Windswept – November 2015
Posted on October 30, 2015 by spiritofjoy No comments
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim
the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9
Martin Rinkart was a pastor in the small German town of Eilenberg in 1618, just as the terrible chaos and bloodshed of the Thirty Years War were beginning. The city became a crowded refugee camp for those fleeing the horrors of war (another old story that is on front pages today).
As the city filled with people, so did it’s susceptibility to disease and famine. A terrible plague struck Eilenberg in 1637. By Christmas, Rinkart was the only pastor who hadn’t either fled the city or died. He conducted 4000 funerals in that year, including up to 50 funerals a day. One was for his wife.
It would have been understandable if Martin Rinkart had lived out the rest of his days feeling bitter and resentful at all the losses he’d endured. He sat down instead and wrote one of the most famous hymns in the German language, Nun danket alle Gott. We know it in English as “Now Thank We All our God.” The hymn begins, Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices…. This faithful servant of God viewed life at its worst, and still chose to say thank you to the God of mercy and grace who had given him life, had given him hope, had given him Jesus.
“Because of God’s Great Mercy” is the title of Spirit of Joy’s stewardship emphasis this year. We begin the emphasis by remembering all that God has done for us. God has created us and made us God’s own people. God has chased us with goodness and mercy through our trials.
We will consider together how our giving to Spirit of Joy is a response to the ways we’ve experienced God’s mercy and grace. We will look together at how Spirit of Joy uses our offerings to do God’s work within our growing congregation, in our community, and around the world.
“Because of God’s Great Mercy” will ask you to do two things. First, you will be asked to increase your giving to Spirit of Joy in the coming year by at least ½ of 1% of your household income. Second, you will be asked to consider using an automatic funds transfer program that Spirit of Joy already has in place for your giving. Watch for more about the ways we might respond with extravagant generosity Because of God’s Great Mercy. PJE