Beloved
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1
Rose was rather wealthy. Her husband had bought into a lucrative franchise shortly before he passed away. She took over the business and worked hard at it. As it grew, so did her wealth. She eventually owned multiple profitable franchises for a well known global chain. Many years later, when she was ready to retire, she sold these profitable franchises for a very good profit. I got to know Rose in her retirement and, while I never got the sense she struggled financially, it was a long time before I knew just how financially comfortable she was.
You see, Rose never flaunted her wealth. She never handled it in a way that made others feel like they were lacking. In fact, the only reason I began to discover that she had financial wealth was because of her generosity. She unhesitatingly gave when there was a need. She would regularly find ways, usually behind the scenes, to help and encourage people who were struggling. As I got to know her and her story, I discovered that even when she was running her business Rose operated this way. She didn't flaunt her wealth or hoard it for herself. She used it for others. She cared for her employees and would invest in their lives. She treated them well and gained their loyalty, and their love because she loved them.
As followers of Jesus, we have come to know the greatest love that exists in the world. A love that is so true that the one who shares that love is love. We receive and revel in perfect divine love, but we have a choice as to how we respond to and handle that love. Like the relationship many have with wealth, we could approach the gift of love by trying to hoard it for ourselves. Or we may receive the love, but spend our time and energy worrying about why we don't have more of it.
Or maybe, just maybe, we could receive the love as a gift we receive so that it can be shared with others. The truth about Rose and her generosity with her wealth is that it was just one of the ways she was sharing the love she had received from Jesus.
I am so glad that our Covenant family is one that desires to show people that they are beloved. And that isn't just something we say. You run your businesses that way. You volunteer in ways that make a genuine impact on people's lives. On Sunday morning I asked the question, "What do people outside the church think of when they think about the church? Do they think, 'Those Christians . . . they are some of the most loving and kind people I know!'" On the whole, your head shakes acknowledged that this isn't really what people think about when they think of Christians or the church.
I have lived in this community for a little over 3 1/2 years, though and overall, when your names - the names of Covenant people - come up in conversation within our community I usually hear about how loving and great you are. It is possible that I'm not hearing the whole story because I'm the pastor, but it seems to me that you - that we - have a reputation of helping people know that they are beloved.
I am so blessed to be a part of a church family where this is true. And I encourage you to keep it up! As Paul wrote to the Galatian church, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
In closing, I want to share with you one opportunity to express love in our community. The Salvation Army food bank in Midland helps to feed 65-75 people per week and has a serious shortage in some supplies. According to an article on April 24 (https://bit.ly/2WdYFaV), they are especially in need of canned corn, beans, peas and other veggies, chicken noodle and cream of mushroom soup, and soda crackers. If you are able to get a few extra things while doing your grocery shopping this week, they would be glad to receive your donations at the food bank, which is across the road from the police station on Second Street in Midland.