Earlier today a local minister advanced a copy of his sermon for Sunday morning and I was quick to pickup on a question he will be asking his congregations in a multiple charge: "Do we grow in generosity to where our giving actually costs us something...or are we just giving what costs us nothing."
My minister friend's Gospel lesson will include a passage that no one can fail to understand. In it Jesus is watching as the members of the worshipping congregation deposit their temple offerings into the collection basket. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow puts in a tiny amount. Jesus then calls His disciples to Him and says, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had ..."
The Lesson is unambiguous. Jesus could very well say that the poor widow put in more than the others because He knew that her gift, however small, was given from the heart. Her outward worship offering reflected the quality of her inner response to the experience of God's Loving Presence. Her gift of everything she possessed symbolized the unconditional surrender of her entire being.
Now I ask you friends, if we do in fact give to the work of our churches, does it cost us something? In other words, have we given until it hurts? For me, I can truly confess I have to think twice about that and the answer is: I have given what little I could afford, but I can't say that I have sacrificed much in the process.
My minister friend's Gospel lesson will include a passage that no one can fail to understand. In it Jesus is watching as the members of the worshipping congregation deposit their temple offerings into the collection basket. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow puts in a tiny amount. Jesus then calls His disciples to Him and says, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had ..."
The Lesson is unambiguous. Jesus could very well say that the poor widow put in more than the others because He knew that her gift, however small, was given from the heart. Her outward worship offering reflected the quality of her inner response to the experience of God's Loving Presence. Her gift of everything she possessed symbolized the unconditional surrender of her entire being.
Now I ask you friends, if we do in fact give to the work of our churches, does it cost us something? In other words, have we given until it hurts? For me, I can truly confess I have to think twice about that and the answer is: I have given what little I could afford, but I can't say that I have sacrificed much in the process.
Out of necessity, I've intentionally been careful about making ends meet. Does that mean then that I should now start feeling guilty about frugality that has spilled over into church offerings? In my case, put up or shut up? Maybe both!!??
In retrospect, when I consider rent and mortgage payments, all the taxes I've paid, my bills and other costs of mere survival on top of church and other charitable donations, more often than not there was nothing left over at the end of the month...Now, that HURTS!
In retrospect, when I consider rent and mortgage payments, all the taxes I've paid, my bills and other costs of mere survival on top of church and other charitable donations, more often than not there was nothing left over at the end of the month...Now, that HURTS!
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