Have you ever stepped out on faith? Tried something new, going against history and experience? I did. I had just returned from sabbatical and realized our stewardship season was fast approaching. The tried and true path of committee and group letter writing was not on the table. So then as I was visiting with Erik, I felt God nudge me in a new direction. Let’s let one person write the stewardship letter. Let’s trust God more and try to micromanage less. It truly was an act of faith. And God led us to our potluck idea and how when we all bring our gifts, something to share, then the life and work of the church, the ministry of Christ gets done. The more I thought about this I realized this is perfect, we love potlucks! Like our recent and fun Church Picnic or even soups before our Maundy Thursday service, table fellowship is a grand thing. That is why we have the beginnings of a potluck right here on the communion table. It symbolizes how we each have something to bring to God, to share with our community and to partake in the love that is found in this church. Because then we can share God’s love with people in our community!!!
At potlucks we discover we have tremendous cooks in this congregations. People who bring their best to share with their community. You combine simple ingredients to create delicious masterpieces! I love all the wonderful taste treats you prepare. What’s your favorite dish to share? Your dish is your own creation, your contribution to the meal, much like the ways you give to the church are unique to you. Yet somehow the potluck always works. We bring what we can and there is always enough!
Life is like a potluck as well. We can bring what we want to this party we call life. Our attitude and beliefs greatly shape the outcome. Reading through Luke, it feels like we have a choice about what we bring, what behaviors we show. We can love people or judge them, we can do good to those around us or we can condemn people. We can forgive or withhold. It is all up to us and what we bring to the potluck, how we behave in life. Do we greet the day with gratitude for all that we have, or do we see the problems and focus on those? Do we believe we can change, what is the best way to get there? We may have always done things a certain way, but just like you can bring a new dish to the potluck, you can bring a new attitude to your day. When we greet the day with a time with Jesus, a time of quiet devotion, then we can bring the things pleasing to God.
A good friend of mine likes to host gathering at her house, a place we have affectionately call the clubhouse. These meals quickly become potlucks. I will usually bring salad, wine or nibbles, but I will almost always bring berries for dessert. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries. Any combination. And I usually bring them in a blue bowl, just right for serving. Berries are something I have, something I love and something I like to share. So, I ask you what are the berries you like to share with the church for our potluck? Something you have, something your love and something your like to share. Maybe it’s your time, talents, your resources, because all are an expression of your generosity and are needed for God’s work.
At first glance our gospel is about loving your enemies. But there is a larger message here. One of a generosity of spirit. Jesus is challenging us to be generous; generous with love, good deeds, lending our money to those in need. Because if we are only generous with those who will give back to us, what kind of generosity is that? It’s not. Generosity comes from God, from God’s nature, Gods abundance and Gods love.
Love is the foundation of what we give to God. Someone once noted, “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” God loves you! And you love God, that is what gets you here in the morning. Because God loves us, has sent his Son to take away our sins, to bless us freely, God’s love motivates our giving. That is why we give our best to God, our first fruits. That means we pray about what we can give, we ponder scripture teaching us to give 10%, then we share our pledge to God with the church. You might say but I can’t give 10% then I say consider proportional giving. Start with 4% this year and maybe you can get to 5% next year. I can say once I made a commitment to giving 10% to the church the rest of my finances seem to work out. Recent example, my child support got cut in half because Cooper graduated from college, but because of God’s grace I have more money in my checking account, not less. I don’t understand it I just accept it. It bears out Jesus’ words, “Give, and it will be given to you” (Lk 6:38).
I am so grateful many of you have already turned in your pledge card. If you have not yet done so, please share your commitment for 2019 before Sunday, October 28. Cards are in the pew and you can put them in the offering plate today. Or if you can’t find your pledge card you can email the church office with your pledge and that will become your pledge. Thank you for doing it soon. When you do, you help us know how we will be responding to God’s call and caring for this church and our community.
In closing I want to consider the three encouragements to your giving; words Paul wrote the church in Corinth before raising funds for the church.
First, is a harvest analogy. We reap what we sow. If we sow sparingly in our life, holding things tight to our chest, not venturing out, not trusting in God’s care, then we will reap a smaller reward. But if we sow bountifully, we will reap bountifully. Generosity is a way of life. This is truly a spiritual principle. Our discipleship deepens when we give generously. Our entire life belongs to God, so what we bring to the potluck of life, how generously we share God’s blessings reflects our faith. Do we share judgement or blessing? Do we condemn, or do we forgive? Our actions are all part of this harvest analogy.
Secondly, give what you have made up your mind to give. Then do so cheerfully because your attitude is important. A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church “Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself,” she told the girl. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. “Well,” said the little girl, “I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I’d be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did.” I don’t think that is what God has in mind. God wants us to give out of gratitude, discipleship, and love for Jesus. Giving is a generous act, an expression of love. When we are grateful it means we give with a cheerful heart. That is why scripture says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” We are gratefully saying thank you to God for all our blessings.
Finally, God provides. God is the source of everything. But when we think it all comes from our hard work, then we have our glasses on backwards. We see our efforts, not God’s providential care. Your thirty years on the job, your pension, your good investments are they all coming from you? Or do you see all that you have and are as a gift from God and therefore coming from God’s abundance? I know this can be hard when we are faced with economic fear, not sure about if we have enough. But that is the beauty of faith. It is God’s generosity, not your hard work that makes the difference!
The amazing thing about a potluck is that there is always enough. We all bring what we can, we offer our best to God and then God takes care of the rest. Please make your commitment to St. Andrew for the coming year as you live in the abundance of God’s grace. Amen.
