We are in our last weeks of a new series on “Becoming Like Family”.  This is important as our online community begin to share the daily challenges with friends, and we begin to gather our larger community together as one church community.  We won’t be bound together by a building, or institution, but rather by five commitments.  We’ve talked about commitment to common learning goals, connectedness as a community of small and large groups, connectedness to God in worship, grace in our lifestyles, and finally this week we end our series with a commitment to generosity in our resources.

Last week the Governor General kicked off a new initiative in canada: My Giving Moment at http://mygivingmoment.ca/.  You can watch a video introduction here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Tn22k6jwE

Canadians clearly have an openness and willingness to give to others.  According to a survey published in November 2012 the number of Canadians who made a charitable donation increased by 10% in 2012, while the total amount of donations increased by 14% when compared to 2011.

But when Christians talks about giving, sometimes it feels different.  We might expect Christian teaching on giving to be self-serving, like we only talk about generosity when it means putting money on a plate to support a particular institute or building, or in the worst examples, buying a pastor a luxury car or mansion in the woods.

Imagine you are channel surfing, and you see a televangelist asking people to make a pledge – do you assume they’re genuine, or do you get concerned?  Billy Graham, who just celebrated a birthday, is widely recognized as one internationally known preacher whose reputation is intact, but it’s so unfortunate that he’s seen as the exception rather than the norm.

A friend of mine attended church for first time, to support a friend’s baptism, and I remember the look of horror on his face when the members of the church started passing a brass collection plate around.  This man of another religion felt compelled to give to support something he didn’t believe or understand simply because a plate was going to be passed under his nose and he didn’t want to be embarrassed appearing cheap.

For all these reasons and more, the notion of churches and christian ministries talking about money can be a touchy thing.  Some might suggest we’d be better to leave it alone, and teach about lighter stuff.

But if someone told you that the Bible was a great way to learn about Jesus, and then handed you a Bible with a bunch of sections blacked out, you’d be suspicious, wouldn’t you?  You’d wonder what they were holding back, and rightfully so.  You’d call WikiLeaks and see if they know what’s been blacked out!

It would be dishonest of me to pretend that Jesus didn’t have an awful lot to say about money and how we live with it.  It would be like blacking out 15% of Jesus’ words in the Bible!

I think Jesus said so much about money and possessions because he knew that the place of money in our lives was a spiritual issue far more than it was simply an economic issue.  He knew money had a lot to do with our feelings of self-worth, identity and security in life.  These are the exact things we are meant to derive from God, and that are meant to be developed in and through our generosity.

Question: Have you seen someone who worships money?  How could you tell?

Reminder: Earlier in this series, we saw the importance of reading the Bible together in sync, so our new daily bible readings start today in our mobile app and web site.

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - May 16, 2013

Thursday - Act On It - Forgiveness

You’ll be challenged to forgive today. Perhaps you bristle at the thought, and say, “no one can tell me when to forgive. I can hold a grudge if I want to.” I once knew a woman you shared a story with me about a past employer who was cruel and unkind. My friend became visibly agitated as she told the story, and said that to this day, she leaves parties and restaurants the moment her former employer arrives. I asked when this happened, and learned this person had been leaving parties and restaurants for 20 years! The worst part is, the cruel employer may have no idea this is happening. My friend thinks she is hurting her former employer, but she’s really hurting herself, by bowing out of parties! This is a vivid example of how forgiveness is not just about releasing those who hurt us, but it is a release for the person doing the forgiving as well. It allows us to step out of God’s role, and allow him to be God over us. That’s what being a Christian is supposed to be all about, and is why Jesus claimed forgiveness was so essential for his followers. If we do not forgive others, we are trying to be God – the ultimate judge – over them. Now, forgiveness is very hard, I will admit. It’s seen as impossible for many. But thankfully, we don’t have to muster the strength or resolve to forgive all on our own. Jesus has forgiven everyone for us. He went around earth forgiving people their sins, which seemed absurd, since he didn’t appear to have been wronged. But as God, he was wronged anytime one of his beloved children was wronged, and could forgive those sinners even when the wronged party could not. We forgive because God has forgiven us, and even if we can’t find the strength, forgiveness can be as simple as asking God to forgive them. The example of my friend who left parties because her enemy arrived is apt. God’s kingdom is described in the Bible as a party. Forgiveness can let us enjoy the party - God’s party. Don’t avoid the party, just to hold a grudge. Challenge: Consider someone who has hurt you. Forgive them today. Start by telling God you’ve forgiven them, or need him to forgive them. Then tell yourself they are forgiven, every day, if necessary. Then, if you can, and it’s safe, tell that person that they are forgiven. This is a process – it needs to be a daily practice sometimes. If forgiveness is something that needs to happen in your relationship, we have some great help on forgiveness in the Marriage Course. The forgiveness topic starts on Day 27.

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