Giving Until It Feels Good
by Rhashell D. Hunter
Presbyterian Church of Korea
September 23, 2012
Psalm 133
1 How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
life for evermore.
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
6 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.
9 As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
11 You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us;
12 for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.
13 Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others,
14 while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you.
15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
I bring you greetings from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), your sister church and co-laborer in ministry in the United States. Thank you for welcoming me here at the Church Outside the Castle. I have heard of your commitment to justice and mission. And, I bring greetings to your pastor Sun-ggi Ko and to your session. Also, I particularly thank Dr. In-soon Chi for being my interpreter this morning.
As we celebrate the Centennial of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, we are grateful for Presbyterian mission work in Korea and also for strong Korean American ministries in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Today there are 412 worshiping communities, including congregations, Bible Study fellowships and new church developments in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
There are four non-geographic Korean-American Presbyteries:
Hanmi (So. California)
Midwest Hanmi
Atlantic Korean American Presbytery, and
Eastern Korean Presbytery.
Korean Presbyterian churches are served and supported by the National Council of Korean Presbyterian Churches.
And, in the Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries ministry area of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, Dr. Sun Bai Kim serves as the Associate for Korean Emerging Ministries and Dr. Jin Kim serves as deployed Field Staff for Korean English Ministries (EM), while also serving as pastor of Church of All Nations in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Our newest initiatives are focused on Young Adults, specifically we are working with 1.5 and 2nd generation Korean English ministries and multicultural ministries. We are seeking to empower the next generation to serve the church with energy, intelligence, imagination and love.
The scripture passage today is about giving. I hope that you agree with me when I say that we’re blessed that we’re given the opportunity to give. We’re blessed beyond measure that we have resources and that we can share with others.
Many of you here are my heros, because it is you who make it possible for the Presbyterian Church to carry out its mission. It is you who help us to continue the historic and important legacy of mission and ministry in the Presbyterian Church of Korea. It is you who help us all to be part of a church that contributes to society and helps to make the world a better place, to the glory of God.
It would be easier for many of us not to face the challenges of limited finances in an economically and emotionally depressed time in the history of the world. A lot of people would not get involved and say “What’s the point?” But as Christians, this is the perfect place for us to involve ourselves. When the going gets tough, that’s when we’re supposed to give -- when it’s not coming from other sources, when its not easy, when it’s painful, when others walk away.
When I was younger, I believed that there were good people and bad people. But, now I see that there’s a complex set of factors that make us who we are. All of us have the tendency for good and bad. And, if you look deeply enough you’ll see a gem in each one of us. Even the most grumpy, intimidating, obnoxious people have a gem inside of them, and if you’re willing to take the time to find it or invest the energy to look for it, you’ll see it shining brightly.
I value those who are willing to take the time to look for the gem, and those who are willing to take the time to give.
All of us have a need to give, and we have a need to be given to. People are gratified when they know that they have been helpful, when they know that they’ve given of themselves, and when they know that their gifts were warmly received.
In old Stewardship campaigns in churches I’ve served in the United States, people would say, “If it’s not hurting your pocket book, you’re not giving enough.” There’s an old saying that you should “give until it hurts.” But, I think that we should give until it feels good.
We feel good when we know that we’ve helped somebody out. We feel gratified when we know that we’ve done something right. We feel good about ourselves when we’ve done what we think God would have us to do.
Of course, there’s always a risk when we give. We may not have enough for ourselves. But, when we make a commitment to give to others, to give to mission, to give to charity, we discover that it really does feel good to be there for other people, to know that we’re helping out the church, to know that we’re contributing to the quality of life in the neighborhood and in the world, to know that we’re working for justice and peace, to give a little piece of the gem within us away, so that it shines in others.
There is a risk in giving. We’re afraid that if we give too much away, we won’t have enough left for ourselves. But, the amazing thing you’ll discover in giving is that the more you give, the more it seems to come back to you.
If more people could just experience the feeling of having helped someone, they would spend more time giving. If we are willing to give of ourselves to others, if we are willing to see the gem inside of others, if we are willing to let ourselves feel good about giving, then we will give until it feels good, and Christ’s kingdom will reign upon the earth. Justice will roll down like rivers, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Peace and justice will kiss one another. We will, indeed, overcome.
There are complex factors that make us who we are. And we can’t give to everybody or to everything. There are some things, and some people, that we have to set serious limits with. We have to be smart about who and how we choose to give.
But when the factors are right, when we know we can do good, that’s when we can give until it feels good. When we are willing to give our lives, not to evil, but to good, that’s when instead of injuring others, we can help them. Instead of doing nothing, we can choose to do something. Instead of just feeling sorry for people, we can help them to rebuild their lives.
We can contribute to the mission of life.
We can give birth to hope.
We can stand up for freedom and peace.
We can not hide from the world, but allow the
gem within us to shine!
And, that’s what giving until it feels good is all about. Thanks be to God. Amen.
