Prayer: Almighty God, we give You thanks that Your love endures forever. May we make known Your name around the World so that everyone may know the love of God. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Topic #5: Generosity
Generosity means giving something away with no strings attached and no expectation of anything in return.
Think of the last time when the Church you belong to was called generous. We read in the news of people who give money – they are called philantropists. But when was the last time a Church was called a philanthropist Church
Generosity was the characteristic of the early Church. They held all things in common and there were no needy people among them. Humm! Some thing for you to meditate upon today --- how has our Church changed from being a generous Church to a Church that is no longer generous?
Henri Nouwen once said, “…..generosity has many levels. We have to think generously, speak generously, and act generously. Thinking well of others and speaking well of others is the basis for generous giving. It means that we relate to others as part of our 'gen' or 'kin' and treat them as family. Generosity cannot come from guilt or pity. It has to come from hearts that are fearless and free and are willing to share abundantly all that is given to us." (Nouwen, Henri. Sabbatical Journey Crossroad Publishing, 2000)
Prayer: Great God, we thank You that You are loving to all people and all that You have made. Watch over us as we begin on a new journey in generosity. Guide us as we begin to give generously in Your name so that others will say, “This is a Church and Peoples of Generosity”. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment