The Cheerful Giver

 

            In today’s first epistle reading from 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 we read: “The point is he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work…”

            There is no single repeated topic in the New Testament more than our relationship with money. In America in particular, we have as a whole a very unhealthy relationship with money. We honor, revere, and give deference to the wealthy. Our ruling elite in Washington D. C. without exception become multimillionaires upon leaving office even though they make less than $200,000 per year.

            Christ knows this inverse relationship with money affects our spiritual life. We may desire to be recognized for our gifts to the Church, we may want to place conditions on our giving and when those conditions are not met we will not give to our Church. Others may say, “well I pay my dues, I should be a voting member!” A whole assortment of strange and alien ideas about giving to the Church thus (Christ) Himself abound in the Orthodox Church.

            We may be reluctant givers because we are afraid we cannot afford to give to the Church or that someone else will cover the bill. We must not be afraid or think someone else will cover the expenses. Stewardship to our Church is not about anything of the above. It is all about taking personal care of what God has entrusted to us – His Holy Church in Atwater California!

            God desires that we settle in our minds to give not reluctantly or in a calculating way, but in a way that brings joy! The number one reason why people give big gifts of money to organizations of all kinds is because it brings joy!

            Stewardship and joy is the result of giving to our Church. Good stewardship of our Church means giving in a sacrificial, meaningful and proportionate way. We have much to be thankful for in our Church in addition to it being the very vehicle Christ placed in this world by which we achieve our salvation. Please consider filling out pledge form which will then allow us to create a budget with the vision of not just paying the bills but working in our community in some small way to bring Christ to those who desire to know Him and so we may also support the institutions in our Church that help on a larger scale bringing Christ to a world that needs it more than ever!