Today, a prayer from Walter Brueggemann:
We Are Takers
You are the giver of all good things.
All good things are sent from heaven above,
rain and sun,
day and night,
justice and righteousness,
bread to the eater and
seed to the sower,
peace to the old,
energy to the young,
joy to the babes.
We are takers, who take from you,
day by day, daily bread,
taking all we need as you supply,
taking in gratitude and wonder and joy.
And then taking more,
taking more than we need,
taking more than you give us,
taking from our sisters and brothers,
taking from the poor and the weak,
taking because we are frightened, and so greedy,
taking because we are anxious, and so fearful,
taking because we are so driven, and so uncaring.
Give us peace beyond our fear, and so end our greed.
Give us well-being beyond our anxiety, and so end our fear.
Give us abundance beyond our drivenness,
and so end our uncaring.
Turn our taking into giving … since we are in your giving image:
make us giving like you,
giving gladly and not taking,
giving in abundance, not taking,
giving in joy, not taking,
giving as he gave himself up for us all,
giving, never taking.
Amen.
Blessings,
Ron
Showing posts with label giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giving. Show all posts
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Contribution or commitment ...
At first, this scripture may seem remote from us;
Paul is reminding the Corinthians of a commitment
that they had made to a relief effort for others.
But there is something challenging here for us, too.
How do we gauge our part in a work?
What is the difference between a contribution and a commitment?
Paul claims Jesus as the ultimate standard; Jesus is the one
who emptied himself of everything (kenosis) so that we might have
anything worthwhile spiritually or physically.
Are we worried about what we get out of ministry here in Hollis,
or is our concern whether or not those who are without have
what they need. Where are we with that?
Hear the word of the Lord:
Now as you excel in everything —
in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness,
and in our love for you —
so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.
I do not say this as a command,
but I am testing the genuineness of your love
against the earnestness of others.
For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
And in this matter I am giving my advice:
it is appropriate for you who began last year
not only to do something but even to desire to do something —
now finish doing it,
so that your eagerness may be matched
by completing it according to your means.
For if the eagerness is there,
the gift is acceptable according to what one has —
not according to what one does not have.
I do not mean that there should be
relief for others and pressure on you,
but it is a question of a fair balance between
your present abundance and their need,
so that their abundance may be for your need,
in order that there may be a fair balance.
As it is written,
"The one who had much did not have too much,
and the one who had little did not have too little."
May God help us to open ourselves to his word.
Blessings,
Ron
2 Corinthians 8:7-15 - NRSV
Paul is reminding the Corinthians of a commitment
that they had made to a relief effort for others.
But there is something challenging here for us, too.
How do we gauge our part in a work?
What is the difference between a contribution and a commitment?
Paul claims Jesus as the ultimate standard; Jesus is the one
who emptied himself of everything (kenosis) so that we might have
anything worthwhile spiritually or physically.
Are we worried about what we get out of ministry here in Hollis,
or is our concern whether or not those who are without have
what they need. Where are we with that?
Hear the word of the Lord:
Now as you excel in everything —
in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness,
and in our love for you —
so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.
I do not say this as a command,
but I am testing the genuineness of your love
against the earnestness of others.
For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
And in this matter I am giving my advice:
it is appropriate for you who began last year
not only to do something but even to desire to do something —
now finish doing it,
so that your eagerness may be matched
by completing it according to your means.
For if the eagerness is there,
the gift is acceptable according to what one has —
not according to what one does not have.
I do not mean that there should be
relief for others and pressure on you,
but it is a question of a fair balance between
your present abundance and their need,
so that their abundance may be for your need,
in order that there may be a fair balance.
As it is written,
"The one who had much did not have too much,
and the one who had little did not have too little."
May God help us to open ourselves to his word.
Blessings,
Ron
2 Corinthians 8:7-15 - NRSV
Monday, October 27, 2008
Commitment and contribution
This week’s devotionals come from the pen of Jeremy Luallen:
This line of devotionals comes from my country boy roots. There are so many great sayings that, as my mom always says, will preach. One of the first and best sayings that I remember is Ham and Eggs: who gave more for your breakfast? On one hand, you have the chicken who gave an egg or two. On the other hand, the pig gave his life for your morning repast.
This is a silly way of saying, how much of ourselves are we really giving to others? We can give some and just feel better about ourselves for how much we think we may have given. Or, we can really give of our lives spiritually, physically, and mentally. I don't want to think of myself or you as pigs, but I do want us to realize on a daily basis what we give to those around us.
One of my favorite verses is John 21:25: "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." Jesus gave us everything and then some of himself. So much that the world couldn't even hold the good news of all the things he did. And the best part is he didn't want to stop giving.
For our country boy charge and challenge for the day...see if you can give a little bit more to someone who could use the help. They may need something you have and don't even realize it. May God bless you with everything you need when you need it.
Peace be with you too.
Jeremy
This line of devotionals comes from my country boy roots. There are so many great sayings that, as my mom always says, will preach. One of the first and best sayings that I remember is Ham and Eggs: who gave more for your breakfast? On one hand, you have the chicken who gave an egg or two. On the other hand, the pig gave his life for your morning repast.
This is a silly way of saying, how much of ourselves are we really giving to others? We can give some and just feel better about ourselves for how much we think we may have given. Or, we can really give of our lives spiritually, physically, and mentally. I don't want to think of myself or you as pigs, but I do want us to realize on a daily basis what we give to those around us.
One of my favorite verses is John 21:25: "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." Jesus gave us everything and then some of himself. So much that the world couldn't even hold the good news of all the things he did. And the best part is he didn't want to stop giving.
For our country boy charge and challenge for the day...see if you can give a little bit more to someone who could use the help. They may need something you have and don't even realize it. May God bless you with everything you need when you need it.
Peace be with you too.
Jeremy
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