Homily 649 – 7 APE
Holy Transfiguration, Ames, Iowa
July 27, 2025
Epistle:  (116) Romans 15:1-7 and (292) 2 Timothy 2:1-10
Gospel:  (33) Matthew 9:27-35 and (52) John 15:17-16:2

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, One God.

In the writings of St. Paul, the letters to Timothy are particularly important to the Clergy of the Church.  Timothy is the example to us as priests.  On the reverse of the crosses priests are given at ordination is frequently a quotation from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy.

It is advice being offered.  We read this passage in particular for the holy unmercenary healers.  This is a very strange and ironic passage.  To be an unmercenary means to be not motivated by money.  Yet the passage is a reminder to Timothy that in order to do the work God has appointed for him, he must have money, or food, or something.

“No soldier on duty entangles himself in the affairs of this life, in order to please the one who enrolled him as a soldier. Likewise, anyone who competes in athletics cannot be crowned unless he has competed by the rules. The farmer who labors must be the first to get a share of the crops.”

It’s almost like St. Paul is telling St. Timothy, “your instinct is to share for free, but you must allow the people to care for you.”  Sometimes we as priests and deacons and servers do tend to forget about ourselves. We aren’t necessarily thinking about compensation.  Much to our family’s chagrin, if I’m honest.

The occasion of the All American Council is a good opportunity to reflect on these needs.  We gather as a church every three years, and discuss both the spiritual and administrative aspects of the Church.  As has been the case for the past few councils, there has been significant discussion about the pension plan for the clergy and workers in the Church.

I don’t really know that the pension plan is the real problem, though.  Our problem is that we cannot seem to pay our clergy a living wage.  Most all of our clergy, or their matushki, are required to work outside the parish, and the parish suffers as a result.

It is difficult to speak of this at times.  It makes me appear selfish.  Which is why I’ve spoken in terms of my successor, and will continue to do so.  One of the things that happens at these assemblies, though, is that we as clergy from time to time get approached by others, wondering if we’d be open to the idea of moving.  And for the first time, I will confess, I was tempted.

It is a particularly challenging feeling for me, though.  My heart is here, with you.  It is here with the people in Ames and in central Iowa.  To say I’m torn is a huge understatement – and yet, being torn itself is a huge struggle for me.

Now, to be very clear, I’m not going anywhere until the bishop orders me to.  I’m not looking to leave.  And one of my first questions will be about the leadership and continuing care of this parish, and of all of you.

But I will confess, it is becoming tiring.  As was put in this week’s bulletin, we have about 30 households, half of them include full Orthodox families, and the others are singles, who have spouses that aren’t necessarily Orthodox.  Over 100 people that I’m responsible for, plus inquirers.  If we go back and look at what God instituted in the Old Testament, there were 12 tribes of Israel, right?  And of those tribes, 11 were given lands and told to produce upon those lands.  God provided.

The one tribe that didn’t receive lands was the tribe of Levi.  The Levites were set apart – made holy – and were only to serve the Temple.  Even before the Temple was completed, when it was still the tents and tabernacles.  They didn’t have any means to farm or raise livestock or mine minerals or cut timber.  The Levites, the priests of the Old Testament, were dedicated to that service.

And so, God instituted the tithe.  The other tribes, 11 of them, would give 10% of what they had, to support the operation of the Temple.  This is what the Levites would live on.  That means that the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe, would have 110% of the average of the other tribes.  It was seen as a gift to God, but the gift served to support the priests and servants in the Temple, and their families.

Some will say that Christ changed that, and that is true, but not in the way we may expect.  The tithe went from 10% to, if we believe the book of Acts, 100% of the income and belongings of the people of God.  That’s socialist!  And yes, that is accurate, even if we are scandalized by the term.  The early church was socialist.  Acts 2:44 tells us that “all who believed were together and had all things in common.”

Acts 4:32-35 tells us “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”

I’m not suggesting we return to that model.  I do believe there is a great spiritual benefit however to making sure we, as Christians, are generous – even outrageously generous – both to the Church and to one another, and to our community.

We give out of the first fruits of what God has already given to us, as an offering of thanks for God’s provision and love for us.  This is the tithe, the first 10% – before deductions we might say.  Then, we give alms to the poor and those in need, as a sacrificial gift, which is our statement of faith that God will continue to provide for us in the future.

Some would like to claim that this isn’t the practice of the Church.  I say it most certainly is.  In many countries outside of America, the clergy of the Church are paid through taxes paid to the state.  Certainly in places like the Slavic countries and Greek countries, clergy are (quote) employees (unquote) of the state, and Churches belong to the State.  This is why we end up with the situations we have in Ukraine, where the Churches belong to the Government and can be “reassigned” at will.

But this is America.  We don’t have that process here.  Our church belongs to our bishop, who holds it in trust for the people that attend here.  And our parish is supported not by government funds, but by the tithes and offerings of the people.

As we begin the next phase of our existence here in Ames and central Iowa, remember that our tithes and offerings to God are holy – set apart.  The care of the people in our community is holy.  And mostly recall that the tighter we hold onto the ideas of wealth and power, the less room we have to experience the benefits of being children of God.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God.  Glory to Jesus Christ!