God’s Abundance

 

2 Kings 4:42-44; John 6:1-21

God’s economy and human economy are vastly different. In human economy, we look at what we can see. We see 20 loaves of bread, to feed a crowd of 100. We see 5 loaves of peasant bread and 2 fish, to feed a crowd of 5,000. We look at the numbers and can’t imagine how it can possibly work. But it does. Not only does it work, but everyone has enough and there are leftovers! In God’s economy, there is more than enough.

In John’s Gospel, there are several stories of abundance. At Cana, when the wine runs out, Jesus turns barrels of water into fine wine. At a Samaritan well, a woman is promised eternal life from a well of water that never runs dry.

It’s hard for us to believe, though, isn’t it? We look at the bottom line, at the account balances and say “here is how much we have to work with.” Or, we say, “there is no money in that account, and we can’t afford to do that.” But God has other ideas.

St Matthew’s has a history of quickly raising funds for special needs. For example, it took just a few weeks to raise $50,000 to renovate the sanctuary and restore the floor in Benson Hall. That money has also been used for other smaller projects that fit within the vision of the original request.

It’s the day-to-day, week-to-week financing that can be a challenge. Most congregations develop a budget with estimated income less than they know will be given, because we never know what God will provide.

And, somehow, it usually works. An out-of-town visitor makes an unexpected gift. A bequest from a deceased member arrives. And, many people decide they could afford to give the church an extra $5 a week, roughly the cost of a fast-food snack.  There is always enough in God’s economy.

…  I have heard versions of this next story with differing amounts. They all start with members receiving a small amount of cash and being asked to increase it in whatever way they choose – as long as it was legal, of course.

In Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Rev. Hamilton Throckmorton started with $40,000, an amazing amount of money. This itself can be seen as a sign of God’s economy. It had been loaned by several members of the congregation and turned into cash.

The congregation had about 1,700 members, though not everyone was able to participate. One Sunday, Hamilton preached on the Matthew Text about talents. He gave each adult $50, and children $10. They had seven weeks in which to try to double their money for ministry projects. During this time, they were to imagine being the servant who doubled what he had been given.

Hal used the money to rent airtime and give 30-minute rides in his airplane. Kathy bought canning equipment and filled the jars with tomatoes from her garden. Barb made jewelry from found items. There were so many people doing crafts, the church held craft fairs so the items could be displayed and sold. At the end of the seven weeks, Pastor Hamilton announced they had more than doubled the original investment, with more coming in.

But people said it wasn’t really about the money. It was the sense of excitement and camaraderie that arose as people shared their experiences and their products with each other. It was the feeling that God had done something miraculous in their midst.

This is how God’s economy works. It doesn’t have to be on the scale of something as big as $40,000. It can be as small as a church potluck meal. Yes, there may not be enough cheesy potatoes for everyone, but have you ever gone hungry at a potluck? Aren’t there usually leftovers?

And, here’s the thing about learning to trust God to provide an abundance: we learn to be generous. We learn that somehow, the money we give is replaced, or at least we discover we don’t miss it.

We learn that we can be generous with more than our money, too. We find that God stretches our time and energy to allow for us to participate in ministries that allow us to use our gifts and talents.

At St Matthew’s, this means we have a loyal crew of Thursday Workers; Coffee Hour hosts; worship greeters and ushers and assisting ministers and lectors and camera operators and Sunday School teachers; council members and officers; and a whole host of people who show up for Live Nativity.

It is tempting to focus only on the material abundance of bread and fish, of money, of time. But there is another abundance mentioned in John: abundant life.

We get abundant life by having a relationship with God. Abundant life includes trusting God to provide enough of the stuff we need to sustain us. It also includes knowing that God is present with us, loves us, forgives us. It includes spending time with God, to receive the love and forgiveness and grace we need for abundant life.

The really good thing about God’s abundance is that all you have to do to get it is open your hands and heart to receive it. Let’s do a moment of silence as we practice receiving God’s abundant grace.