From the pen of our pastor

The world of the generous grows larger and larger.

                            (Proverbs 11:24 – The Message)

The verse above sets the theme for this year’s stewardship effort in the life of The United Church of Big Rapids, so I will use it as the background for this “Pastor’s Message.”

Perhaps you have noticed that we have begun the annual stewardship campaign at The United Church.  The signs are all around us: stewardship inserts can be found in Sunday morning bulletins; members of the congregation have been asked to share “stewardship moments” in worship; the “Pastor’s letter” has been sent out; and the pledge cards will soon be sent out accompanied by a letter from Don Stephen (Stewardship chairman). Yes, stewardship season in upon us.

The Rev. Hamilton Throckmorton, a UCC pastor in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, describes stewardship this way: “Stewardship, in a nutshell, is remembering that what we have is a lot. And that what we have is a loan.”

We have a lot.  Maybe you’ve seen that set of statistics that describes the economic condition of the world’s population.  I don’t recall all the statistics, but one of them was that if you own a car (no matter the age or condition) you rank among the world’s most privileged people.  (I think the statistic was that only 8% of people world-wide own a car.) If you factor in other things like living in safe and comfortable homes, having access to clean drinking water, having enough food, owning a television and other such things; we would have to admit that we are among the world’s richest people.

“What we have is a loan.” I’d only slightly alter Rev. Throckmorton’s thought by saying, “What we have is also a gift.”  That breath of clean air you just took in---that was a gift.  That drink of water you had a few minutes ago; it didn’t look like much, but it was a gift.  The warm and comfortable home you’re reading this newsletter in---that too is a gift.  The last meal you ate---you got it …gift.

Of course, in our culture we are continually pressured to compare our gifts against someone else’s.  We see someone who seems to have more gifts than we do and we start wondering when we are going to get what we deserve.  We feel anxious when we compare our homes, meals, cars, etc. against those of others.  In the words of the Ten Commandments what happens when we do this is that we start to “covet” our neighbor’s goods.  And that starts us down the road of wondering if there are enough gifts to go around. We wonder if there is going to be enough for us…enough for retirement…enough for that long planned for vacation…enough for (add your own word here). As we wonder and worry our world starts to close in around us. We start to look at other people, other nations, other cultures, as if they were eyeing our gifts.  We become defensive and suspicious.   In the words of Proverbs 11:24b “our world grows smaller and smaller.”

What’s the antidote for a shrinking world?  The Bible says it’s a glad and generous heart.  Jesus once described this as “cheerful giving” as in “God loves a cheerful giver.” As followers of Jesus we are called to counter coveting with gratitude and joyful generosity.  The question that ought to be foremost in our minds as Christians is “How can I grow my world larger through my giving and sharing. To live in the way of Jesus is to constantly be asking ourselves “What can I give? What can I share? What can I do to be more generous?”  Because all of us can give something, share something, do something – here, now, today, and then tomorrow and the next day. What can you do to be more generous? What is the next step for you? You have been blessed. What can you give to show your gratitude to God? Who are you going to bless?

The antidote to idolatry and coveting is gratitude and generosity, pure and simple. And so we give, in support of the ministry and mission of our church along with agencies and organizations that are doing good work in the world. We give because as St. Francis of Assisi put it, “It is in giving that we receive.”  It is through being generous that our world grows larger and larger.

Pastor Jon