I ask your prayers that the meditations of my heart and the words of my lips may be acceptable to God, our strength and our redeemer.

Amen

Yesterday was Halloween and, like many of you, I received some of the same jokes that float through cyberspace this time every year. I was grateful when this past week there was one new one in the bunch. Three small goblins venture out to trick or treat – one was a witch, one was a devil, the other was dressed up as a ghost. None were very imposing, all were very small. They climbed the steps to a house along their route, stood across from a scary, frowning jack-o-lantern and were faced with a very tall man who came to the door. As he stands, towering over them, he begins rifling through the children’s candy. Suddenly he bellows out to them, "Look how much candy you have, I think you should give half of it to me so I can give it to the children who, for whatever reason, did not come out to trick or treat for themselves tonight". The little witch looks at the frightened ghost and the devil and says, "Oh dear, I think he’s a politician."

Halloween prankster, politician or saint? We see them all this time of year don’t we?

Today’s reading from 2^nd Corinthians seems to be full of words as odd to each other as the Halloween prankster, the politician and the saint. Paul speaks of human response to bad times as being generosity – isn’t this grace, just like the gifts God give freely to us even when we least deserve them? These poor Jewish Christians gave at or above their means, they gave their first gifts to God, they were extremely generous, they begged to share in ministry to saints. Poor people feeling privileged to do good for others, poor people wanting to be generous, poor people wanting to give first to God, poor people wanting to minister to saints. Who are the saints here?

How many of you have ever started a new year with resolutions to do things differently? To lose weight? To minister to others in need? To cleaning out the garage? To visiting a lonely neighbor? To be better at loving others? To share more? Paul wrote "for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something – now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have."

So what does that mean? Doesn’t it boil down to a choice between two words, ABUNDANCE and SCARCITY, a glass half full or a glass half empty. I daresay most of us at some point have thought in terms of what we don’t have. What is scarce in our lives. How many of you are truly poor? If I asked for anyone who is truly poor to come forward, would any of you walk to the front of this church? You know of people who you might consider truly poor, the folks you help with your water project, children in third world nations who can’t go to school because they have no clothes to wear, those who are saved by ADFAC, children in our own country who witness violence on a daily basis. Are these poor people? Everyday many of them overcome amazing odds to improve their lives. How do they lift themselves up in the world? Not by thinking they are poor, they do it by actually considering themselves rich and blessed.

The best part of this passage reads "it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need." Let me say that again: "it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need so their abundance may be for your need."

I have three real questions for you to think about, these are not rhetorical questions, but rather ones I challenge you to answer.

1. Have you ever looked upon your gifts to First Presbyterian as helping another?
2. Have ever regretted a gift you gave to this church?
3. Have you ever said, I wish I could give more?

Let me digress for a minute. I want to focus on stewardship. In all fairness, these gifts Paul is talking about need to focus on more than money. There are 3 critical elements of our spiritual journey as stewards of all that God has given us.

1. Worship and study – It is important that we feed and grow our minds and our souls if this journey is to be a healthy one.
   
2. Taking part in service to others, it’s what Jesus’ life was all about. As we endeavor to live like Christ, we must give of ourselves by doing ministry that benefits others.
   
3. Giving of our resources was a huge topic for Jesus and if we are to walk in His path, we must support ministry by giving proportionately. By that I mean divide your philanthropic giving by your income to get your percentage of giving. From there begin to increase this percentage with the 10% tithe being the next starting point for a new goal. Before or after taxes, I don’t care. All of it to the church, eventually. Money is critical to our spiritual journey. It is what Jesus talked about more than anything other than the Kingdom of God. I’m not a theologian by any means but I do know that throughout scripture the tithe is the expectation. The tithe is 10% of our first fruits, given to God.

I offer this advice and yet I have to admit I haven’t always been there. The first time I tithed, I actually realized it the following April as I did my taxes. Doesn’t seem so spiritual but I was thrilled none the less – at the time, I had two children in college. And I admit it was after tax dollars, but I also admit I am rapidly changing that to before tax dollars. If I did it, I know you can do it. Eventually I will make sure that first 10% all goes to my church.

It’s easy to stand here and talk about giving annually to pay for the big stuff of the budget – utility bills, staff salaries, program costs, Sunday school curriculum. When we do that we are no longer talking about our need to give, we are talking about paying the bills. It becomes easy to forget the many ways your gifts support God’s work at First Presbyterian. Never forget this church is changing lives you may never know in ways you may never observe first hand. Do we have to pay the light bill, does your staff depend on their paychecks? Yes. But you NEED to give to this church because First Presbyterian is here offering ministry to God’s people, because you are changing lives. It isn’t just the buildings, it isn’t just the staff, it isn’t just the programs – it’s the ministry that your giving enables that is making a difference to this world – the ministry you do together by giving back to God.

It’s the ministry that gives water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, friendship to the lonely, comfort to those who mourn, and, in doing so, gives you a glimpse of Jesus in the eyes of God’s children. It is the stuff that makes us the saints of God, not perfect but saints of God none the less.

A few minutes I asked you three questions:

1. Have you ever looked upon your gift to First Presbyterian as helping another?
2. Have ever regretted a gift you gave to this church?
3. Have you ever said, I wish I could give more?

By giving, you can transform this world;

By giving, you can blossom spiritually;

By giving, you can make your church a healthy and giving church.

Folks, God doesn’t need our money, we need to give to God, we need to know we have made a difference in this world.

Find a way to change more lives, pray about your gift to First Presbyterian, and give your first fruits each week or month or year as you move towards tithing to God. Give out of gratitude for the abundance, not the scarcity in your life.

God loves you and calls you to service in a world crying out for hope. You CAN do great things when you find the joy that comes as you realize you have the means to give what you need to give.

Amen.