Generosity

 Have you ever met someone who lived with a Spirit of Generosity?

When I was in seminary, I had a friend who could light up a room with her wonderful spirit. She welcomed all people into her dorm. She would freely give rides to others, and she was the first to notice if there was someone in need. She would not hesitate to help out another person. 

There are so many people in this world who live with a scarcity mentality. At times, we may feel like there is not enough, and we believe we have to hoard all the resources we can. From this perspective, it can appear the most competitive person always wins. The biggest, fastest, and strongest are able to take what they need. It is easy to see the people of this world as either winners, who took everything they could, or losers, who were beaten.

However, when we come across a person who lives generously, our perspective can change. These people are not trying to take everything they can. Instead, they can be found actively giving away their blessings. They believe in abundance not fear and scarcity. 

This week we are finishing our sermon series on our core values at CLC. The last value we are sharing is generosity. This core values flows from all the others. We began with the value of Welcome then we moved to Worship, Learning, Serving, and finally Generosity. These values all build on each other, and generosity takes all the other gifts and shares them with the world. 

Christ came to this world to give his life for each of us. Jesus didn't hold back. He didn't just come to serve the righteous or the worthy. Jesus came to love us just as we are. We don't have to fight for God's Love. Christ gave this love so that we could freely offer it to others. 

Today I hope you can all find space to feel the free love of Jesus. I also hope you can share God's Love abundantly.

Blessings!

Brian Ward

Be curious...

I love watching my kids grow up! They are are so eager to learn, and they have a sense curiosity and wonder about them. My only concern is that it all happens so quickly. Sometimes, I want my boys to stay little forever, but they are called to something more. Earlier this week, my five year old was sitting in the back seat of the car, and he asked how the sun worked. He wanted to know why it rose. How does it set? Why does it keep burning? A lot of questions that I can take for granted, but he wanted to know more about the world around him. 

In ancient times, Jesus went out of his way to teach people who had been forgotten by much of society. He allowed women to sit and learn from him. He gave fishermen and tax collectors a place of honor, and He wanted all of them to grow. When society set up a rule saying one group was inferior to another or worth less than somebody else, Jesus showed each person that they were valued. Throughout the scriptures, God is always calling people grow. Jesus loves us just as we are, but that doesn't mean we should ever stop listening and learning. Our faith is a journey.

We are in a sermon series that goes back to the core values of CLC. Every church has different gifts provided by the Holy Spirit, and we all have strengths that we are able to share with the world. Our core values represent the ways our church is called. This week we are looking at our values of wisdom and learning. We are a church that wants to grow. From children's ministry to adult Bible Study, we believe there is a path for us to grow. 

Today I hope you can all take time to listen for God's wisdom. Take time to be curious. There are too many people who want to pretend they already know everything. God wants us to become like little children and open our hearts to all the gifts around us.

Blessings!

Brian