"Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when on turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit." ~2 Corinthians 3:12-18

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom," St. Paul writes. A freedom from: selfishness, worry, the need to be "on top," fear of failure, fears in general. A freedom that allows us to see and to reflect the glory of the Lord.

Christ's gospel message is one of love, God's love for us, and God's desire for us to love him and each other. While on the surface that seems to be easy, but when you get right down to it, the sacrificial love Christ call us to, isn't natural to mere mortals. The act of loving God and others is one of giving yourself away, of not needing to be in the center, of daring to put someone else's needs before your own. So often we are afraid that giving ourselves (time, skills and resources) away without expectation for something in return, will somehow diminish us-we will be or have less because of it.

In reality it is when we give ourselves away we receive blessings in abundance. We don't become less or have less, but rather more! It is in that giving away of our time, skills and resources for others that we begin to "be transformed into the same image, from one degree of glory to another"-that is the image of Christ.

Like the song that Debby taught the children for the Children's Sermon on Transfiguration Sunday: "Love is something if you give it away, give it away, give it away. Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more."

By its very nature love needs to be shared. Love must be given away or it soon withers; love shared grows for both giver and receiver. When we share ourselves and our resources with others, then we share Christ's love and truly become his messengers to a world hungry and thirsty for, and in desperate need of, God's unconditional love.

~ The Stewardship Team

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