Jack Hardaway
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God’s love train is on the move, people all over the world join hands, the Gospel has embraced the world.
The parable today of Lazarus and the Rich Man is a cautionary tale about how life and eternity are inextricably woven together, the cars in that train are all on the same tracks.
When we live a life of building barriers then eternity is an eternity of lifeless barriers.
When we live a life that embraces and reaches across barriers, especially barriers of wealth and poverty, then eternity is a life of being embraced, like Lazarus being embraced and rocked in the lap and bosom of Abraham.
The Parable leaves the question of what will happen to the five brothers which is really about what will happen to us.
Will we heed Moses, and the Prophets, and Abraham, and the Risen Lord Jesus, and share generously across all the barriers in life, especially between the wealthy and the poor.
Grace Church has always lived out that embrace, and welcomed everyone.
God’s grace works like that, the gospel is that Jesus is God crossing over every divide that we may be set free, and for Luke’s Gospel, we are especially being set free from being enslaved to wealth.
The cross of Jesus is that powerful.
Our hearts change. We join hands with the most unlikely people, because the love train is on the move.
Stewardship is about one thing, telling God thank you, for life itself, but especially for being set free by the cross of our Lord, the cross of Jesus.
It isn’t about paying dues, or keeping the lights on.
How many ways can I tell God thankyou? That is Stewardship. It’s real simple.
All ministry is about giving thanks.
Our pledge drive for 2023 starts today, it is simply one way to give God thanks and praise.
How thankful am I? How much thanks do I dare?
Let me count the ways.
Susan and I tithe. We tithe to the ministry of Grace and St. George, a full 10% off the top. And we do more than that for additional outreach and special projects.
We have not always been able to do that. It takes work and sacrifice. It has not always been easy, it has not always been with a joyful heart, it has always been a challenge to dare to be that thankful.
To me it has always felt like God has been daring me, “I double dog dare you Jack, to become truly free.”
That’s the thing about freedom, and thanksgiving, they always challenge us to become yet more free, yet more thankful.
Where will the train take us?
Join hands. God’s love train is on the move.