<> Ask the Pastor Pastor Walter Snyder It's been a hectic week. Last Thursday, I was "arrested" in order to solicit funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The response to my plight was good, and I've received several "late" pledges or gifts to the MDA to further the work they do. I was also busy selling tickets for the benefit breakfast for Jasper's Boys and Girls Club. It was held on Tuesday 4 November. Among our guests was the current Miss Texas, Reagan Hughes. The Club has been my primary non-church charity for several years. I don't consider my regular tithe to be "charity," anyhow--nor even special gifts to the church. These contributions have become a regular part of the Snyder family's Christian life. I'm also coaching an under-seven coed soccer team, with my younger daughter as one of the players. We're the "Watson Plumbing Red Tigers." Tuesday evening, my kids were out in the gathering darkness, learning more about team play and sportsmanship (in other words, "we lost"). Then I had the privilege of attending a chamber music concert by the Amabile Piano Quartet. Besides quartet music, the ladies also played some solo and duet pieces. In all this, I've had many opportunities to thank people. People afflicted with a terrible disease have received financial support. Children--some of whom are from broken homes--are given a place to study and be sheltered after school and during summer, while their parents work. Other children gain opportunity to learn teamwork and benefit from athletics. Folks in a small town have had opportunity to be blessed with a truly good fine arts performance. Generosity was key in all this. I also have been thanking God. It is ultimately he who gives all good gifts. Good health? It comes from him. Support and guidance for youth? God gives parents and families. He is also "husband" and "father" to "the widow and the fatherless." Beauty in an often drab or ugly world? He is the ultimate "fine artist," as his Creation bears witness, and he gives the gifts of music and other artistry to a select few, that they might enrich the rest of us. In these events of the past week, he has allowed many of us to participate in bringing these blessings to others. People who cannot heal could contribute to the healing of others. Folks who have no time or talent for teaching, guiding, or coaching young people could support the work of others who do. Even those who cannot play the simplest tune could come together to bring beautiful music to the lives of others. The same sort of thing also happens in the Christian Church. Some are called to preach and teach. Some have musical talents that God uses to enrich the saints and glorify himself. Many are able to write about the Christian Faith, or to proclaim it boldly, even in a hostile environment. Of course, the message is ultimately that of God's Word, not ours. The music is but a ghostly shadow of the heavenly choirs. The proclamation is too often only a faint echo of the divine call to repentance and forgiveness in Christ. Yet just as God allows us to contribute in the earthly, secular realm beyond our own capacity, so it is in his kingdom. Pastors are salaried by us so that they have no financial worries as they bring God's Word to those in need. Similarly, we often contribute to our musicians, choirs, and the like. We collect funds to support evangelists and missionaries, even if we ourselves cannot go where they go or speak with their boldness. None of this really makes us God's "partners." He is the Author of all good. Our tithes and offerings are his own handwriting in the pages of our lives. They are one way in which his light shines in our lives for the benefit of a sin-darkened world. Yet even though we don't do any of this on our own, but only through grateful, Spirit-led response to him, he treats us not as mere "partners" but as "sons." We aren't writing checks to buy our way into eternal life. Through faith in Christ, we are already children of God and citizens of heaven. Our participation, whether directly or through the giving of gifts, is a natural part of the new life we have in Jesus Christ. Faith displays itself in all manner of good works. Again, I thank God that I've seen so many of these works on display in my church, my community, and my world. Remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Pastor Snyder serves St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas, and is the coauthor of "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1997 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.