Stewardship Emphasis 2002 Gifts From The Heart Stewardship Emphasis, part 1 Giving From The Heart Stewardship Commitment Sunday

Gifts From The Heart
John 12: 1-8 & Luke 12: 32-34
Roger C. Lynn
March 17, 2002
Stewardship Emphasis, part 1

In the interest of full disclosure, I need to begin by informing you that this is a stewardship sermon. I will be talking about giving and money will be mentioned. In addition, I plan to do it again in three weeks. You have now been warned.

Stewardship is about everything we do with everything we have. And such a discussion must always begin with God. From the perspective of faith, there can be no discussion about stewardship apart from a consideration of the primary ways in which God affects the picture. At the most basic of levels, it is our understanding of who God is, how God relates to us, and how we relate to God that forms the foundation upon which our decisions about stewardship are formed.

In the beginning God created the world and everything in the world, including us. And the blueprint which God used in creating us was nothing less than the very image of God. At the core of our being we bear the imprint of our creator -- God’s nature indelibly stamped into the fabric of what it means to be human. And one of the central characteristics of God is that of generous giver of gifts. From Genesis to the Psalms to the Gospels to Paul’s letters, we find expressions of genuine gratitude for God’s gifts of life and love and grace. In the words of one of the most familiar verses in all of scripture, “For God so loved the world that he gave...” (John 3:16) In the passage from Luke’s Gospel which was read a few moments ago, we find Jesus telling his disciples, “...it is God’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) Giving is what God does. It is who God is.

We experience this reality in a variety of ways which most of the time we simply take for granted. Take a moment to notice your breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. Oxygen rich air is filling your lungs, where it is transferred to the blood cells which are coursing through your body, making it possible for you to live and move and think and experience the world around you. “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7) We also experience God’s gifts in the beauty of the world around us -- from the sunlight glinting off fresh snow, to the hills of the Palouse turning green with the coming of spring, to the sound of a waterfall, to the fragrance and color of flowers in blossom. While I was serving as Associate Minister at First Christian Church in Fort Smith, Arkansas, almost 20 years ago, I directed high school camp at Camp Galilee on Bull Shoals Lake in the north central part of the state. Every evening we would take a two-minute “ooooh aaaahhh yay God” break to admire the gorgeous sunset as it turned the lake a variety of astounding colors and shades. And we experience God’s gifts in the relationships we have with those around us. The writers of the book of Genesis recognized that such relationships are a gift from God. So I invite you to notice the friends and family sitting around you, and reflect on those people who touch your life and make a difference. Be aware that God’s gift giving nature is reflected here as well. On June 8, 1990, I became a dad -- not in a hospital, but in a court room. I had the rare privilege of hearing an eight-year-old girl respond to a judge’s question and say yes, she wanted to be my daughter. Twelve years later I still count Casey’s presence in my life as a gift from the heart of God.

So, here we are, humans being created in the image of a generous God, with that impulse to give literally in our blood. What does that mean for the ways we go about living our lives? Both by design and by example, God’s giving nature calls us to be generous as well. The order of Jesus’ instructions in Luke’s Gospel is significant. He begins by reminding them that God desires nothing less than to give them the kingdom. When we begin to live our lives out of that kind of trust, then we can risk responding by giving ourselves away to those around us. It is an economy where relationships, with God and with each other, form the bottom line. When we recognize that we are the recipients of gifts from the heart of God, then we can also begin to allow our own hearts to guide our giving. Such an approach to life leads to more unified, holistic living, where our faith, our priorities, our passions and our resources are all brought into harmony. In John’s Gospel, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, understood that she had received a gift from the heart of God. Jesus had called her brother back from the tomb. Thus enriched, she responded in kind. The extravagance of her gift -- both the costly perfume and her personal devotion -- were questioned by the disciples. But Jesus understood and affirmed her response. In the words of Ann Weems, “an extravagance of the heart is a fine and beautiful thing.” (from “Counting The Cost” in Kneeling in Jerusalem by Ann Weems) When our giving is done out of duty or obligation or guilt, whether it is our money or our time or our talents, then we have missed at least half of the point. The gift can still effect a change in the world, but our attitude prevents it bringing about a change within us. Every month when I write my check to the church, I try to remember to pause and reflect on what I’m doing and why. I think about all the good which will be made possible and the lives that will be touched. And I give thanks for the opportunity I have to participate in the work of God in the world. I genuinely try to be a grateful giver. It doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes I get busy and forget to do more than simply write the check. But my life is always richer when I remember.

The challenge before us is to recognize that we are called to give not simply to assist those in need, or to support the church, or because we think it is our religious duty. We are called to give because it provides us with an opportunity to become more fully who we were created to be -- generous, giving people. Offering gifts from the heart is a way of bringing our lives in tune with both creation and the Creator. In the coming weeks I invite you to spend some time reflecting on the gifts you have received from the heart of God. And on the ways in which you can offer your own gifts from the heart in response. May we become the people God created us to be.

Giving From The Heart
Luke 12: 32-34 & Romans 12: 4-21
Roger C. Lynn
April 7, 2002
Stewardship Commitment Sunday

Three weeks ago I warned you that I would be preaching this sermon. I always strive to keep my word, so this will, in fact, be a stewardship sermon, as advertised. As was the case on March 17th, I will be talking about giving and money will be mentioned. And the doors have been locked, so you can’t leave until I’m finished. OK, that last part isn’t actually true, but I really would appreciate it if you would stay and listen.

“It is God’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) That’s what Jesus promises us. We are the recipients of God’s ongoing love and generosity -- gifts straight from the heart of God. Giving is what God does.

By any but the most narrowly focused of comparisons we are all rich beyond imagining. We have roofs over our heads and we don’t go to bed hungry. We have access to running water and indoor plumbing. We can afford to buy everything we need and most of what we want -- even if we do confuse wants with needs sometimes. And when we begin to measure our wealth in terms other than financial we quickly run out of room on the chart. We have family and friends who love us, a congregation that cares about us and supports us, a community that is safe and lively, and a God who promises to fill us to overflowing with abundant life.

The question then comes to us -- what will we do with the gifts we have been given? Will we choose to make a difference in our world and in the lives of those around us? Or will we choose instead to keep our gifts to ourselves, like a bottle of rare wine we are saving for some special occasion? In order to answer such questions, we really need to step back and ask a more basic, foundational question -- do we understand our lives primarily from an individual perspective or from a community perspective? Is it just me against the world, or do I engage the world from within the context of family, friends, colleagues and partners? The answer we give to such a question will say a lot about what we choose to do with the gifts in our lives. Or, perhaps, it is actually the reverse which is true. As uncomfortable as it might be to admit, it may be that the ways we choose to deal with our gifts says much about what we really believe regarding individual versus community orientations of life. If we find ourselves clinging tightly to what we understand to be ours -- whether that is money, or time, or talents, or friendships -- then maybe we really don’t place as much value or trust in community as we would like to believe. If we are afraid to risk letting go of our treasures, then perhaps we really don’t have much trust that God can be counted on.

What we do with what we have been given matters. It matters because it says a lot about what we truly believe. And it matters because it helps to shape who we truly are. I choose to live my life as if Paul’s description of the world is correct. “For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in one another.” (Romans 12:4-5) I am convinced that community is the shape of life which God intends. We are connected to each other. Living as if that is true has particular practical implications.

It means that I will take the risk of sharing myself with those around me. So, for example, you occasionally get to hear about my daughter and my dog and my contra dancing -- the things that matter in my life. It means trusting that I don’t have to do everything, because I am a part of a community where the gifts are distributed among all of us. It means I don’t have to give all the money or provide all the resources required to run the church, because I am a part of a community where the responsibility of supporting the mission of the church is shared. What a limited impact we would make in the world if it was all up to me! It means, in the words of Paul, that I will participate in a community where together we “love one another with mutual affection” and where we seek to “outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10) It means that together we will “rejoice with those who rejoice” and “weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) So, for example, I might have chosen to be more open with you a few weeks ago when my back was giving me fits on Sunday morning and I tried to act as if nothing was wrong. By keeping it to myself I missed out on the opportunity to experience the support of a community that genuinely cares about me. Full participation in this kind of community requires more than just my money. It requires everything I have and everything I am. It means more than just giving. It means giving from the heart. It is absolutely not safe. It is always possible that we will be hurt or disappointed. But it is absolutely worth the risk.

So, the question is really very simple. How do you want to live? Do you want to live a life defined by individualism? Or do you want to live a life defined by community? If you choose the former, you have lots of company. Unfortunately, you can’t really enjoy the company, because everyone is in it for themselves. But if you choose the latter -- community -- then you have to decide to take the risk of sharing yourself. You have to trust that God is trustworthy and living in genuine relationship with others really is the most rewarding and meaningful way of life. Once you start down that path, the rest is simply a matter of details -- what does it look like to share my talents -- how much of my income should I give away -- what is the most loving way to respond to the needs I see around me? I don’t want to pretend that answering such questions is simple or easy. Only that they are secondary to the primary value of letting love be genuine as we share life together in the Body of Christ. When we decide to allow our giving to come from the heart, the details tend to fall into place.

As I said at the end of my sermon on March 17th, I invite you to reflect on the gifts you have received from the heart of God. And on the ways in which you can offer your own gifts from the heart in response. Then, together, as a community of faith, we may begin to become the giving people God created us to be. In the words of Ann Weems, “May our hearts swell to the occasion!”