The following sermon was presented by the Reverend John W. Howe, rector of Truro Episcopal Church in Fairfax, Virginia, on Stewardship Sunday, November 20, 1988. The title is, I Promise, and the scripture reference is Matthew chapter 21, verses 28 through 32. 

According to Matthew, Jesus said, What do you think? A man had two sons, and he went to the first and said, Son, go and work in the vineyard today. And he answered, I will not.

But afterward he repented and went. He said to the second and said the same. And he answered, I go, sir, but did not go.

Which of the two did the will of his father? They said the first. Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the harlots believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.

The Gospel of our Lord. The story is told about a college professor who was giving an exam to one of his very large lecture classes. You know, those classes with several hundred people in them. He passed out the tests and he said, you will have exactly two hours to complete your work, and under no circumstances will I accept any paper after the deadline.

So two hours went by and he said, time's up. And all the students turned in their papers except for one guy in the very back row who kept writing furiously. The professor left the room kind of shaking his head, went to his office, and about a half hour later, the recalcitrant student showed up and the professor said, I thought I told you I would receive no papers after the deadline.

The student drew himself up to his full height, said, sir, do you know who I am? The professor said, no, I don't. He said, great, and shoved his paper into the middle of the pile. I suspect that when it comes to stewardship, an awful lot of folks would kind of like to hide their commitment somewhere in the middle of the pile.

And I admit that using unsigned pledges makes it very easy to do that. That's not the reason we use unsigned pledges. Some of you know this, some may not.

Nine years ago, I went into a vestry meeting. We always begin with a little meditation from scripture and then some time of prayer and stewardship time was coming and I gave a little meditation on tithing. We hadn't really talked much about it prior to that, but God really spoke to all of us.

And one member of the vestry said, why don't you write that up as a booklet and we will all sign it. And everybody else agreed. And that was the first version of this booklet, Bring in the Full Tithes and See.

The Lord called us to forthrightly declare tithing as his will. It's not an option, it's his will for us. And we made the decision in calling the parish to that commitment that we would also go to a system of unsigned pledge cards.

There was a double assumption, and I think it's still valid. Number planning to give so that we can make responsible decisions regarding its distribution. But we don't need to know who is giving what.

That's between you and the Lord. We want to declare to you that it is God's will for his people not only to tithe but indeed to give generously beyond the tithe. But we want to remove that social pressure that gives you any feeling that we're kind of checking up on you.

In fact, I do not want to know who's giving what. I don't want my relationships to any of you to be affected by how much or how little you're able to give. That system has worked very well for nine years, and I think the Lord has honored it.

Of late, a number of people have said to us, you know, that sort of has a reverse effect. It might be supposed that the church is only interested in my money and not interested in me. And frankly, I would rather sign on the dotted line. That will help me to hold myself accountable.

So this year we have made one small change in the pledge card and we've put in a place where if you want to, you can sign it, but you don't have to. It's still between you and the Lord. Both of this morning's scriptures deal with making promises, pledges if you want to think of it that way.

Paul writes to the Corinthians, A year ago you responded to a special appeal to help the church in Jerusalem, and in this matter I give you my advice. It is best for you now to complete what a year ago you promised. And in fact, go beyond it.

Excel in the gracious work of giving, just as Jesus Christ gave to you. That's the motive. It was reported to me, I have no idea who said this, so if it was you, I don't know it, but somebody last week or two weeks ago said, Tithe?

For an hour and a half of entertainment? No. give to God because he gave to you. In Jesus' parable, one son promises to do as his father asked and then he reneges on that.

The other one says, no sir, I can't do that. And then somehow finds it in him to do what his father wanted. And Jesus' comment is this.

The one who pleased his father is not the one who made the empty promise, but the one who actually did the work. You might be surprised. You may be able to do far more than you thought.

Promises are very serious business in Scripture. The book of Ecclesiastes has this sobering word to us. Guard your steps when you go to the house of God and don't be hasty to offer the sacrifice of fools.

You know what that is? Making a vow that you don't keep. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Ecclesiastes chapter 5. Better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Promises of serious business.

And yet, in warning us, better not to vow, we find that promises run all the way through Scripture. And indeed through the life of the church. We ask parents who bring their children for baptism, will you be responsible to see that the child you present is brought up in the Christian faith and life?

We will not baptize any child unless his or her parents are prepared to make that kind of a promise. It's not a magical ceremony. It's a covenant.

Will you promise to the best of your ability that you'll do all you can to raise this child and you'll trust God to do His part? Will you promise? We ask baptismal candidates who are able to speak for themselves and sponsors for those who are too young, do you promise to follow and obey Jesus Christ as your Lord?

Do you promise? we ask those who come for confirmation and we've just completed a class and there will be a confirmation service on the 30th of this month will you continue in the apostles teaching and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in the prayers phrases taken out of the book of Acts that those who were converted on that first day of proclamation of the gospel continue in the apostles teaching and fellowship breaking of bread, and in the prayers. Will you do that? Do you promise?

We ask couples who wish to be married here, will you have this man or this woman to be your spouse, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love, comfort, honor, and keep this one in sickness and in health and forsaking all others be faithful to him or to her as long as you both shall live? Will you do that? Do you promise?

we ask every bishop priest and deacon before they're ordained do you believe the holy scriptures to be the word of God and do you promise to conform to the doctrine discipline and worship of the Episcopal Church promises are important very important don't be hasty please don't make a promise unless you intend to fulfill it but promises are important if you make them, keep them in just a few moments we're going to be asked to make our promises our pledges regarding our giving to the work of God in and through the parish here at Truro in the coming year and I want to make three very personal comments to you Just before we do that. First is just a little bit of autobiography. We heard from three witnesses last week.

Weren't they good last week? They're tremendous. I'll tell you that back in 1979 when we made that decision to call the parish to be a tithing parish, I made a decision of my own.

Up until that time I had been giving half of my tithe to Truro. and half elsewhere to other ministries that I was particularly interested in. And I want to say I think that is a legitimate decision.

And it may be that you're led to some sort of decision like that yourself. But, you know, after I heard my sermon that day, that's true, I was converted that day. I really was.

I changed my pledge after the first service. and decided to give all of my tithe to this church. And the reason is this.

The call to become a tithing church is also a call to become a giving church. And I think that one of the most exciting things that has happened here over the past several years is that as we have given, we have become involved in outreach. a vigorous program of outreach, giving away 50% of all the income that God bestows upon us in terms of our operating budget.

It's been exciting. It's been mind-boggling to see what God has done with that as he has opened up relationships with ministries, with missionaries, with bishops, with churches all over the world. And we've realized that in the process we can do so much more together.

God can do so much more as we give together than as we work individually. I wonder if you realize that during the last 12 years our attendance has gone up fourfold. But our giving has gone up elevenfold.

And our outreach has gone up 39-fold. That's exciting. And, you know, there is a great strength in seeking the mind of the Lord together about where that outreach is to go through our committees.

And, by the way, all of those committees are open to you if you want to be part of that decision-making process as God is calling us to literally a global vision for his ministry. I'm not saying don't give to any other ministries but Truro. I'm simply telling you that for me, for our family, the tithe goes here.

And then we give beyond that to other specialized ministries as God leads us. And you may want to think about that. You may even get converted to that.

Secondly, a word to those who are concerned about the Episcopal Church. I know that there are lots of folks who have some very deep reservations about some of the things that are happening in the Episcopal Church. And I want to say welcome to the club.

I put myself at the top of the list of those who are concerned about the Episcopal Church. But I want you to know that one of the reasons that we are involved in this kind of outreach is that we're committed to the renewal of the Episcopal Church. Not exclusively, but that's the one God has given to us primarily.

We believe that he is renewing his church. Roughly 60% of our outreach is going to ministries that are part of the renewal of the Episcopal Church USA. Things like Episcopal Renewal Ministries, a Christian ministry to Jewish people, the Institute for Clergy Renewal, the National Organization of Episcopalians for Life, and we're seeing God use those ministries to change his church.

The biggest single gift goes to the Diocese of Virginia. Just two months ago, this diocese sponsored an unprecedented conference, the Bishop's Conference on Renewal. drew over 2,300 people to the cathedral in Washington, 180 parishes.

It's gotten nationwide attention because nothing like that has ever been done before. I thank God for our bishop. I thank God for what's happening in this diocese.

Do you know, one of the clergy who came to that conference who previously had sort of held renewal at arm's length made the comment at the close of it, I think that we have just witnessed the beginning of the new Episcopal Church. God is renewing His church. There are things wrong with it.

We know that. We wouldn't be involved in Episcopal renewal ministries unless the church needed renewing. But praise God, He's doing that.

Don't give up on the Episcopal Church. We've helped establish a new seminary that ten years later is producing graduates who are setting the standard in terms of their performance on the general ordination exam. Did you know that?

Even before it was officially accredited, the graduates of Trinity were leading the pack, setting the standard, because among other things, we're committed to teaching scripture. What a strange thing to do in an Episcopal seminary. you might be surprised to know how little of it is taught in some of the seminaries.

But we're committed to doing that, and it's having its effect. Praise God. This past summer, we saw the reversal of the Church's very, very questionable stance on abortion and the sanctity of life, primarily, largely, because of the efforts of NOEL, the National Organization of Episcopalians for Life.

it's having an effect. God isn't done with this church. All over the country, bishops are being elected who are committed to the scriptures, who are committed to the orthodox.

There are some exceptions. But the general trend is toward more orthodoxy, more scripture, and I am very encouraged. In August, the General Convention voted to designate the 1990s as a decade for evangelism.

Exciting. I said, can you picture folks in the neighborhood saying, who are those guys coming in with the big Bibles talking about Jesus? The Episcopalians are coming.

We established a nine-member commission, a standing commission on evangelism to oversee and guide that process. The goal is that before the year 2000, every man, woman, and child living in the United States will have had the gospel personally presented to them. Last week, the members of that nine-member commission were appointed by the presiding bishop and the president of the House of Deputies.

You'll be interested in three of the names on that commission. Peter James Lee, Carol Anderson, John Howe. Don't give up on the Episcopal Church.

God isn't done with it yet. Finally, a much more personal word. I think you all know that there's a great deal of uncertainty in my own life, And that involves a degree of uncertainty for Truro.

One thing that's clear is that I will not be directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the life of this parish next year. I'll either be on sabbatical, which looks very exciting, studying in the general field of church growth, or it's possible, should it be the Lord's will, that I might be elected to the Episcopacy in Central Florida. That looks a lot less exciting.

I'm having a lot of trouble with that. And I really need your prayers. I don't want to do that.

I don't want to do that. I don't want to go. But if it's the Lord's will.

I can't think of any sadder commentary on my life and ministry among you and all the things God has enabled us to do together than for any of you to think that my not being here would be a disaster for this church. Now, I know some of you think my staying might be a disaster. the mark of success in anyone's ministry is that it survives him I don't know that the Lord is calling me to the episcopacy I don't know that I don't even know if I'm going to leave my name in if I had to make the decision today I would take my name out I don't need to make the decision today we're going down in a couple weeks next week a week from today we're going down to Florida and we're going to be asking God to give a very clear indication if he does not say clearly leave your name in I'm not going to leave it in I don't know if he's calling me to that.

What I do know is this, the Lord will not call me away from this place unless he has something very exciting up his sleeve for this place. John Howe is not the head of Truro Church. Aren't you glad of that?

Jesus Christ is the head of this church, and if he calls me away, That's because he's got something else for Truro. We have an excellent staff of clergy and lay folk who along with the vestry and others are already leading and ministering under the anointing of the Holy Spirit and they will continue to do that. And I expect they're going to grow and I expect the parents...

You better grow. I mean, I will come back from Florida and I will... the Lord has great things for this parish I know that he's given us a vision for Toro's future that is greater than anything we've ever experienced thus far the question is will we be faithful will we be faithful one said dad I can't Can't do that.

Can't do that. Then the Lord somehow touched him. And he was able to do what he couldn't do.

The other said, Yes, sir, I will. And he defected. Don't defect.

Don't defect. I promise. With your help.

because you gave everything for me. This concludes Mr. Howe's sermon. Amen.