First Baptist Church of Hudson, WI

~ Since 1852, The Light at Third and Vine ~

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

From the Pastor

Pastor's Message ...
November, 2011
"Blessed by Being a Blessing"
"Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, for He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35)
This is Pastor Randy Back in July and August, we sent out a "Belfry" in which you were invited to list, one for every day of those months, people, things, events, etc. for which you are grateful to God, in an exercise called "Having an Attitude of Gratitude." Amidst all the troubles of life it was meant to remind us of all the ways the Lord has blessed us.

If you took advantage of that, it may make it easier to understand that blessing others inside and outside the church family results in our being blessed.

In November we'll experience this blessing through our being asked to give graciously to the work of Christ's body, the church, through a stewardship emphasis called "Saints Alive! Living Generously."

The "Saints Alive!" guide encourages us to cultivate a similar attitude of giving as a blessing:

"A thankful heart is expressive. Giving becomes not an obligation but an opportunity, a readiness, or a flow of gratefulness. 'Freely you have received, freely give.' (Matthew 10:8, NIV). The spirit of giving is gladness. Humans are an incredibly giving species. Donation is rare in species other than our own. We know that to live is to be given to and to give. Gladness springs both in our offering and in our receiving."

A little later the guide points out that:

"Blessings are to be shared. To bless is to confer vitality, well-being, and spiritual strength. Blessing gives power to life. The Hebrew blessing, Shalom, means that blessing embraces everything in life."

Christ Jesus blessed us through His shed blood at the cross. (Amazingly, you'll find in your dictionary that "to bless" comes from the Old English word bledsian, "to consecrate with blood.") I believe we honor Christ's sacrifice when we will graciously bless His body, the church, by giving generously of our financial life-blood to the growth of His kingdom.

I know for a fact that at least two of you, Jay and Lowell, give blood and/or plasma regularly. I have never heard you – or anyone else, for that matter – complain that they wished they hadn't shared with others that way. Instead, people feel they've blessed others by donating the gift of their own blood.

So, as we go through this "Saints Alive!" experience, I believe we will find ourselves "blessed by being a blessing" in donating our financial life-blood to the spread of God's kingdom through this part of Christ's body, "The Light at 3rd and Vine."

Your pastor and friend in Christ,

Randy