Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor 9:7
From my kitchen window I can see THE most beautiful Magnolia - these last few days it has blossomed into an ebullient riot of colour. Magnolias have long been a favourite tree of mine as my mother used to plant one for us whenever we moved house… so although she died many years ago now, every time I see a fully flowering Magnolia my heart responds with such joy! She was always so kind.
These last few weeks have been ones when there seem to have been so many glimpses of kindness and generosity.
A couple of weeks ago our ‘grand-mother’ church The Falls Church-Anglican sent Incarnation a delightful note telling us how proud they were of us, and they included a generous check as well! How kind. We are so grateful that we come from a line of faithful churches where God’s word has been preached and where generosity has been a hallmark of their connection to the community over many decades.
And then last week Winchester Anglican Church (a 'sister' church) reached out to us, to say how excited they are about us and could they partner with us? They also sent a check and promised to pray and support us over the next three years. How kind…. I hope that a small contingent from Winchester will visit one Sunday evening soon. Look out for them and give them a high 5 when they do!
And in the last few days, Restoration Anglican church (our ‘mother’ church) agreed to extend our back office support until next March. This was unexpected and a delightfully helpful surprise! How kind… Their generosity to us extends in so many ways - we are also so grateful for the ways our youth are welcomed into the APEX program run by Isaiah Brooms. It was a delight to visit Restoration yesterday and tell them how grateful we are for their generosity.
Two Sundays ago I asked you to consider the ways you also respond to God in giving - if you missed the sermon (or were overwhelmed by the cardinal!) do have a listen! In the conversations that have followed I’ve been delighted by the ways so many of you are processing the ways that you respond to God - and there are many. I’ve been particularly struck by the number of people in our community who have taken on the idea of incrementally increasing their giving on an annual basis using a tithe to the church as a starting point. That is something we would love to aspire to as a church as well as we give to people and causes outside of our community. Thank you for being kind and generous givers.
And then last night, Megan wooed us to consider our practices of prayer. Foundational to all that we are and do and the habits we form is our relationship with our heavenly Father. And at the heart of relationship is conversation. This morning I am so grateful for the kindness of God who welcomes us to spend time with him, to share our joys and fears with him - who is Father to us all - whether at TFC-A, Winchester or Restoration - we are all united in our faithful witness to a God who continuously gives to us with such generosity and kindness.
If you have questions about any of the topics in this series on the practices of our faith (submission, service, worship, giving, prayer, fasting is next week) please reach out. We would love to talk with you and we have many resources to help you on your journey of faith!
Let me know! I love to answer questions :)
~Liz
Vicar