How Do We Give?

Sermon by: Rev. Fred Rhines

Scripture: Exodus 35:20-29

As we head into Stewardship Season here at St. Andrew UCC, the above bible reading is an important one for us to keep in mind, especially in these times of economic and personal uncertainty when pledging generously to the church might seem like a tall order.  To me, this verse reads like the reporting out that came after a first ever stewardship campaign by our forbearers in faith, the ancient Israelites.  They had been asked to bring jewelry and other valuable items to be used to furnish the Tent of Meeting which was their movable sacred worship space.  The people’s response had been incredible and this scripture is explaining why.  Three key phases especially deserve our deeper consideration as we reflect on our stewardship campaign.  These would be looking at hearts made willing, for the work of the Lord brought as freewill offerings.

Well, you might think that the most difficult sermon of the whole year for a minister to preach would be Easter Sunday morning or perhaps Christmas Sunday.  Not so!  The most difficult sermon for many is today – Stewardship Sunday!  Maybe it is not liking to ask for money, or preaching on a subject that directly effects their own ability to make a living.  I used to feel this hesitancy until I realized that people who come to church—who are committed to the church expect a good stewardship message.  Stewardship and paying to support the church only became a real problem when people are not really committed—or present—or attending their church.

As I was preparing for today, I thought back of a particularly tough boss of mine at the telephone company in Boston years ago.  At a time when people were slacking off on the job and sickness time was going up (making him look bad), he called a meeting and said to all of us, “If you wake up in the morning and think you are sick, come on in here to work and find out!” (Today, after over two years of the Covid pandemic, that might not have been said.)  Well, I would say to you today, “If you wake up on Sunday morning and want to roll over for extra ZZ’s or if you awake with a hang-over and think God is going to sleep in as well, come on in here and find out!

I believe there is commitment here; I believe there is dedicated involvement here and I believe we are going to make it!!  A real key to this will be to do the very best we can in our stewardship involvement for next year.  We have many problems, but we also have a lot of opportunities and the kind of people to carry them out.

And, you know, the Israelites had commitment too.  This was near the end of their 40-year journey in the wilderness with Moses---bringing gifts, enthusiastically, for their Tent of Meeting, which was their movable sacred worship space.  They did not have a “permanent” building yet, as they were still in their journey in exile, but their dedication, their drive, was there.  They were incredible!  They brought their gold, their jewelry and other valuable items that meant everything to them.  And why?  They were committed to their God and to their church!   

First, their Hearts were Made Willing.  It had to come from “the Heart” and nowhere else.  Because that’s where God was—in their hearts!  And the people were willing to bring “anything” of value that originated from their hearts.  And you know, how powerful something is when it originates from the heart!  I can’t get out of my mind a visit to one of my former church members when we got talking about her playing the lottery.  I said to her, why would you play the lottery? (Thinking it was a pleasure trip or an obsession) and she said “my goal is to win the lottery and pay off our church’s mortgage.”  I thought, WOW!  That comes from the heart!  It may have been unrealistic, but if came from the heart.

As well as giving with willing hearts, our scripture tells us to give for the work of the Lord.  The people brought their gifts to God because God was in their midst-- because they knew the Lord was in their sanctuary.  We bring our gifts to our church, not just to keep the building and the property going, but because the Lord is in this place and we are here to serve God and we know God will help us and guide us to get the tools to do it.  You know, its not all on us.

You know, when I was talking to another pastor friend a while back he reminded me that when the church reorganized a few years back, they thought of themselves as a new church start.  And I believe that would be good advice for us at this point in our starting a new campaign.  We are a new church start.  We do have a clean slate!  Let us get clean minds, and hearts—legs and feet, arms and hands to go with it!

Our lesson also implores us to give as a free-will offering.  Give of ourselves, not just money!  No one forced the Israelites to bring their treasures to their church.  The offerings they brought were their tangible response to God so that all the real work of their faith community—having a sacred space in which to worship, experience and learn about God, for us in Jesus Christ—and having the means to respond to those in need, could be met.

Do we have to pull together a specific amount of money to keep going? No way.  Instead, God calls us to do just the very best we can, then God will lead us to the next step in our journey to keep our church going and keep our journey of faith alive.

You remember Moses and the Israelites journeyed 40 years in the wilderness before they settled in the promised land.  You can feel how bright, positive and enthusiastic they were.  Well, St. Andrew has been over 50 years in the wilderness since its founding in a small store front.  We are beyond the Israelites 40 years.

Let’s take a brief look at St. Andrew U.C.C. where we sit today and see how we came about.  In the Spring of 1965, the Board of Homeland Missions of the United Church of Christ in Florida rented a small storefront at 6550 Gateway Avenue to bring a new church to what was then, and still is, a growing and vibrant area of Sarasota.  The first service held on July 25, 1965, welcomed 65 potential members, including children and teens.  Soon afterwards, these new members selected the name St. Andrew United Church of Christ leaving no doubt the church was faithful to its Christian background while not being tied to a specific geographical area.

With attendance increasing to almost 100 each Sunday, church leaders realized the storefront was too small and signed a contract to purchase almost five acres on Beneva Road to build a new church, the site of what is today our Stewart Hall.

Membership continued to grow with support from other local churches.  The official opening of St. Andrew on Beneva Road took place in March, 1969.  With its new building and beautiful campus, St. Andrew was ready to strengthen it’s mission in the community and in the world.

Membership accepted the plans in 1981 for a new sanctuary.  In 1983 the capital campaign begun earlier exceeded its $100,000 goal by $33,495.  Groundbreaking took place on December 1.  Construction began in January 1984 and the first service held in the new sanctuary on November 4.

That same year St. Andrew was removed from “aided status” by the Board of Homeland Missions and in 1983 received clear title to all property.

The church continued to grow steadily over the next two years.  In June 1974, the Memorial Garden was completed with its first interment.  By 1975, St. Andrew was ready to celebrate its first ten years in Gulf Gate.

Fast forward 40 years, and here all of us sit today.

So as you consider your annual commitment to this church of time, talent and treasure (presence, personal abilities and financial support), I hope you will spend some time reflecting on how you and your pledge will help build up this body of Christians.  The Israelites put all they had into giving all they could.  I’m sure God is looking for that same brightness and positive enthusiasm from us in supporting St. Andrew.

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