The liturgy and the presence of the Lord's Table with different varieties of bread were a visible reminder that the sermon was being preached on World Communion Sunday, although the sermon was the third of four stewardship sermons. I went the story route to put stewardship in the context of living our stories of giving and to broaden the concept of giving beyond the gift itself.
“Giving Reminders” October 7, 2018, SAPC, Denton; I Chronicles 29: 14-22 Richard B. Culp
14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to make this freewill offering? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For we are aliens and transients before you, as were all our ancestors; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. 16 O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. 17 I know, my God, that you search the heart, and take pleasure in uprightness; in the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. 18 O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. 19 Grant to my son Solomon that with single mind he may keep your commandments, your decrees, and your statutes, performing all of them, and that he may build the temple[b] for which I have made provision.”
20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Bless the Lord your God.” And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the Lord and the king. 21 On the next day they offered sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord, a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their libations, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel; 22 and they ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great joy.
Introduction: We continue moving through the G’s the Stewardship committee gave us.
As you remember, we began with grace, then last week gratitude, this week giving.
We heard from the first Scripture lesson about Paul’s collection for the saints in Jerusalem. He asked all the early churches to participate in this offering, both because the Christians in Jerusalem needed the funds, but also as a reminder to the church in Jerusalem that the other churches supported them.
A giving reminder. This morning I want to reflect on fur stories of giving reminders.
Move 1: First story, straight from I Chronicles and a part of King David’s blessing for God.
a. King David is making a free will offering for the building of the Temple and exhorting the Israelites to do the same.
1. Remember, he is not going to build the Temple.
2. God has denied David that opportunity.
3. But David will make his gift anyway - for a future project that he may or may not live to see.
4. But, King David wanted to give back to God in response for all that God had given him.
b. Giving reminder - the power of giving is found in the act of giving itself.
move 2: Second story straight from novelist Nicolas Sparks’ book The Longest Ride:
a. Spoiler alert: you are going to hear important parts of the story. I am probably going to ruin it for you if you have not read it. But, Sparks has written many, many novels, that some critics suggest are all about the same, so go read another of his!
1. Two love stories intertwined: a young couple, Luke and Sophia, and an older couple, as shared by the husband Ira, whose wife Ruth has died previously.
2. ruth and Ira could not have children, but their love overcame their disappointment, and they poured their energy and money into building an art collection, which was one of Ruth’s great loves.
3. After Ruth’s death and as Ira contemplates his own death, he asks the question: how can I make people understand how much I loved my wife Ruth. he puts the question in the context of their art collection when he says: “More than anything, I want you to understand this simple truth: though the art is beautiful and valuable almost beyond measure, I would have traded it all for just one more day with eh wife I always adored. how can I make all of you believe that I would have done such a thing? How can i convince youth I cared nothing about the commercial value of the art? how can i prove to you how special Ruth really was to me? how will you never forget that my love for her was at the heart of every piece we ever purchased?”
4. he finds a way to answer his question.
at his death his entire collection of paintings is auctioned. the first painting is not one fo the expensive, highly valued by the art critics painting, but a crude portrait of his wife painted by a young man whom she had taught and really cared for earlier in life.
5. no one wants to bid on this less than memorable piece, except for Luke, the young man, who sees in the crude portrait the love Ira had for his wife Ruth and wanted to honor that love.
He buys the portrait for $400. A pittance compared to the value of any other painting.
But, then the auction is interrupted with Ira’s final instructions.
Whoever bought the portrait of his wife, least valuable piece, but the one of the woman he loved beyond measure, that person would receive the entire collection.
6. His gift to give value to what he loved.
b. Giving reminder - we give to show others what we value.
Move 2: Third story comes from a young couple in the congregation I served in OH.
a. I had just shared my brilliance with the Stewardship committee.
1. WE did not need to waste money giving new members offering envelopes since offering envelops were fast becoming a thing of the past.
2. particularly for the younger families.
3. Then in came on of the new members:
“i have not received any offering envelopes yet. When will I get them?”
“why do you want them? Don’t feel obligated. We know that our generation doesn’t really use envelopes.”
“My parents used offering envelopes. I grew up watching them each week put a check in an offering envelope and take it to church. I want my kids to see me filling an offering envelope and bringing it to church so they can learn to give just like I did.”
“So can I get some more offering envelopes?”
b. Giving reminder - we give to model and teach others the importance of giving.
Move 3: Fourth story - Lord’s Table - God’s giving reminder to us.
a. come to the Lord’s Table this morning and be reminded of the gift-giving God who invites us to the table to receive the gift of hope and promise given to us by God’s very own son, Jesus Christ.
1. Eat and drink and remember the gift given for you.
2. Recognize in the variety of breads the God whose giving is not bound by our Table or our sanctuary, but whose gifts are for all creation.
b. Giving reminder — our giving begins with our gift-giving God.
Conclusion: OK, a fourth story.
Your story of giving reminders.
What does your giving say about you?
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