Show Me The Missions

What is important to you when it comes to finding a church? I know it is different for everyone.  Some people want a modern, contemporary church.  Others seek something more traditional.  I think for everyone, they are looking for a church that makes them feel comfortable and welcome and that aligns with their basic beliefs, which among different denominations (and even churches of the same denomination) can vary greatly.  For me, it is all about the mission work.  That is what I need in a church.  I need to see what good works they are doing in the community.  

Almost three years we have searched for a church in Washington, although I have to admit, sometimes we searched harder than others.  Also, I have to admit that I have had a hard time of letting go of my church at home, St. Luke United Methodist in Columbus. It is where all three of my children have been Baptized, where one of my dearest friends is also my minister, where I worked in the nursery as a teenager and where Dr. Brady led me through my own Affirmation of Faith at around my 8^th month of pregnancy with Lila.  I’ll never forget him telling me after the service that after he had me kneeling down at the front of the church, he thought that maybe he shouldn’t have made me kneel. I was HUGE!!!  Then he grinned and said, “But then I thought there were a few doctors in the congregation if we needed them.” However, those attachments weren’t even the primary reason that I compared all other churches to St. Luke; it was the amazing spirit of giving that was a part of that church family.  There were so many opportunities to get involved in helping others, whether it be at December First Saturday, Samaritan Fund, the food pantry or mission trips.  Now, they have even further expanded their missions to include a relationship with an orphanage, Naomi’s Village, in Africa and the support of MercyMed, a non-profit medical clinic in Columbus.  (http://www.stlukeum.com/#/outreach-and-mission/local-outreach ). 

During our search for churches here, we have visited a variety of denominations and types of churches, from huge, contemporary mega churches to smaller, local churches.  However, every time we visited, I was left feeling like Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Jerry Maguire where he is yelling “Show me the money.”  However, I was yelling, “Show me the missions.”  We just weren’t finding what we needed. So, we determined we would just keep looking. We added it to our nightly prayers with our children.  “Dear God, please lead us to a church were we need to be, where there is a spirit of giving, where we can help do your good works.”

Luckily, God did hear our prayers. A friend of mine from high school just recently moved up here and is an associate pastor at a Methodist Church in a nearby town.  It is a bit of a drive, but I felt like maybe it was a sign that we should visit.  The first time we went, we felt welcomed, engaged and immediately got a glimpse of some of the church’s mission work.  The next Sunday we attended, it was the stewardship sermon and man, did we get to hear about what they were doing in the community and given an opportunity to get involved in a ministry that we both feel so strongly about, helping the homeless in our community.  YES!!!

Of course, you know that saying “Be careful what you ask (pray) for.”  I have had to giggle about that several times lately.  At Protestant Women of the Chapel, yesterday, our group program was on mission work.  Much of our morning was spent studying Matthew 25.  Two of the parables, “The Parable of the Talents” and “The Parable of the Sheep and Goats” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25), really spoke to me.  These parables remind us how important it is to share our gifts with others as well as take care of those that are in need. Then, this morning, in Lila and my daily devotion, “Mommy & Me, 100 Daily Devos for Moms and Their Little Girls” the topic was sharing. Our bible verses today included:  The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same. –Luke 3:11. If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? James 2:15-16. Today’s prayer was, “Dear Lord, let us find ways to help other people. Jesus served others; we can too.  We can share our possessions and our prayers.  And, we can share kind words with our family and friends, today and every day.  Amen.”

I’ve always been told to listen closely to God’s whispers, but in the past few days, I am reminded that sometimes he yells. Today, I feel like he is yelling my own words back to me, “Show me the missions.”  My challenge to myself is to make sure I am doing God’s good works, helping those in need and sharing my talents, as well as teaching my children to do the same. My prayer is that God will lead me to where I can do this best.

Does God want us to be rich?

Something has been weighing on my mind lately is the concept of whether God wants us to be rich.  Several years ago, when the Army moved us, my husband and I made a decision for me to quit my job and not try to find another one when we moved.  It was a huge leap of faith for me, as money (or the peace of mind that came with it at that time) were very big for me. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't consumed with having a lot of money, but we were very comfortable in our lifestyle and I knew that relying on one income, especially when we were moving was going to be a very big adjustment.  In that time of uncertainty, it was my husband who had the Faith, who told me repeatedly that we would be okay, that God would provide and he has.  We have made adjustments and we aren't as "spendy" as we used to be.  We are still adjusting three years later, but it has been worth it and there has always been enough. We are definitely not rich, at least not in the monetary sense and that is what I am talking about.  Does God want us to be rich with money? 

So, as I am known to do, I hit up the web and Google with that question, just to see the varying opinions, and man, there are some opinions. They are varied from one spectrum to the other and each has some biblical reasoning why they think they are correct.  Then, I decided that I should just see what the Bible has to say about money myself.  I've put some of the passages that I found below, but there are many more verses specifically about wealth.

Deuteronomy 8:18

But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Ecclesiastes 5:10

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.

Matthew 6:24

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Mark 12:41-44

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.  Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."

Acts 8:20

Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

Hebrews 13:5

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Revelation 3:17

You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

There were two verses that spoke to me more than all the others.  They are listed below:

1 Peter 5:2-3

Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve;  not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

You see, I don’t claim to be a theologian.  I am definitely not an expert.  As a matter of fact, I admittedly have to use web searches on a regular basis to find specific verses because I am not as knowledgeable as I feel I should be.  I am definitely a work in progress.  However, this is the conclusion I came to about the questions, “Does God want us to be monetarily rich?”  There is only one reason I can think of that God would want us to be rich and that would be so that we could give more, do more.  Greater resources gives us the ability to do more for others.  My question to myself (and others) is, do you share your riches?  Do you give of your gifts?  I hope that in God’s eyes, I am doing that and I strive to continuously improve.  Once again, I am a work in progress.  However, I think progress is the key.