Extravagant Generosity

Bishop Robert Schnase, writing in his book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, believes that the practice of generosity describes a Christian’s unselfish willingness to give extravagantly in order to make a positive difference for God’s purpose in the world.

Extravagant generosity, then, “describes practices of sharing and giving that exceed all expectations and extend to unexpected measures. It describes lavish sharing, sacrifice, and giving in service to God and neighbor. This kind of generosity is at the heart of a Wesleyan notion of stewardship. For John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist tradition, stewardship does not begin with money, nor does it originate in humanitarianism, charity, obligation, or fundraising. Instead, stewardship has its origin in the nature and mission of God . . . the anchor of a Wesleyan perspective on stewardship is grace, God’s grace, which is defined fundamentally as a gift.”

Grace from God comes as a gift, freely given to all of God’s creatures. God's grace prompts grace in and among people, and that grace returns to God in the form of thankfulness and gratitude – an extravagant generosity. But because God’s grace is in many ways an “indescribable gift,” Jesus is suggesting that our expressions of gratitude are radical in return – coming from the very core of who we are – “as the heart has decided.” Simply put, stewardship is a spiritual discipline rooted in our relationship with God.

I heard a story once about a downtown congregation, in a moderately-sized community, that had occasional transients and street people visit the church asking for handouts. In response, the staff developed rules, guidelines, and policies for how to help. They had many discussions about the pros and cons of giving cash, vouchers, and addresses of other social agencies. One day’s discussion took a considerable amount of staff time with few conclusions.

As the pastor was leaving the church later that afternoon, he noticed the part-time custodian carrying out garbage to the large trash bin in the alley. There was a homeless person sprawled out beside the bin, barely conscious.  As the custodian approached the trash bin, he set down the garbage bag he was carrying, reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and removed a few dollar bills.  Without being asked, he walked over to the homeless person and gave him the money, said something to the man, and then continued his work. The pastor was amazed and humbled by this extravagant display of generosity. The part-time custodian, who earned less than anyone else on staff, gave generously without being asked, while the staff had spent several hours earlier in the day trying to figure out policies and procedures for “correct” giving.

The pastor asked the custodian what prompted him to give the money, and wondered if he thought the homeless person might misuse the money. “I always do that when I can,” the custodian answered. “I give them a little money and say, ‘God bless you,’ because I figure that even though they may be pretty messed up, they are some mother’s son, some father’s child, and so I give them something. What they do with the money – well, they have to answer to God about that. I just have to answer to God about what I do with mine!”Now, that is extravagant generosity.

In God’s love,