Reflections on the Spirituality of Giving

Posted on 4/11/2018

“Giving ... is a very rich and beautiful activity. It is a confident, joyful, and hopeful
expression of ministry. In ministering to each other, each from the riches that he
or she possesses, we work together for the full coming of God’s kingdom.”     
                                                                                                                            – Henri Nouwen                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

We so value our ongoing conversation about the spirituality of giving that, as spring begins to take shape, we hold you in our thoughts and share Nouwen’s words.

He continued, “Giving  ...  is a way of announcing our mission and inviting other people into our mission. Vision and mission are so central to the life of God’s people that without vision we perish and without mission we lose our way. “ (Prov. 29:18; 2 Kings 21:1-9)

We at Mercy by the Sea are so grateful for all the ways in which we join together to minister to our shared vision and mission; your generosity, begets generosity. Thank you and know, you make a difference.

In closing, and as a way of staying in prayerful communion with you, we share this prayer from Joyce Rupp in Fresh Bread:

“O gracious God, who so generously lavishes our lives with goodness, create in our hearts a deep center of gratitude, a center that grows so strong in its thanksgiving that sharing freely of our treasures becomes the norm and the pattern of our existence.  May we always be grateful for your reaching into our lives with surprises of joy, growth and unearned love.”