Reflections on "But I Do Give...." 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Mark 4: 21-29

This finished the stewardship preaching series. I intentionally made it several stories with not much commentary to them. I wanted to let the stories speak to the congregation and allow the stories to take on meaning for the listeners at the place where they were as we brought our pledges back.

It was also a sermon of repetition!  The monk story at the end I used in a sermon 8 or 9 years ago.  The story about Clara has been told in various ways, or at least alluded to in years past.  This is the third time in the series that I have used a portion of Chapter 9 of Paul's letter to the Corinthians.  No one complained; not sure if anyone noticed!

I have been contemplating recently (now that I am into my 16th year preaching to this congregation) whether I can used stories I have told in previous sermons.  And, if so, how far back is acceptable -- must the story have been told 5 yrs ago? or 10 years?  As someone who rereads books, I am not opposed to hearing the same story more than once, but it sort of feels like recycling the sermon.


"But I Do Give” November 9, 2014; FPC, Troy; Stewardship series; 2014; 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8; mark 4: 21-29

Introduction: After several weeks of asking the question: "What if I didn't give.....?" we finish the stewardship series with the affirmation, "But I Do Give..." and the dedication of our pledges in worship today.

three stories

Move 1: I have mentioned Clara in a previous sermon. She was the spinster school teacher in the church I served in KY who left close to $1 million dollars in her estate.

It was a surprising gift because she live in an old house on which she did few repairs (there was always a roof leak and the house was tilted); her favorite days were the Saturdays after she had received her retirement check when she would race from garage sale to garage sale with her bank envelope of cash to spend.

I did not know it at the time, but later she would explain to me that she had inherited stock from her brother when he died about 20+ years earlier. she had never touched it, just left it invested, because she didn't feel right spending his money.

Ironically, when she died and left the large sum of money to the church, most of it was the money her brother, who had never gone to church, had left her.

But several years before she died; several years before her will revealed that she was quite wealthy; several years earlier the church was involved in a capital campaign.

You know the drill. Visiting stewards went out with pledge cards for the members, much like happened here last Sunday.

Clara had been in the nursing home on that Sunday, so no visiting stewards went by to see her, which meant that she did not receive a pledge card for the capital campaign or the regular pledge card.

After she was back home, I was visiting her. She asked me why she never got a pledge card, and I told her she had been in the nursing home for rehab so we had not wanted to bother her.

She seemed a little offended that no one had visited her. “How was she going to give her gift?”She told me that she still wanted to make a pledge, and she asked me if I would take her check back to the church for her. I agreed.

She filled out the check and gave it to me. It was not a huge amount, but it seemed okay for the spinster school teacher that she was (Later I realized that she had no concept of how wealthy she had become because of her brother's inheritance).

As she gave me the check, she had tears in her eyes, and she told me that she was so sorry she didn't have more money to give.

When I think of Clara, my first thought is not the money she left to the church, but a person who wanted to give back to God. – not as the person who left a large sum of money to her church, but as someone who so wanted to give back to God.

As you bring your pledges today, my hope is not that it is a teary endeavor.

But I do hope you will feel the joy of giving back to God.

Move 2: We turn to Jesus for our second story.

He tells about someone who goes out and scatters seed.

Then somehow the seed grows. The person who threw out the seed does not really understand how, but soon there will be a harvest from the seed.

I confess that this parable made more sense to me when I lived in KY and could throw grass seed on the ground, or plant a flower, and then never touch it again, and it grew wonderfully in the rich soil.

Here in OH, it takes a lot to make things grow!

When we give our gifts, we are like the sower in Mark. We trust that God will take out gifts and use them for a bountiful harvest of ministry.

I would also add that maybe we should also learn from my OH experience and expect to work with these gifts as we put them to use.

When we make our pledge today, we make the bold statement that God is going to continue to be at work, that God is not done with us or with our world.

We give our gifts and scatter the seed.

Move 3: Third story:

A monk traveling alone had reached the outskirts of a village and sat down to make his camp for the night.

Soon a villager came running out to him shouting, "Give me the stone!"

"What stone?" asked the monk.

"Last night an angel appeared to me in dream," said the villager, "And told me that if I went to the outskirts of town at dusk I would find a holy man who would give me a precious stone that would make me rich forever."

"Oh," said the monk as he pulled out a beautiful diamond the size of a prune, "the angel must have meant this one." He then handed the stone to the villager who took it and ran joyfully back into town to show everyone his great good fortune.

The next day, though, the villager again sought out the monk and handed him back the diamond. "Now I beseech you, give me the wealth that allowed you to give away this diamond so easily."

Paul writes to the Corinthians about the opportunity they have to give back to God.

He reminds them that God has given to them abundantly. So they, so can give abundantly.

Conclusion: OK, a fourth story (never believe a minister when he or she tells you how short the sermon will be!)

Your story as you offer your pledges back to God.

You who have known God's love;

You who have known God's blessings;

you whose life shows forth the many talents and gifts God has given to you.

You who have chosen to give back to God.

Amen.