In December, First Lutheran found itself facing a projected $50,000 shortfall between giving and the expense of supporting the ministry and mission of the church. I wrote a note informing the people of the financial situation and asked them to prayerfully consider giving generously to reduce (or even erase) the projected shortfall. I shared my belief that giving is an act of worship and praise to our generous and loving God; that we give out of joy and thanksgiving for the many blessings we have received from God, trusting that God does and will provide for our daily needs, and; that we give in order to continue the work of ministry and mission in the world that Jesus has entrusted to us.
And I shared what our Bishop, Gary Wollersheim recently wrote about where we put our trust in the midst of an ‘economic crisis;’ “As Christians, we put our trust in God. We believe that God does and will provide for our daily needs. We recognize that compared to most of the world, even in an economic crisis, we are wealthy. And we are reminded of the words of Scripture: “to whom much is given, much shall be required”, so we respond to God’s graciousness with continued generosity.”
And then I prayed and waited to see what God would do.
And what happened is a miracle! It brought tears of joy to my eyes to see how God worked through his people to significantly reduce (and nearly erase) the projected shortfall before the end of the year! By their actions thepeople of First Lutheran have shown that they truly trust in God, even in these difficult economic times. They responded to God’s graciousness with generosity, and helped make ministry happen.
All praise and thanks to God for these wonderful, generous people!
Trusting God. Following Jesus. <><
Pastor Roy+
Thursday, January 8, 2009
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