I am beginning to finalize my sermon for tomorrow. I will be preaching on 2 Corinthians 8:7-15. This is often used during stewardship campaigns as a way of encouraging people to remember to do what they said they would do. Talking about this in the middle of summer seems slightly out of place or is it? During summer attendance is often down and giving also seems to take a dip. It seems often during the summer we struggle as to what we can pay and often find that we have to stay close to a budget or at times not pay mission shares and hope and pray that we can make them up by the end of the year.
It is at these times we most need to hear what Paul has to say. It is not just money though that was his concern about the collection going to Jerusalem to feed the orphans and widows. It is not even about equality. What it is about is accountability and giving of time, talent, and treasure in an apportioned fashion. As the fires burn in Colorado and tens of thousands of people are displaced, losing everything, we who suffering from drought still have in our possessions the resources to help those in need. Paul tells that giving is tied to our relationship with our Creator and our Savior. Because of the grace God has given to us, we are called to share that grace with others.
I came across notes from Gil Rendel’s Journey in the Wilderness. What I find helpful is his statements about a call to action not just for the local church but for the general church. I believe what he had to say in this book as well as his book Back to Zero can apply to the local church as well. In many of our ways of doing things we are so influenced by the past traditions and norms of those who are no longer with us, we lose sight of our current situations. In Back to Zero, he discusses the differences that we need to adopt from being consumers (those who look to others for the answers) to become citizens (those who take responsibility and accountability of what their current situation is). He believes as I do we are surrounded by abundance but have bought into the philosopher of scarcity. When we believe that there is a scarcity of resources, it leads us to feel that we need to accumulate, protect, and hoard what we have.
One part of that type of thinking can lead to an inner focus and taking care of ourselves and in the process a new generation can become lost to us. We as local church members need to look at the reality of the economic, social, and missional field that we live in. I believe for churches to become vital it will require not some program given to them but will require the members of the church to be responsible and accountable. God has provided us the talents and the gifts of grace to do His work in this world. My prayer is that we will take on the challenge to reach out to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
