“He (Jesus) looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4  

“A little child in church for the first time watched as the ushers passed the offering plates. When they neared the pew where he sat, the youngster piped up so that everyone could hear: “Don’t pay for me Daddy, I’m under five.” 

“When friends speak overmuch of times gone by, often it’s because they sense their present time is turning them from friends to strangers. Long before the moment came to say goodbye, I think, we said goodbye in other words and ways and silences.” (Buechner, Frederick. Listening to Your Life. HarperOne. Kindle Edition.)

Buechner speaks of “times gone by” – these times can not only turn friends into strangers, they can often be the curse of the church. Look at the scene Jesus is watching in the Temple. He is watching people go through the motions of putting gifts into the treasury but they are simply going through the motions – they are following long standing traditions that do not challenge them any more. You might say “Well a gift is a gift”. And you are right. But the poor widow’s gift is not just 1/10^th of her abundance, it is her entire savings — and Jesus lifts up her gift as something new.

So what am I getting at. Well, it is easy for us, as humans, to begin to lose our connection with our actions, just like old friends can lose their interest in a long-term relationship. Over time we begin to live into and lift up the “old ways” while losing connection with the now. If our giving, the giving of ourselves and our time and our treasure never changes, then, as Buechner suggests, we “speak overmuch of times gone by”.

One of the things you will be doing in 2021, I hope, is taking some time to re-prioritize your schedule — adding time for exercise, adding time for more sleep, and adding more time to spend with G-d. I hope you can find some ways that you can give more to G-d: more of your time, your prayers, your devotion, and yes, your gifts of talent and treasure.  

Pastor Dave