“Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine!’”
Proverbs 3:9-10
November 2008
Brothers and Sisters at Nativity!
In the midst of the financial challenges our nation, our communities, and our families face it may seem like an anomaly to read these words from Proverbs, “Honor the Lord…with the first fruits of all your produce, then your barns will be filled with plenty.” Indeed, we are perhaps more prone, at times like these, to think of ways to cling, clutch and claw at our possessions – acting perhaps in the very ways that created our financial crisis.
Here is our opportunity — to realign our priorities. To once more understand what Jesus meant when he said, as we read in this past week’s Gospel lesson, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matt 22:21). Just what does it mean to give to God the things that are God’s? Everything we have of course! Our heart, soul, and body — our entire selves. As a sign of that commitment Scripture tells us that we are to give our “first fruits” to the Lord! That’s a full tithe, or 10% of all our increase. Doing this indeed reprioritizes our lives to be in alignment with the one who gave us all that we have in the first place!
Having prayed about it, Shirley and I have made a decision, with God’s help and grace, to commit our first fruits, a full tithe of our resources, to the work of our Lord at Nativity. I would challenge you to pray about it as well, and see if our Lord directs you to do the same. We do face a challenge, in our homes, in our nation, and here at Nativity. However, if we all “catch the vision” of tithing I am confident that we will see the fruits of the Lord abound in our families and here at Nativity in ways beyond our imagination. I am excited to see the results! God bless you for your prayers, your time, and your faithful stewardship.
With a grateful heart,
Reverend Mark David Luttio, Ph.D.
Pastor and Principal, Nativity Lutheran Church & School
P.S. Don’t forget our joint service on Sunday, November 2nd at 9:30 a.m. with a special presentation by Ecumen following our worship, together with buffet lunch. Also, this year we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Eve Service at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, together with our Ecumenical partners, on Wednesday, November 26th at 7 p.m. with our traditional “Pie-Bash” following! The entire month of November, as is our custom and tradition at Nativity, we will have the opportunity to write the names of our beloved departed in our “Book of Remembrance” by the font — to be read at the culmination of the liturgical year, Christ the King Sunday (Nov. 23rd).