We’re grateful for the many people who worked diligently to expand our teams for Godly Play, Nursery, Counting, and Hospitality this week! We welcomed 234 people to worship at The Table on Sunday. Thank you for your generous spirits and for all the ways you are making more room for folks to find a place at The Table.
We are in the second week of our worship series called Practicing Generosity. We hope this series will help us to explore how faith shapes hearts of gratitude & generosity.
Outline of Practicing Generosity
February 1 Psalm 104
February 8 1 Corinthians 9:23
February 15 Philippians 4.1-13
Take time today to respond to the following question: What motivates you to give to others?
Read 1 Corinthians 9:23 to yourself or with a friend.
This week we will focus on the writing of Julie Salamon and her book Rambam’s Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why It Is Necessary to Give. Rambam was a twelfth-century physician, philosopher, and scholar who spent much of his life trying to reconcile faith and reason. His name was Rabbi Moses ben Maimon but he was known as Rambam which is an acronym derived from the first letters of his name. He concerned himself with the most basic question of why some have so much and some so little or even nothing at all. To address this question, Rambam presents a ladder of generosity with 8 steps.
Reluctance: To give begrudgingly. At this level Rambam says the person gives with a frowning countenance.
Proportion: To give less to the poor than is proper, but to do so cheerfully.
Solicitation: To hand money to the poor after being asked.
Shame: To hand money to the poor before being asked, but risk making the recipient feel shame.
Boundaries: To give to someone you don’t know, but allow your name to be known.
Corruption: To give to someone you know, but who doesn’t know from whom he or she is receiving help.
Anonymity: To give to someone you don’t know, and to do so anonymously.
Responsibility: The gift of self-reliance. To hand someone a gift or a loan, or to enter into a partnership or to find work for him or her so that he or she will never have to beg again.
Reflect upon this outline of Rambam’s Ladder. Where do you find yourself on the ladder of giving?
We are using this prayer by Mark Scandrette each week of our series.
Generous God,
I know that I am cared for by an abundant Provider.
I choose to be grateful and trusting.
I believe I have enough and that what I need will always be provided.
I choose to be content and generous.
I know that my choices matter for myself, for others and for future generations.
Help me to live consciously and creatively, celebrating signs of your new creation that is present and coming.
Creator, who made me to seek the greater good of your kingdom, Guide me to use my time, talents and resources to pursue what matters most. Teach me to be free, to live without worry, fear or greed in the freedom of your abundance. Give me my daily bread, as I share with those in need. Thank you for the precious gift of life! Amen.
(Adapted from Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most [p. 23-24] by Mark Scandrette, InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition)