Cheerful Giving
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Nothing is more predictable than a pastor talking about money as the end of the year approaches, right?
We are approaching a time in the year that is both exciting and a little bit nerve-wracking...determining our budget for 2024! And so it is kind of amusing how 2 Corinthians 9 has popped up in the lectionary with its phrase that I am sure so many of you have heard before: "for God loves a cheerful giver."
How often has that phrase been used in your experience as a quick way to encourage more dollars in the offering plate over the years? I have heard it used tons of times in the past but rarely hear a sermon that goes deeper. If we look at the passage it comes from, we see the apostle Paul is fundraising among newly Christian gentile churches like the church in Corinth.
In fact, the first nine chapters of 2 Corinthians is focused on this collection Paul is taking, and he also took a collection in Thessalonica and Philippi as well. What we see in scripture is that this collection was for "the poor who are among the saints in Jerusalem," (Romans 15:26) and "the poor," (Galatians 2:10) and "the saints." (Romans 15:25, 1 Corinthians 16:1)
It seems Paul might have come on too strong in his first letter to the Corinthian church because we see as readers him striking a more persuasive tone when he makes sure to say "Each one should give what they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor 9:7)
How we give is certainly as important is how much we give. You might remember Jesus lifting up the pittance of an offering by the Widow in his parable because it was so much of what she possessed compared the large offering that was still just a fraction of the money a very wealthy person had.
When I think about my relationship with money and my faith, I find myself thinking about fear. I think one of the primary reasons greed exists comes out of a deep and often unacknowledged fear that we will lose what we have. And what my faith tells me is that what I have isn't mine to begin with!
Later in this passage in 2 Corinthians, Paul says, "God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." Note what it doesn't say here! It doesn't say that God will make MONEY abound in us, but grace! Lest we forget the lesson from "A Wonderful Life," there is so much more to joyful living than how much money we have.
That being said, Paul was still going around to churches raising money. Frankly, talking about money is complicated in relation to our faith because we certainly want to follow Jesus who celebrated the Widows Mite. But we also would like to not be anxious about putting food on the table and paying rent or our mortgage each month, too!
When you consider your own generosity, the advice that "God loves a cheerful giver" shouldn't inspire shame that we don't like giving money away. This advice, instead, should be an invitation to find joy in what is possible when our combined generosity is brought together to make miracles happen! This season, if you are connected to our church, I hope you might find joy in how your gifts have already brought some really cool miracles to life in our neighborhood. I will be reaching out with a stewardship letter to our mailing list with those celebrations and an invitation to consider how your gifts can continue to make miracles happen here at Lakewood UMC in 2024.
