Sunday Service - 11/13/2011 - Barbara Brown Taylor

A service of worship in Duke University Chapel. The Reverend Barbara Brown Taylor delivers a sermon entitled "The Parable of the Fearful Investor."

Opening excerpt from the sermon: (35:48)
"If you came here this morning in any doubt about what season it is, this morning's gospel lesson is your clue. As any longtime churchgoer can attest, when the parable of the talents shows up in church, it is stewardship season. It's time to consider how much God has given you so you can decide how much to give back—not only so places like this will be here the next time you want to come but also because it is good for you to let go of some of what you have on a regular basis. That is the sort of thing you might hear in a place like Duke Chapel, but come to one of the churches in my part of the world and you may hear something a little more forceful, such as, "Don't give until it hurts. Give until it feels good. Aim to double God's investment in you so that you don't wind up like servant #3--not just wicked and lazy but worthless—unworthy of any response save the effort it takes to throw him into the outer darkness--while servants #1 and #2 enter into the joy of their master."

Closing excerpt from the sermon: (54:19)
"And you know what? I can't imagine it. I can't imagine it at all.
So maybe this is not a sermon about the parable of the talents at all. Maybe it is a sermon about how we read scripture—about why we are so reluctant to challenge established meanings, about what is at risk if we do, about what would happen if we stopped thinking of the truth of scripture as something already set down for good in an old, old book and re-conceived it as something fresh that happens every time we get together and let the sharp edges of our lives poke at scripture until it yields new and living truth—maybe even something that would upset the (little "m") master--Wouldn't that be something?"

Sermon begins at: (35:48). Matthew 25:14-30
Bulletin: http://bit.ly/rF8yw8

Category:

Education

Tags:

• duke
• university
• chapel
• truth
• gospel
• parables
• money
• servants
• slaves
• master
• financial
• investment
• trust
• debt
• credit
• God
• exploitation
• talents