March 17, 2017
Lenten Devotions – Contribute Regularly

When any organization looks to bring volunteers on board, they look to people who might be able to contribute specific amounts of time and energy. The more that people are able to contribute to a ministry, a mission, or a task, the more the organization depends on their experience. Contributing regularly, whether it is of our time, our resources, or our gifts then not only helps to fulfill the mission and ministries of any organization, but it also means that our stewardship becomes a lifestyle.

“From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!” Psalm 22:25-26

“St. Paul speaks of two motivations for giving our selves, our time and our possessions to God’s work. In 2 Corinthians 8:9, he appeals to the model and example of Jesus and asks us to give as Jesus did.

In 2 Corinthians 9:8, he reminds us that God promises to richly supply all that is needed for us to continue to give.

The model of Jesus and the promise of God’s provision motivate us to be generous. Our generosity honors God, the source of all generosity. Our generosity makes God’s purposes known. By God’s power, our generosity provides the announcement of the Good News of salvation and the deeds of mercy, the actions of love, which serve the needs of people everywhere. Our generosity draws us closer to God, the Giver of all good gifts.

Generous deeds shape our lives and our understandings. Through generosity we begin to know more deeply and more broadly the graciousness of God. Generosity does not change God’s behavior toward us, but it changes our behavior toward God.” (Lenten Devotional Stewardship Principles, We walk together as stewards in God’s church, ELCA, 2012, March 1)

If there is something we enjoy doing, the more we do it, the better we become. We see this in the areas of sports, music, business, and even in the church. If you want to be an Olympian, you need to devote many, many years to your sport. If you want to be a success in business, you must spend many, many hours honing your business skills. And if you want to be a follower of Jesus, it helps to spend many, many hours reading the scriptures, understanding his teachings, and following his commands. Jesus tells us that to live in relationship with him, we must remain in him — “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” And to remain in Jesus, we must contribute many, many days, hours and years in honing our following skills.

This week, as part of your Lenten Discipline, collect one stick of deodorant or one pack of razors each day and bring them to church on Sunday, March 19.

Pastor Dave

March 16, 2017
Lenten Devotions – Commit Intentionally

Commit intentionally means making a statement about your intent and following through. As members in the body of Christ, we are asked to make a commitment of our time, talents, and resources as a faithful response to God and as a statement of support for God’s work.

“… arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised.” 2 Corinthians 9:5

“You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples. With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Psalm 77:14-15

Each one of us must choose and keep choosing the master we will serve – God or wealth (mammon). In The Challenge of the Discipline Life, Richard Foster deals with the power of mammon – money. It is not neutral; it has power to control and corrupt the creatures of God. He states:

“What all this talk about stewardship fails to see is that money is not just a neutral medium of exchange but a “power” with a life of its own. And very often it is a “power” that is demonic in character. As long as we think of money in impersonal terms alone, no moral problems exist aside from the proper use of it. But when we begin to take seriously the Biblical perspective that money is animated and energized by “powers” then our relationship to money is filled with moral consequences” (page 24).

Our relationship to money is what concerns God. Whom do we worship? What do we worship?15 Money has incredible power to do good or evil. We believe that the power can be harnessed for good – to fulfill Jesus’ mission” (Lenten Devotional Stewardship Principles, We walk together as stewards in God’s church, ELCA, 2012, February 29)

“… arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised.”
(2 Corinthians 9:5) When we discern how we might commit to saving money, commit to an exercise regimen, or commit to giving abundantly and sacrificially of our time, talents or resources, our success in persevering often depends on our intentionality. In other words, we must consider this question: “Are we committed to being intentional – doing it every day, every week, and every month?” As Paul says in 2 Corinthians, we will have more success if we choose to arrange in advance – to plan ahead – and then stick to the plan. It is more difficult to provide ministries to the community if our congregation does not make out a plan, seek volunteers ahead of time, or get commitments for crucial aspects of the ministry. And to be able to provide the kinds of ministries our community needs takes the commitment of many volunteers – intentional commitment of time. This Lent, look for ways you can commit more time to the ministry of your church – and when you find the time, be intentional with your commitment.

This week, as part of your Lenten Discipline, collect one stick of deodorant or one pack of razors each day and bring them to church on Sunday, March 19.

Pastor Dave