“Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel, for ever and ever. All that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. 1 Chronicles 29.10, 11, 14” Many will recognise these words as the prayer over the gifts in the Book of Common Prayer service. The message is profound – “All that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” When we look around us, this building, the words of our prayers, the fellowship we enjoy, the gifts we share with each other and the community, we acknowledge that all of this, first and foremost, comes from God. The ways we use these gifts are our response to God. “All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” Knowing this, trusting this, we are challenged to continually reflect on how we manage God’s wealth. ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.” What might it look like to squander God’s property, the wealth of gifts God gives to us? Could the ways in which humanity has undermined the integrity of God’s Creation through pollution, destruction of habitat in favour of human ideals of living, and the exploitation of fossil fuels to the detriment of the environment be considered a type of ‘squandering’? What about the extent to which society is complicit in the hording of wealth at the expense of some of the most vulnerable in society? Could that be considered a type of ‘squandering’? How about churches who focus resources on the needs of people in the pews only turning towards the wider community to the extent that it benefits them? Are they ‘squandering’ God’s gifts? ‘All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.’ To what extent is humanity so focused inwards that we miss authentically living this turn to gratitude? Is it possible that God might see in our actions and inactions a type of squandering? What will God say when we are called to account for how we use the wealth of gifts God has given to us? This summer, we, as a congregation, have been contemplating how we use the gifts God has given us in this place at this time. Key to this discernment are the questions: what story are we telling ourselves and what story is being heard through us to the wider community? Answering these questions provides the foundation for what happens next for this congregation and its relationship to the wider community. The shrewd manager, knowing he will soon be unemployed, takes the opportunity to meet with those indebted to the rich owner and forgive some of what they owe thus endearing himself to them. What would that look like for us? Are there those who feel so indebted to the world that they long for even a glimmer of hope? Who might find grace in an experience of freedom from the burdens placed on them? How might we be a catalyst that helps to lighten the load of our neighbours and provide a safe space where they can encounter God? What examples can we provide from our ministry which illustrate our attempts to truly love our neighbours and proclaim the Good News to them? ‘All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.’ This building, all that is in it, all that we contribute to it, are gifts from God. Our discernment is an invitation to consider how we currently use these gifts to reveal to our neighbours God’s grace and love in this world AND how we might further use these gifts in this way. We don’t know how long we may be able to serve in this place. We are a small congregation with a big heart. We can continue to serve shrewdly, helping to relieve the burdens of those who need relief and providing spaces where people can feel safe and loved. ‘Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel, for ever and ever. All that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. All things come of thee, and of thine own have we give thee.’ We have been blessed by God. Our response says something about our gratitude for those blessings. What we choose today can make a difference. How will we seek to be continually faithful with the little we have? What more can we do right now? With hope and thanksgiving for all that God has given us, let us pray as we sing: (SNC) #88 Give Thanks for Life
