Wellspring UMC; Fourth Sunday after Pentecost; June 24, 2007: “Giving for the Soul”:

-Psalm 42: 1-4, 7-8; Galatians 5: 1, 13-25

This week there was a lot of giving around here, because as we heard earlier, we held our Vacation Bible School. It was a great success, and from all angles, the giving and receiving of the adults, youth, and children revealed the joy and love of Christ. I know that I was blessed in giving and receiving during these days, and I believe many others were as well.

For those of you who are visiting or who have not been here over the past couple of weeks, we’re in the middle of a sermon series where we are encouraged to give of ourselves or what we have. Whether a smile or a gift, we’re living out our call to care as Jesus cares in real and tangible ways. That being said, is there anyone who was especially moved this week as you lived out the invitation to give then followed that prompting?

During our scripture reading today I invited you to repeat that one phrase we know so well, the Golden Rule – “Love your neighbor as yourself.” So often we hear that phrase as a call to love our neighbor, which it certainly is, but there is also another part of that which can easily be missed, and that is the call to love ourselves.

Today I want us to reflect upon what it means to give ourselves gifts for the soul. I would like us to continue to pray that prayer, “God make me an instrument of your love everyday and use me to give your love away,” and if that leads you to give to another, that’s great, however, I also want us to open up to the possibility that maybe the most important gift we can give is the gift God would like to give us. Maybe God has a gift in store for us, if we’ll be open to receive.

Last week we reflected on how giving and receiving are intimately connected. That is, when we give, there is a reciprocal effect that through our giving we receive great joy or satisfaction. We see evidence of that all the time. Whether it’s sharing in a mission trip or serving our kids through VBS, when we give, we receive. We see it as parents or friends, that when we invest in another, the gifts return tenfold. Time and time again, we are able to have revealed to us, that when we give, we receive.

We shouldn’t be surprised by this, however, because we are made in the image of God, and God is a giver. At the same time God gives, God is pleased to receive. God is love, and love when given, is received, and when received is given over and over again.

In today’s scripture Paul writes to the people of Galatia, because there are preachers in town who are saying that in order to be a follower of Christ, you had to keep the law, including being circumcised. But Paul says, the law was not intended to be binding. It’s intent is to free us, but to make it crystal clear God sent Christ to free us from legalism. Christ came so that we would be freed to love. “Freedom, however,” Paul says, “comes when we live by the Spirit and resist the flesh...to live into God’s desire for us, rather than our desires for ourselves.”

There is a tension which comes in living out the faith. The Christian life, when taken seriously, is difficult. It is hard, because Christ creates within us the ability to follow the will of God, but that will battles with our own will to do what we want, be who we want to be, and be the rulers of our own universe. And so Paul here is saying, our human tendency, our self-absorption, our self-gratification, our self-denial are aspects of life which we have to deal with, but we don’t have to satisfy. Rather, Christ has placed within us the ability to live beyond ourselves and living into God’s desire...live into the Spirit which dwells within us.

But what does that have to do with giving a gift to ourselves...giving a gift for the soul? It has everything to do with it, because our tendency is to not allow ourselves to receive the gifts of God. Our human inclination is to give to others and neglect ourselves, or instead of giving ourselves something, we take it.

Think about it. When we have been focused on something and need to step away from it, what do we do? We take a break. When we go on vacation, what do we do? We take a trip. When we look at our calendars to set aside time for pleasure, we say that we take the time.

Two weeks ago at the Virginia Annual Conference, our preacher, Trevor Hudson, a pastor from South Africa said, “Driven is a word that Americans use a lot, but it’s a word the rest of the world does not use. You are purpose driven, value driven, time driven...no wonder you’re so tired!”

At the centerpiece of these verses from Galatians, at the center of Christ’s mission, the focal point of God’s intentions for creation is this simple rule, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But in order to love your neighbor there are times when you have to first love yourself. In order to be prepared to be the hands and heart of God, we have to reach out our hands and open our hearts to the giver of all gifts. In order to truly care as Jesus cares, we have to do what He did – step away from the crowds and even the disciples, get away and simply be with God. Simply give ourselves permission to receive the gift for the soul that God so desperately wants us to receive.

There are times when I am simply stumped when it comes to putting together a sermon. There is either too much going on in my head or not enough to work with, and I get so focused, and worked up on completing the task that I can’t produce anything. The spiritual receptors shut down, and the theological connectors are tired and faulty.

Invariably, at just about the point I’m resigned to stand up on Sunday and say, “Sorry folks, no word from God today, let’s have a hymn sing!,” the phone rings. It’s Teresa on the other end. “How’s it coming.” To which I respond with a long diatribe of what’s NOT coming. Then she states what I already know I need to do, “Come home. Take a break. Spend time with the kids. Get away from the task and simply ‘be.’” And I do. And when I return to complete the project, God is faithful.

Of course, that’s my perspective of what happens. However, there is another perspective – God’s perspective. God is there all the time saying, “Just let me work. I have the gift, just receive it. Let go. Let me speak. I have a gift for the soul – for you and for my people, but to receive it, let go of the flesh and let the Spirit live through and in you.”

“Love your neighbor as yourself...and as you do, God’s love, God’s joy, God’s peace, God’s patience. His kindness and generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, the fruits of the Spirit will be yours.”

In yesterday’s Last Word was this:

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“To Mr Mikhaylove, whose wallet with ID and cash I found while walking home one night along Route 199 (Isn’t it illegal to walk down a four lane highway?): Since I haven’t heard anything about the wallet, may I assume you either were able to claim it or that it still might be at the James City Police Department? If you haven’t retrieved it yet, check the property division of the police department. If you have recovered it, I would appreciate at least knowing about it. You may contact me at _________. Please remember that when property is recovered by one person, especially when an individual learns it was turned in by a Good Samaritan, it is always thoughtful to try to contact that person. That would make the person feel better and would restore faith in knowing that there are grateful people in the world...”

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When I first read that, I thought, “He loves himself. How selfish? Is the guy really that desperate for a “thank you” or reward? Doesn’t that go against the whole point of being a Good Samaritan?” But then I thought about it a little more and realized, “well at least he turned the wallet in, and with the cash no less,” and then it struck me how amazing God is, for God was at work in that situation, inviting this person to do the right thing. THEN I thought about how each of us are at different levels on the journey and at times we too might react the same rather human way, and yet despite this, God works.

THEN I took it a step further and realized that for as much as this man is adamant about needing to receive his reward, monetary or not, so can we, as followers of Christ, be non- receptive to receive recognition of God’s work through us, or even we resist God’s gifts intended for us because we feel like we’re not worthy of them. How much do we hate ‘volunteer or staff recognition celebrations?,” and yet that’s part of God’s gift, to humbly receive the joy which comes through giving.

Love your neighbor as yourself. What is the gift you need? What is the gift God needs you to receive? Is it a night with your spouse and the kids with a babysitter? Is it a walk in the woods? Is it to pamper yourself with a manicure or a spa? Is it to turn off the TV and pick up a book? Is it a time to simply be with God?

God has a gift prepared for you...a gift for the soul...enter the world looking and praying for it. Go into this week praying, “God make me an instrument of your love and use me to give your love away,” but as you do remember that maybe the one intended to receive God’s gift is you. Amen.