Blog By Request

So this morning was consecration Sunday, or stewardship Sunday, or the day Anglicans traditionally avoid church because the sermon is about money. "We need more money! Give more money!" Well, I was preaching this morning, and I didn't talk about money. We had an insert in the bulletin about the financial issues of the church, so people know it costs about $918 each day to keep our doors open. But what I talked about was the gifts that we give, and how they are given to us from God. One gift of knowledge I received from some aborioginal friends was that gifts are like water - as long as they are flowing, they remain healthy. When they stop moving, as with water, they become problematic - stagnant, potentially harmful or dangerous. So, God has granted each person a number of gifts - countless gifts - that can be used not just for personal benefit, or just within the church context, but for the whole world. Determining what gifts are to be used in which context can be a challenge, but hey - if it was easy, it might not be worth doing. The best thing we can give is what we have been given. Finances are important, but it's all about who we are, not what we have.