As many of you know, this past week I was at a conference for clergy. The name of the conference is CREDO, which is Latin for “I believe.” It’s the root of the word “creed,” as in the Apostle’s Creed, or the Nicene Creed.
The conference is intended to help clergy get the various aspects of their lives in order that may have gotten out of whack during their ministries, or, to address a sense of change or a desire for a move forward.
Each of the conference participants begins by determining who they are – that is, where they came from, who they have been, and who they are now. Things are always in a state of change, and so once a person has determined who they are now they begin a process of discernment, to discover what areas they would like to change, and where they would like to be in the future. This is particularly helpful for those people who are preparing to retire, or for whom life’s priorities have gotten thrown off balance. People do this for each of the six priorities in their lives. The priorities that each of us need to have in balance include, Physical Health, Mental Health, Relationships, Spirituality, our Job, and Financial Health. If any one of these things gets out of balance, people’s lives begin to feel as though they are not operating at their full capacity, and that sort of thing can bring about stress, or a feeling of constantly putting out fires, rather than living life to the fullest – to living abundantly. This is why everyone needs to take the time to reevaluate their lives, and determine future goals to address any concerns, something they call a Rule of Life. Once people know what they need to do, they determine a plan to begin new practices and habits in their lives that will address their new goals. Once people have determined their goals, they allow God to transform their lives, so that their lives can find balance and joy again, or face their move forward with courage and excitement.
These six priorities, and the practice of determining what might need change or adjustment is a great tool. One that can be used by any individual – and even churches. In fact, we did much of the same process when we worked through the Day of Discovery back in March. That process helped us determine who we are as a church, and the things we valued, and how we wanted to move forward. That process helped us bring in new things like the Farmer’s Market, the monthly classes on faith and what it means to be an Episcopalian, the game day, the upcoming movie day, Bible Studies, and more. Just looking at what the Day of Discovery did for the church, I’m sure you can imagine how beneficial this sort of conference is for individual clergy facing challenges or changes in their lives.
Today’s Gospel message gives us a good example of what happens when any individual throws their life priorities out of perspective. We see an unnamed man who is very rich. We don’t know anything else about him, only that he was dressed in fine linen and in purple, and who ate extravagant meals every day. These details in the story are intended not only to show us how rich this man was, but also to let us know that he valued and enjoyed his wealth and the benefits it provided him. And at the gate to his house lay a poor man named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, and who hoped even just to get a little bit of the scraps that came from the rich man’s table. The dogs licked his sores in an attempt to help heal him, meaning that the only kindness that this man Lazarus got was from the animals. Everyone else ignored him, including this rich man who seemed to care only about himself and his riches.
And then this poor man Lazarus died.
And, we are told that the rich man died as well. But both of them ended up in very different places. One ended up in Hades, the underworld, tormented by fire and suffering. The other ended up by the side of Abraham, being comforted for what he had endured while he was on earth.
And the rich man calls out to Abraham, and says, “Send Lazarus down here to bring me some water. Even if it’s just a drop of water on his finger, it will be a blessing to me. This place is really hot, and I am really parched.” To which Abraham says, “You got your blessing while you were on earth, and Lazarus got nothing but evil. Sorry, buddy. And even if I wanted to, there’s this huge gap between us, so it’s not like we could get to you anyway.” <shrugs>
What I find interesting about this passage is that this man, rather than addressing Lazarus, calls out to Abraham, and asks Abraham to send Lazarus down to him. This rich man was still, even in death and being tormented in hell, looking at Lazarus as someone who should serve him. That is, even though Lazarus was now being comforted for the evil he had endured, this rich man considered Lazarus beneath him, and a person who should be at this rich man’s beck and call.
If anyone had their priorities out of whack, it was this rich man, and we can make assumptions about which of priorities he favored. During his lifetime, it seems that his wealth was the most important to him. He loved money and the benefits it brought him. Eating, as the scripture says, “sumptuously” every day means that he likely didn’t care about his physical health either – because he was eating more than he needed. And his request to Abraham about sending Lazarus down like a lackey to relieve him of his stress probably meant that his mental health was in question as well. By ignoring Lazarus all these years as he lay sick and dying outside his home, and then to expect Lazarus to be at his beck and call means that even the torment and torture he was experiencing in Hades did not change his opinion about the poor man Lazarus. He still thought that he was better than Lazarus, and deserved to be catered to. Clearly, life was out of balance. His priorities had been all wrong.
This story in the Gospel is a warning for those of us who neglect certain areas of our lives. Because when we neglect them, we find ourselves like this rich man. But rather than in Hades, it might be in a hell of our own making.
But the warning doesn’t just come from this rich man. It also comes from the conversation that continues. The rich man says, “I have brothers. Send Lazarus to warn them not to make the same mistakes that I have made.” And Abraham says, “They have Moses and the prophets. Your brothers should pay attention to what they have heard and been taught.” And the rich man pleads with Abraham and says, “If someone comes back from the dead, they are sure to listen, and can avoid the same fate as I have now.” And Abraham says, with a wink and a shrug, “If they didn’t listen to the prophets, then they won’t listen even to someone who has been resurrected from the dead.”
That last part is obviously Luke getting in a jab to his listeners, because, after all, this entire Gospel of Luke’s is about the death and resurrection of Jesus and what that death and resurrection mean for all people – including Lazarus and this rich man.
This death of Christ and his resurrection open up to all people a way to live life, and live it abundantly. And I don’t mean abundantly in the sense of this rich man. I mean abundantly in that we thrive, and bloom, and explode with joy, by balancing all aspects of our life, and bringing us to a place of contentment. As Paul says, “there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment.”
This story of Lazarus and the rich man is not just a warning, but also a challenge.
One of my CREDO statements in the Rule of Life was in the Spirituality category. It’s a simple phrase that I can use to remind myself what my priority needs to be when things seem to get out of whack. It is:
“Change your orbit, change the world.”
The intention of this phrase is supposed to make me question what my life revolves around at that moment. Is it finances? Is it my health? Is it relationships? If any of these areas are more important than God at that moment in my life, then my orbit has shifted, and things are guaranteed to get out of whack and derail my life.
Each of us must ask ourselves this same question whenever we get the chance: What is the biggest priority in my life right now? And the answer should never be a what. Hopefully it will always be a who.
[This sermon was delivered at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Wickenburg, AZ on September 28, 2025.]
