Grace and Generosity

This Sunday we will be talking about money, buildings, and generosity. We start a four week conversation about our vision and values, and how these are fleshed out by brick and mortar. The way we are going to talk about money and the buildings we need will be in the context of our values. There is no reason whatsoever to build and to ask people to make huge sacrifices and investments if it is not to fulfill the family values of St. Patrick. So we will talk about grace, family, feasting, and making heaven local. It ought to be fun.The place we always start is grace. Grace is everything! We are the people of grace, we are saved by grace, we serve God out of grace, and everything we have is because of the grace of God. When you look at the cross and the whole context of what God was doing in the death and resurrection of his son Jesus—you are talking about a God who is not just generous but the most generous! This Sunday we are going to look at how a group of people called the Macedonias pondered the cross and God’s grace in giving Jesus, and as they worked this out in their lives, they realized that that, to be like Jesus, they must become a people known for generosity.I am about to get in the car and head home as I write this. I just finished a couple of day meetings with a board I serve on called Reformed Youth Ministries. It serves youth by putting on conferences, training Youth leaders, and has lots of resources for youth and parents on their website. It is impressive the way the ministry has grown, but the most impressive thing was a letter a sixteen year old girl wrote to the speaker of the Colorado conference telling him that she came an atheist and left a daughter of Jesus! (I will read you that letter Sunday.) But what struck me is this—what made that possible is that a whole lot of people have given a whole lot of money so that a whole lot of young people they don’t even know can hear about Jesus. That is the reason I will urge you to give and pray about giving generously during this crucial time of thinking about our stewardship of money and how it can bless and build the kingdom! Hope to see you Sunday!Blessings,Jim