To Become Intimate with Generosity

This week I listened to a TED talk that literally stopped me in my tracks when I heard the presenter say, “Become intimate with generosity.” Become intimate with generosity? That is a whole new way of understanding generosity: generosity is a relationship first, and an action second. It is because of our relationship with generosity that we become generous people.

This is reflected in 2 Corinthians 9: 6-11:

Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.

God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

God throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
God’s right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. God gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

How intimate are you with generosity? I believe as we become more intimate, God helps us have lives that are more generous, not only with our material wealth, but in all aspects of our living. We are able to create generous spaces where others feel welcomed. We become generous in our language, helping speak in ways that build bridges between others. We are generous with our time, making time with others—family, friends, those in need—a priority. We are generous with forgiveness, not only for others who have wronged us but also for ourselves when we have fallen short of our self-expectations.

When we are intimate with generosity, our heart is expanded and our living changes. Tomorrow, as you enter your church, bring generosity with you and see how your engagement with others is enriched.

"Follow Me"

Mark 1:14-20 is about Jesus calling the fisherman—Andrew, Simon, James and John—to drop their nets and follow him. I have known professional fisherman and have seen the deep commitment they have for their work: leaving early in the morning, no matter what the weather and sea conditions, to haul their nets, fill their boat, and return.

What was it about Jesus that made these four—and millions since—drop what they were doing, walk out of their old life, and step into faith’s unknown future? What did they see, what did they hear, that convinced them that Jesus promised a far better life, a more meaningful way to move in the world, than what they were currently experiencing? 

When did you hear Jesus beckon to you with the words, “Follow me”? Have you been willing to drop all that is predictable, all that is safe, all that makes sense, to fully enter into the life that Jesus invites you to? What keeps you from entering completely into the ways of Jesus?

I invite you to sit in prayer, listen for the voice of Jesus saying, “Follow me.” What is it Jesus wants of you, from you? What part of God’s plan cannot be fulfilled unless you step out in faith? Are you willing to let go of whatever nets you cling to, to step out of the life you know for one that leads you more fully into the Way of Love?

Can Anything Good Come Out of ____________?

In John 1:43-51, Jesus has begun to gather his disciples. After Jesus invites Phillip to join him, Phillip excitedly tells Nathaniel: “We’ve found the one Moses and the prophets told us about! Jesus of Nazareth!” Nathaniel scoffs, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”--because Nazareth is considered the other side of the tracks, the wrong side of town. For Nathaniel, who believes the lies he’s been told about the place, certainly Nazareth can’t be a place where a savior could be from?

Phillip doesn’t let him wallow in what John Wesley called, his “popular prejudices.” He tells him to put what he’s been told aside and see for himself. It is in his personal encounter with Jesus that his prejudices fall and he sees Jesus for who he truly is.

This weekend, may we put down the lies we have been told about others. May we drop our prejudices and biases and allow the truth of another’s life to shine the light of God’s love into our own life. This weekend is “Human Relations Sunday” in The United Methodist Church. It is always held the Sunday before Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. In these days when falsehoods are being fostered and prejudices are promoted, may we bear testimony to the world of an alternative vision that the Gospel provides and that King lived out in word and deed:

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

May we challenge the falsehoods that diminish and deny the dignity and humanity of others. May we commit ourselves to inviting others to “Come and see” the love of God that dwells in the lives of those around us.

Thoughts on Epiphany

Thoughts on Epiphany

I loved seeing the pictures my Hispanic and Latin American friends posted on Facebook today, for it is el Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos—Day of the Three Magi. Today on Epiphany, not Christmas, is the day that gifts are exchanged, as a way to celebrate the three wise men finally finding Jesus in Bethlehem and offering him their gifts.

The wise men had come from the East, looking for Jesus. They had seen the star and knew that the King of the Jews had been born. This frightened Herod terribly, for he knew this King could threaten his own power. So he asked the wise men to let him know when they found Jesus, for he wanted to pay homage as well. At least that’s what he told them. We who stand on the other side of history know that Herod wanted to destroy the One he perceived was his enemy.

The wise men followed the star and kept looking for this King. It is their commitment to this task that moves me so. They didn’t stray and they weren’t distracted from their search, even when it led them to an unlikely place and a baby.

This defenseless baby was the one who Herod feared yet the wise men worshiped. For in this baby, all heaven broke loose as God became one of us. Who could have imagined this?

God continues to come, showing up in our world, infusing it with holiness and offering us a love that will never let us go. Are you willing to have the dedication of the wise men, to keep on the lookout, pursuing God in the most unlikely people and overlooked places? For as the Gospels show us, this is where God is most likely to be found.

May we be extravagant each time we gather for worship, showering one another with joy and love, for Christ continues to dwell among us.

Stay on the lookout, for God will show up!