Women of the ELCA Daily Grace

From greed to giving

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:00:00 GMT

“As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.” - I Timothy 6:17-19

This greed that Gandhi speaks of and that Paul cautions us against is not just about money. It is greed in our heart that keeps our minds bound up.

Greed is a product of a scarcity mentality where there is never enough to go around. Yet, it is in giving, and putting all hope in God that we find abundant life.

This message is adapted from a devotion by Delores Yancey, published in a Women of the ELCA stewardship guide.

Paper or plastic?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Addressing credit card debt requires a spiritual conversion. Often we get into credit card debt when we’re afraid--afraid of loneliness, boredom, grief. Once, after a break-up, I overspent on massages and food to the point of needing to borrow money to pay the rent. We’re up against a serious pull — immediate gratification of deep hurts — in the credit card world. It’s a lot for a soul to resist.

Debt intrudes on our lives and steals something far greater than pennies a day. It steals a bit of your soul and the sacred space that allows us to be self-sufficient, with the Lord, the saints and all of God’s bounty.

Find one spiritual practice that puts you on the road to recovery — prayer, meditation, walking, writing, singing. Make it something free, make it something beautiful, make it something your own. Pay off that debt, one penny by one penny, and watch yourself bloom. Save your credit cards for emergencies, when they can be useful, and throw off your burden.

This message is adapted from “Paper or plastic? Credit card debt can cost you more than money” written by Clare La Plante that first appeared in the October 2005 issue of Café magazine.

Ministry in daily life

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Each one of us has a ministry in our daily lives. We have been blessed in a variety of ways. How can we share our blessings with others? What might be your ministry of affirmation? Making hospital calls? Offering a “mom’s day out”? Might you visit a nursing home, provide a meal for a family in crisis, read a book to a home-bound person, bake bread for a soup kitchen, drive someone to a doctor’s appointment, offer to grocery shop for someone who can’t? Make a list of the things you like to do. You may well have gifts you didn’t realize could be a blessing to others!

This message is adapted from “Blessed to Be a Blessing” written by Kathy J. Magnus in the January 1992 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.

Balance is too much work

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 06:00:00 GMT

My friend, a Catholic sister, once responded with a chuckle to my five-minute lament on how I longer for more balance in my life. It was not the response I had anticipated. I had hoped she would shake her head understandingly, put a comforting arm around my shoulder, and tell me what a saint I was. Instead, she laughed and said, "Balance is too much work!"

Balance is not the answer to an overextended schedule. You can prioritize, analyze and criticize all you want to but the facts remain. There are just too many false gods in our lives.Our schedule can be a false god fashioned in our own likeness, a first commandment broken for the umpteenth time. It is not balance that's needed here, but repentance.

A simple act of prayer attached to an ordinary responsibility brings the presence of God into our daily lives and frees us from the mundane moments that eat up our time.Combining work with worship allows us to be extravagant with our time and still feel refreshed.

This message is based on "Finding Your Pace," a resource written by Barbara DeGrote-Sorensen that appeared in Programs, Retreats and Devotions 2 published by Women of the ELCA in 1996.

Disciples of Christ

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Baptism names, claims, and confers salvation. It is not “fire insurance,” but rather it commissions us for a life of love and service as a child of God.

What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? Must one have a conversion experience? Does an encounter with the Living God call forth a dramatic response like dropping your fishing nets and following Christ? More often, God calls regular folks—living saints—who follow the call of Christ into the mission fields, soup kitchens, or wherever God may lead. Conversion is an act of God that involves daily dying and rising to the promises of that baptism.

Look for Christ in others even if their behaviors make it difficult. And pray they will do the same for you.

This message is adapted from “We’ve Got People” written by Angie Shannon in the September 2011 issue of Gather magazine.

It takes persistence

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 06:00:00 GMT

"“Yet, because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” (Luke 18:5) In my old neighborhood in Chicago, a Roman Catholic convent was closing. The sisters wanted to convert their building into a women’s shelter. The idea was met with great resistance--neighbors worried about their property value and the neighborhood association meetings were heated over the unknown changes that a shelter would bring. The sisters remained persistent, contacting local congregations, even the ones that weren’t Catholic, for help. Folks from the churches started talking to the neighbors and attending the meetings and promising to help keep up the shelter. It took the kind of persistence the widow had to get that shelter opened--but it did open, and the lives of vulnerable women were changed. No matter how vulnerable we feel, we cannot give up in asking for justice. "

This message is from a Women of the ELCA stewardship devotion, written by Kate Elliott, editor of Gather magazine.