By Phyllis Gregg, Presiding Bishopric office director
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
This is the fifth week of the Generosity Cycle. The focus is on RESPONDING to God’s many blessings in our life.
On a recent Saturday, I was reading news stories online. The more I read, the more I could feel anxiety building up inside me to the point that I knew I needed to step away. I have struggled with anxiety for many years, so there are coping mechanisms I use to help diffuse it. One of those is to go outside, look around, and find five things that bring me joy. So on this day I went to our back patio. I looked at my garden which was in full harvest. That definitely brought me joy. I saw a dragonfly, a blooming dogwood tree, an empty hummingbird feeder, and a left-over firecracker from the 4th of July which led me to think about my children and grandchildren. Almost immediately my mind was swimming in good thoughts…so many things to be grateful for—nature, family, good food. The anxiety was replaced by a sense of peace, joy, and gratitude. I texted my son and told him how grateful I was for him. It was an unplanned response to what I was feeling in my heart at that moment.
Often, we think of generosity as a one-time transaction. We give or share something in a moment, and we feel generous. But I believe we are called to more than that. God’s abundantly generous gifts challenge us to live in the spirit of generosity. Living in this spirit means a change of heart. It means seeing all the many ways we are blessed every day and allowing those blessings to transform us. When we intentionally look around and take notice of God’s freely given gifts, it opens our eyes and hearts to gratitude and joy. The more we see the world through eyes and hearts full of joy, the more we want to respond in generous ways because of the love and hope that overflows inside us. Over the past four weeks, through the Generosity Cycle, we have been challenged to spend time rediscovering God’s blessings in our lives. The ongoing challenge is to continue to intentionally reflect on those blessings every day allowing them to change the way we look at the world. As we live into God’s blessings, I believe we will also find ourselves living into the spirit of generosity…a spirit that wells up, overflows, and spills into the world around us.
You can find worship resources for the Generosity Cycle at https://www.heraldhouse.org/collections/church-life-worship-resources, and other resources on the website at https://cofchrist.org/generosity-cycle/.
Prayer Phrase
“For everything created by God is good” (1 Timothy 4:4).
Spiritual Practice
Joy of Gratitude
Stand, if possible, with arms outstretched. Imagine God filling your arms with all that you have: family, friends, and possessions. Hold out your arms until they feel tired. Now, bring your arms across your body. Place your hand over your heart and thank God for the abundance that fills your life. Sit for a time aware of that abundance. Then ask God to help you open your heart in gratitude and share freely with others.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.