Practicing Extravagant Generosity - Robert Schnase

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       Practicing Extravagant Generosity

       PRACTICING EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY: DAILY READINGS ON THE GRACE OF GIVING

      Copyright © 2011 by Robert Schnase

      All rights reserved.

      No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Abingdon Press, P.O. Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801, or e-mailed to [email protected].

      This book is printed on acid-free paper.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Schnase, Robert

      Practicing extravagant generosity : daily readings on the grace of giving / Robert Schnase.

      p. cm.

      ISBN 978-1-4267-2855-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)

      1. Christian giving--Prayers and devotions. 2. United Methodist Church (U.S.)--Prayers and devotions. 3. Christian giving--United

      Methodist Church (U.S.) I. Title.

      BV772.S343 2011

      248'.6--dc22

      2010051745

      The daily readings found in this book are adapted from the previous writings of the author, including Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Five Practices of Fruitful Living, Cultivating Fruitfulness: Five Weeks of Prayer and Practice for Congregations, The Balancing Act: A Daily Rediscovery of Grace, and from blogs by Robert Schnase published at FivePractices.org.

      All Scripture quotations unless noted otherwise are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

      Scripture quotations noted (NIV) are from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

      Scripture quotations noted (The Message) are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

      11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20--10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CONTENTS

      WELCOME

      Giving helps us become what God wants us to be. Giving is not merely about the church's need for money but about the Christian's need to grow in generosity. Generosity is a fruit of the Spirit, a sign of our spiritual growth. God uses our giving to change the world for God's purposes, and God uses our giving to reconfigure our interior lives and to change us!

      Over the next four weeks, you're invited to join in brief daily readings with everyone else in your congregation.* Each reading prepares you; your pastor; and all congregational leaders, members, and guests to understand more clearly the "why" of Christian giving and to develop a common language and theology of generosity. Everyone praying, reading, and reflecting on the same passages fosters a unified sense of purpose and clarity of mission. Your participation with an open heart helps open the doors of your church's future mission. Thank you!

      Each reading includes a Scripture verse and a brief devotion. Read thoughtfully, reflecting on your own faith journey and your congregation's ministry. Use the questions to prompt further spiritual exploration about what you think, believe, and do. Close your time with prayer. Feel free to discuss your reflections with others in your household or from the congregation who are reading the same stories for the day, or make note of your thoughts in the journaling space provided at the end of each week.

      I pray these weeks may be for you a time of spiritual growth and renewed commitment to the ministry of Christ through your congregation.

      Yours in Christ,

       Robert Schnase

      * Practicing Extravagant Generosity: Daily Readings on the Grace of Giving has been prepared for use with the congregation-wide stewardship program Extravagant Generosity: The Heart of Giving by Michael Reeves and Jennifer Tyler (Abingdon Press, 2011; UPC 843504019143). While these readings may be used with other stewardship programs, the themes align particularly with topics, strategies, timelines, and media materials of the Extravagant Generosity model.

      WEEK ONE

       Monday

      FROM STEWARDSHIP

       TO GENEROSITY

       "Giving, not getting, is the way.

       Generosity begets generosity."

       — Luke 6: 38, The Message

      A few years ago, I had the privilege of speaking at a training seminar at a large United Methodist church. My host was on staff at the church, and he described how he had recently changed his title after reflecting upon the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Formerly the Executive Director of Stewardship, he was now the Executive Director of Generosity. He, the other staff, and the congregational leaders decided "generosity" comes closer than "stewardship" to describing his purpose and role.

      This made me think. What's the difference between "stewardship" and "generosity"? What comes to mind when you hear those words? For what distinctive purposes are they best suited? How do people respond to those terms?

      We are stewards of the earth. We are stewards of those things entrusted to us, inherited by us, and earned by us. We are stewards of our wealth and possessions and physical bodies. Stewards are people in ancient times who were trustees, who had responsibilities, who cared for things owned by someone else. Today you don't hear much about stewards and stewardship outside the church; it's a language derived from our biblical roots and our church heritage. It risks becoming insider language, not easily accessible or immediately understandable by those new to the church. There is something slightly weighty, dutiful, and legal sounding about the word. I grew up hearing about stewardship, stewardship campaigns, and committees on stewardship. The language focused our attention on supporting the church financially.

      Generosity is an aspect of character. It is an attractive quality which I aspire to and desire to see cultivated in my children. The opposite of generosity is selfishness, self-centeredness, greed, and self-absorption. No stories from Scripture tell of people living the God-related spiritual life while fostering a greedy attitude. Generosity extends beyond merely the use of money, although it most definitely includes that. There are generous spirits; generous souls; people who are generous with their time, with their teaching, with their love. Generosity finds many biblical sources, and is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). It sounds more organic, more generative, less legalistic, less formal than stewardship. I have to explain to my teenage sons what stewardship means. They know generosity when they see it.

      I admire and respect people who are generous, and I want to become like them. Generosity is not a spiritual attribute someone acquires apart from the actual practice of giving. It becomes discernable through action.

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