Do Not Be Anxious
Sure.
No problem.
Is He crazy? Liz fed us this question on Sunday, ‘Don’t I deserve to be anxious? Have you seen my life?’
And yet. Jesus says, ‘do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.’
Food and clothing, combined with shelter, are about the most basic necessities there are. Yet Jesus says, life is more than food (and clothing, and houses, and car payments, and school loans, and…)
Last fall, our church had a capital campaign. We had an opportunity to respond to God’s grace and to pledge money to a plan to provide a place for restoration. And many of us prayed, and pored over our budgets, and looked through our closets, and opened up our stock portfolios, and stretched as generously as we could. God used that campaign to give a fresh look at our fiances and to ask in a fresh way, ‘what’s mine? what’s a treasure in heaven? what’s a moneybag that doesn’t grow old?’
We took Jesus at His word: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. I prayed– Jesus, I want my heart to be with you. So I am going to try your idea. I’ll put my treasure with you and see if my heart follows. I don’t want to be anxious.
We are about 6 months in to fulfilling our 3 year pledges. How’s it going for you? How’s your anxiety? Where is your heart? How is God using the discipline of making a commitment with your money to keep you close to Him?
I find that I think about my pledge pretty often. I had a pretty clear idea on how 75% of it was going to come in. But I knew the last 25% was going to be a stretch [read, miracle]. So, I pay attention to the miracles that God might be doing and how he will help me be faithful to the promises I made with my money.
Guess what, as I pay attention, as I look, my heart is following my treasure. I’m not anxious. I’m excited.
I’m also disciplined. I used CCB to set up a monthly gift in to our Building Fund. I am regularly paying my pledge and I know when I will give extra. I’m disciplined. And I’m excited for grace of how all of it will come in next year.
How’s it going for you?
Parish Meeting
On Sunday, after our worship service, we will stick around for a 45 minute parish meeting. Yes, there will be yummy snacks and yes you’ll have a few minutes to grab one. Yes, we hope to extend our paid nursery workers so that kids under 2 can stay in their rooms. Yes, we have some exciting news to share. Last night our vestry chose the contractor who will construct our new facility! Your pledges are going to become classrooms for kids, and pews, and meeting space to talk about Scripture and transformation. We also want to tell you about the ways we are serving the poor and the vulnerable this summer– ways you can get involved! So stick around on Sunday. Be encouraged by all that God is doing at Restoration.
Be disciplined. Be excited. Look for the miracles that God is doing and let your heart follow your treasure.
Imperfectly not anxious,
-David
