Diocesan
Life Columns
Bishop Paul V. Marshall
Bishop Paul's writes a monthly column for the Diocesan Newspaper, Diocesan
Life, edited by Communication
Minister, Bill Lewellis.
For more features from the life of our diocese, check Diocesanlife....ONLINE; and Bethlehem
News.
Acts of Generosity
Make Discipleship Last
By Bishop Paul V. Marshall
Diocesan Life, May 2001
The Church is cumulative. Every celebration of the Eucharist includes
the words "and with all the company of heaven" just before we sing
the solemn praise, "Holy, holy, holy Lord." I'm not sure that I
very often consider the fact that as the ranks of heaven swell,
there are more and more saints praying for us. Of course, if you
look at it from the point of view of eternity, we are there too,
but that's another discussion!
The church is cumulative on earth as well as in heaven. Each generation
leaves a legacy of accomplishments and challenges for the next
generation to manage or adjust, or reprioritize.
Traditions of worship, service to the community, and care for
the world give each generation a starting place - nobody has to
reinvent the wheel, although each generation has its particular
challenges and insights.
In times past, our Christian ancestors also left physical gifts
which still serve us as churches, hospitals, and charitable institutions.
Sometimes this is a mixed blessing. For just one example, we have
a number of very large buildings in the diocese that were built
on the assumption that areas would become industrialized or become
railroad centers. They just didn't.
Stewardship of those buildings means using them creatively, perhaps
in ways their donors would not have anticipated.
In other places, changing urban conditions have asked parishes
to use their facilities in new ways, and we have many examples
in the diocese of parishes responding in compassion to those around
them. Who would have thought that adult day care, teen computer
centers, and medical clinics among other ministries would one day
be housed in our churches? Such ministries flourish because a foundation
was already laid.
The Church is cumulative.
It is because of this belief that my own take on the subject of
bequests and endowments is somewhat eccentric.
The church's resources for mission need to be cumulative, especially
as generations vary in their overall discipleship.
I hope this can help us see why money is part of our spiritual
life, part of our redemption from the self-preservation instinct
and the culture of having.
Practice resurrection.
The foundation of my thinking remains discipleship: my life and
power are at Christ's disposal. Period.
That is the basic tenet of stewardship, responding to God by the
offering of self. We do that by responding to the people and the
world around us in love, compassion, and fairness. We also do it
with our money.
Just because I will be dead someday does not mean that I will
not be continuing my support of the church's work of discipleship.
I have arranged my estate to leave to the church at least enough
to generate an income equal to my current support of ministry.
Some prefer to give for general use, others prefer to put assets
into a wide variety of "buckets" that minister in areas of particular
interest.
I have designated my own gift for communication ministry; you
may wish to use yours for general purposes, education, music, or
outreach.
Why am I telling you this? Didn't Jesus tell us to give our gifts
in secret?
Well, no. His one admonition on this subject was in criticism
of those who gave gifts "in order to be seen," and his comments
are harsh indeed.
On the other hand, the widow had to give her mite in public in
order for Jesus to praise her.
The book of Acts, the earliest account of the church, has people
coming and making large gifts publicly. The reason Ananias and
Sapphira get into trouble is that they lie about what they are
giving.
St. Paul mentions and thanks his benefactors. St. James is even
more direct on the subject.
Nonetheless, for people who are not comfortable about giving money
publicly, it is always possible to give anonymously.
Perhaps you are the "widow" who can give fifty or a hundred dollars
only - imagine the witness that such thoughtfulness provides!
We are formed by experience more than words. The church is a school
of generosity, and we all learn at different rates.
The witness of those who see the role of our generosity in providing
for the ministry of our community ought not be underestimated.
Leadership in this part of life is mostly by example.
It may be that at first we give with mixed motives - few of us
do anything at all without more than one motive. Our acts of generosity
are part of how Christ transforms us, makes us more into the giver-of-self
that he was.
That is what religion is for: God in Christ changing us, and through
us changing the world. The old saying is give until it feels good
- perhaps we would say, give until it feels natural. Love your
inner philanthropist! For Christ's sake.
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