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Monday, November 13, 2006
God's Guide to Gracious Giving
Proverbs 28:20-27; 1 Timothy 6:17-21
It's a graceful cluster of words: Grace, Gratitude, Generosity. God's free gifts of everything we need first elicit our grateful praise, then lead us to share those gifts freely with others. That sequence forms a circle of grace, God's great antidote to worry, envy, and greed.
Some lucky souls may not need a refresher on all this. The rest of us would do well to...
Listen to the GODcast!
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At the Treasury opening night reception, a $20 bill struck up a conversation with a $1 bill.
Comparing notes on their travels, the Twenty said, "I've had lots of fun in many nice places. Las Vegas, L.A., some luxury cruises, a few four star restaurants. Life's been good."
The Single said, "Well, I haven't traveled far like that. But I've been in some nice churches."
The Twenty asked, "Excuse me, what's a church?"
Badda-bing.
Yes. It's stewardship season again. So this week's message is about "gracious giving."
Grace is that religious word for free and generous giving that's done regardless of whether it's deserved, despite the fact it can never be earned. Giving for its own sake. Just because.
And that's why the popular song calls it amazing grace!
I'm convinced that gratefulness for what we've been given is the one true motive to drive generous giving. That sequence creates the divine circle dance that leads us away from the besetting sins of worry, envy, and greed.
It's a tragic irony that greed is not only the deadly risk of wealthy people, but of the poor as well. Jesus warned not only against love of wealth and ease (Matthew 6:24), but also against letting the cares of this life -- sufficient food, clothing, and a safe place to lay your head -- overwhelm trust in God who feeds the smallest birds and clothes the flowers in glory (Matthew 6:25-32).
You can see the connection between "grace" and "gratitude" in English. It's even clearer in Spanish, where you thank someone by saying gracias.
That connection works much better to motivate generosity than the suggestions of a stewardship drive chairman, reported by his pastor John Buchanan in a recent Christian Century editorial.
"He wanted me to arrange to have 'Amazing Grace' played by a bagpiper on Stewardship Sunday. 'Presbyterians can't resist it,' he assured me. One time he suggested that we reconsider the sale of indulgences -- 'the best stewardship program ever.' 'Couldn't you just imply that they're going to hell if they don't raise their pledge?' he asked."
[FYI: It was indulgences, payments of money to the church in exchange for discounts on punishment in the afterlife, that got Martin Luther started on that Reformation thing.]
1 Timothy 6:18 says we live life to its fullest when we learn to "be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share."
The good work of stewardship can be outlined succinctly in the letters of the word "give":
Give money to support God's work
Invite others to share our blessings
Volunteer in helpful service
Everyone together
All of that simply because we're so grateful for what we've received that we could never keep it just for ourselves.
posted by Jack Buckley at
12:06 PM
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