A letter to the elders

Note: this is a homily preached by Academy student Joshua Kingsley both to the student body and to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church--good stuff for conversation between the generations...kn


Academy homily October 23, 2011
Joshua Kingsley


Has anyone been following the Republican field of presidential contenders lately? Regardless of one’s political leanings, it is entertaining theater to follow what is happening with this group of 8 ambitious people trying to obtain the highest office in the land. Sometimes I imagine Jesus being covered by a 24 hr news media trying to fill their time. I wonder if Jesus would be kind of like Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey, who has repeatedly declined to run for president... so much so that politico.com recently posted a 5:00 montage of all the times he has told the press he will not run. I can see the reports now of reporters asking Jesus, “Are you going to be the King of the Jews?” and Jesus saying no and the pundits talking about how Jess had “left the door open”. I wonder if Jesus would appear on Hard Ball or Meet the Press; Fox News or MSNBC? It would appear that “gotcha journalism” was alive and well in Jesus’ day. “Is it lawful to pay taxes”? This question might be asked by a tea party member or one of those 99%. It is so easy to put everything into two opposing categories, isn’t it? And it’s funny how those two categories aren’t really ever that far apart in the end. Jesus is quite genius in handling his detractors, maybe Sarah Palin could take notes. Jesus doesn’t have talking points, He has no handlers, He isn’t on anyone’s payroll and is not accountable to any voting block or demographic. Because of this, Jesus is able to smash the boxes given to him the “the world”. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s...genius! What would it sound like if we uttered this idea today? Render unto George Washington what is George Washington’s? Render unto my work place what belongs to my work place. Render unto my family what belongs to my family. Render unto St. Stephen’s what belongs to St. Stephens. Render unto future generations what belongs to us.

I am 28 years old and I tend to work in three areas dominated by people much older than myself: Classical music, education, and the church. These are three institutions that are being shaken to their core by changes in the world. Now, people don’t often as me for my opinion as often as they tell m what should think. I have often thought about writing a letter to baby-boomers, the generation that includes my grandparents and parents. Keep in mind, generational boxes are about as useful as any other artificial categories, but here’s what it would say.

Dear Grandma, grandpa, mom, and dad,

How are things? I hope all is well. Things are going okay with my friends and me. Work is a little hard to find, but friends are easy. I have been thinking about some of the things I have read about you guys, and some of thing things I have experienced.
I was reading the other day that you are the first generation that grew up with TV. That’s kinda cool. It reminds me of being the first generation growing up with the internet. Did your parents feel the same way about TV that you do about the internet, computers, and smart phones? I have also read that your generation is the healthiest and most prosperous generation that has ever lived, generally expecting the world to get better. I feel like I should say thanks. Thanks for the great music, thanks for expanding the helping expand civil rights for all of us. We owe you a lot.
It has been interesting growing up with you. Most of my friends and I grew up in broken homes, that wasn’t too fun but I know sometimes things happen. We also see a world with a rapidly deteriorating ecology and a wrecked economy, a lot of this done by baby boomers. I have read that you grew up in a world dominated by two super-powers, American being one. I am living now in a world where I am a global minority, where I now compete with people from China, India, Europe, and Brazil for jobs that once only belonged to you. While so much in this world is better because of you, there is a lot that is scaring me. So many of the things I grew up with are not working: Church and government to name a few. I’m not in charge, but it seems like the discussions and arguments taking place have no relevance on the world I experience. People keep fighting battles from 30 years ago while my world is crumbling.
I have a favor to ask. You see, many of these changes that are happening in the world whether we like it or not. I don’t want to grow up in a world where these institutions don’t exist. I think they can be saved, but to do so we must recognize they won’t ever be the same again. We must render to the past what is the pasts’. Please help us to guide the world into the future. Thanks for everything,

We are entering a period in “the church” called stewardship season. Many of you probably got a letter this weekend asking you to support the ministry at St. Stephen’s through time, talent, and treasure; over the next month, you will be hearing about ways to support St. Stephen’s from the members of St. Stephens. Stewardship, like the rest of the church, is changing. We are moving from the annual fundraising system to a year round support system that will be a two-way street between the church and her parishioners. In addition to the usual letter and phone call that so many of us remember, you will also be invited to a social function from someone on the stewardship committee. This won’t be a pitch, but an honest-to-goodness construction of the friendship and family that ties us together through the Holy Spirit. This will be a time for us to bond and share our lives together, to connect in a little “us” time. St. Stephens asks for your stewardship, it’s only fair that St. Stephens provides some stewardship as well.
I can’t lie, many of you know that the budget of St. Stephens isn’t pretty and Mic can fill you in on all the details. The short version is that the average monthly pledge is $125 currently and to make our budget we’ll need that to be $170 to maintain our current level of operation. No games, no pleading, that’s the cold, simple math.
We can render to Ceaser what is Ceasar’s. To do so, we must render to God what is God’s. What that is, is something only we can answer on an individual level. From my generation to yours, from me to you: please don’t bail out yet. Please help us see the future and get there.