Several years ago we were having an anniversary dinner in Las Vegas. After looking at the menu we decided that we would enjoy salad and water; the prices were extravagant! I knew that I would not be able to enjoy my dinner knowing the outrageous check that would land on our table.
We did ask to see a wine list. While it certainly qualified as a diverse wine list with several countries represented, I found myself gasping out loud as I came across one particular bottle of wine. It was $5,000.
Later in the evening I mentioned this to an accountant, a woman who worked in the casino. I made the remark, “I wonder how many people actually purchase that wine for $5,000!” Her response was stunning: “You’d be surprised.” She mentioned that clientele from other countries would order it, without giving it a second thought.
I thought: “You could built a new well in sub-Sahara Africa that would bring water to an entire village” with $5,000!
The good news is this: God’s extravagant love for you goes beyond your imagination! God’s outrageous, inexpressible gift of Jesus to the world shows us the depth of God’s extravagant love for all of us.
God invites us to give generously, investing our gifts to build the kingdom of God, here and now. Your gifts matter: They provide shelter for the homeless; they bring healing to those who are ill; they deliver hope to the discouraged. Your gifts offer guidance to the lost; your generosity blesses those who need a hand up, not a handout; your gifts nourish weary souls with God’s love!
Commitment Sunday is next Sunday. You remain in my prayers as we as a congregation consider how each one of us will respond to God’s generosity in our lives with grateful, generous hearts.
Peace,
Pastor Cathy Johns