as I’m concerned, that’s what all our journey courses, such as a journey to Adulthood for teens, Quest for adults, are all about . . . learning to share ourselves, our journey, our gifts, our ministries.
Secondly, as we look at the stone soup story, we find it is the children who lead the way. “Suffer the little children to come to me,” said our Lord. I believe he meant that the inclusion, the nurture, the concern for children was a mark of his followers. We’ve tried to do this by making the children’s center the primary focus of our “Yes to the Future” campaign. We have also been putting this emphasis on our many children’s activities. This past month I made an experiment. A number of you received a letter from me, with the name of a youngster registered in the church school. In the letter, I made a simple request – remember this child when you say your prayers. I also said that from time to time I would send information about this child. The idea came from a partner whose children were grown. She felt that those parishioners who did not have youngsters in the school could, through prayer have some relationship with our young people. Hopefully, the dimension of children will more and more infuse our congregation, since they represent the possibility of new life in the future.
Now, I want to take this one step further. I want to challenge the vestry and the outreach people. As many of you know, a decision was made that 10% or a tithe of our “Yes to the Future” campaign will not be going towards buildings. It will be used for some outreach into the greater community. And this will be determined by a vestry committee at a later date. My challenge to the committee, yet to be named, is that the money be put toward some project or projects that directly impact children’s lives. There are a lot of worthy projects that have already been mentioned, but only a few that will directly benefit kids.
The more I think about the story of the stone soup, the more I can see parallels to the feeding of the five thousand. It was a child who led the way in both. And the feeding stories contain the basic outline (paradigm) for all Christian ministry. In the stone soup story an enormous meal took place in the minds and hearts of the people. Something at the very core of Christian ministry was revealed.
I believe that something might be called the “Economics of Jesus.” You will not find it taught at Stanford or Harvard or U of A business schools, but it is very much a part of the Christian understanding of life. Here’s how it goes:
“Whatever you have, no matter how small, if given with love, has the potential to grow beyond what you might think.” So easy to say, so hard to believe. Notice the three travelers never fretted or moaned over a lack of resources. They simply said, “Does anybody have a little salt or some potatoes, some meat? Bring it to the pot.” And then each child brought his or her unique contribution. The quantity wasn’t important. The gift was what counted. And it multiplied.
“Yes to the Future” is going to be built on the “Economics of Jesus.” At first, the task seemed insurmountable. And we reacted the way our patron Saint Philip, did in the loaves and fishes story. We said, “How can we possibly say yes when the task seemed beyond our resources?” And in the months ahead, we’re going to find out that our small contributions are more than enough when they are in God’s hands.
One last observation. It’s about the vision. Stone soup is simply a symbol. It’s really not about making soup. The story is simply a symbol of the involvement of an entire community. In the same way, saying “Yes to the Future” is not really about raising money, erecting buildings. It’s not even about reaching out to families with children. It’s really about choosing a future for this parish of ours. It’s about embracing a dream. It’s about becoming more and more the Body of Christ. The wonderful learning from the children’s story is that it can only happen if the whole community shares in the dream.
There is an old Spanish saying with which I would leave you. I believe it, and I hope you will embrace it also in the coming year. “Juntos, si se puede!” “Together, yes, it can be done!” And God willing, “Yes” together, we will get it done.
Amen.