Sermon Preached at The Church of The Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia Sunday November 10th 01!

The Reverend "lan Neale #$our %oral &e'acy() He was definitely a man making his mark his land ownership was increasing by leaps and bounds, his flocks and cattle were flourishing and productive, his family was numerous and happy and he was in good health. Without a doubt if Forbes 500 e isted in the time of !ob then his business would have been high on the list and !ob would definitely have been an entrepreneur of note. "n such abundance !ob understandably considered he was making his mark, and a mark that had about it the sense of eternity but then# disaster struck and almost at a breath land was lost, cattle and flocks destroyed, family hit by disaster and he was struck with a skin illness untreated by even the best dermatologists of the day. $hus begins the book of !ob in Hebrew %cripture and thus begins the inner turmoil of the man who had to confront the transient, earthbound nature of all that he had once held dear that which had given him significance and promised him substance. $he inner &ourney of the man !ob is the inner &ourney of each of us there is something buried, sometimes deeply buried, that yearns for good connections with the eternally significant and sublimely real. $he &ourney is not direct, it is beset with many distractions and digressions' the &ourney is not constant, it is plagued by stops and starts and the &ourney is not age sensitive as the young in heart may discover the truth while the cardiologically old may be confused. (ut, as we read in today)s first lesson *!ob +,-, the moment comes when !ob discovers what is worthy of making a good connection# he says with poignant reali.ation, /0 that my words were written down1 0 that they were inscribed in a book1 0 that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock forever2. " wonder# what is it that " would want to have so permanently engraved and resolutely etched3 $oday it is common for those preparing wills to think also about the 4moral legacy) that they wish to leave to family, to friends, to generations to come. What would be, what is, your and mine moral legacy3 $his was !ob)s moral legacy# /" know that my 5edeemer lives and that at the last He will stand upon the earth2. $his was !ob)s moral legacy# e periencing the eternal */" know that my 5edeemer lives2and e pecting the eternal */and that at the last He shall stand upon the earth2-. *+periencin' the *ternal, Here the stress, the emphasis, the prominence is given to the /now2, /the sanctity of the present moment2. !ob asserts with modest confidence that

he knows# he knows that the 5edeemer is his and that the 5edeemer lives. "t is this that he wants engraved, etched in stone' it is this that becomes his most profound be6uest. Friends, it is this for which we yearn and without which we never fully make /the good connection2 with the eternal for which we are made, created and shaped. "t has been for over +50 years and is now the witness of this faith community, this church that relationship with the eternal, with the divine, is possible and can be continually discovered as it is /new every morning2. We may feel uncomfortable when confronted with the 6uestion, /7o you have a personal relationship with 8od, with !esus32 but the 6uestion is basic and through worship and prayer, through service and community we affirm the 6uestion is valid and not presented to tease, tantali.e or taunt us. (ut !ob)s confidence rests not only in the present but also in the eternal future# he e pects, as well as e periences, eternity. /9t the last he shall stand upon the earth2 and here the present is assessed, evaluated, weighed by the future hope. $he %adducees, poor things and those to be pitied, the %adducees had no place for a future life beyond the grave' in fact, as today)s 8ospel shows, they used it only as a ploy to entrap and belittle !esus. :ot so with !ob he had discovered a truth by which to live, a belief in which to breathe and it was this he wanted engraved and etched as a moral legacy for friends and family, enemies and ac6uaintances alike. :ow !ob)s story concludes with almost a fairy;tale happy ending land and animals, family and health are restored to him in abundance but now he co;e ists with the temporal in light of the eternal. <lease 8od, !ob)s story is not compulsory though it is compelling. $he story of !ob need not be lived out in our lives but the pattern of his &ourney is primal, mythic truth for those who yearn to discover the truth worthy of a moral legacy to be included alongside our wills. "n two very brief weeks we focus on the use and distribution of our possessions in the light of eternity' these pledge cards almost give substance and credibility to whatever moral legacy we wish to be6ueath. " hope that as you complete these =0+> Financial <ledges you will be mindful of the constant needs to maintain the structure of our property and the integrity of our programs. (ut " also hope that as you complete these <ledges they will be response to the e perience of the eternal as well as it sure e pectation.

?an this be my, your, moral legacy that we be6ueath to family and friends, /0 that my words were written down1 0 that they were inscribed in a book1 0 that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock2. For this task, @ord give us confidence and give us courage. 9AB: