Generosity - Where's the heart in your hands?

The proper arbiter between the head and the hands is the heart - Silent film "Metropolis" 1927.

What could be meant by the above statement?

In today's lesson, the last of three in a series of God's Unlimited Grace and Glory regarding our  stewardship emphasis for January, we look at Generosity. Paul's describes the Macedonian's generosity in our scriptural passage for today.

2 Corinthians 8:1-7

¹We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; ²for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, ⁴begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints— ⁵and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, ⁶so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you. ⁷Now 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.

What does it mean to be generous?

When thinking about being generous I often think about two topics, Time and Money. You’ll remember the old saying that time is money. A truism in our age. I believe it was old Hank Williams that once sang, “Honey, if you’ve got the dime, I’ve got the time.”  Now there’s a generous soul.

Being mortal, neither one of these two resources seems to be in limitless supply for us. We always are wishing for a little more of one, the other, or both. Because of their limited nature, we assign them great value, since we must use them wisely or else they vanish, never to return.

What does God think of money and time?  At least in the context of gifts that we have been given. Is God generous? And how are we to be also?

Time is a gift from God that we use to grow in his image. We do this by being good stewards. It takes the stewardship of time to develop God given gifts as well as time to express them in the community. How are you using your gift of time in coming to the image of God, These are intentional efforts to be generous as God has been generous to us. Without this intentionality we may let our gifts lay unused and unblessed.

In the above scripture from 2 Corinthians, Paul calls the faithful to observe the generosity of the Macedonians as they contribute to the needs of the saints of Jerusalem.

Our lesson on Generosity proposes five emphases to clarify the intent of Paul’s message to the church at Corinth.

1. The grace of God at work in our lives. (2 Corinthians 8:1)
2. Macedonians gave despite of circumstance. (2 Corinthians 8:2-3)
3. As ministry to others. (2 Corinthians 8:4)
4. Christian commitment (2 Corinthians 8:5)
5. Our example inspires. (2 Corinthians 8:6-7)

Grace, circumstance, ministry, commitment and inspiration are ours as gifts from God, if we know to use them wisely as stewards.

Where is the heart in your hands in the community of First Baptist? 

Where We’ve Been…Where We’re Going…

As we have looked at these lessons on Stewardship through God’s Unlimited Grace and Glory over the last three weeks:

We have seen God as illustrated through the life of Jesus and the Good News of the Gospel. Through this we have received the “gift of Grace.” Paul demonstrated this in his call to live through to others needs and God’s glory.

We have seen the presence of the image of God in our lives as giftedness that connects us to our purpose in serving the community of God.

Finally, we see the usage of time and resources to the call of God in our lives to be generous with the gifts given us.

In the next weeks, there will be the opportunity to get involved in a Ministry or Mission through the Ministry Fair, There will also be the opportunity to express your commitment through financial support of the Ministry and Mission of this community of Faith as we pledge our budget for 2011, If you have any questions call the church or contact a Leadership Minister to ask how you can participate in God’s Unlimited Grace and Glory.

It's a Gift...

Journey January Steward Lessons

Lesson Two: January 23rd: Giftedness

Scripture Passages: Primary: 1 Peter 4:10-11

                                Support:  Romans 12:3-8

                                               1 Cor. 12:1-31

                                               Eph  4:11-16

1 Peter 4:10-11

¹⁰Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. ¹¹Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Commentary:

When I was growing up as a young Christian I always heard the admonition that God has a plan for your life. There is a place of service that God has for you. But how does one discern what that plan happens to be? Where’s the treasure map hidden?

Later, when I came to attend seminary for a call to service, a minister came to one of our chapel service and during his sermon made the observation that “if you don’t believe you will be happy in the ministry, then you need to find another line of work.” He was referring to the fact that a full-time calling is just that, full-time.

A call is a call to life, not just job, career or profession. And that is why any and all can be called to serve, no matter your career, because it is a life itself, not just title, a wage or a robe.

But still, how does one discern what one is to do, where does one fit in?

It wasn’t until I started to approach my call to service in the light of giftedness that I began to understand where I might fit into service. The things that God wishes me to excel in he has already provided for me through the gifts I possess. Of course the greatest gifts I possess are being created in the image of God and given the grace to live in the freedom of will. This we learned from Paul’s admonitions in last week’s lesson from Ephesians.

But what specific gifts do we individually possess and how are they to be expressed?

The Christian scriptures are replete with Gifts of the Spirit. God has expressed his image through us in many ways. I have been told that I have a gift for patience and my wife certainly has the gift of mercy. Priceless gifts, that have sustained us in our eighteen years of marriage.

Perhaps therein lies the lesson. It appears the gifts are to work or be expressed in the context of a larger relationship. This appears to be the admonition of the first verse, ten, in Peter’s fourth chapter of his epistle. “Like good stewards…serve one another…with the gift you ha(ve) received.”

In today’s world we often think of gifts as intellectual, how are spiritual gifts different?

In this, the second God’s Grace and Glory lesson, we are given six points to explore regarding our Gifts from God for service.

1. Every believer has received some spiritual gift from God. (1 Peter 4:10a)
2. Every believer is to use his or her gift as a steward. (1 Peter 4:10b)
3. Gifts are used for serving one another. (1 Peter 4:10b)
4. Preaching as one who speaks for God. (1 Peter 4:11a)
5. Serve with God’s strength. (1 Peter 4:11b)
6. End result is God glorified. (1 Peter 4:11c)

According to traditional interpretation, Peter was writing to persons of a new faith that were experiencing some persecution. He was asking the people to come together and use their gifts for the support of one another and the community.

Ultimately, Peter sees the gifts of the Spirit circling back to their benefactor in glory. But it is in their circuitous journey in which they both bless and encompass us all in the human community of unlimited grace and glory.

Finding your Gifts at First Baptist Richmond:

On Sunday, February 6^th, in FBC’s Dining Hall, from 8am to 1pm, our annual Ministry Fair will be held. It is a visual illustration of many of the ministry and mission opportunities that are open to any who wish to express their God given gifts to his community. If you are not involved in a ministry or mission of this congregation, stop by, browse, and speak with some of the persons who are involved in connecting their gifts to God’s plan.

Oh, and make sure to stop by the Member Equipping Ministry table if you have any question about discerning your gifts in service to this community of concern that is Richmond’s First Baptist Church.

Next week, the last lesson in the Unlimited Grace and Glory series will look at how God calls us to be persons of Generosity in our stewardship.

Walter Morton for Journey Across the Line 

Gospel...a stream of life

Unlimited Gospel:
Over the next three posts we will take a break from the lectionary and look at the actions of Stewardship in our lives as it relates to self, God and others. 

In this first step we will look at the way we can consider God's grace as an unlimited grace.   Is this possible through the Gospel?

Our passage is from Ephesians for our study.
It brings up the question: Why do we live the way we do? 

Ephesians 3:7-11
7 Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. ⁸Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹and to make everyone see^* what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in^* God who created all things; ¹⁰so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Ellen, an elderly woman, who had faithfully taught Sunday school for many years to various children, youth and adults was asked by the new minister to her church why she had taught for so long. She remarked, “because I love God.”

The new minister asked Ellen if she would speak before the congregation the next Sunday of her contributions to the church through her teaching and how she got started.

She hesitated and said she didn’t feel as if she could speak before the whole congregation. So she declined.

However, when Ellen’s senior ladies Bible class found out she had been asked to speak they immediately encouraged her to accept. And as well, over the few days since Ellen had declined the offer, her thoughts had been returning to all the delightful faces and people whom she had touched over the years as they explored the Gospel and the stories of God’s concern for them as his creation.

Ellen’s mind then turned to the time of her first memories in Bible study as a child and how her teacher, Mrs. Wortham, had touched her with the power and promise of the Gospel in her life. It was then that Ellen realized the other reason she loved to teach for so many years. She remarked to herself, “because I love people.”

That next Sunday, Ellen stood before the congregation and remarked on how people such as Mrs. Wortham had made a difference in her spiritual life and how that had influenced her resolve to do likewise for others both in the presence and the power of God.

What is the reason that a Christian lives the way they do?

   

The study lesson speaks of five points to ponder or emphasize from Paul for our living the way we do.

1. The grace of God  (Eph 3:7)

2. The power of God. (Eph 3:7-8)

3. The proclamation of the gospel of God  (Eph 3:8-9)

4. The revelation of the wisdom of God. (Eph 3:10)

5. The eternal purpose of God being accomplished by Christ in the world. (Eph 3:11)

One might say that Paul was presenting himself to be a part of the larger story of redemption through God and the call of Christ. Ellen’s experience as a teacher also allowed her to be a part of the larger story of this same redemption.

Everyone needs to be part of the larger story of God. How are you a part of the larger story of God’s Grace and Glory to the community?

Next Sunday as we continue in the January Stewardship Emphasis, God’s Unlimited Grace and Glory series, we will look at the aspect of gifts that we have been given and for what reason those gifts exist.

Walter Morton for Journey Across the Line

Then comes the suffering...

...my beloved Son...

In the Christian Russian Orthodox tradition, Epiphany is celebrated on January 19th. It is also known as Jesus' Baptism Day and faithful Russians celebrate this by cutting holes in the ice of lakes and waterways and take the plunge in commemoration of Jesus' initial immersion in the Jordan.

It is best when the water is blessed by a Russian Orthodox priest and considered by believers as beneficial to drink for good health during the next 365 days.

In our passages from the book of Matthew, chapter three, we look at the baptism of Jesus and the blessing that is bestowed on him by the Father's words, "in whom I am well pleased."  But immediately following these words, Jesus is led into temptation. Suffering follows joy. As human, Jesus experienced the valleys along with the heights. He stood on the Mount of Transfiguration. When he entered Jerusalem, the people cried out praises to him. But by week's end he was crying out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

What does Jesus' experience tells us about our own expectations versus our experiences?

Matthew 3:13-17
3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.

3:14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

3:15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.

3:16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Walter Morton for Journey Across the Line