Meditation Pledge Card Dedication Sunday – George Yandell
Four parallel stories in all four gospels are actually parallel miracles. Miracles of few loaves and fishes feeding 5,000 people. In John’s gospel account, Andrew speaks up to Jesus, says, “There is a lad here with five loaves and two fish; but what does that amount do for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down,” and he took the loaves, gave thanks, and passed them around with the fish to all the people sitting there. No more mention of the young boy.
What was the boy thinking? Did he regret letting Andrew know about his bread and fish? I suspect not- especially when Jesus passed the food around and at the end, and 12 baskets full of the left-over food was gathered. The boy had witnessed something unbelievable- and his catch of fish and bread had been the catalyst for it.
Mark’s account doesn’t mention the boy. Jesus tells his disciples to give the huge crowd something to eat. When his friends complain that there’s not enough to begin to feed the crowd, Jesus asks them: “How many loaves do you have? Go look.” The disciples come back to Jesus and tell him, “Five loaves and two fish.” Jesus had everyone sit down, then took the bread and fish, looked up at the sky, gave a blessing, and broke the bread apart, and started giving it to his disciples to pass around. Everyone had enough to eat. The disciples picked up 12 baskets full of left-overs, including some fish. 5000 people were fed.
I like that this shared story has distinctive differences in the two accounts (Matthew and Luke’s account today follow Mark’s account closely.) The two striking things about John and Mark are the boy, sharing all he had, and in Mark, it was the disciples who distributed the bread and fish- it was at their hands that the bread and fish were multiplied. And in Luke, 12 baskets full of broken pieces were gathered. Much more than the 5 loaves and two fish Jesus blessed and broke for distribution.
The boy contributed all of what he had- the miracle was in the sharing, God’s blessing covered everyone. Some Jesus scholars suggest that it wasn’t only the boy who put in his offering, but that many others did as well. It doesn’t change the outcome- you’d have had to buy 4,950 happy meals to feed the 5,000.
Our parish turns 36 on Advent Sunday, one week from today. Sam Buice gave us a sense of what the early founders of our parish experienced as their supper club with Eucharist grew into a parish. We are collectively growing into mature adulthood. When I think what the wider community would be like if we’d never been born as a parish, I imagine it impoverished and diminished. And we as well. I am so grateful to be part of this community of saints, founded on a wing and a prayer by generous souls, many of whom are still with us.
I have been tithing since 1983. 10% of my income goes to God through the Church. Susan and I have been tithing since we came to Holy Family 12 years ago. (Draw attention to the chart in the service sheet.) Some couples choose to pledge separately from one another from their separate incomes, respecting one another as they are in different places on their faith journeys.
Some of us are part-time residents of Jasper and Holy Family. You might choose to estimate your giving based on the percentage of time you spend here.
Many of our regular givers have filled out pledge cards over the past 12 years. 112 of us did so for 2022. What if every individual/every family in this congregation submitted a pledge card? What if everyone came forward with her/his offering, like the young boy in the gospel? The miracle might well overwhelm us. And note, one’s pledge can be modified throughout the year as our fortunes rise or fall. (Read the card aloud, word for word: “I/we commit to give of my/our financial resources to God through Holy Family Church. To support the ministries of Holy Family in 2023 I/we commit $$ as a weekly or monthly or quarterly or annually.”)
Today we’ll gather in the pledges of those who’ve chosen to give to God through Holy Family Church for 2023. For those unable to be present today, or those who’ve not sent in their pledge cards, a reminder notice will be sent in the coming days. I recall Bp. Whitmore’s words 6 years ago: Generous giving consecrates ourselves to Christ.// Giving 10% (or more!) allows us to live 90% free- knowing we’re bound up with Christ in the work of the kingdom of God. Pooling our giving creates us as a holy community, as consecrated disciples. I am convicted that as we combine our hearts in the movement of the spirit in a moment, God works through us. Stepping up, pooling our substance, deepens our faith, increases our fellowship, and spreads the good news way past this congregation into God’s good world. I can see the little boy’s eyes wide with amazement. Jesus is opening us up to new life, new freedom.