A common definition of "anxiety" is "distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anxiety) Anxiety results from fear. We live in a society that reacts to fear in many ways.

Security is a constant concern on people’s minds. We fear downward turns in the stock market, especially if a person is nearing retirement. We fear the safety of our children, because news reported on television, radio, newspaper and internet regularly include bad news. We fear what is happening around the globe: wars, terrorism, and violence bring fear to everyone, and all these fears are real.

Some students fear going back to school, especially those who will be entering new schools this year. Uncertainty of what to expect leads us to fear, because we wonder if the worst, whatever that might be, could happen.

Other families face different anxieties. How will we care for our aging parent? What are we going to do now that our loved one has died? How can we face the future with this dreaded disease? How will we adjust now that we have an empty nest? How can we continue to function under such financial pressure? Because of constant changes in life-cycles, anxiety spares no one.

Anxiety has been spiking even in church-life here over the unknowns of our future. What are we going to do when the Interim Associate Pastors complete their six-month terms of service in mid-September? How is the search process for permanent part-time associate pastors progressing? What are we going to do with our building, and perhaps for some, a more-pressing question, how much is it going to cost and where are we going to get that kind of money? How will our church’s youth group change/evolve with the graduation of such a strong, and at times, dominating Class of 2007? How will we attract more new members? How can we provide a safe and secure facility for those who come here for Bible Study and worship?

Anxiety results from fear, and when we don’t know what to expect, many choose to fear the worst. We have been programmed that way perhaps because of prior experiences, because of bad news that we hear, or perhaps because it is a defense mechanism. Possibly some think the worst so that when situations are not as bad, they are relieved.

On numerous occasions, Jesus spoke about anxiety and worry. Even 2,000 years ago, the quest to have more was a hope, yet Jesus said to have more stuff doesn’t bring security, and there’s more to life than what we have. In the previous verses, Jesus said life is more than what we eat and what we wear. He said that worrying cannot add even one hour to our lives.

Didn’t we already know that? Yet worry continues to be a favorite past-time, even though we know it doesn’t change anything and is physically harmful to us. In a recent newsletter from Abingdon Baptist Church, my friend Steve Pollard wrote, "When human beings are anxious, our brains release tons of hormones into our bloodstreams that mimic the same fight or flight responses that were essential to the survival of our ancestors. Things like the release of excess stomach acid, elevated blood pressure, faster heartbeat, and increased adrenaline in the bloodstream are great when you’re running from a wild animal, but they are harmful when maintained at a high level if you’re anxious about an aging parent, or a child leaving home, or losing your job.

"There are some other things that affect our faith that arise from being anxious. When we are anxious, we are not using the thinking and reasoning part of our brain. The chemicals released into our bodies as a result of anxiety keep us from using the best part of our brain, the frontal lobes, for their intended purpose. That’s why when we’re in trouble, everything seems crazy. Nothing makes sense. We just don’t seem to be able to think, let alone concentrate on something. What’s more, when we get anxious, our best thoughts about God and other people go right out the window. They are still there in the brain, we just can’t get to them because we’re too busy feeling and reacting. Jesus was very logical. He said, "Worry gets you no where. It fixes nothing. It changes nothing. You’re just feeling and reacting. When you get anxious, you need to think about God." (The Banner. August 14, 2007. Vol. XXXII, No. 33)

Being ready to lose anxiety requires intentional actions. Some people are chronic worriers, and overcoming that pattern is difficult. When Jesus said, "Don’t be anxious," and "worrying cannot help you," that was only part of that equation. We are to replace the anxiety with something else. Managing the anxiety requires us to trade the worrying for something better. Losing the anxiety requires us to make some other recognitions.

The first words of the passage were, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Those words follow Jesus’s famous discourse about seeking God’s kingdom first. The phrase "Don’t be afraid," is often used in the gospels. Angels used it as they approached Zachariah about the birth of John the Baptist, as they approached Mary about the birth of Jesus, and as they proclaimed the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. Each time, the first words of the angel were, "Do not be afraid." The root of worry and anxiety is fear, and Jesus told those who surrounded him, "Do not be afraid, because God wants to give you the kingdom." These words were uttered as Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. On his way to the cross, Jesus said, "Don’t worry. Don’t be anxious. God wants to give you good gifts. Possessions aren’t nearly as important as you think. Seek God rather than placing your trust in what is temporal or in what won’t last."

Our fears are to be replaced with more deliberate focus on God, the One who is greater than any fear, the One who has created us, the One who wants to give us good gifts. Prioritizing what is important can help make us be ready to lose anxiety. If we continue to focus on earthly treasures, our anxiety will grow. If we choose to recognize what is most important, namely our relationship with God, then anxiety can diminish.

We are encouraged to place possessions in their rightful place. We sometimes allow our possessions to control us: we wonder if we will have enough to send our children to college. We wonder if we will have enough money to retire when we want to do so, and then we will wonder if the amount of money we have saved will be enough to take care of us as we age. We worry about protecting what we have: our houses, our vehicles, and other stuff. We place our faith and trust in things, because we’ve bought into the old adage, "The one with the most toys wins," but Jesus saw things much differently. If we treasure possessions, we will give them too much attention, but again, Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." We are to put possessions in their rightful place.

Donald Trump, the famous businessman, is reported to have net assets of two billion dollars. There is a story about Trump's generosity with a stranger. It is said that Trump's limousine broke down on the Garden State Parkway on the way home from Atlantic City during a weekend excursion. An unemployed auto mechanic stopped to help, succeeded in getting the limo running, and then refused to accept any payment for his services. Trump was so impressed that the next day, he sent flowers to the mechanic's wife and a certified letter stating that the man's mortgage had been paid in full. Trump refuses to confirm or deny the story or say exactly what he did for the charitable mechanic. "I don't do those kinds of things for publicity," he said.

What a deal that would be, to have someone really rich taking care of you. If you knew that they had money and that they would gladly help you, you could be free from many a worry. You would finally have financial security, which is a quest on many people’s wish-lists. So if a person doesn't have an endless supply of money, can someone ever be secure? That all depends on where security is sought.

That's what Jesus is saying. He's saying that a person can be secure. "Make for yourselves purses and wallets that will never wear out. Give it away. Give it to the poor. Out of the treasures of your heart, give, and you will be secure in heaven and free from worry here on earth. (Adapted from an unknown source.)

Today’s New Testament lesson actually has two foci: anxiety and readiness. Many do not see the correlation, but I think that anxiety doesn’t automatically vanish. As I said earlier, losing anxiety is a choice. We have to replace it with something.

Many schools are back in session this week or next week. Here is a story for all of the teachers, students, and school personnel who are getting ready for another academic year. Lutheran pastor Larry Henning tells a humorous story about when he was in the fourth grade. He writes: Our teacher, Mrs. Cannon, would periodically leave the room and say, "I'll be back in a few minutes. Just work quietly at your desks on your math worksheets." Now, my friends and I tried hard to figure out just when Mrs. Cannon was coming back. We would take turns going to the door to see if she was indeed making her return. Why this obsession about the exact timing of her return? Because in her absence, we were throwing chalkboard erasers around the room and didn't want to get caught by her sudden and unexpected reappearance. Mrs. Cannon was a good teacher who was nice most of the time, but her wrath in response to willful disobedience was an awesome thing to behold . . . Meanwhile, our classmate Elaine never worried about just when Mrs. Cannon might reappear. Why? Because Elaine would be at her desk the whole time faithfully doing her math -- faithfully doing what Mrs. Cannon asked her to do. Whenever Mrs. Cannon would return, she would find Elaine faithfully at work. Elaine was so good!

The purpose of sharing this story -- a story on which some of us may have variations -- is to suggest an analogy to the gospel reading. In the story, Elaine is doing the work her teacher has set before her. So whenever her teacher returns, she is busily engaged in her work. She has no need to fear the return of her teacher, unlike the boys in the story.

In our lives, the Teacher, the Rabbi from Nazareth, has given us work to do as well. We are to live as those who belong to God. We are to love as those who belong to God. (Larry Henning, adapted by Mark Richardson, Ready to Risk) If we choose to worry rather than choosing to focus on God, then we aren’t ready to lose anxiety.

Jesus warned against choosing to focus on what doesn’t last. Instead we are to live lives that reflect what does last. Keeping our focus on God, rather than on our possessions, frees us from some of the worries that can paralyze us.

None of us can control the future. We can certainly prepare for it, and we would be foolish not to do so. Hearing hurricane warnings and doing nothing is not smart. We know that as a church, changes will continue because of staff vacancies and an aging building with worn-out systems. Choosing to act rather than having to react will continue to prove to be the better option. Choosing to place God as the most important relationship in our life also allows us to keep the rest of our worries in check. Our health and the health of our friends and family members will fail us. National security and the world’s ills cannot be solved overnight. None of us have command over the economy, gas prices, or the stock market. But while we have no control over all of these, we can control how we act and react. We can control whether we choose to worry about things we cannot change. We can decide to try to do the right thing, to live ethically, and to practice mercy. And when we put our possessions in the proper perspective, when we show our love for God by how we treat others, and when we place our relationship with God above everything else, we will be more ready to lose whatever anxiety that seeks to control us. Where our treasures are, there will our hearts be also. AMEN.