Mary Westmaas

This confession originally appeared in "Joy in Generosity—Week 3: Generous Giving."Confession“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord.We confess that we envy others. We do not live like Christ who calls us to be content with what we have. Forgive us, Lord.“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”We covet what belongs to our neighbor. Our lives are driven by our wants.Forgive us, Lord.“Though your sins are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”We begrudge the invitation to give generously and joyfully. We turn away from the needs of others and do not see the difference our caring can make.Forgive us, Lord.“I will forgive…and will remember their sins no more.”—Isaiah 1:18 NIV; Jeremiah 31:34 NIV Revised Common LectionaryYear B: Lent—Fifth Sunday in LentYear C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 24 (29)Year C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 26 (31)

This call to worship originally appeared in "Joy in Generosity—Week 3: Generous Giving."Call to Worship from Psalm 96Sing to God—worship God!For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs.God made the heavens—royal splendor radiates from him,a powerful beauty sets him apart.Bravo, God, Bravo!Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.Bring gifts and celebrate,bow before the beauty of God,then to your knees—everyone worship!—Psalm 96:1, 4–9 MSGRevised Common LectionaryYears A, B, C: Christmas—Nativity of the Lord - Proper IYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 24 (29)Year C: Epiphany—Ninth Sunday after the EpiphanyYear C: Season after Pentecost—Proper 4 (9) 

This call to worship originally appeared in "Joy in Generosity—Week 2: Dainties and Discipleship."Call to WorshipCome, let us make a joyful sound to the rock of our salvation!For the Lord is a great God,and a great King above all the earth.Let us worship and bow down before the Lord, our Maker!For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture.—adapted from Psalm 95 NIVRevised Common LectionaryYear A: Lent—Third Sunday in LentYear A: Season after Pentecost—Reign of Christ—Proper 29 (34)

This call to worship originally appeared in "Joy in Generosity—Week 1: Trees, Time, Talents, Treasures."Call to WorshipThe earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,the world, and those who live in it;for he has founded it on the seas,and established it on the waters.Lift up your heads, O gates!and be lifted up, O ancient doors!that the King of glory may come in.Who is this King of glory?The Lord Almighty,he is the King of glory.—Psalm 24:1–2, 7–8, 10 NIVRevised Common LectionaryYear B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 10 (15)Year B: Season after Pentecost—All Saints Day

This is part of the worship series"The Joy of Generosity"Series IntroductionWeek 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 Week ThreeGenerous GivingScripture2 Corinthians 9Call to Worship from Psalm 96Sing to God—worship God!For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs.God made the heavens—royal splendor radiates from him,a powerful beauty sets him apart.Bravo, God, Bravo!Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.Bring gifts and celebrate,bow before the beauty of God,then to your knees—everyone worship!—Psalm 96:1, 4–9 MSGConfession“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord.We confess that we envy others. We do not live like Christ who calls us to be content with what we have. Forgive us, Lord.“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”We covet what belongs to our neighbor. Our lives are driven by our wants.Forgive us, Lord.“Though your sins are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”We begrudge the invitation to give generously and joyfully. We turn away from the needs of others and do not see the difference our caring can make.Forgive us, Lord.“I will forgive…and will remember their sins no more.”—Isaiah 1:18 NIV; Jeremiah 31:34 NIV Song Suggestions“As Saints of Old Their Firstfruits Brought” Christierson and Sateren“As Stewards of a Vineyard” De Vries and Grotenhuis“I Offer My Life” Cloninger“Lord of All Good” Bayly and Watson“The City Is Alive, O God” Reid and Thiman“We Are an Offering” Liles“We Give You But Your Own” Walsham HowMeditationThis remarkable passage is a rich mine of material on Christian giving. Paul’s instructions about giving are set against the backdrop of the “great collection,” Paul’s gathering of resources from the Gentiles for the church in Jerusalem. In the previous chapter, Paul introduced the church in Macedonia as a model of healthy, gracious giving. Paul detects an eagerness to give among the Corinthians, but good intentions do not always translate into action. The Macedonians have given generously; now it is time for the Corinthians to do likewise.As Paul invites the Corinthians to give, he highlights several important truths.First, Paul is very concerned about their attitude toward giving. To Paul, grudging generosity is a contradiction (2 Corinthians 9:5). Indeed, Paul wants his churches to give cheerfully. In place of the compulsive, guilt-ridden giving that takes place in many churches, Paul demands that we give as Christ, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2).Second, Paul wants the church to understand the effect their giving creates. The Greek expression for “generous gift” (eulogia) commonly refers to an act of blessing (v. 5). Paul picks up this theme at the end of the chapter. Not only does giving have practical effects; it also results in praise and thanksgiving to God and builds up the unity of the church. Corinthian giving, says Paul, will testify to the Jewish believers that Gentile faith is real (v. 13). And the hearts of the Jewish people “will go out to” the Corinthians (v. 14), demonstrating the unity in diversity that marks the church of God.Third, Paul wants the church to understand the divine action that works through their giving (vv. 6-11). The sowing/reaping metaphor is used extensively in Scripture (see Proverbs 11:24-25, 19:17; Luke 6:38; Galatians 6:7). It is tempting, of course, to twist this metaphor into a simplistic health-and-wealth gospel, where financial giving to some kingdom cause assures our own material success. The abuse of this principle by some, however, should not blind us to the reality Paul is teaching here. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (v. 8). Paul makes no distinction between spiritual and material blessings. He expects that, in a holistic sense, believers will be blessed by God the Giver, even as they bless others through their generous gifts (eulogia). It is not difficult, of course, to find Christians in every congregation today who have experienced precisely this dynamic in their own lives.Offering InvitationTruly God is good to us in ways beyond our understanding.We ponder not how much we shall give, but how much we shall withhold.Our God says, “The world and all that is in it is mine.”Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, yet those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice, bring honor to God.In humble gratitude, let us present our thanks to God.—Words for Worship, Arlene Mark, ed., Herald Press © 1996. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Revised Common LectionaryYear A: Season after Pentecost—Canadian Thanksgiving DayYear A: Season after Pentecost—Thanksgiving Day

This is part of the worship series"The Joy of Generosity"Series IntroductionWeek 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 Week TwoDainties and DiscipleshipScriptureDaniel 1Call to WorshipCome, let us make a joyful sound to the rock of our salvation!For the Lord is a great God,and a great King above all the earth.Let us worship and bow down before the Lord, our Maker!For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture.—adapted from Psalm 95 NIVConfessionNote: Invite five children or young people to serve as readers for these five statements (Scripture passages from the New International Reader’s Version):The world says, “Buy and accumulate things.”God’s Word says, “Life is not made up of how much a person has.” (Luke 12:15)The world says, “Wealth is our security.”God’s Word says, “I will say about the Lord, ‘He is my place of safety.’” (Psalm 91:2)The world says, “We deserve the best.”God’s Word says, “The Lord blesses us with favor and honor. He doesn’t hold back anything good from those whose lives are without blame.” (Psalm 84:11)The world says, “Give so that you may obtain favors and praise from others.”God’s Word says, “Lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then you will receive a lot in return.” (Luke 6:35)The world says, “Gratify your self in every way.”God’s Word says, “Let Christ’s word live in you like a rich treasure. … Do everything you say or do in the name of the Lord Jesus. Always give thanks to God the Father through Christ.”—Adapted from “Preparation for Giving” by Bryan Jeffery Leech, The Worshiping Church, © 1990 by Bryan Jeffery Leech, Walnut Creek, CA 94595. Used by permission.Song Suggestions“Dare to Be a Daniel” Bliss“Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart” Smith“Have Thine Own Way, Lord” Pollard and Stebbins“I Am Crucified with Christ" Elliott“I Offer My Life” Cloninger, Moen“I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light” Thomerson “Praise You” Goodine“Lord, I Want to Be a Christian” Afro-American Spiritual“Some Folk Would Rather Have Houses” JohnsonNote: A soloist may sing the first stanza with the congregation joining in on the rest.“Spirit of the Living God” Iverson and Baughen“We Are an Offering” Liles“What Does the Lord Require” Bayly and RoutleyMeditationAt first glance, Daniel’s story might seem to be merely an endorsement for vegetarianism. It’s not. This passage introduces us afresh to the battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. In verse 2, Babylon is literally, in the Hebrew, Shinar, the name for the plain where the Tower of Babel stood. Babylon, then, is Babel revisited—a society characterized by human defiance against God’s reign.One way in which the spirit of Babel demonstrates itself is in the attempt to engulf God’s covenant people in a godless culture. Daniel and his three friends are in a training program to prepare for government service. That was not itself a problem. The problem was the way in which that training demanded the embrace of pagan gods. Names that reflected a commitment to Yahweh were exchanged for names that honored Babylonian deities. The program demanded that Daniel and his friends leave behind their past life of commitment to Yahweh.The battle became focused at the dinner table—not because it is wrong to enjoy good food, but because for Old Testament believers, dietary rules were very much an expression of their obedience to the Lord. In violation of those rules, the food set before Daniel was food that had been sacrificed previously to Babylonian gods.God’s people continually find themselves in cultures that offer the temptation to sell out their commitment to Yahweh and his Son, Jesus Christ. Daniel 1 reminds us that demonic pressure doesn’t necessarily come with the brute threat of a lion’s den. Satan prowls about in many disguises, seeking whom he can devour. Even the “dainties” of a dinner table can become a way to turn from discipleship.The “dainties” of our culture are not so much the dishes on the dinner table. Rather they are the temptations of a consumer society that define us not by who we are but by what we have. Those “dainties” trap many, as they did in Daniel’s day. It would not be unreasonable to suppose that many more Jewish youths were involved in this training program than just the four who refused to cave into pagan pressure.Daniel 1 reminds us that when God’s people refuse to cave in to cultural pressures and choose instead ways of obedience, God’s blessing results. At the end of their time of testing, Daniel and his friends were not only physically healthy, but they also possessed a knowledge and insight that the secular culture could not give (v. 17). Daniel remained in Babylon until the first year of King Cyrus, when the first exiles returned home. What vindication of Daniel’s refusal to cave in to pagan pressures! God’s saving ways and kingdom rule are unstoppable.Offering InvitationJesus told the story of a manwho had a rich return on his investment.He said to himself, “Lucky man!You have all you need for many years.Enjoy the security of your years of labor.”That man lost his barns, his profits, and his soul.Let us be careful that our riches do not cost us our salvation.—Words for Worship, Arlene Mark, ed., Herald Press © 1996. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This is part of the worship series"The Joy of Generosity"Series IntroductionWeek 1 | Week 2 | Week 3  Week One Trees, Time, Talents, TreasuresIn place of one sermon, this service calls for four separate sections in the center of the service. Each section follows the structure of Scripture, meditation, confession, and song (perhaps only one or two stanzas). The confessions are taken from Our World Belongs to God: A Contemporary Testimony.We Gather as Stewards…Call to WorshipThe earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,the world, and those who live in it;for he has founded it on the seas,and established it on the waters.Lift up your heads, O gates!and be lifted up, O ancient doors!that the King of glory may come in.Who is this King of glory?The Lord Almighty,he is the King of glory.—Psalm 24:1–2, 7–8, 10 NIVTo Affirm Our Stewardship of TreesRefrainSing “O Lord, Our Lord (How Majestic Is Your Name)” Smith before and after the responsive reading of Psalm 8.Scripture Psalm 8—Read responsivelyO Lord, our Sovereign,    how majestic is your name in all the earth!You have set your glory above the heavens.Out of the mouths of babes and infantsyou have founded a bulwark because of your foes,    to silence the enemy and the avenger.When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,    the moon and the stars that you have established;what are humans that you are mindful of them,    mortals that you care for them?Yet you have made them a little lower than God    and crowned them with glory and honor.You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;    you have put all things under their feet,all sheep and oxen,    and also the beasts of the field,the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.O Lord, our Sovereign,    how majestic is your name in all the earth!—Psalm 8 NRSVUEMeditationPicking up the message of the creation story told in Genesis 1, Psalm 8 introduces us to the grand themes of biblical stewardship. Stewardship is rooted in who God is (the Creator) and who we are (God’s creatures ruling over God’s creation).Psalm 8 recognizes the sense of insignificance that the cosmos creates within human hearts. “What are human beings?” asks the psalmist. In the face of the immensity of the universe, the answer seems obvious: Nothing! But we discover our place in this world not from the pages of creation but through the special revelation of divine truth. “What are human beings?” In a sense, masters of the universe! We are created stewards, rulers over the works of God’s hands. Psalm 8 reaffirms the cultural mandate given in Genesis 1:28.Stewards of trees? It’s simply a catchy phrase for our stewardship of all of creation. As we exercise that stewardship, we exalt God’s name and give honor to the divine excellence.ConfessionMade in God’s imageto live in loving communion with our Maker,we are appointed earthkeepers and caretakersto tend the earth, enjoy it,and love our neighbors.God uses our skillsfor the unfolding and well-being of his worldso that creation and all who live in it may flourish.—Our World Belongs to God, para. 10 © 2008, Christian Reformed Church in North America.Song“Come, All Christians, Be Committed” Lloyd“For the Fruit of All Creation” Green and Jackson“Forest Trees” Walker, Polman“Glorious Is Thy Name Most Holy” Elliott“God Whose Giving Knows No Ending” Edwards“O Lord, Our Lord, How Majestic” Bash“Take My Life That It May Be” Havergal“The Wise May Bring Their Learning” Adapted from the Book of Praise for Children, 1881“This Is My Father’s World” Babcock To Affirm Our Stewardship of TimeScriptureEcclesiastes 3:1–11MeditationAlthough we don’t often think of it, we are stewards of time. Sometimes we feel imprisoned in time, at the mercy of events over which we have no control. Yet Ecclesiastes tells us, “For everything there is a time.”But the writer of Ecclesiastes isn’t announcing a pessimistic fatalism. Implicit in the first eight verses of the chapter is a sense of God’s control over the times of our lives. Time is God’s gift. That gift needs to be employed with a sense of the eternity that God has placed in human hearts. And while in ourselves we cannot understand things from beginning to end, yet in humility we can use the gift of time to find joy and fulfillment in our daily activities. Because God is the Lord of time, we, as stewards, can make the most of every opportunity God entrusts to our care.ConfessionEven now,as history unfoldsin ways we know only in part,we are assuredthat God is with us in our world,holding all things in tender embraceand bending them to his purpose.The confidence that the Lord is faithfulgives meaning to our daysand hope to our years.The future is secure,for our world belongs to God.—Our World Belongs to God, para. 13 © 2008, Christian Reformed Church in North America.To Affirm our Stewardship of TalentsScripture1 Peter 4:7–11MeditationIn this passage, Peter reminds us of the nature of the times in which we live. “The end of all things is near” in our place in the flow of redemptive history (v. 7). For Peter, this was not a chronological but an eschatological nearness, growing out of the coming of the kingdom of God in the person and work of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:11).Because we live in the time when the end of all things is near, some activities are critical—including the exercise of our spiritual gifts. The Greek word for gift is charis or grace. Thus, Peter links our stewardship of gifts with the nature of God’s gracious and Spirit-directed kingdom.Spiritual gifts are actually the ways in which God graces our lives with the ability to serve others. Gifts, then, are more than mere talents. Spiritual gifts refract God’s grace into a rainbow of ministries that center around two poles: word gifts and service gifts (v. 11). As we exercise stewardship over our gifts, we become stewards of one another.ConfessionThe Spirit renews our heartsand moves us to faith,leads us into truth,and helps us to pray,stands by us in our need,and makes our obedience fresh and vibrant.God the Spirit lavishes gifts on the churchin astonishing variety—prophecy, encouragement, healing,teaching, service, tongues, discernment—equipping each memberto build up the body of Christand to serve our neighbors.—Our World Belongs to God, para. 29 © 2008, Christian Reformed Church in North America.SongTo Affirm our Stewardship of TreasuresScriptureDeuteronomy 8:10–18MeditationAmong the talents God entrusts to us is the ability to make money. But that phrase contributes to the misconception that we have somehow made our money ourselves. Deuteronomy warns the Israelites against making the claim “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me” (v. 17). This same danger threatens any established and prosperous society—including our own!What is the antidote? Again, it’s a vision of ourselves as stewards—this time of treasures. Since God gives us the ability to produce wealth, it follows that what we have is a trust from our Lord and Maker. Deuteronomy connects forgetting our stewardship of treasures with forgetting God. Where the one happens, the other is sure to follow. But the reverse is also true. When we remember who we are as God’s stewards, we remember that our wealth is a trust—on loan—from the Lord.ConfessionOur world belongs to God—not to us or earthly powers,not to demons, fate, or chance.The earth is the Lord’s.Our work is a calling from God.We work for more than wagesand manage for more than profitso that mutual respectand the just use of goods and skillsmay shape the workplace.While we earn or profit,we love our neighbors by providinguseful products and services.In our global economywe advocate meaningful workand fair wages for all.Out of the Lord’s generosity to us,we give freely and gladlyof our money and time.—Our World Belongs to God, para. 7, 48 © 2008, Christian Reformed Church in North America.SongTo Give Back to GodOffering InvitationChrist has taught us that we cannot love both God and wealth.Our hearts will always be focused first on our riches.Let us be faithful stewardsof our time, our talents, and our moneyso that our treasure is in heavenand our giving pleases God.—Words for Worship, Arlene Mark, ed. © 1996, Harald Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Revised Common LectionaryYear A: Season after Pentecost—Canadian Thanksgiving DayYear A: Season after Pentecost—Thanksgiving DayYear A: Season after Pentecost—Trinity SundayYear B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 22 (27)Year C: Season after Pentecost—Trinity Sunday

The story goes that Erasmus, a Renaissance scholar, was watching with the pope as wagonloads of wealth were brought through the gates of the Vatican. Turning to Erasmus, the pope observed. "No longer can the church say with Peter, 'Silver or gold have I none.'" Erasmus replied, "True. And neither can the church say to the lame man, 'Take up your bed and walk.'" Mantaining spiritual vigor in the midst of great wealth was a challenge for the church of past centuries-and still is for the church today. We have been entrusted with incredible resources.