A WING AND A PRAYER "Sharing the Wealth" & "Ready for Grace"

(As the month of March fills with theatrical commitments, the opportunities to post on the blog are fewer and farther between, so I'll be doubling up to keep up with all you faithful readers. Thanks for your loyal postings and readings!)

The gifts and talents that have been so abundantly showered on us are not ours alone. They are given to us with the understanding that we will act as stewards, guardians, and investors. We're meant to invest them, to risk them, for the good of all. Joy and abundant life come when we're willing to risk all that we have, to lay down our lives. - p. 57

When we eat of this bread, it truly can relieve those fears that keep us turned inward. It truly can engender courage to reach beyond our comfort zones to feed others. But only if we believe, in the root sense of what that word "believe" means--to give our hearts to that truth. We can help to feed the world's hunger only if we invest our hearts, and minds, and souls, and strength in sharing that word-bread with the world. - p. 60

In these two sermons, we are called to share a wealth that we possess beyond the wealth of our bank accounts and credit surpluses. We are reminded of what is given to us each and every week: Holy Word and Holy Eucharist.

How often, as we sit in Sunday morning services, do we think about how the Word of God and it's explication by those who are preaching is a gift that we are not just to hold on to, to store in our minds and hearts, but as a gift that is meant to be shared with others after the service and coffee hour are over? Many people stop to say, "I enjoyed the sermon," or "I needed to hear that this morning." But not many say, "I know someone at work who needs the message I heard this morning--I can't wait to take it to them tomorrow." This Word of God is meant to challenge us and to support us in both powerful and subtle ways. If we hear the Word of God and it enlivens or quickens us, why wouldn't we want to share it with others? It's very much a part of our Christian call to share the love of God with others: "evangelical" is an adjective that ALL Christians share.

In a similar manner, the Bread of Life which we share weekly is also meant to empower us to go out into the world with conviction and courage. We celebrate Christ's presence in the here and now, and we are invited to His table to share in this heavenly and eternal meal. All food sustains us, but the food we share at the Eucharist feeds our spirits, empowering us to share the Word of God with others. The liturgy of Word and Sacrament in the catholic traditions has a vast appeal to many because we've discerned that this order of worship does indeed feed us in ways that we personally need fed AND empower us to reach out to others with our special and individual gifts.

We are not to leave the service on Sunday morning and go home happy content that God reached us and that we've done our duty as church-going Christians. We are emboldened to reach out to others, we are fed for ministry, and we are called to share the abundance of joy and love with others.

Listen closely to the Word this Sunday. Feel intimately Christ's presence in the Eucharist. And then ask yourself, "How will I share the abundance of this Good News with others?"