The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly. (1 Chronicles 29:9 NIV)

On the hit television show Shark Tank, aspiring entrepreneurs who believe they have great ideas make presentations to a panel of investors (sharks) who then choose whether to invest as business partners. If a deal is struck, the sharks come alongside the entrepreneurs and invest their own time, talent, and financial resources in hopes of a great return on their investment.

In the chapters leading up to the verse above, we learn that God had given Solomon the massive responsibility to build the first permanent temple. However willing Solomon was, he was also young and inexperienced. Much like the investors on Shark Tank, David came alongside the young Solomon, counseling him to be strong and courageous. David helped him by providing the plans, pouring in his own financial resources, and encouraging Solomon to begin the work. David took it a step further by calling the leaders of Israel together and making his own presentation, explaining the importance of the project and challenging them to invest their time, talents, and financial resources. In response to their leader’s generous investments, the people of Israel rejoiced and joined in to finish the temple. Early acts of selfless leadership and generosity can be offerings God uses to lead others to join in.

God is still at work, calling modern-day Solomons to tasks that are much greater than they can accomplish on their own.

~Joe Park

Reflection

Is there a leader or ministry that needs someone with your time, talent, or financial resources to come alongside them to accomplish something great for God? Is God calling you to be a “shark” and inspire others to do the same? Are you willing to pray for and follow God’s leading?

Challenge

Pray and ask God to show you where your leadership, your time, your money, and/or your wisdom might inspire others to join in what God is already doing.

From A Generous Life: 28 Days of Devotion. Copyright © 2019 Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.” (John 3:16 MSG)

Our youth pastor, Aaron, loved to share stories about his four-year-old son, Colton. Colton loved to do whatever his daddy was doing, no matter what it was. Maybe it was picking out pajamas for his little sister, putting pepperoni on the pizza, or even cleaning the house. Aaron said, “All I have to do is say, ‘Colton, I’m going to clean up the family room. Want to help me?’ If he thinks it’s something I want to do, and there is a way he can help, he’s all in.”

I asked him, “Why do you think that works?” His answer was simple. He said, “Because he’s a child, and I’m his father ... he wants to be a part of whatever I am doing.”

As I let that statement sink in, I experienced a holy moment. As Aaron’s child, Colton inherently knew that he wanted to do whatever his father was doing.

Wanting to be just like our Father is what generosity is all about. As children of God, we love our Father and want to be a part of whatever God is doing.

God is always up to something big in the world.

God is always casting compelling visions about the way it could and should work.

God is always reaching out to the world with extravagant love, forgiveness, and grace.

God is always giving.

Our Father invites us to be a part of all of it and to enjoy a “whole and lasting life.”

~Herb Buwalda

Reflection

How have you experienced God’s love and generosity? Can you think of a time when you were loving and giving? What was that like?

Challenge

Today, look for opportunities to be loving and giving to at least one person you meet. For example, spend time with someone you might normally walk past or ask someone whom you would normally ignore to share their story with you.

From A Generous Life: 28 Days of Devotion. Copyright © 2019 Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24 CEB)

On a fishing trip several years ago, I was determined to be the master of the fish. I had decided that catching more fish than my colleagues would absolutely make my day. With an idea of what bait would work best, I sought out that one big catch (and I kept my plan to myself).

I cast the lure perfectly into a small cove and began to work the big topwater plug back to my boat. Suddenly, there was a big explosion, and the fight was on. This was The One. Exactly what I needed. Finally, I got the fish to the boat. I had conquered that fish! And then, as I swung it around to disengage the hook, the fish flopped violently and drove the rear treble hook deep into my exposed thigh. Each time it flopped, blood would run and the pain shot up my leg. What was I, Master of the Fish, to do?

Quickly I realized that I could not control the hook as long as the fish was attached. So I unhooked the fish and discarded it. I could finally take care of the mess I was in. With a lot of gritting of my teeth, I removed the hook and fell back on the boat, exhausted and defeated.

In my furious pursuit to get the fish, the fish wound up getting me! The world is constantly promising us that if we can only get more money, more fame, or more control, then we will be free. These things then quickly become our master. It is only when we learn how to disengage from our stuff that we become truly free to serve the One who created us. Generosity gives freedom and new life. Unhook yourself today!

~J. Clif Christopher

Reflection

Do you ever have moments where you wonder, “Am I master of all my stuff, or is my stuff the master of me?” Can you write about it?

Challenge

In your journal, create a personal inventory of people and things you hold dear. Now ask yourself and make a note of anything or anyone who has you hooked. Revisit this list during the week, asking for God’s guidance and wisdom.

From A Generous Life: 28 Days of Devotion. Copyright © 2019 Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.

Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Don’t forget to pray for us, that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ, even while I’m locked up in this jail. Pray that every time I open my mouth I’ll be able to make Christ plain as day to them. (Colossians 4:2-4 MSG)

The Village Inn in Malawi, Africa, provided attacking wolf spiders, bats, bed bugs, holes in the ceilings, broken bathroom fixtures, and all the cold water you could use—free of charge. Most of us on the mission team “stayed alert with eyes wide open,” but certainly not in gratitude. Our eyes were wide open in worry and fear and discomfort.

As we gathered for breakfast, in the midst of complaining, we heard the quiet voice of Emily, a Malawian traveling with us, say, “I saw the face of God in my motel room.” Having never slept in a bed before, Emily’s eyes were “wide open in gratitude.”

In that moment, I knew. Here was a child of God, created in the image of God with a loving and generous spirit. With her “eyes wide open in gratitude,” Emily made “Christ plain as day” to us. Emily’s gratitude taught me a critical lesson. We are all born in the image of a loving and generous God. However, we choose daily whether to live out of this loving and generous spirit. Often, we choose to live out of a resentful and bitter spirit instead. And in making our choice, we either make Christ plain or not.

~Scott McKenzie

Reflection

Can you think of someone recently who made Christ plain to you with a loving and generous spirit? Can you think of a time when you had the opportunity to either respond with eyes wide open in gratitude or eyes wide open in bitterness or fear? What did you choose? What were the results?

Challenge

Today, live with eyes wide open in gratitude. Look and search diligently for the face of God. Look for ways to be grateful, and you just might be surprised ... even if you are staying in The Village Inn.

From A Generous Life: 28 Days of Devotion. Copyright © 2019 Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20 NIV)

The happiest individuals are often the most generous. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the most valuable rituals for those who would follow his Word. He makes a special point to encourage those within earshot to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” As a young boy, I often pictured a pile of gold coins neatly stacked in rows in one of the many rooms promised to us there in heaven. However, as I began to discover the joy of giving, that imaginary pile diminished and was replaced with the images of those that I had assisted along the way.

One of the most generous couples I have ever known was not wealthy by the standards of our country. However, throughout their lives, they sacrificed what they had in order to help others. They were also one of the happiest couples I have ever known despite hardships including separation during time of war, battles with cancer, struggles of raising children, and continuing health care issues as senior adults.

I could not help but ask them, with all they had been through in life, what made them so happy as a couple, and as individuals? Their reply revealed an understanding of Jesus’ words to the crowds in the Sermon on the Mount. Simply put: the joy of giving to others united them in their faith, with each other, and also with God. Their happiness was rooted in their faith, as well as a conscious decision to place their treasure and their hearts in service to others.

Our culture seems obsessed with a search for happiness, yet many overlook the simplest path to personal satisfaction. By living and giving to others, we are able to fulfill the meaning of Jesus’ lesson. When you give joyfully, you receive more than you ever give away. Generosity is the key to happiness here on earth and storing our treasures in heaven.

~Rhodes Logan

Reflection

Can you think of a time when you experienced great joy in giving to someone else or doing something for someone else?

Challenge

In your journal, make a list of the happiest people you know. Choose a few, and ask them the question, “What makes you happy?”

From A Generous Life: 28 Days of Devotion. Copyright © 2019 Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27 NRSV)

What does it mean to be created in God’s image? What does being made in God’s likeness have to do with being generous?

While donors have their own personal reasons for giving, there are some common themes:

•  A young couple eagerly participates in a Habitat build once a month: “We wanted to give back.”
•  A successful businesswoman talks about a major gift to her church: “I’m paying it forward.”
•  A skilled and committed teacher explains why he works hard, more than fifty hours every week with middle schoolers: “I wanted to respond to the blessings I received.”

The writer of 1 John put it clearly, “We love because God first loved us” (4:19 CEB). In keeping with that sentiment, the first chapter of Genesis would suggest that we give because God first gave to us.

To be human, made in God’s image, is a wonderfully positive identity! However, to be made to love and give like God seems counter to the chronic cynicism of our society and even sometimes our own self-image. But this is how the Bible begins: “In the beginning God ...” and within the first chapter, “Let us make humankind in our image ...” (Genesis 1:1, 26 NET).

All creation is given. Light, water, air, and land. The birds and fish and animals. The seas and mountains, valleys and rivers. Our bodies and minds, hearts and souls. They are all a Divine Gift.

And in some mysterious way, we were put here to tend and care for this incredible world, made in the image of God. We give because God first gave to us.

~Franklin “Zip” Long

Reflection

When you look in the mirror, can you say, “I am born in the image of God, created to be loving and generous”? What are the greatest gifts in your life? What abilities, talents, relationships, and accomplishments have come your way?

Challenge

Place a sticky note on your mirror and every morning say to yourself, “I am born in the image of God, created to be loving and generous.”

From A Generous Life: 28 Days of Devotion. Copyright © 2019 Abingdon Press. All rights reserved.

by Judy Fitzgibbons, MS, RDN, LD, Registered Dietitian, Retired

As my daughter Brytta and I were driving on country roads returning from the St. Paul’s UMW women’s retreat, I kept seeing farm gardens with huge tomato vines loaded with green, orange and red fruits. (Please don’t get hung on the “is it a fruit or a vegetable” discussion.) I’m so jealous. That leads me into some thoughts on mayonnaise which goes so nicely with fresh tomatoes. 

One of the Spirited Living ideas I included in the 2020 class was to eat 50 to 100 calories (5 to 10 grams) of “nourishing” fat at each of three meals and/or snacks daily. “Nourishing” or “healthy” fats are runny at room temperature, that is, they are “unsaturated.” They have important functions including lowering blood cholesterol and helping our bodies absorb several critical vitamins and phytochemicals. Beta carotene (vitamin A) in carrots may be most familiar to you.

Practically every diet written in the past 50 years puts mayonnaise on the “avoid” list, when, in fact, it is primarily vegetable oil with some egg yolk and vinegar thrown in. Yes, traditional mayonnaise is high in calories with about 100 packed into a tablespoon, a good reason to eat it in moderation. That’s it for a meal. On the other hand, full-fat mayonnaise, or one of its lighter cousins, is a good example of a nourishing fat that helps us absorb those fat-soluble nutrients, like beta-carotene. 

Yes, mayonnaise contains egg yolk which contributes cholesterol, but in a tiny amount per tablespoon. Cholesterol does not raise your blood cholesterol unless your eat caviar or liver daily. (I’ve been trying to dispel the cholesterol misunderstanding for 40-plus years!)

No, mayonnaise does not make potato or macaroni salads dangerous to carry on a picnic. In fact, commercial mayonnaise is first, made with pasteurized eggs so there is not salmonella bacteria present and second, it has a very low ph of about 4, which means high acid. That prevents dangerous bacteria from growing should they get into the ingredients.
Therefore, mayonnaise, whether it’s “real” or somewhat reduced in fat, can safely contribute nourishing fats to your daily foods.

Blessings to the inventor of mayonnaise

by Mary Horn, RN

The amount of information available about the Corona virus seems overwhelming. Yet many of the opinions expressed or reported as facts are by people with no education or experience with medical information on infectious disease and immunizations.

While I don't count myself as an expert, I have spent 50 years of my nursing career giving childhood immunizations. I have seen the introduction of nearly all the current immunizations, except the ones for smallpox and for diptheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (DPT). Smallpox and polio have essentially been wiped out in most of the world because of these vaccines. Some of the other diseases that I saw frequently in the earlier years of my career are very rare today because of the vaccines.

Nevertheless we have seen unprecedented refusal by Americans to get the vaccine. My own parents would not have understood their attitude. They bravely enlisted me in the trials for the Salk polio vaccine because they understood that only an effective vaccine and mass public acceptance could save the world from the effects of this often fatal and crippling disease. Some of us in the trial got the vaccine and some got water, and then the world waited to see if the vaccine group got fewer cases of polio. Of course I got the water. This is essentially the way that all vaccines are tested. My parents understood that we are a part of a worldwide community and that my participation in the vaccine trial helped all of mankind. They understood that participation was “the right thing to do.”

One of the most common reasons for not getting the vaccine is that people say they are waiting to see what the side effects will be. All vaccines are tested first on animals and then on thousands of volunteers before release for public use. By that time, most common side effects are known. Occasionally a rare side effect will surface after the vaccine is used for millions of people and if necessary the vaccine is withdrawn until the event can be studied. This happened with the rotovirus vaccine which caused a surgical condition in a few children. Since the corona vaccine has been given to millions, there is only a small risk that new side effects will surface. On the other hand, we know that corona virus disease causes death and long term damage to lungs, brain, and heart. Seems to me that these people are betting on the wrong horse.

Another common reason to not vaccinate is that “I can still get the disease even if I get the vaccine.” Correct. No vaccine protects 100%. My favorite example was a set of triplets to whom I personally gave the rotovirus vaccine. Months later they came to my office. The baby boy had a bad case of vomiting and diarrhea ( a common symptom with a rotovirus infection) and his 2 sisters were fine. Is that a fault of the vaccine? Probably not. Immunity is influenced by numerous factors and this boy did not respond to the vaccine in the same say as his sisters.

Well here we are with another surge—what could have been a preventable one, now leading to the potential for years of coping with the virus, much like we cope with the illness and death caused by influenza. People will claim their American rights have been taken away if they are required to get the vaccine. Yet we all are required to behave in ways that promote the common good. Seat belts, driving on the right side of the road, and attending school as a child are examples.

Personally having heard so many lame excuses, I think that these adults are just plain scared to get a shot. A writer in a recent Pediatric News suggests that some people's personality style is to resist authority figures no matter what the issue. Others are more typically compliant. It seems to me we Christians have been coping with this human characteristic since the days of Genesis--when Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden apple.

By Gary Lindsay

For Eric Falley, God’s calling to ministry was not a Paul on the road to Damascus moment, where a voice said, “Eric, I call thee to ministry.” Instead it came on gradually. With a nagging feeling that the profession he had prepared himself for would not be permanent, he opened himself to possibilities, and St. Paul’s offered him some inspiration.

Eric has roots in both Oregon and Montana. “I think if you combined the populations of Wyoming and Montana you might get half the population of Iowa,” he said. After growing up in Oregon, his family moved to Montana when he started high school. Two major influences shaped his early life, a loving family and the United Church of Christ. Eric describes the United Church of Christ he knew as more Evangelical than Methodism, but more open-minded than its congregations in the Bible belt. The beliefs of his family were in a God of love, following the compass of the example of Jesus Christ. Through his family he has always had a relationship with God.

After high school in Montana he attended college at Oklahoma Christian University studying both music and mathematics education. He eventually realized that neither field suited him well, but after seven years he needed to graduate. These years of study were not wasted, Eric said, as the education at OCU through both his religion professors and his classmates opened his world to new truths and exposed some contradictions and paradoxes in his earlier beliefs.  It was a long transition, Eric, said, “But I had grown up believing in a God of love, that compass guided me through my faith transformation.”

After graduating with degrees in math and music education, Eric returned home still looking for a career path. He realized that he had the skills to work in the insurance industry as an actuary. After two more years of study he applied to many companies and landed a job in Cedar Rapids with Transamerica.

In April of 2019 he began shopping for churches but for a while his best match was what he called the church of nature. He was frustrated looking for a church that was compatible with his theology and that also had a number of people his age. Many of the mainline churches matched his beliefs but the majority of the congregations were older. He realized that the church of nature was not the spiritual community that he was seeking, so he asked himself of the places he had visited, where did he feel most welcomed and comfortable, and that was St. Paul’s. The music program, the open atmosphere, the classes and the leadership of the pastors were all part of this level of comfort, Eric said.

He felt inspired by Pastor Sherrie and Pastor Jonathan and their leadership and preaching styles. He began to think, “Maybe I could do that, too.” His pastors in the Church of Christ had fit a different mold that did not suit Eric well. These pastors had mastered the dynamic, autocratic leadership style needed to convince a congregation to hire them. Eric said, “My picture of a pastor growing up was very different than what I saw at St. Paul’s and I began to think, “Oh, Pastors can also lead this way, and maybe I could do that too.”

As he began to think about this new type of leadership embodied by our pastors, Eric thought back and realized that he recognized that he had brought pastor-like behaviors to many of his experiences where his leadership style helped grow communities.  “I wanted to develop that community to have a special connection to each other and be able to mold into something that was more than a sum of its parts and to create communities where people feel safe and feel loved.” The ability to do this was something Eric believes he has always had but didn’t recognize the gift until he heard God’s call.

So, what lies ahead? The first step is three years of seminary study at Boston University with the goal of becoming an ordained United Methodist Minister. He wraps up his work at Transamerica next week and then will return to Montana for two to three weeks, and then he will take a road trip with family to California. From there the family will fly across the country to move him into Boston to begin his new adventure. In his studies in Boston, Eric hopes to find a collaborating community of people like him and explore answers to some big questions: “What does a spiritual community look like? What kind of things to they do? What helps them grow? What helps them actually produce fruit?

Eric doesn’t know just where the winding path of his ministry will lead, but he said that he will always hold special memories of St. Paul’s as the place he received his call, and he hopes to always stay connected here.

If you want to watch the conversation between Eric and Gary, you can watch it here.

By: Judy Fitzgibbons, MS, RD, LD
Registered Dietitian, retired

For almost 5 months I've been sending thoughts and information bits related to the Spirited Living themes. Since the season has changed dramatically and COVID-19 restrictions are lifting, this is a good time to step back and review the basics. How are you doing?

Judy's Keys to Spirited Living:

• Gratitude: be grateful at least (your choice) times a day.
• Activity: aim for at least 150 minutes of heart-rate-raising activity a week.
• Eat fruits and vegetables: try for a total of 5 cups daily.
• Sleep: 7 to 8 hours nightly.
• Sugars and healthy fats: keep added sugar less than 200 calories daily (50 grams). Include 50 to 100 calories of healthy fat in meals (5 to 10 grams).
• Whole grains: Eat at least 3 servings whole grains daily.

Think of a goal and an action plan for yourself related to one of the above Keys to Spirited Living. Remember, action plans include:

• What I will d?o
• Where I will do it?
• How long I will do it?
• Challenges I might face.
• Ways to cope with challenges.

Judy's Goal: eat a whole grain serving for breakfast, besides oatmeal (I'm really sick of it), at least 2 weekday mornings each of the next 2 weeks. (In the kitchen.)

Challenges: I'll need to find ways to incorporate fiber supplements that usually go into the oatmeal. Keep calories reasonable. I don't know if there is another whole grain I'd enjoy eating.

Ways to cope: check the cupboard to see what I might already have on hand that I hadn't considered “breakfast food”. Visit Hy-Vee Health Market for ideas.

Although I have other Keys to Spirited Living I want to spruce up, this will be a good starting point for me.

May the spirit move you in beneficial ways.judy@fitzgib.net

Note: I am sharing Spirited Living ideas 2 to 4 times a month with original group members and anyone else who is interested. If you would like to receive those additional messages by email, send me a note at: judy@fitzgib.net.