Pastor's Pen - July 2006

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Bible tells us that we as human beings are created in the image of God. Too often we use that as a way to try to understand God from our perspective rather than seeing ourselves from God’s point of view. Some have used that description as a way of making God more human. Rather than the Spirit that God is, humans try to give God a human form so that God simply becomes a slightly better model of human being. Rather than looking from ourselves to God we should look from God to us in an effort to understand what it means to be created in God’s image.

One of the qualities or characteristics of God that would be a part of God’s image and as such a part of us is generosity. God’s generosity is revealed again and again to God’s people throughout the scriptures as well as in daily life. God freely and graciously gives to creation and all of its inhabitants. We believe that one of the greatest examples to God’s generosity is the gift of salvation shared in Jesus the Christ. As the Apostle Paul wrote, God did not wait for humans to improve their performance before sending the Savior. The Apostle reminded his readers that it was while we were still in sin that God freely chose to send the Son. God was so generous that God was willing to risk everything for the redemption of the world.

Thus to be created in the image of God is for human beings to also have the need to be generous, just as God is generous. Unfortunately, it is not common that we recognize this need to be generous in the same way that we recognize human needs for shelter and food and fellowship with others. Yet, this need to give is equally important and life giving as the other needs that human share. A full life as a child of God is a life that is marked by generosity. This giving is not only to benefit those who might receive but is also important to the one who gives.

Despite the reports of recent days, generosity is not just for the most wealthy in our culture. All of us are blessed. All of us have the opportunity to share the gifts with which we have been blessed with others to fulfill one of the deepest needs and longings of our human nature, the need to be generous. Created in the image of God, we are created to give. Even death does not have to bring giving to an end as thoughtful estate planning can provide the means by which our giving can continue even after we are gone. To be faithful to its call, the church offers opportunities for its members to satisfy one of their deepest needs, the need to be generous, the need give away as freely as God has given to us.

A life of generosity is a life lived in the image of God in which it was first created.