Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others. ~Saint Augustine
For many of us, one of the hardest things to see is how much God has given us. This is understandable in a culture dominated by social media influencers selling us every imaginable product alongside messages of scarcity and need. The phone, the watch, the house, the car, the vacation: they are enough until, suddenly, they aren’t.
The same is true of our common life, especially in the church. It is easy to look at larger churches, younger churches and more financially stable churches and wish we had what they have. It’s easy to get stuck in the “if only” loop: if only we had an endowment, if only we had young families, if only we had better live~streaming equipment. But “if only” isn’t really the way of Jesus, is it? Instead, his way is loaves and fishes, shared crusty bread and a common cup. The way of Jesus is local presence and community assets. The way of Jesus is cultivating an awareness of the abundance we have already been given and then looking to see who needs those gifts. Do we have empty buildings? Who is looking for shelter, a welcoming meeting place or a home base for their work with the poor? Do we have retired members? Who in our community needs tutoring, free business advice, or parenting mentorship? Do we have a lot of land? Who is looking for a place to grow food for their family or the food pantry? What flora or fauna needs a place to flourish so as not to become extinct? Who needs a green space to allow their children to play freely? All of our churches have a God~given abundance of something. The question is, are we willing to turn away from the “if only” to share “what is”?
For Reflection
Do you or your church struggle with being distracted by the “if only” question? Try keeping a list of the gifts you already have for a month and invite the Holy Spirit to reveal where there is abundance. Want to go deeper? Check out the Called to Transformation resources at calledtotransformation.org
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For more resources please visit The Episcopal Church in Colorado Lent Formation Resources (These resources include Lenten meditations and activities for different age groups and interests.)