Children and Wealth
Monday, November 22, 2010 -- Week of Proper 29, Year Two
Cecilia, Martyr at Rome, c. 280; Clives Staples Lewis, Apologist and Spiritual Writer, 1963
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p 995)
Psalms 106:1-18 (morning) 106:19-48 (evening)
Zechariah 10:1-12
Galatians 6:1-10
Luke 18:15-30
A couple of Sundays ago the confirmation class from Central United Methodist Church visited St. Paul's as they do each year as an opportunity to share with the children their Anglican roots. Charles and John Wesley, Thomas Coke, as well as many of the early leaders of the Methodist movement were Anglican priests. John Wesley served briefly as Rector of Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia. Much of the liturgy in the Methodist order of service comes from or is influenced by the Book of Common Prayer.
I visited with the confirmation class inside our church and answered their many questions. One of the first questions had to do with the stained glass window behind our altar. It depicts Jesus with three children, and has under an inscription from a verse in today's reading, Luke 18:16. Our widow cites the King James translation, reading "Suffer the children..." One little boy was curious about that. I think he might have been wondering whether the children were supposed to suffer during church. He might have truly related to the window. He didn't seem to be so interested to learn that the more contemporary translation speaks of Jesus' desire to "let the little children come to me."
This chapter in Luke contrasts the unencumbered freedom of a child's response with the calculated hesitation of a wealthy adult. "Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. ...How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"
People around here know the legacy of Bernice Jones who was moved by this passage and determined to give her wealth away before her death, creating the Jones Center and Trust and contributing to many good causes in Springdale and our area. Recently Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have encouraged other wealthy people to plan ways to give away at least half of their wealth to charitable causes.
Today is also the feast day for C. S. Lewis, a professor at Oxford University whose writings for children and for adults have strengthened the faith of many. One of the lesser known things about Lewis is that he was remarkably generous. He freely gave away money, sometimes, it was said, irresponsibly when presented with people claiming need. At times he gave away so much of his earnings that he was uncertain of his being able to supply for his own basic needs.
I'm often delighted at the generosity of children. I had a parent come to me the other day asking how his child could help someone who was poor. It seems that the child's grandparent had bought some lottery chance in the child's name and won around $200. The child wanted to give it to someone who needed it. We connected the child with our homeless ministry at Seven Hills.
Generosity is a divine quality, for we know God to be the ultimate Giver. Most of us have control needs and power hang-ups. Being able to let go and to give joyously, without attaching too many strings, can be a practice in surrender of our exaggerated control and power needs. Most of the people who I've known to be generous givers have also seemed like happier and thankful people. Maybe that is because we are created to be generous, and when we give freely we are acting in accordance with our deepest nature.
One of Jesus' most frequent subjects concerned our relationship with our wealth. What we do with what we have is a deeply spiritual issue.
Cecilia, Martyr at Rome, c. 280; Clives Staples Lewis, Apologist and Spiritual Writer, 1963
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p 995)
Psalms 106:1-18 (morning) 106:19-48 (evening)
Zechariah 10:1-12
Galatians 6:1-10
Luke 18:15-30
A couple of Sundays ago the confirmation class from Central United Methodist Church visited St. Paul's as they do each year as an opportunity to share with the children their Anglican roots. Charles and John Wesley, Thomas Coke, as well as many of the early leaders of the Methodist movement were Anglican priests. John Wesley served briefly as Rector of Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia. Much of the liturgy in the Methodist order of service comes from or is influenced by the Book of Common Prayer.
I visited with the confirmation class inside our church and answered their many questions. One of the first questions had to do with the stained glass window behind our altar. It depicts Jesus with three children, and has under an inscription from a verse in today's reading, Luke 18:16. Our widow cites the King James translation, reading "Suffer the children..." One little boy was curious about that. I think he might have been wondering whether the children were supposed to suffer during church. He might have truly related to the window. He didn't seem to be so interested to learn that the more contemporary translation speaks of Jesus' desire to "let the little children come to me."
This chapter in Luke contrasts the unencumbered freedom of a child's response with the calculated hesitation of a wealthy adult. "Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. ...How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"
People around here know the legacy of Bernice Jones who was moved by this passage and determined to give her wealth away before her death, creating the Jones Center and Trust and contributing to many good causes in Springdale and our area. Recently Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have encouraged other wealthy people to plan ways to give away at least half of their wealth to charitable causes.
Today is also the feast day for C. S. Lewis, a professor at Oxford University whose writings for children and for adults have strengthened the faith of many. One of the lesser known things about Lewis is that he was remarkably generous. He freely gave away money, sometimes, it was said, irresponsibly when presented with people claiming need. At times he gave away so much of his earnings that he was uncertain of his being able to supply for his own basic needs.
I'm often delighted at the generosity of children. I had a parent come to me the other day asking how his child could help someone who was poor. It seems that the child's grandparent had bought some lottery chance in the child's name and won around $200. The child wanted to give it to someone who needed it. We connected the child with our homeless ministry at Seven Hills.
Generosity is a divine quality, for we know God to be the ultimate Giver. Most of us have control needs and power hang-ups. Being able to let go and to give joyously, without attaching too many strings, can be a practice in surrender of our exaggerated control and power needs. Most of the people who I've known to be generous givers have also seemed like happier and thankful people. Maybe that is because we are created to be generous, and when we give freely we are acting in accordance with our deepest nature.
One of Jesus' most frequent subjects concerned our relationship with our wealth. What we do with what we have is a deeply spiritual issue.
Lowell
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| Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: -- Morning Reflection Podcasts About Morning Reflections "Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church. Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer. Evening Prayer begins on p. 117 An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at missionstclare.com -- Click for online Daily Office Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html -- Click for Divine Hours Discussion Blog: To comment on today's reflection or readings, go to http://lowellsblog.blogspot.com, or click here for Lowell's blog find today's reading, click "comment" at the bottom of the reading, and post your thoughts. |
| The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love. See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org Our Rule of Life: We aspire to... worship weekly pray daily learn constantly serve joyfully live generously. Lowell Grisham, Rector St. Paul's Episcopal Church Fayetteville, Arkansas |
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