The Giving Island

-
The last time I read the Shel Silverstein book The Giving Tree it was to a group of young campers out at Mustang Island Family Camp (dwtx.org for more info.) It is a beautiful story that reminds me of God's creative and abundant love. If you haven't read it, I recommend it. The giving tree is just that: she gives and gives supplying for the needs of the boy as he grows to be an old man. It's a story of grace.

Homes for Displaced Marlins Celebration
I've learned a lot about grace in the past two years. Our church recently dedicated a new stained glass window to the volunteers who came to our aid after the hurricane. It is symbolized by one hand reaching up from a turbulent sea, and many hands reaching down symbolizing those who reached out to us from nearby and far away. Although we are still on the journey toward our new normal after the storm, we have made amazing progress. I volunteered on the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Katrina, and on the East Texas Coast after Ike, and it does indeed seem like we've made remarkable progress in relatively short time.

We have been changed and shaped by the grace shown to us by volunteers and by funds donated to help in the recovery efforts. It was a real blessing to be able to raise funds to support the recovery efforts in Nebraska following their flooding. Having been the recipients of generosity, we were ready to get back to giving to others in need. Of course, we already knew about the importance of giving before the hurricane.

One of many gifts from Sandfest
I am amazed each year to see how much money is freely given away in this Port Aransas community. The scholarships for our High School graduates, the funds raised and given to our teachers through Port Aransas Education Foundation, the hundreds-of-thousands given away by Sandfest to local organizations, and the financial support our businesses give to support sports and other youth activities. This community knows about giving; and many of us have been the grateful recipients of such grace.

In the book of Acts, we can read of something like this and learn that the early "Followers of the Way" pooling their resources through the young church so that the needs of all are met. Today we can still experience God's joy, and participate in God's work when we freely give our funds, aid, and time to one another. It is a model of abundance rather than scarcity and competition. That's not to say wise planning isn't important as well; but when we plan and give to others generously, we help make God's kingdom more present in the life of our community.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

plastic: a spiritual perspective

-
Image
Plastic bag in front of Trinity by the Sea On a recent trip to Austin, I was surprised and delighted not to be handed a plastic bag when I checked out of a grocery store. I wasn't buying much, so I was able to carry out my things without remembering to bring in my reusable bags. For some time now, I've gotten in the habit of turning down plastic bags in convenience stores when they try to put my humble bag of sunflower seeds, lonely, in another bag. The plastic grocery bag has become like a handshake at the end of the deal: it seems to make the shopping experience complete. It is such an ingrained habit, that the person behind the cash register sometimes gets a suspicious look when I ask for no bag, as if thinking, "This yahoo is threatening our way of life!" I think about habits a lot, as a Christian of the Episcopal persuasion. Our practices and our experiences in everyday life shape the way we understand our relationship with God, with others, and with ours...
Read more

Stay Salty Y'all

-
Image
  Sunday, September 29: Be Salty for Jesus! Reflection for church while my back heals.  Welcome everyone to another church on the beach. Fr. James is dealing with his back injury, and sent this reflection to read, so here it goes.  I spent Thursday morning planning for the next two weeks, anticipating that I might need a medical procedure. As I did so, I marveled at how many amazing leaders we have within our church. I was focusing on the worship service, and leading worship on Sundays is a only portion of what we do as a church community, but it is an important part of what we do. It is where we gather together to reorient to God, to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and to listen for inspiration from Jesus. How fitting that we gather on the beach today to hear Jesus remind us to be salty. Do we have it easier, here beside the sea? We can hardly help but be salty around here. I want to start with that, which is where Jesus lands his somewhat meandering messa...
Read more

Falling out of boats

-
Image
Reflection for Morning Prayer July 28, 2024 Trinity by the Sea Some of you may not remember the first time you stepped onto a boat, or more to the point, the first time you fell out of a boat. Most of my falling-out stories are from the San Marcos River misjudging an eddy around a bend, the bow pulled suddenly in the opposite direction from what I expected, then pushed sideways up against a submerged root that gives loft to the bow sending two paddlers into the drink. Fortunately, all of those occasions eventually ended with laughter. Then there are those moments of non-commitment, like standing one foot on a log that had fallen across the river, foot in the canoe, and quickly realizing the mistake. A similar thing can happen on the docks here, at least with smaller boats. Stepping into a boat takes commitment. One foot on land and one in the vessel is a short-lived exercise in balance and stretching beyond the ability of most yogis. Be on land or in the boat, not in both places at o...
Read more