Pierre-Henry Buisson October , 2017
St Luke's Episcopal Church Proper 21 A
Praise to you Lord from whom all blessings flow.
The Old Testament reading, once again, was about the complaining of the Israelites, this times they needed water. Once again God took care of them. God is always providing, helping, and actively present in our lives, no matter what is happening. Is not that a very good news as we begin our 2018 Stewardship campaign? God will provide! We just have to put our trust in Him, and act accordingly.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to see outside of the box. He challenges us to ponder and seek his presence in the world around us. Because, this was exactly the problem he had with the civil and religious
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It’s also about why we give, it’s about to whom we give. Our pledge is more than just a check, or a bill. More than an amount of money: our pledge is a spiritual offering. A spiritual offering that reflects our priorities and our acknowledgment that all we have comes from God; a spiritual offering that reflects our desire to give back to God for all the blessings of our lives. There is spiritual joy, spiritual fulfillment in giving. Our pledge should not be a boring obligation, but a joyful time of reflection, a thankful time to think about our blessings, and a generous offering of our time, talents, and treasure to the Lord through the …show more content…
So why giving to the church when my money could help saving dying babies in Africa, or helping people in a nursing home or a great program for disabled people? The truth is that our church needs our help too! When we give to the church, we give back to God. We support God’s Mission, we help the spread of the Kingdom of God. The church is present to share our joys; the church is there when we are suffering; the church is there when we are mourning; the church is present when we are looking for support, meaning, truth... The church helps us in our spiritual journey and in our daily lives. And the church is present in the community and in the world through the work and support of Outreach. So, why giving to St Luke’s? Because together we can continue to change lives by doing God’s work!
How much should you give? Only you, only you, can decide what amount is right for you depending on what is going on in your life, and your possibilities. Some of us live paycheck to pay check, others don’t have enough to pay their bills, while others are financially secure. Only you can discern through prayer what is the right amount, but no matter how much or how little we can give, the importance is to give something, as a thankful offering to the
However, having a spirit of giving cultivates others to do the same and gives God room to supply other needs. Ministers need to learn to be content with what they have and learn to follow the budget set for them with accountability. The way you handle money can have an impact on your personal integrity, and how the leadership in the church respects you and your ability to make decisions. Fagerstrom listed some helpful tips on how to gain respect from the church leadership in regards to money: Communicate with someone in leadership before making a big purchase, regularly ask the treasurer for updated records on your balance, make requests far in advance, pray about money, try to seek the best prices, apologize immediately if a purchase is too big or goes over the allotted budget, and never have surprise expenditures (Fagerstrom
Webber, Christopher. Welcome to the Episcopal Church: An Introduction to Its History, Faith, and Worship. Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Pub., 1999. Print.
... Since its inception, the Pledge of Allegiance has been and is still used as a sign of respect to the country instead of a religious practice.
In the 2008 the United States Census Bureau, Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population, The Christian faith proved to be the more dominating religion out of all religions. So it would seem the words “Under God” would be beneficial for the majority, the Pledge of Allegiance allures and supports the loyalty of the majority of citizens. The nonbelievers of religion have had the right to not recite the pledge since 1943 but have been asked to quietly stand while the believers recite the pledge in its entirety. Even though leaving out “Under God” is not a difficult task we can clearly see a division has now developed, opposite of bringing the people together. Another example that shows the pledge allures and supports a loyalty to the majority of citizens, the acceptance and encouragement to keep ...
It is inevitable, given our busy pace of life, that not all members of a church will be willing or able to volunteer time to extend the church's ministry to the aging. However, there may be some individuals who are willing to contribute funds, others who will work on fund-raising projects. These funds may be used to support programs described above by paying for salaries, rent, equipment or volunteer expenses; or they may be combined to form a Rotating Fund to meet special needs of elderly citizens. Here are some ideas for how the money could be used:
Many students all across America stand and salute to the flag every morning and repeat these words, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, To the republic for which it stands, one nation, Under God, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” There are controversy behind these words of historical allegiance, and that is why many people are refusing to stand for the pledge. This nation was founded upon freedom and liberties, and with those liberties comes with the freedom to choose your religion. The words “Under God”
First, I would like to talk about the history of the Pledge of Allegiance. Many people today recite the Pledge of Allegiance but do not know the history that took place behind it. The Pledge of Allegiance was originally written more than a century ago. The original pledge was: I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic, for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all . The flag serves as a symbol of our country and its proud traditions of freedom and equal opportunity. In the 1920s, the National Flag Conferences replaced the phrase “my Flag” with “the Flag of the United States of America.” In 1954, Communist threats occurred causing Congress to add the words under God to the pledge. Then 12 years later, Congress reviewed the Pledge of Allegiance and added the words “Under God .” While reciting the Pledge of Allegiance it should be recited by standing placing your
The original Pledge of Allegiance was meant as an expression of patriotism, not religious faith and made no mention of God. The pledge was written in 1892 by the socialist Francis Bellamy. He wrote it for the popular magazine Youth's Companion on the occasion of the nation's first celebration of Columbus Day. It’s wording omitted reference not only to God but also to the United States. “Under God” should be removed from the pledge for purposes of creating equality in different beliefs and allowing each American their right laid out in the constitution. These are the original words to the Pledge of Allegiance.
Most people feel that they should help the needy in some way or another. The problem is how to help them. This problem generally arises when there is a person sitting on the side of the road in battered clothes with a cardboard sign asking for some form of help, almost always in the form of money. Yet something makes the giver uneasy. What will they do with this money? Do they need this money? Will it really help them? The truth of the matter is, it won't. However, there are things that can be done to help the needy. Giving money to a reliable foundation will help the helpless, something that transferring money from a pocket to a man's tin can will never do.
Christianity has its challenges. It places demands on us that set us apart from the rest of our world. The bible calls us a peculiar people, who navigate the challenge of living IN the world, without being OF the world. When we say ‘no’ to temptations that are enjoyed by the masses, we are labeled as self-righteous snobs, religious weirdoes, or worse. But we persevere, and we press toward that invisible line the Apostle Paul drew in the sands of time…for the high calling in Christ Jesus.
...llegiance without any examination of its meaning and history; 2) Participants agreed that the Pledge should be an important aspect of public education; 3) Participants identified the Pledge as “educationally valuable” as it is useful in transmitting shared values of loyalty, respect, patriotism, and common beliefs for the future.
Pledge allegiance to the flag is a fifteen second pledge which was first composed by Francis Bellamy in the year 1892. He was a socialist minister who died in the year 1931. Bellamy, as he was composing the song, he wanted to come up with a song for loyalty stand to the country in which it could be used by all countries and not only in united states of America. The first time it was published was on an article in the states called “The Youth 's Companion,” on the 8th of September 1892. It was a sign of loyalty to the country and all its endeavors. Francis had an idea in mind that all people should be required to sing the pledge or recite by law. It forms the national anthem to the allegiance of the United States. The congress adopted the
Sherman, Amy L. “Expectant Giving.” The Christian Century 116.6 (1999): 206. Academic OneFile. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Agreeing that allegiance to God takes precedence over allegiance to state is still saying the pledge is contradictory. Everything done is an act of worship, whether of God or of the things of this earth. By declaring one’s Pledge of Allegiance, the character of the Church and the nature of God are distorted. This impedes and weakens the Church’s ministry of unity and reconciliation in an already divided world. Even if the words “under God” are being spoken, reciting the Pledge is an act of worship and submission to the country Christians, as sojourners, reside in currently.
If we open our lives and give service to those less fortunate than ourselves, we allow our hearts to receive immeasurable happiness. When we sacrifice our time to help someone in need, whether it is a great or small need, we become a part of their life and can help alleviate heavy burdens. Making time to help people in need creates opportunities for us to develop new and lasting relationships. Serving our fellowmen allows the best in each of us to shine through and we can become examples to our children.