reinbeck umc - the view out my window

We have had an outbreak of generosity at RUMC lately. 

The history has been that it was hard to pay bills, and apportionments frequently did not get paid.

Recently:

• Pledges are up 12%
• Giving has held firm in spite of  adverse weather
• The bills are paid
• The apportionments are paid
• There is a little money in the bank
• We have given $2000 to missions
  • $640 to nothing but nets
  • We have given $400 to the operation threshold food pantry which will buy a ton of food at the food bank.
  • We have given $400 to World Vision for world hunger which will be matched to become $1600 to be used in hunger ministries.
  • $513 to Ricks House of hope (one Sunday to go)
  • $100 to the Iowa Nigeria project
• We have given well over 200 pounds of food to the Reinbeck food pantry
• Uncounted numbers of items from the garage sale to the women’s shelter, vetrans home, Sartori hospital and a host of other worthy organizations.
• 175 stuffed animals for grieving children
• 30 fleece blankets to grieving children
• I am sure I have missed things we have done together
• I know individuals  do things I don’t know about!!

How do you account for that?! 

In an economy that is slowing down. With gas prices and food prices and fertilizer prices and everything else going up.  With interest and housing prices going down.  With retirees investments earning less.  How do we account for this epidemic of  bigheartedness?

Perhaps we are beginning to see that there are more options than seeing the glass as half full or half empty.  In God's economy the glass it overflowing.

Our society, being capitalistic and growing out of the depression and World War II has had an attitude of scarcity.  We seldom see rationing, but there is a sense that there is just barely enough to go around.  That becomes part of our church economy too.

God, however,  is a bounteous, generous God overflowing with goodness and love.  God's economy is not an economy of scarcity.  It is an economy of abundance.  God's economy is not one of rationing but of overflowing.  God's economy is not one of  hoarding and worrying.  It is one of giving and being blessed!

As we have given, we have been blessed!  All the leadership has done is offered opportunities to give.  All I have done is try to communicate the benefit of each project.  All the congregation has done is come down with a fever of generosity. And we have been blessed.  I haven’t heard anyone say they are suffering because they gave to nothing but nets.  I haven’t had anyone tell me that they regret increasing their pledge.  I haven’t had anyone come to ask for their stuffed animals back because they are lonely.

I am so proud to be pastor of  a church that has stepped out in generosity trusting  in God's goodness.  “God is Good all the time.  All the time God is Good.”

Tell me how you have been blessed.  Let me know what this means to you.  Testify to the goodness of God.