Why Do I Give?

Reflection by Stewards and Care-Takers

Daily Lenten Meditations

Personal sharing from people of St. Paul’s

Meditations for Lent 2012-- # 4

A gift from your Stewardship Team

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Minnetonka

A Message from the Stewardship Team

Holistic stewardship was identified at our annual

congregational meeting as our ministry focus of the year for

2012. Your stewardship team (Eric Campbell, Vince

Jacobson, Tom Larson, Mike Mikulay, Pastor Louise Mollick,

Howard Rand, and Eric Reishus) will be working throughout

the year to give voice to our stewardship ministry and to lift

up all of the facets of stewardship.

Our intention is to help the congregation live out our

stewardship ministry by encouraging people connected to this

community of Faith to offer generously their time, talent, and

financial resources in support of the work of the Church and to

provide the means through which that support can be given,

including:

Annual pledge program Education about where offerings are used Gifts identification Expectations of those who make up this community of

Faith Special giving opportunities Time and Talent surveys Ministry support opportunities

These devotions, the first initiative from the stewardship

team, are testimonials and stories shared by people

connected to this community of Faith who were invited to

answer the question, “Why do I give to the church?” They

are offered to the congregation for daily devotions during

the 2012 Lenten season.

Foreword – by Howard Rand

In the church year, Lent has traditionally been a time for

personal reflection. We discover again the wondrous gift of

grace. We draw back. We look for spiritual renewal. We ask

deep personal questions: “Why do I give? Why am I involved

in our church’s life and mission? How might I express my

convictions to others?”

In his spiritual classic “Reaching Out”, Henri Nouwen

comments, “Questions about the ‘why’ of love, marriage,

giving, any basic life decision, may lead to stuttering and

shaking of shoulders. The questions are important. But the

answers are too deep, too close to our innermost being, to

be caught in human words.”

Yet we need to try, with our words. That is why, in behalf of

our new Stewardship Task Force, I offer a profound thanks

for those who share these meditations. We would hope that

these beginnings might arouse others in this spiritual Family

to express their own feelings within an added set of

meditations later in Lent.

The reflections in this resource are interspersed with brief

quotations from others across the ages. Note the theme of

gratitude throughout the quotes.

Day 1 – by Regina Johnson

Because with Matt in school, my world has become small

and thrifty.

I watch my pennies. And buy lots of books.

And proofread a lot of papers.

My world has become small.

St. Paul’s helps my world get just a little bigger.

I make music.

And feel supported

And uplifted

And loved.

I want everyone to feel like that.

My world has become small.

The world, however, is just as big as it always has been.

And just as full of need.

And love

And God

And the people of God

And it helps me to remember that.

And so I give.

Day 2 – The Gift of Singing

“To sing is to love and to affirm, to fly and soar, to coast into the hearts of the people who listen... To tell them that life is to live, that love is there, that beauty exists and must be hunted for and found. To sing is to praise God and the daffodils, and to praise God is to thank Him. Thank you God, for letting me be born, for giving me eyes to see the daffodils lean in the wind, all my brothers, all my sisters, for giving me ears to hear crying, legs to come running, hands to smooth damp hair, a voice to sing with...to sing to you and the daffodils. You Dear Reader-- You are Amazing Grace. You are a Precious Jewel. You-- special, miraculous, unrepeatable, fragile, fearful, tender, lost, sparkling ruby emerald jewel, rainbow splendor person. Itʼs up to you. Would it embarrass you very much if I were to tell you. . . that I love you?” “Day Break”, by Joan Baez, 1966. shared by Howard Rand

Day 3 – by Alyssa Bonner

St. Paul’s is a true diamond in the rough. All Christian faith communities are genuine in their desire to live out the message of Jesus Christ, and many claim to be inviting to outsiders. What makes St Paul’s truly unique is that we actively seek out and embrace the lepers and Samaritans of our day, as Jesus did. I have been truly blessed to be a recipient of the radical love, acceptance and generosity of this lovely community. When some churches might have rejected me, or swept me under the rug as an embarrassment, St. Paul’s did the exact opposite. They took in a geeky little queer kid who was in poor health and nourished me, both spiritually and physically (Pastor Hallin even donated a transfusion of blood). They even elevated me to a position of power by electing me to their council, twice. This is why I give. I give out of gratitude for all my faith community has given me. More importantly, I give to offer a spiritual home to those who may not be welcome elsewhere. “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

Day 4 – by Mike Mikulay

I give because it makes me feel good and because I think it’s the right thing to do.

I look at the many different ministries that are enabled because of our congregation’s giving of time, talent and treasure and am always amazed and proud to be a part of it.

That is why I believe these are the kinds of things God is calling me and our community of faith to do. I see that we are making a real difference in peoples’ lives every day whether it’s offering others the use of our building, reaching out to the community via St. Paul’s Without Walls, feeding the hungry through Our Saviour’s and Meals on Wheels, supporting children through Creative Expressions and GLTB youth through the Lighthouse, and the list goes on and on and on.

I know my giving helps to make so many good things

possible.

Day 5 – by Linda McGee

It seems like only a very few years ago that we, as a

congregation, worried about whether St. Paul’s would be

able to “keep the lights on.” This was a dark period in our

existence. Now we not only have lights, we will soon have a

new sound system and long lasting heat during the winter

season. Imagine that – lights, sound and heat! (Is this

starting to sound like a science lesson?)

We provide love and support to our Community, wide and

immediate, in almost countless ways – until we double check

the monthly calendar – and find in excess of 50 avenues of

service scheduled, and who knows how many unscheduled?

And we haven’t included Pastor’s calendar. We have also

developed Mission relationships with at least 5

congregations and 20 agencies in our community. I have an

idea that this point in time is a maximum across our 56 year

history.

I can’t take personal credit for founding any of these

relationships, but I can contribute in a small way to keep the

wheels turning to support them. To finish the science lesson,

Stewardship provides the fuel source to keep the engine

running and the wheels turning. That is why I give?

Galileo made a statement to the early church regarding the

discovery of the planet Saturn. To paraphrase poorly,

“Creation just got a little bigger.” I see that happening at St.

Paul’s.

Day 6 – What Makes a Man Happy?

In “have a little faith” by Mitch Albom, the author is visiting his rabbi from childhood in the hospital. It is toward the end of his life. The rabbi, Albert Lewis, has asked Mitch to offer his eulogy. Mitch is determined to know his rabbi as a person, not just as an authority figure. He asks “the Reb”:

“What makes a man happy?” “Well...” He rolled his eyes around the hospital room. “This may not be the best setting for that question.” He took a deep breath. “On the other hand, here in this building, we must face the real issues. Some people get better. Some will not. So it may be a good place to define what that word means. If you always want more -- to be richer, more beautiful, more well known -- you are missing the bigger picture. I can tell you from experience, happiness will never come.” “You’re not going to tell me to stop and smell the roses, are you?” He chuckled. “Roses would smell better than this place.” Out in the hall, an infant screamed. It was followed by a mother’s “shhh!” “Now that child,” he said, “reminds me of something our sages taught. When a baby comes into the world, its hands are clenched, right. Like this? Because a baby, not knowing any better, wants to grab everything, to say, ‘The whole world is mine.’” “But when an old person dies, how does he do so? With his hands open. Why? Because he has learned the lesson? What lesson, I asked. He stretched open his empty fingers. “We can take nothing with us.” Shared by Howard Rand

Day 7 – Dying

From “have a little faith” by Mitch Albom, copyright 2009 From a Sermon by “the Reb” (Mitch’s rabbi). Dear friends. I’m dying. Don’t be upset. I began to die on July 6, 1917. That’s the day I was born. In council with what our Psalmist says, “We, who are born, are born to die.” Now, I heard a little joke that deals with this. A minister was visiting a country church, and he began his sermon with a stirring reminder: “Everyone in this parish is going to die!” The minister looked around. He noticed a man in the front pew, smiling broadly. “Why are you amused?” he asked. “I’m not from this parish”, the man said. I’m just visiting my sister for the weekend” Shared by Howard Rand