Church newsletter pastoral column for St. Peter Lutheran Church, Greene, Iowa, for October, 2021.
Generosity Begins with Gratitude
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it;”
– Psalm 24:1
On the weekend of October 16th & 17th, as you’ll see elsewhere in this newsletter, we will be celebrating generosity. The Stewardship Committee is planning this weekend as a fun opportunity to thank our congregation (YOU!) for your faithful generosity in supporting our ministry together. Many churches (along with other charities and small businesses) have struggled financially over the last year and half due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Here at St. Peter, we’ve certainly had our share of pandemic challenges, but thanks to many people’s generosity and a refundable loan through the PPP program, we continue to be stable financially and able to do ministry in our congregation and beyond our walls. So, thank you for your generosity!
Generosity begins with gratitude. As Christians, we are called to be grateful and generous people (and I don’t just mean giving to church – generosity ought to be a way of life for us as followers of Jesus!). We are generous because we recognize everything we have is a gift from God. We are stewards, caretakers of the gifts God has trusted to us. The more we recognize what God has given us, the more we are willing and able to give it away and to use “our selves, our time and our possessions” to love our neighbors.
The Apostle’s Creed begins with this statement: “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” A simple summary of this 1st Article of the Creed could be simply “God made everything.” True! But the implications of that statement are profound. Look at how Martin Luther explains this statement in his Small Catechism:
“I believe God has created me together with all that exists. God has given me and still preserves my body and soul: eyes, ears, and all limbs and senses; reason and all mental faculties. In addition, God daily and abundantly provides shoes and clothing, food and drink, house and farm, spouse and children, fields, livestock, and all property—along with all the necessities and nourishments for this body and life.
God protects me against all danger and shields and preserves me from all evil. And all this is done out of pure, fatherly, and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness of mine at all! For all of this, I owe it to God to thank and praise, serve and obey him. This is most certainly true.”
It’s impossible to list everything God’s given you, but it’s not a bad exercise to try. The more you recognize the gifts God has given you, the more you will feel called to share those gifts, because generosity flows from gratitude.
In Christ,
-Pastor Daniel Flucke