Joyful Giving

I always love the slightly obscure passages that come up at Morning and Evening Prayer.

Reading the Bible every day has been such a blessing to me over the past 20 years – I would encourage you to try it, perhaps as part of Daily Prayer. Today’s Old Testament reading struck me. It concerned the preparations for the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. Particularly, the ‘freewill offerings’ made by God’s people towards that work over and above their obligatory tithes.

1 Chronicles 29:9 says: “Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord.” Joy is at the heart of Christian generosity. In church on Sunday, you may have noticed the return of the offertory plate.

Having a chance to give as part of our worship is vital - even if most of us already give regularly by Direct Giving or Standing Order (click here) - because giving signals a pursuit of joy. As Christians we seek the joy of the Lord, and when we find it, we share it. Giving, and freewill offering, is part of this seeking after joy for three key reasons. Giving is an act of...

1) Faith – when we give, we put our trust in God to provide for us.

2) Thanksgiving - when we give, we thank God for having provided for us.

3) Love - when we give, we provide for another.