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Blessed to Be a Blessing

As we prepare to remember and give thanks for the blessings in our lives this November, I am reminded of the text from Hebrews 13:16: “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Yet, the invitation to generosity can make a lot of us uncomfortable. Is it because the truth of God’s abundance challenges worldly messages of scarcity? Messages crafted to feed our selfish and self-centered desires. Messages that encourage accumulating, acquiring, and hoarding. Messages that play upon our fears and insecurities, thereby deceiving us into believing that more “things and bling” will lead to personal fulfillment and happiness.

The scarcity ethic is devious because, at its core, the lie of scarcity redirects our focus away from the love of God and neighbor to the “unholy trinity” of me, myself, and I.

Sharing our time, talents, and treasure frees us from the power of mammon (money) and the idolatry of possessions. We give out of glad and generous hearts not because we “have to,” but as an act of worship. We share the gifts entrusted to us in grateful response for everything that God does for us — accompanying us during the joys and tribulations of life, guiding us during times of transition and change, and empowering us to be the church together for the sake of the world.

And this, my dear siblings in Christ, is what stewardship is all about. We do not give to support a budget. We give to support ministries making a positive difference in people’s lives — in our congregation, in the Central States Synod, and throughout the world.

Faithful stewardship recognizes that we have enough, enough to share. Stewardship is an act of worship, an expression of faith, and a spiritual discipline. Simply put, stewardship recognizes that we are blessed to be a blessing as we participate together in God’s saving and reconciling mission for all creation.

Recently I learned about a church ministering to unhoused people in Las Vegas, Nevada, a city not known for its generosity. Each Sunday, the offering plate is passed with the invitation, “Give as you are able; take from it if you are in need.” As the plate is passed, worshippers share what they have — dimes, quarters, and sometimes, a crumpled bill. After receiving the offering and giving thanks to God for the gifts that have been shared, the congregation does something remarkable. The assembly chooses someone, the neediest among them, to receive the offering.

May the same Holy Spirit that empowers and sustains Christ's Church on earth help us to experience the joy of generosity and live into the reality that we are blessed to be a blessing.

In Gratitude and Thanksgiving,
Pastor Jon

Tags: Weekly Word