Make It Simple – October 5, 2009
October 5, 2009
Dear Bethany Member:
Philippians 4:11-13: “I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
What does “contentment” feel like? This is a difficult question in our current culture. When surveys have asked “How much is enough?” responses have consistently been “Twenty percent more than I have now.” If that is true, how do we break the endless circle that this leads us toward—it is always “twenty percent more.” We are told over and over every day—“You don’t have enough…What you have is fragile and could be gone at any moment…You have to go get more!” These messages come from a world focused on scarcity.
In this setting how do we understand our relationship with God? God is creator—we are God’s creatures. How do we live in relationship with our creator? Martin Luther reminds us in his explanation of the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed “that God has created me and all that exists…God daily and abundantly provides…all the necessities and nourishment for this body and life…out of pure, fatherly, and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness of mine at all!” It is in this relationship that we recognize that God has abundantly provided us with all that we need.
If we focus on the scarcity, we never have enough. When we focus on God’s abundant blessings, there is more than we can ever imagine. Recognizing God’s abundant blessings we experience Paul’s message to the Philippians in our own lives. We can be content with what we have because we know that we are blessed and can “do all things through him who strengthens us.”
In worship on Consecration Sunday, November 1, you will have the opportunity to complete your estimate of giving card indicating your plan for giving to Bethany Lutheran Church for 2010. Following worship, please join other members of Bethany in the Fellowship Hall for the Celebration Brunch (RSVP online).
Make your generous giving on Consecration Sunday be reflective, not on a focus of scarcity, but instead on the abundance of blessings we have already received and continue to receive from God.
Yours in Christ,
The Bethany Stewardship Ministry Team
Ron Bruggeman Joel Halvorson
Kevin Dempsey Doug Hock
Marie Friedemann Sarah Hulslander
Peggy Furgason Guy Wayman
Make It Simple is our Stewardship program for 2009/10. As you prepare for Consecration Sunday, you will continue to see and hear additional information about the Make It Simple stewardship program through information in the Beacon and bulletins, through upcoming “temple talks” and sermons, and, through various adult, youth and children’s educational opportunities. In addition, the Bethany website (www.bethany-denver.org) will continue to include information about the various aspects of the Make It Simple program and will provide direct links to resources that can be used as you see fit for you and your family, including videos that highlight the experiences of others.
