Tag Archives: giving

Blood:Water Mission, Doing Great Work

29 Friday Feb 2008

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I have been trying to make some practical applications that are specific to the General Rules in my recent sermon series on Wesley’s General Rules. When I preached on the second rule, “Do all the good that you can,” I wanted to think of a concrete way for our church to “do good” to others throughout the season of Lent.

The result of this was the decision to start a campaign at our church during Lent to give to Blood:Water Mission. If you are not familiar with Blood:Water Mission, it is an excellent organization, doing wonderful work. You should go to their website in order to get the most accurate and comprehensive information available, but here is some random info about Blood:Water Mission:

  • $1 provides clean drinking water for one person for one year! That is amazing, and reason enough to want to support Blood:Water Mission.
  • $3,000 will build a well that will provide clean drinking water for a village. Again, this is a pretty amazing result that you could see with a generous, but for many people not completely unimaginable amount of money. (If it seems unimaginable, maybe we need to get a lot more imaginative about ways that we can spend less on ourselves and more on those who lack basic necessities like clean drinking water.)
  • They also work to provide safe blood for blood transfusions. (I have to admit, I am not as clear on the “blood” side of Blood:Water Mission… but it is a part of what they feel called to work toward.)
  • I believe Blood:Water Mission started due to the burden of the members of Jars of Clay, when they were faced with the need during a trip to Africa. (I am not positive that they are the “founders,” but they are definitely involved with it.)
  • Did I mention that $1 will provide clean drinking water for one person (who would not otherwise have clean drinking water) for an entire year?!?
I would encourage you to prayerfully consider giving during this season of Lent (and beyond) to Blood:Water Mission. Can you find ways to cut a few corners and send the money that you save to Blood:Water Mission so that a brother or sister who is thirsty can have a cup of clean, safe, uncontaminated drinking water? You can give directly through their website here.

Don’t Forget to Give to Jesus!

20 Thursday Dec 2007

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It was my responsibility to give the Children’s Sermon last Sunday in worship. I wrestled with what to talk to them about. I always find Christmas to be a bit of an awkward time to talk to the children, because I have such great memories of Christmas, but my memories are mostly based on the gospel of consumerism, not the gospel of Christ. So, I sometimes struggle with finding helpful ways to talk to young people about the “true meaning of Christmas.”

Last week I decided to read a passage of Scripture to them and share a story. The Scripture passage I read was Matthew 2:1-2, 9-12 which is about the magi visiting Jesus and bringing him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I asked them what happened in the story. (I was very impressed with how much they got out of the story, they recounted almost every detail.) I asked questions trying to get them to come to a realization that I had during the week that was the motivation for this Children’s Sermon: the magi gave gifts to Jesus, not to each other.

It is interested that the secular meaning of Christmas has become a time to give gifts to other people (and of course receive gifts too!) It seems to me that gifts play two roles in Scripture. First, Jesus is God’s gift to the world. We have all received the gift of the incarnate God sent to save us. Second, the people who recognized this gift for what it was brought gifts to Jesus in worship and thanksgiving.

So, I am coming to a deeper appreciation of the Little Drummer Boy’s struggle: what gift can I bring to Jesus? I have spent more time worrying about and thinking about how what gifts to give to my family and friends. But, in working on a children’s sermon I was reminded that I need to first make sure to receive the gift anew that has been given to me, the gift of God’s loving presence. And then it may be that I need to put more thought into how I will respond to that gift than to any other gift that I give.

I hope and pray that my very life is becoming the gift that I am offering to Jesus in worship and thanksgiving. What gift are you giving to Jesus this Christmas?