Sunday, October 11

Giving to the Lord . . .
V is for Vision

“I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”
~Joel 2:28

Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to preach on this text, and as I prepared for the writing and delivery of that sermon, what struck me as fascinating is how the word “vision” is defined in this setting.

When we look closely at the context of this passage of scripture, to see or have a “vision” means “to recognize, discern, and experience the presence of God with and among us.”

Because God is not something we can always readily see before us and/or touch like another human being or an inanimate object such as a piece of paper or a pencil, I think we often forget that God is present with us at all times. It is easy to dismiss God and become distracted by whatever else is going on around us – our families, friends, jobs, school, current worries and concerns, etc. And sometimes, especially when we feel discouraged, when the world seems to be closing in on us, it may even seem as though God has forgotten or abandoned us all together. Even Jesus, in his humanity, felt forsaken by God in the hour of his death on the cross.

But God is with us. God is always with us. God never withdraws his presence from us and leaves us. That’s the promise God has given us, and we read it again and again in scripture. Some of my favorite bible verses which remind us of this blessed assurance can be found in the gospel of Matthew as Jesus gives what has become known as the Great Commission.

“. . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:20b

And here again in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~Romans 8:38-39

Even God’s very name, “Emmanuel” means “God with us.”

Regardless of how we may feel, act, or perceive things to be, God is always with us, beside us, holding out his loving arms to us and calling out our names. It takes time, dedication, daily prayer, the reading and studying of scripture, faithful worship, and fellowship with other Christians to help us learn how to recognize, experience, and discern the presence of God with and among us. We must open not only our eyes, but also our ears, arms, minds, and hearts to the love, joy, and wonder that is God. And when we have an encounter with God, we are to then share that experience with others so that they too may share in the vision.

Every time we reach out to another, we are sharing God with that person. We encounter God in one another when we smile at someone, lend a helping hand, feed the hungry, cloth the poor, visit the prisoner or homebound, encourage a child, pray for the sick, become a listening ear or a comforting shoulder to cry upon, and in ever so many other ways. We can use our gifts and talents, our hands and feet, our whole selves . . . to share the vision, to share the good news of Emmanuel . . . God with us.

Prayer: God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon me that I might see the vision that is you. Amen.

Monday, October 12

Giving to the Lord . . .
G is for Generous

“Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money
Or are you envious because I am generous?”
~Matthew 20:15

As a full-time college student, I spent an entire semester working two jobs to scrimp and save enough money to purchase a round-trip bus ticket from Hancock, MI to Milwaukee, WI in order to visit my best friend, Katie, for her twenty-first birthday. I had to make a lot of sacrifices to put enough money aside, but finally it was all there – and just in time, too. The planned trip was less than a week away.

Two days before my intended departure, my family drove me to the ticket office. While they waited in the car, engine idling at the curbside, I excitedly marched inside and up to the counter. I was so proud that I had been able to obtain the necessary money – working jobs I was not all that crazy about and that only paid a few dollars an hour. It had taken me months. In a few moments, however, I would finally reach my hard-earned goal.

But as I opened my purse to retrieve the cash from my wallet, the ticket agent announced that the cost of my ticket was more than twice the amount of money I had managed to save. I shook my head and said there must be some mistake. The woman behind the counter consulted her computer a second time, re-entering the details of my trip, but the result was the same.

Apparently an error had been made. The agent who had originally quoted me the ticket price had misunderstood the details of my destination.

I was stunned. How could it be that all my efforts had been for naught? After a few moments, I slowly returned my wallet to my purse and dejectedly made my way back to the car. The tears of disappointment and failure began to fall before I even reached the door.

My family knew something was wrong the moment they saw me, and I felt embarrassed as I explained the whole sorry affair to them. I should have realized the price I had been quoted was too low for the trip I was planning. My naivety about such things had lulled me into a false sense of security.

And then the most wonderful thing happened! Without so much as a word, my dad reached into his back pocket, took out his billfold, and handed me one hundred dollars to make up the difference, enabling me to make the ticket purchase.

Now this may not seem like a big deal, but my family never had a lot of money. To put it bluntly, we were poor. It was often a struggle for my parents to pay the monthly bills, keep a roof over our heads, and put food on our table let alone to have anything left for unnecessary extras. I know the money in my father’s wallet that day was to have been used for something important like new clothes for my younger brothers or groceries or some other need our family had, and I will never forget the loving sacrifice he and my mom made so that I could go on my trip.

On that day, my family was generous. I hadn’t done anything to warrant receiving that hundred dollars, and yet they gave it to me, no strings or conditions attached. They gave generously, not out of my need but rather out of their love for me.

God’s love is a lot like that, except God’s love far exceeds every human generosity. Nothing we do is capable of earning God’s love. No matter how hard we work, we will never be able to “save up” or “earn” enough favor with God to “purchase” freedom from our sin and human brokenness. On our own, we are completely undeserving of such mercy.

But God is generous. God looks at us in our sorry state and pours out favor upon us in spite of it all. God came into this world, humbling himself and becoming fully human in the person of Jesus Christ so that our sins would be forgiven, wiped away as far as the east is from the west for all eternity by his immense and generous love.

Jesus sacrificed himself, everything that he is, on the cross for us. He loves us with a love that knows no end, no boundaries. He bestows grace and mercy upon us that is unconditional. He sends the Holy Spirit to us so that we will never be alone, never again be cut off from God. He claims us as his own forever.

Nothing could be more generous than God!

And just as God has been generous to us, God wants us to be generous to others, to share with them the generosity of our God and Savior, to tell of God’s great love through our words and actions.

Be generous.

Prayer: Father, I thank you for your Son. I thank you for loving me and being generous to me. Help me to be like Jesus that I might share your love and generosity with others. Amen.

Tuesday, October 13

Giving to the Lord . . .
T is for Testify

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.
But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,
who has saved us and called us to a holy life –
not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.
~2 Timothy 1:8-9

As disciples and children of God, every day of our lives ought to be lived as Easter people, as people granted new life in Christ Jesus through our Lord’s suffering, death, and resurrection. No greater gift has ever been bestowed upon the world than that which we have received through our Savior. Christ’s unconditional sacrifice has wiped away the sins of the world and has made us blameless before God. No longer are we slaves to sin and death. Instead, the love and grace of God has restored us to righteousness in God’s sight. What wonderful, joyous news this is!

God’s love is so amazing that we should want to tell the whole world about what God has done. But how many times do we go about our daily lives and not even give a single thought to God, much less spread the good news of the gospel? And might there even be times when we, all too like Peter in the courtyard, deny that Christ is our Lord? Maybe it’s because we think we’ll be embarrassed, or maybe it’s because we think the other person might be offended. Maybe we just hold our tongues and temper our actions because we are scared.

Whatever the reason, that is not the life to which we have been called. We are called to share the good news of the gospel with the world around us. In Matthew 28:18-20, we read the words of the Great Commission which say to us,

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Be not ashamed of Jesus Christ and the things our Lord has done. Shout it from the mountaintops, passing on the good news which has been given for all people. Testify and give bold witness to Christ each and every day of your life.

Prayer: God, you are the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the Savior of all people. Help me to boldly proclaim you at all times and in all places. Amen.

Wednesday, October 14

Giving to the Lord . . .
O is for Offering

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love,
just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
~Ephesians 5:1-2

When most of us hear or see the word “offering” we think of things such as the basket or plate that is passed around during worship, the hat handed around at an event, the donation container strategically placed on the counter of a retail shop or restaurant, the bell ringers and the red kettles at Christmas time, or perhaps the Legionnaires or Knights of Columbus with their respective red poppies and Tootsie Rolls. We think of making a contribution to pay the bills, donating to a worthy cause, or giving monetary assistance to the victims of the latest natural disaster. And while it is true that those things are important and can benefit greatly from the financial resources God has entrusted to each of us, there is ever so much more to the offerings we are called to make as disciples and children of God.

Consider the verses from Ephesians above. It tells us that we are to “be imitators of Christ.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I can’t recall a single instance in the Bible where it says Jesus made a monetary contribution to a charitable cause or the temple offering plate. Instead, we read over and over again in scripture, as in this verse, that Jesus gave of himself - his time, his love, his life, his all. Everything that he had. Everything that he was and is. That is one amazing offering of love!

So if we are to be imitators, then we, too, need to offer our whole selves to God. Our time, our talents, our money . . . our very lives. Not just on Sunday morning, but each and every day. At all times and in all places. Everything that we have. Everything that we are and ever will be. Our offerings ought not to be burdensome, not made begrudgingly or out of whatever we have leftover at the end of the day or month but rather with joy and fervent desire to serve God and give back to him the very best of the many blessings and gifts God has first given to us.

That is what it means to be an offering. That is what it means to be a disciple. That is what it means to love as Christ has loved us and become imitators of the Lord.

Prayer: God, you created us and have given us everything that we have. Teach us to be like you and to give where there is need. You offered and gave your life for us. Help us to offer and give our lives to you through service to others. Amen.

Thursday, October 15

Giving to the Lord . . .
L is for Labor

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
~Isaiah 55:2a

When I read this verse, I am immediately reminded of one of my favorite choir anthems, “Come to the Water.”

O let all who thirst, let them come to the water.
And let all who have nothing, let them come to the Lord:
Without money, without price. Why should you pay the price,
Except for the Lord, the Lord?

And let all who seek, let them come to the water.
And let all who have nothing, let them come to the Lord:
Without money, without strife. Why should you spend your life,
Except for the Lord, the Lord?

And let all who toil, let them come to the water.
And let all who are weary, let them come to the Lord:
All who labor without rest. How can your soul find rest,
Except for the Lord, the Lord?

And let all the poor, let them come to the water.
Being the ones who are laden, bring them all to the Lord:
Bring the children without might. Easy the load and light:
Come to the Lord, the Lord.

Come to the water.
Come to the water.
Come to the water.
Come to the Lord.

Words and Music by John B. Foley, S.J. ©1978 & 2000 John B. Foley, S. J. and New Dawn Music.
Hope Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-716597.

What portion of our lives is spent working only for things such as material wealth and possessions? How many long hours do we put in at jobs and other projects to improve our economic and personal status? Who isn’t guilty of playing “keeping up with the Jones” at one time or another?

Phrases such as “money can’t buy happiness” and “you can’t take it with you when you go” readily come to mind. Why, then, are we so persistent in these pursuits? If these things are only temporary and may only satisfy for a period of time, what will bring lasting satisfaction?

The passage in scripture from which Isaiah 55:2a is taken tells us the Lord alone can accomplish this. With God, we have far more than our human labors could ever accomplish.

God invites us to come, to listen, to eat, and to delight. God will give us life through these things. God promises to make an everlasting covenant with us, one that is born of love.

Unlike the labors and things of the world, the labors and things of God are lasting and life-giving. That’s pretty amazing. When we think about all God has given and done for us and is still giving and doing for us, shouldn’t we want to invest our time and resources to give back to God?

Come to the water, my friends, and labor for the Lord. I guarantee you won’t regret it!

Prayer: God, help me to come to you. Help me to cast aside the desires of this world, and instead, show me how to labor for you in all that I do. Amen.

Friday, October 16

Giving to the Lord . . .
O is for Obey

If you love me, you will obey what I command.
~John 14:15

What does it mean to “obey?”

Dogs are to obey their masters. Children are to obey their parents. As citizens of this country, we are to obey the laws of the land.

I suppose if we look at the word in those contexts, we could say that to “obey” means to follow and/or submit to the rules, to do what is expected.

But if that in the only context in which we consider Jesus’ command for obedience, then we are not seeing the entire picture. To be a disciple, a child of God, is about more than strict adherence to laws and rules. Anyone can follow the rules, but that doesn’t automatically imply that one enjoys or desires doing so.

If we read the verse from John a second time, we will also note that it not only contains the verb “obey” but also that of “love.” The love that is being communicated here is not romantic love (eros) or the brotherly love of friendship (philos), it is agape love, a love whose definition means to wholly love. It is the highest form of love and is selflessly given to others. It is unconditional love.

So two things are in play here. One is the love of God. In this case, our love of God. That love is not merely something akin to “Yes, I love Jesus. God is great. Woo Hoo! Praise the Lord!” simply on Sunday morning or whenever good things happen in our lives. It is a love that is every day, every minute, and encompasses all that we are and do.

When we love God, we are to love with everything that we are, with our whole selves, with all our hearts and all our souls and all our minds. And we are also to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Keeping that in mind, we come to the second thing – obedience. If we love God as we ought to love the Lord, then our obedience to God ought to be more than merely following or submitting to God’s commands. We don’t have to; we get to. In other words, we don’t simply follow God’s commands because we have been instructed and ordered to do so, we keep and adhere them because we desire to do so out of our great love for God.

Being disciples and children of God is about being in relationship with God. When we are in relationship with God, that relationship is more than servant and master, child and parent, citizen and ruler. It is each of those things and ever so much more. It is God and his beloved. God and the ones created in God’s image. God and the ones God has chosen for his own. God and the ones for whom God came into this world to die upon a cross and redeem them from their sins. God and the ones God loves beyond all compare. And those ones, they are each and everyone one of us - you and me.

So when we obey God, we are keeping in mind all that God has done for us. We experience God’s great love for us, and we return that love with all that we are. We seek to grow in our relationship with God and give God nothing less than the very best we have to give, ourselves.

Prayer: God, I long to love as you love and to be obedient to your will. Help me to grow in my relationship with you and to seek you in all that I do. Amen.

Saturday, October 17

Giving to the Lord . . .
R is for Reverence

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken,
let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”
~Hebrews 12:28

I recently had a “God” moment in church.

While the congregation was awaiting the election results of a vote cast to select new members for the church council, we passed the time singing a few hymns, one of which was “How Great Thou Art.”

I’ve literally sung that song hundreds of times, and when I sing it, I always enjoy doing so from the heart and with great gusto. I am quickly and easily caught up in the music and the beautiful, rich lyrics of the text. I’m certain many of you probably feel the same way about this particular hymn.

However, on this particular occasion, about the second half of the third verse, as I opened my mouth to sound forth the notes and proclaim the next phrase, I found myself overcome with emotion and the enormity of God’s love and grace. I was struck by nothing less than shear awe to be standing in the presence of my God, the Savior of the nations, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. With great reverence, I thought, “Who am I that I should be able to stand in God’s presence at all? My God, indeed, How Great Thou Art!”

As someone who was raised in the Christian faith from the cradle, worship has high priority and importance in my life, not merely because I enjoy it but also because God wishes for me to be in communion and relationship with him. Beyond that, God commands me to worship him. Exodus 23:25a reads: “Worship the Lord your God.”

Too many times when we gather for worship, we are merely going through the motions. Our lives and minds are focused not on God but rather upon the distractions of daily life, and we are simply putting in our hour at church. Things such as hymns, liturgy, creed, and prayers come out of our mouths as rote responses at an appointed and expected time. But that is not worship.

We are to worship with reverence, serving God with submission and in a pleasing manner, our actions stemming out of respect and devotion.

We are fortunate to have a God who is devoted to us, so devoted that he, himself, came into this world, laid down his life, died a painful death on a cross, rose from the grave to forgive our sins, restored us to right relationship with him, and bestowed upon us life everlasting.

As disciples of Christ, chosen and called children of God, how can our worship of God be anything less than that which is wholly devoted to God? God has given and done so much for us, and therefore, God is most deserving of our time and worship. Our response to God – our worship – ought to be “acceptable with reverence and awe.”

May we all reverently worship our God and proclaim, “My God, How Great Thou Art!”

Prayer: God, I have not always approached you with reverence. There are times when in my worship of you my mind has strayed far from the place where you are. Help me to set aside the busyness and distractions of life and to simply be with you. Teach me what it means to worship you. Amen.