RCL Reflection for Proper 20, Year A. Sept. 24, 2023.
God gives away love, mercy and forgiveness so freely that it may seem unfair to us. Human nature feels anger and jealousy. But generosity is God’s nature, and our faithful response is to be grateful for all God gives us. Deacon Timothy Siburg explores. (Photo: Creative Commons)
We are born with nothing and we die with nothing, so why do we work so hard to accumulate? October’s free Toolkit explores this with a cut-and-paste newsletter article and Sunday bulletin snippets. (Photo: Per Erik Strandberg, Creative Commons)
Every church leader would love to develop a church with a culture of robust, faithful generosity. Question is, how? The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas has some key insights! (Photo © laurent hamels – Fotolia.com)
A new study concluded that when doctors prescribed fresh fruits and vegetables to patients, they showed better health hearts. What might a better diet do for your heart? Read or listen to this NPR report. (Photo: Creative Commons)
Though many congregations are challenged by less in offerings, as a whole churches control trillions of dollars worth of assets. Author Mark Elsdon suggests strategies to invest more resources into mission. From Faith & Leadership. (Photo: John Guccione, Pexels)
Inflation may be under control, but everybody is still looking to save some money. The intent there, but sometimes the ways we approach frugality backfire. Lifehacker.com reports. (Photo: Creative Commons)
Everyone over 50 fears “the big A” — Altzheimer’s Disease, says brain neuroscientist Dr. Richard Restak. But Dr. Restak says that simple and practical lifestyle steps can keep your brain younger and active, as well as delay onset of dementia. The Guardian reports. (Photo: Pixabay.com)
Tithing is a benchmark for faithful giving, but most people can’t increase their pledge to a tithe in one fell swoop. But you can encourage them to reach a tithe incrementally over time. Five commonsense suggestions from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
Modern life convinces us that there aren’t enough hours in a day, but we often fritter away time on trivial matters, wasting God’s precious gift of time. St. John Institute offers some biblical strategies to using time faithfully. (Photo: Mat Brown, Pexels.com)
Short-lived fashion crazes in the industrialized world sends billions of perfectly good clothing items into the waste stream. Much of the cast-off garments end up in the developing world, where it causes big environmental problems. (Photo: Sherrie ThaI)
