Rev. Zach

Job 42:1-6, 10-17      Hebrews 7:23-28      Mark 10:46-52 So far, if you’ve been keeping score over the past few weeks, God has allowed Satan to tempt Job by taking away everything and leaving him in physical agony, and Job’s friends have all blamed him for it. Job has shaken his fist at God for the unfairness of it all, and God has asked who Job thinks he is to question the one that spoke creation into being.  Today we read that Job becomes humble, repents, and even prays for his friends. God hears his prayers and Job’s fortunes are restored. Isn’t that nice? Somehow that last part seems to be all that we really want to know about. Somehow, when I hear it, I can’t help but hear it as a part of what many calls the “prosperity gospel”. That’s the idea that if you are generous to God, God will be even more generous to you. That doesn’t sound so bad on the surface, but when we extend that idea it simply becomes “giving to get”. It’s als...

Job 23:1-9, 16-17     James 1:17-18     Mark 10:17-31   “ What Americans avoid facing is that while we are very generous in charitable giving, much of that money is either wasted or actually harms the people it is targeted  to help. ”  (1)   “ When we do for those in need what they have the capacity to do for themselves, we disempower them. ”  (3)   “ There is no simple or immediate way to discern the right response without a relationship. ”  (48)   “ Authentic relationships with those i n need have a way of correcting the we-will-rescue-you mind-set and replacing it with mutual admiration and respect …” (190)     These are all quotes from the book,  Toxic Charity  by Robert D. Lupton. I share them with you today as a way to begin talking about  generosity. This congregation is a very generous congregation. In fact, our level of generosity and eng...