All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord
added to their number those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47) 
 
Tough times bring people together – those with physical, spiritual, and emotional needs - meeting those with a willingness to share. Today many neighborhoods are less strong than they used to be; residents barely know the names of their neighbors, recognizing them only by the car they drive. We may have a stronger sense of community at work, church, or the gym – or even in the virtual world. A sign of commitment to a community is our willingness to sacrifice something to meet the needs of others. As the body of Christ, our faith communities can demonstrate Christ’s love in practical ways. 
 
Action:
Spend some time getting to know the needs of your neighbors, your colleagues, and the people you encounter every day. Where do you see need? What can you do to help? 

Pause for Reflection: In what ways can we share as a faith community? How does the sharing in the early Church shape how we give today? 

You may find the following prayer helpful: O God who is Three in One, living in perfect community; grant us the desire to
transform our communities, that we might reflect your love, grace, and generosity as we minister to others in your name. Amen. 
 
Blessings,
Hugh+

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 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. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

It’s vital that we continue to give during an economic downturn, and not only because our faith communities and charities depend on our giving. We give because we need to give. The Holy Spirit is continually at work shaping and growing our hearts, leading us to reflect the generosity of God’s nature, as well as the depths of God’s self-giving nature made known in Jesus. As we give, we experience the deeper joy of growing into the full stature of Christ.

One advantage of thinking about our giving, in terms of giving away a percentage of our income, is that it helps us adjust our donating as our income goes up or down. When we have less money coming in, we can give less, but do so knowing that our relative generosity is unchanged.

Action: Review your giving, setting it in the context of your income. Do you know what percentage of your income you give
back?

Pause for Reflection: The passage above challenges us to give cheerfully. One way of increasing the joy found from giving is to become deeply aware of how your purpose is aligned with God’s purpose of shalom, which is the Biblical understanding of peace that comes from living in right relationship with each other and all of creation. Understanding your purpose leads to joyful giving.
 
Blessings,
Hugh+

Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money – not even an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there.” (Luke 9:1-4) 
 
Hard times are a good opportunity to take stock of our lifestyles. The average American is busier than ever before; working longer hours, traveling further, and owning more possessions. But studies show we are not necessarily any happier or any more fulfilled. Perhaps this is a good time to slow down and reassess what is important to us. “Cutting back” can have a
negative feel to it, but any gardener will tell you that pruning is a vital part of encouraging healthy growth. Our spending is regularly ahead of our income, then the inevitable consequence is debt. Debt can be difficult to manage and arises for all sorts of reasons. If you have significant debt, you are encouraged to take action as soon as possible. 
 
You may find the following prayer helpful: Lord Jesus Christ, you taught about building treasure in heaven rather than on earth; teach us to be content when our needs are satisfied rather than our wants, and grant us wisdom to be faithful stewards. Amen. 

Where are the temptations? 
 
Action: What clutters your life? Look back at your budget. 
 
What could you cut to free up more money? What about your schedule? What would give you more time to do the things you really want to do? Are you spending your time and your money on the things that are really important to you? 

Pause for Reflection: Why do you think Jesus linked the sending out of the disciples to living without the clutter of
possessions?

Blessings,
Hugh+

We brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy 6:7-10)

Learning contentment is one of the most significant disciplines we can achieve. Many people have amassed large debts chasing their dreams, only to find that their latest purchase provides only fleeting fulfillment. Contentment reduces our desire to spend, creating a cushion between our spending and our income. This brings about the opportunity to save, to give away, or to
buy something special. If, on the other hand, our spending is regularly ahead of our income, then the inevitable consequence is debt. Debt can be difficult to manage and arises for all sorts of reasons. If you have significant debt, you are encouraged to take action as soon as possible.

You may find the following prayer helpful:

Lord Jesus Christ, you taught about building treasure in heaven rather than on earth; teach us to be content when our needs are satisfied rather than our wants, and grant us wisdom to be faithful stewards.
Amen.

God's blessings,
Hugh+

Most of us don’t enjoy budgeting. Writing down where we spend our money can be painful; particularly if we have less coming in than going out. But budgeting is not just a case of trying to make our money last till the end of the month; it’s a spiritual exercise too, revealing what our actual priorities are. Billy Graham has said on a number of occasions, “Give me five minutes with a person’s checkbook and I will tell you where their heart is.” Whether we feel we need to or not, making a budget is a good way of managing the financial resources God has entrusted to us. It enables us to take control and make decisions as to where we allocate money. Without making a budget, we may unwittingly allow money
to leak away in some areas of our spending.

Action: Review your monthly income and spending. You might find it helpful to use the budget template from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at
www.debtadvice.org/Credit101/budget_debt_ws.pdf

Pause for Reflection: What does this exercise reveal about your priorities? What might you seek to change in the way you allocate your money?

Blessings,
Hugh+