giving

Good afternoon friends,
Today's worship and potluck lunch was a lot of fun. Thanks for everyone who took part by bringing or eating food, decorating the sanctuary or sharing time with others. It's good to be together. The challenge in Advent is that we want to slow down and enjoy the season, to focus on Jesus and our faith journey, but there's so much stuff we have to do, so that's hard. Having said that, there's a great opportunity to slow down and focus tomorrow evening at Third Presbyterian Church (in their chapel). It is a UPT Taize style Advent service. Taize worship is about singing and silence, reflection and meditation. It's about creating a pocket of stillness in a crazy week. If that sounds like something you would like, I'd love to see you there at 7 tomorrow evening (Meigs and East). If you don't have time or are not interested, that's fine too.

Today's reading is about giving, but it's about how God sees giving. We often think that more is better, and there are some ways that's true. Certainly I'm grateful for our strong pledges of financial support for the coming year. At the same time Jesus reminds us that the same gift means something very gift to different people. Interestingly, this passage comes right after Jesus criticizes the religious leaders for "devouring widow's houses," or taking advantage of the vulnerable.

Blessings on your afternoon,
Sam

Luke 21: 1-4

He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; ²he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. ³He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; ⁴for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

public and private

Good morning friends,
We're continuing with Jesus' sermon on the mount for the next few days. This passage is often close to my mind and is sometimes a barrier for us. Jesus warns his disciples against flashy religious practice. He tells them to keep their charity and prayer a private thing so they are really doing it for God and not so people will say, "Wow, look how faithful and spiritual so and so is." This is wonderful advice because there is a temptation sometimes to use faith to look good for others.

The trouble is that often we've taken this advice so much to heart that we lose the ability to share our faith with others. We hear these words and are empowered for lives of private faith but not for evangelism. When Jesus was ministering in the flesh being religious was normal and respected. Today that's not the case as much. If we have to make a mistake I'd rather we live our faith too publicly than too privately. The voice of loving, prayerful, welcoming Christian witness is too quiet in today's world. So do close your door and pray alone, just you and God, but don't be shy about letting people know that you've found something exciting in the love of Jesus.

Blessings,
Sam

Matthew 6:1-6

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.


5“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.