Does God See Us as an Ant Colony? The 8th Sunday after Pentecost 2025

The 8th Sunday after Pentecost 2025

Texts: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12;13-21

The Reverend Marjorie Bevans

Watch the service and listen to the sermon on Youtube.

This morning we have a rare lesson from Ecclesiastes, so it might be helpful to know a little about the book itself before looking at the lesson. The name Ecclesiastes comes from the Hebrew word Qoholoth meaning ‘assembly’. The same word in Greek is ‘ecclesia’, which gives us the name Ecclesiastes. It is not a sermon, but seems to be a teaching for a gathering of Jewish people.

It is a Jewish book, sometimes attributed to King Solomon, and so the book is considered to be one of the works of wisdom in the Hebrew Bible. It most likely dates from around 300 b.c.

The great theme of the book is vanity, and our lesson for this morning is one of the key passages in the whole book. The term ‘vanity of vanities’ is a Hebrew form of a superlative. ‘Vanity of vanities’ therefore means ‘utter vanity.’

Vanity is anything that is light, airy, floating, transitory, feathery, or shifting. Being vain is like chasing a bubble. It’s appearance attracts a child, but it cannot be possessed. When touched, it pops. It is like a mirage in the desert. We cannot put our ultimate trust in vanity, yet many do.

All three lessons this morning suggest putting our trust in God, not the things of creation. In the first lesson everything for which we toil and enjoy cannot be our ultimate goal. To collect things for our sustenance gives a false sense of security, so why worry so much about stuff. We are to rely ultimately on God. This is not to say we are not to be concerned at all about the things which sustain us, because we were also created to be stewards of creation and to use the things of creation. They just cannot become our ultimate concern.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul declares to that early Christian community, that since they have been raised with Christ, they are no longer to seek the things of the world, but the things that are above where Christ is. The old ways of life—anger, wrath, malice, slander, deception and abusive language must pass away if one is to be truly renewed in Christ. The attraction of earthly things, with which these vices are associated, is not the way of life or the goal of life for a Christian. And this applies to all Christians equally whether slave or free, Greek or Jew, rich or poor. God does not consider station in life, or the superficial—skin color, ethnicity, or the external appearance of anyone, but only what is in the heart and mind of someone. We may fool one another about what is in our hearts and minds, but we do not fool God.

In the Gospel lesson Jesus warns the people about greed of all kinds. The rich man who had the abundant harvest built new barns to keep it so that he could have it and live off it for years. As a kid who grew up on a farm, I’ve always thought the idea was a little ridiculous anyway, because most crops do not keep that long. They will spoil, mice will get into them. But the rich men thought he would have life easy for a few years.

There are different kinds of greed—being overly concerned with getting our needs met—worrying, wanting to have or possess something that is not ours—coveting, when more and more is never enough—hoarding, the competitive desire to have more than we truly need in order to best someone. They used to call it ‘keeping up with the Jones’.

We have heard the call of God at St. Michael’s to help needy people where we can through our outreach ministries. We participate in the distribution of food, we gather the things children need for school, we support a Christian school in Guatemala, and we offer scholarships to students from poor families. We recognize the importance of sustenance and encouraging children to have a brighter future through education.

In my last parish we developed an important outreach ministry to children. We called it The Neighborhood Academy. Children from families living around the church came together on Saturdays to meet adults who had a profession, to interview them and learn from them, so they could dream and plan for their future as adults. The children met firefighters, nurses, police officers, musicians, doctors, chefs, teachers, and EMT’s. They found out what it takes to have a profession—things like getting up in the morning and going to school or work, being honest and reliable, setting goals, working hard, being focused and determined. They learned the satisfaction that can come from accomplishing something. We warned our guest professionals that the children would ask them about money, how much they earned, so they should be prepared to tell the children. Coming from poor families, in which the adults did not work, the children often did want to know about this important detail.

Yet, we welcomed a lot of children whose basic needs were going unmet, so we taught them how to prepare a basic meal for themselves, like how to heat a can of soup, make a grilled cheese sandwich, how to scramble an egg. We gave them food to take home. We helped their families stay in their homes, we clothed them, paid their utilities when needed. Through our rummage sale ministry were able to give families everything they needed for their household.

However, sometimes out of their neediness, some of the children would become a little greedy. They would loudly claim that someone got more than their fair share. They wanted more and more to take home.

Perhaps we had inadvertently created in them the expectation that having enough food and stuff would make them feel safe and secure. We wanted them to have what they needed, but did they know that we did this out of love? How could we teach them about the love God has for them and encourage them to seek the things that are above when their basic needs were so often unmet? How could we build loving relationships with these children when their lives were so chaotic and they moved so often?

Sometimes I think God is looking down on the whole world and what He sees is a bit like an ant colony, people hurrying to and fro, carrying things around urgently, following one another mindlessly, all geared toward the survival of the colony. If you’ve every been stuck in traffic on the beltway around D.C., perhaps you’ve felt you were in an ant colony!

However, ants were not created in the image of God, with a mind, heart and soul meant to seek and love God. When we neglect to pay attention to God, the reason for our existence, we might be more like ants than humans. Our ultimate security is found in God who created our lives and sustains them.

If we live by faith in God, we will be thankful and find it easy to be generous with others. When someone wants to know where is the glory of God to be found in this world, I would suggest it is to be found in the darkest places where followers of Christ are ministering to the sick, the friendless, and the needy, in places among people who see little good or hope. There we were day after day loving God’s children by trying to help them. We love them first, because God loved us first.

Over time and with many challenges we can hope we have learned to trust God. Only God is reliable. What ails humanity most is spiritual poverty, and emptiness that nothing can fill—not wealth, or food, or power, or accomplishment, or even family and friends. All these things are a vanity, they can disappear like a bubble when trying to possess it. When we neglect our personal relationship with God, we are more susceptible to the temptation to seek the things that are beneath God. Our aim is too low. In order to help others see God in their lives, we might need to reconnect to Him ourselves, and find Him to be the source of everything we truly need to be fully human. Amen.

Are You a Good Neighbor? The 5th Sunday after Pentecost 2025

Are You a Good Neighbor?         The 5th Sunday after Pentecost 2025

The Samaritan was not supposed to care about the stranger who was beaten and left for dead.  He had no obligation to take care of the man in the ditch.  He didn’t know him, wasn’t related to him, maybe the man was Jewish.  Samaritans were not supposed to interact with Jews.

"Be Who You Are on Your Best Day" The 4th Sunday after Pentecost 2025

"Be Who You Are on Your Best Day" The 4th Sunday after Pentecost 2025

Like evangelism, discipleship in the church does not need to be complicated, but it does need to happen.  So, we come together to study the Bible or some other book edifying our faith, to pray for one another, to be a friend, to serve the needy, to teach and encourage young people to trust God, to joyfully sing together.

The Presentation 2025

The Presentation 2025

Texts: Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40

Watch and listen HERE

Everyone who went to the Temple that day was in the process of being obedient to God—like you are today here obeying the 4th commandment to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. All of the people at the Temple probably brought different burdens and probably had different expectations.

Old Simeon was righteous and devout and the Holy Spirit was with him. It guided him to the temple that day.

Anna was 84 and had lived most of her life as widow. She worshiped God in the temple night and day. I have met such widows in the church. They seem to be constantly on their knees in prayer.

Mary and Joseph were there following the law of Moses. 7 days after birth of the first born male child, the parents and the child were to go to the temple to redeem the child and purify the mother. The baby boy was offered to God as holy and then taken home in exchange for an offering of turtledoves or pigeons. This doesn’t say much about the value for first born males.

Because all of these people were faithfully being obedient to God something special happened for them all.

Simeon saw the Messiah and could be at peace in his desire for the consolation of Israel.

Mary and Joseph had their son blessed by an old holy man, and they were amazed at what he told them about their son.

Anna too, recognized who this baby truly was and what it meant for the Jewish people.

Simeon had a message just for Mary. “This child is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce you own soul too.” Though the child would save his people and be a light even to the Gentiles, something tragic would happen to him. We all now know what that would be, but could you imagine what this meant for Mary as she raised her first born son?

Every Sunday we come here to worship God, being faithfully obedient like Simeon, Anna, and Mary and Joseph. We give thanks for many blessings we have received—family, friends, decent health, satisfying work, food, shelter, safety, and peace. We also come bearing our own burdens—fear, worry, anxiety, or confusion…We hope and pray that God will bless us. We share our burdens in prayer and receive God’s mercy and grace in Holy Communion. Perhaps we too hear the message from God, just what we most need to hear—in the lessons, or the words of the liturgy, or the hymns, or the sermon. This is a ritual that has been repeated throughout the history of the people of God, millions of times. It is always better to be together to worship God than not. The Holy Spirit comes when two or three are gathered together.

Like Mary and Joseph, and Simeon and Anna, we too have experienced special blessings by coming together on Sunday mornings—the baptisms of baby Christians, the joy of a child serving as an usher, the affection shared among old friends, lovingly preparing the altar to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, the contributions of all our parishioners to the praise of God, each in our own way. It truly is a scene not unlike the one in the Temple that day. We have righteous and devout parishioners, elderly widows, and younger people on the fringe. A healthy family needs them all. Who are you? And what is your role among the people recognizing the Messiah, Jesus the Savior of all that we know, and touch, and love? How does meeting him and knowing him change you?

In the Letter to the Hebrews the unknown author addresses the fuller reality of what the Messiah coming into the world would mean for the world. It would not be all love and peace, because earth is still the place where the devil wants to rule people. The author of the letter has a different way of looking at the people of Israel. He wrote, “For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham.” We are all the spiritual descendants of Abraham. There are among the people of God those whose hearts are being torn by fear, anger, distrust, and even hatred. Jesus came to redeem sinners, people like us.

A long time ago I read a very old book written by St. Athanasius, one of the Church Fathers. It is entitled “On the Incarnation of the Word”. If you like to read old books, I highly recommend it. Athanasius wrestled with why God would become a human in order to save us. I remember one concise phrase that helps me understand why God did this. “He could not redeem what he did not know.” “To know” in the ancient world was to have a relationship with something. This is a much more intimate thing than just knowing about something. Elsewhere, Athanasius writes that God commingled with man.

Perhaps Athanasius took his understanding in part from this verse in Hebrews, “Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.” In some way all of us here are being tested by the world, and in particular, by the devil. The devil wants us to be afraid, to distrust, to be anxious, to be angry, and to hate. But Christ’s presence with us is so strong that we are able to eventually, with much prayer and counsel, let those things go, to loosen their hold on our hearts and minds. Though the challenges we face may be physical, or social, or emotional, this is at the depth of our being a spiritual struggle.

The prophet Malachi described this process differently. He wrote that the Lord would suddenly come into his temple and he would bring a fire that would refine the people like gold and silver. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, and all of us here are being refined by it. Malachi said this refining would continue until the people presented offerings to the Lord in righteousness. We know the refining fire of the Holy Spirit to be the process of Sanctification, and it continues all our lives. Simeon and Anna undoubtedly had been through a lot in their lives, and they trusted God, and they had been faithful and obedient to his commandments. The results of their process of sanctification were righteousness, devotion, insight, and wisdom.

We might pray that we too would develop righteousness, increased devotion, insight, and wisdom as we are being tested. We remember that we are not alone—if we know Christ in a way he wishes us to know him—intimately. He has gone on before us in this testing. He knows who he is redeeming, whether or not we are even aware of it.

This is a good place to be, to receive God’s love as cracked vessels. My prayer for all of us, those present and those not present, is that through the work of the Holy Spirit we might become more steady in our devotion to God and be purified in our hearts and minds to worship him more fully. Amen.