Giving from Within
Today, I’d like to begin with our gospel text. This story is told in two Christian gospels: Mark and Luke. It is consistent with other things said by Jesus, but it probably did not originate with him, because there are parallel Buddhist and rabbinic stories that re-date the gospel one.
He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them, for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4
What is the difference between the gifts of the so-called “rich people” and the “poor widow”? (their gifts were a proportion, and she gave 100%; in their giving, they still took care of themselves while she became vulnerable).
I want to talk today about giving when you are vulnerable. And receiving when you are vulnerable. The familiar story I just read in the gospel of Luke has been misunderstood as often as it has been told. The simple understanding is that this story is about giving money to the church. The poor widow gave all the money she had – it is true. But the author of the gospel follows this story immediately with two questions from the disciples:
Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, Jesus said, “As for these things which you see, the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down”. (vs. 5-6)
Then, Jesus went on to talk about the end days. And he ends the whole section with these words: “Watch, therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (vs. 36)
First, Jesus is telling them that things are not important, including money – “not one stone (bought with church offerings) will be left upon another.” Secondly, he is telling them to be more like the widow. Here is the puzzle: why should they be more like the widow if offerings for the church will only buy things which will be destroyed? The puzzle can only be solved by realizing that Jesus is instructing them to fashion their hearts after the widow’s heart. You see, the blessing Jesus spoke for the widow was not simply about her gift of money. It was about her attitude towards giving.
Jesus said of her, “but she, out of her poverty, has put in all the livelihood that she had.” This blessing is not about her poverty or her financial gift: it is about offering one’s whole life; it is about living in gratitude and putting your vulnerability on the line because you are faithful.
You probably know me well enough by now to know that I do not like to be helpless. I do not like to ask for help. I like to be self sufficient and independent. Much to my chagrin, I have had many opportunities to be dependent on others – I have had to have multiple foot and knee surgeries that required absolutely no weight bearing for weeks at a time. I even had to depend on others to get a drink of water for me.
One of those days, I decided I had to make a phone call. This was before the days of cell phones. I had not been farther than the bathroom at that point, but I decided I could make it to the kitchen to get the huge Wichita area phone book. I got on my crutches and hobbled to the kitchen. Then, it occurred to me that I couldn’t carry the Wichita phone book while maneuvering crutches. So, I put the phone book on the floor, balanced on the crutches, kicked the phone book with my good foot and then took a step. This process only worked for a couple of kicks – and then I fell. About that time, the doorbell rang! I yelled at the person to come in.
She was from a florist, delivering flowers to me, and she found me lying on the floor with crutches and a phone book scattered around me. “Looks like you could use some help,” she observed. She carried the phone book, the flowers and the crutches back to my bedroom while I crawled on my knees. Once I was there, she helped me into bed and offered to help in any other way. I accepted her gift of ice water from the kitchen.
For two weeks, I ate other people’s gifts of cooking, accepted other people’s gifts of transportation, and had to ask for help with every small thing. A member of my congregation even held the trash can while I vomited. It was absolutely humiliating.
What I learned was that it takes a lot of graciousness to receive gifts. Up until that point, I had usually been on the giving end, and I thought giving was the difficult part. I was wrong. Receiving can be the most difficult. And if no one receives, none of us have a reason to give anything at all!
As a receiver, I also learned about giving. Giving comes from the heart, from the livelihood, from the whole being of the person – and a true gift can make the giver vulnerable. When it is that kind of gift, the receiver can feel it. This giving from our souls – from our very livelihood gift – from our whole being – is why the widow’s gift was so extraordinary and was blessed by Jesus.
It occurs to me that what you have heard in the last few weeks if you have been here is that our church is in a vulnerable state right now. We are in a deficit situation. And some of you have stepped forward to offer over-and-above gifts to help with that. Thank you.
The Stewardship Committee has looked at our financial plans for 2025 and has been exploring a new way of budgeting. We want to be completely transparent with the congregation about what we need to do to fund ourselves moving into the future. Proverbs 29:18 tells us:
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but those who keep the faith are happy.
Riverside CC has been stumbling along for a while without a clear vision and we have been using our savings to fund our everyday expenses. This is not sustainable. So, we have a plan. There is no way our congregation can fund the total budget for 2025 – we need other sources of revenue. So, we are planning to rent our building, and we will need you to get out the word that we are looking for groups to rent:
- perhaps a caterer would like to use our kitchen periodically
- or someone would like to hold classes for tutoring or teaching a class in one of our classrooms
- or a non-profit needs office space to rent
- or a small new congregation would like to use our sanctuary on Saturday or Sunday to meet
- or some other group needs a place to meet
Tell them about our space!!!
We are also open to doing 3 fundraising events in 2025 to help with our budget! Now, these are meant to bring people from outside our church into our circle – and help with our mission and ministry! These will be “fun” events: FUN-raising.
And we plan to intentionally grow our church: you will hear more about this process with a new sermon series in November about spiritual growth.
Finally, we will intentionally build into our 2025 budget withdrawing from our saving account. Of course, the more we receive in offerings, the less we will need to withdraw from savings.
With each of these additional revenue sources increasing in subsequent years, we will reduce the amount of money we spend from savings. The Stewardship Committee is tasking our Board to draw up specific plans for church growth, fundraising, and publicity for rental groups. You will be hearing more in the coming months about the plans.
So, today when you come forward for offering and communion, you will find an envelope with a letter and a pledge card. Please take an envelope and take it home with you. Consider prayerfully how you will live like the widow. Like her, will you give wholeheartedly, from a place of vulnerability? Will you give from the heart of who you are? Because that is what Jesus asks of us – to give of ourselves, our lives, our attitudes, our hopes and dreams for this church, our very inner core.
Our spirits last much longer than the gifts of money we give. “For the stones will fall and crumble, but the gift of self will last into eternity.” Giving makes you vulnerable.
Receiving makes you vulnerable.
Neither is comfortable – but both are vital.