Performance Appraisal (Gulp!): The 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

[Note: The first draft of this week's homily appears at the end of this article]

Okay, who doesn't get sweaty palms when it comes to annual performance evaluations?

I know, I know...performance appraisals are helpful in many ways. They are meant to be positive, encouraging and constructive. Yet we all know of (or have experienced) bosses who fit the description of the master in this Sunday's gospel: "a demanding person who harvested what he did not plant, reaped what he did not sow" (Matthew 25:14-30). Such employers are apt to used performance appraisals in a negative way.

And what about the bloke who gets fired at the end of the passage? Is there anyone who does not identify with him to at least some degree?

From a blue collar point of view, this reading calls for some serious thinking. The following statement from a church manuel on performance evaluation might be a good place to start:

One reason performance appraisals are looked upon with suspicion by many employees is the perception that the evaluations are usually negative and punitive in both nature and outcome. The negative use of performance appraisals may be indicative of a negative belief about people. As Christians, however, we believe that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God and are, therefore, fundamentally good. This means that change and growth are not only possible but natural and necessary elements leading to one's God-given destiny of wholeness and completeness.

I realize that this is "management talk" and many workers simply do not experience the work environment as a place where their talents are acknowledged or appreciated.

Given this situation, how might a preacher help his or her listeners better appreciate the gift of their talents?
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FIRST DRAFT:

Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus' stories have a way of staying with you, don’t they?
We hear them over and over and,
like a song on the Top Twenty chart,
they have a way of sticking in your head.

“The Good Shepherd”
“The Good Samaritan”
“The Prodigal Son”

We love these parables
and practically know them by heart.

But some of the parable, like the one we just heard,
have more of an edge.

Some people call this story “The Parable of the Talents.”
But given the kick-in-the-pants
that one guy gets at the end of the story
--the guy who started with only one talent and decided to bury it—
another name for the parable might be
“The Story of the Under-achiever.”

This isn’t a story about forgiveness or salvation.
It’s a lesson about accountability….
the Bible’s version of the “Annual Performance Evaluation” at work.

Performance appraisals aren’t real popular,
so this parable probably isn’t on our “Top Twenty” chart.

But it does remind me of a popular country song
that’s currently on the Top Twenty.
It’s a song by Montgomery Gentry
and, like today’s parable, it’s about an under-achiever.

Here are some of the lyrics:

A son graduatin’ from college, that was Momma’s dream.
But I was on my way to anywhere else when I turned eighteen.
When you got a fast car, you think you got everything.

I learned real quick those GTO's don't run on faith

I fell in love next thing I know
Babies came and the car got sold
Sure do miss that old Hot Rod…
Dad I wonder if I ever let you down
If you're ashamed how I turned out,
Well he lowered his voice, then he raised his brow
Said, "Let me tell you right now

That's something to be proud of
That's a life you can hang your hat on
You don't need to make a million, just be thankful to be workin'
If you're doin' what you're able
Puttin' food there on the table
And providing for the family that you love
That's something to be proud of"

In this song, a young man gets off to a tough start.
He doesn’t make it big,
but he makes it work.

And that’s what life’s about.

And that’s what this parable is about.

It doesn’t matter what we start with,
what’s important is how we finish.

Like any parent,
God wants us to end up with a life
we can hang our hat on,
a life we can be proud of.

As we make our way through November
and draw near the end of the Church’s year,
the question posed in Montgomery Gentry’s song
is one that fits today’s gospel
and the atmosphere of this time of year:
“Lord, did I let down?
Have you been disappointed in the way my life turned out?”

For us Christians, it all turns on whether
we have a faith we can hang a hat on.

Can you hear Christ saying to you today something like this:

"You don’t need to make a million,
just be thankful that you’re something with those in need."

"You don’t need to a hero,
just be thankful that you’re doing your best for me."

"You don’t need to be an angel,
just be thankful you’re practicing good virtue."

These are the “investments” that matter to Christ.
And the dividends they pay are what matter to us.