JOINING THE “Ruth and Samaritan Leper” CLUB

Or... How do we DEMONSTRATE our gratitude?

 

My focus is on Ruth and the Samaritan leper today

 

Naomi - loss of her husband, Elimelech, and her two sons

Ruth - one of her Moabite daughters-in-law

Naomi - returning to Judah

Ruth’s - “Do not press me to leave you... Where you go I will go; your people shall be my people, and your God may God.”

 

Samaritan leper - 10 lepers healed; only one turned around, shouted out praises to God, found Jesus again, threw himself at Jesus’ feet, and thanked him

 

I am asking you to become full members in the “Ruth and Samaritan Leper” Club

 

Gratitude involves ACTION

When we are healed, blessed, given to, there’s supposed to be a natural response

Not... I want more

Not... disappointment in what I still don’t have

Not... looking around and seeing what someone else has

GRATITUDE...that’s seen and demonstrated; we GIVE SOMETHING in response

 

Bishop O’Neill and Diocesan Convention

Mission in our Diocese

Starting new churches; redeveloping those that need a jump start

Proclaiming the good news of life lived following Christ

Reaching out to the poor - servanthood

Youth and young adults... spiritual growth for all - discipleship

And yet? 10% and 5%? What’s going on?

 

A Vision at St. Ambrose...

Second Priest

Spiritual Formation and Growth

Successful Stewardship

Greater Presence in the Community

And yet - average 2-2.5% giving? What’s going on?

Starts with me... Will I be a person of gratitude, thankfulness, and generosity?

Starts with you... Will YOU be a person of gratitude, thankfulness, and generosity?

 

Running on Friday...

What do I know about gratitude, giving, and generosity?

 

1. Don’t start by thinking of amounts of money when it comes to giving

Proportional giving - How can I give in a way that is PROPORTIONAL to my blessings?

What is proportional to the joy, gratitude that I feel?

Episcopal Church teaches THE TITHE

Uncle Sam thinks in percentages, and so should you!

2. Tithing isn’t necessarily right for all people

Making $30,000 - probably shouldn’t be tithing

Making $100,000? - should be! For your own spiritual health, financial well-being, and to avoid one of the “7 deadly sins” - greed

I know this: 1% giving is not enough; 2-2.5%, our average, is not enough!

CHALLENGE: Give 1% for each $10,000 of income - you, personally

This is demonstrated gratitude - this is joining the “Ruth and Samaritan Leper Club”

3. National Stewardship Office flyer - Top 5 Reasons to tithe (give proportionally)

#5 - An ancient, Biblical model (Gen. 28:10-22) and Episcopal Church norm

#4 - Ministry support - provides adequate support for the work God calls us to do

#3 - Financial wisdom - discourages debt and encourages disciplined financial management

#2 - Congregational strength - strengthens ministry, health, and community within congregations

#1 - Builds trust in God and deeper relationship with God - As an act of thanks and gratitude, tithing strengthens faith and builds trust in God

4. Demonstrating gratitude by giving is a SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

 

Four people are the key leaders, working on how to present financial stewardship to you this year -

Kris Bertness, Andy Hewitt, Millie Williams, and myself

We’ve been wrestling and struggling with the best way to do it

We wrestled with the stewardship letter that we sent out this week, and ran it by the members of the Vestry - Keep it to one page? What should we say? Do we even call it a stewardship letter? Work in the vision? Get Kristy’s opinion!

 

 

Question: Are you going to put as much energy into discerning about what you should give - as a response of gratitude and thanksgiving - as the four of us are putting in?

 

Are you just going to say, after months of community discussion about our Vision, and setting goals, and my sermon today: “What amount did I give last year? Let me just write that down again.”

 

If so, I’m here to say that’s not enough wrestling! That’s not enough praying. That’s not putting in the time, the energy, the thought, the prayer, the wrestling with God that this deserves!

 

Hold up stewardship letter and pledge forms...

 

How will you demonstrate your gratitude to God? I know one way...

Become a member of the “Ruth and Samaritan Leper Club”

Give proportionally - give 1% for every $10,000 of your income

Percentage of the net or the gross? Doesn’t matter!

 

If you give 1% for every $10,000 of your income, we’ll achieve our vision and we will be a strong, healthy parish, engaged in powerful ministry that builds up the kingdom of God.

 

GRATITUDE IS NOT JUST A NICE FEELING INSIDE YOUR HEAD

It involves action

It involves a response

It involves a proportional response

It involves giving back... It involves being generous

 

I challenge you to become a member of “The Ruth and Samaritan Leper Club”