Yesterday, I found myself delivering a cake to Concord High School. It was a bittersweet moment. The cake was an expression of gratitude for the five years of wonderful education, structure, and friendship that the school has brought into the life of our son Matthew. On January 25, Matt will leave Concord High for the last time as a student and enter the bigger world of services for special needs adults. This new network of support is a bit scary to contemplate. It depends, it seems, more directly on the cooperative spirit of politicians and community leaders to fund programs for those who have different abilities and the more vulnerable members of our society. But that is another topic for another day.
Today, I am thinking about the feeling of extreme generosity that swept over me as I drove the cake to the party. I found myself tearing up with gratitude for Mr. Bombacci, for classroom teachers, the teaching assistants, for bus drivers, for the principal and office staff, for coaches, and for fellow students who extended hospitality and friendship to Matt when he was new to Concord nearly six years ago. It has been an amazing, wonderful experience for our family.
I felt gratitude--pure gratitude, and still feel that. I suspect I'll always feel this way. If someone from the school calls and asks our help with a project, we'll be there. If the school needs an increase in funding, we'll advocate for that. If another family needs a testimonial, we'll have no trouble giving that. It's pure gratitude, wanting to give and to give back so that someone else will be helped along the way.
Isn't that what the church should be, too? Shouldn't such feelings of pure gratitude to God for the gifts of the Spirit, for the hope of new life, for healing and help--shouldn't these motivate us to be generous? Sadly, I don't always see such gratitude underneath calculated pledge campaigns and weary pleas for funding next year's church budget. I don't see pure gratitude for the gift of a pastor's care and leadership. I don't hear hymns of gratitude sung with great joyous acclamation to God. I must confess it: I felt more gratitude delivering the cake than I often feel when I sit in the pew of a local church. Why is that? What's that about? Has faith flattened out, squashing and squelching the feeling of gratitude? Hard, but necessary questions today.
Generous God, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for the great gift of relationships that make a difference in our world. Thank you for the educators and students at Concord High School (and other schools). Thank you for your presence in your church and in your world. Move me to deeper gratitude and generous relationships; in the Name of that One who comes, risking poverty and death, that we might have a future filled with joy and abundant life--in the name of Jesus Amen.
Today, I am thinking about the feeling of extreme generosity that swept over me as I drove the cake to the party. I found myself tearing up with gratitude for Mr. Bombacci, for classroom teachers, the teaching assistants, for bus drivers, for the principal and office staff, for coaches, and for fellow students who extended hospitality and friendship to Matt when he was new to Concord nearly six years ago. It has been an amazing, wonderful experience for our family.
I felt gratitude--pure gratitude, and still feel that. I suspect I'll always feel this way. If someone from the school calls and asks our help with a project, we'll be there. If the school needs an increase in funding, we'll advocate for that. If another family needs a testimonial, we'll have no trouble giving that. It's pure gratitude, wanting to give and to give back so that someone else will be helped along the way.
Isn't that what the church should be, too? Shouldn't such feelings of pure gratitude to God for the gifts of the Spirit, for the hope of new life, for healing and help--shouldn't these motivate us to be generous? Sadly, I don't always see such gratitude underneath calculated pledge campaigns and weary pleas for funding next year's church budget. I don't see pure gratitude for the gift of a pastor's care and leadership. I don't hear hymns of gratitude sung with great joyous acclamation to God. I must confess it: I felt more gratitude delivering the cake than I often feel when I sit in the pew of a local church. Why is that? What's that about? Has faith flattened out, squashing and squelching the feeling of gratitude? Hard, but necessary questions today.
Generous God, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for the great gift of relationships that make a difference in our world. Thank you for the educators and students at Concord High School (and other schools). Thank you for your presence in your church and in your world. Move me to deeper gratitude and generous relationships; in the Name of that One who comes, risking poverty and death, that we might have a future filled with joy and abundant life--in the name of Jesus Amen.
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