by Pastor Paul Bennett
Christian theologian John Piper once said, “The ministry and mission of the church is at the center of Christian giving.” There are a great many worthwhile charitable efforts out there, and it is indeed an act of great valor any time we demonstrate generosity to any such effort.
However, above all, as the primary expression of God’s love and truth in this world, there is no greater investment for a Christian than that of supporting the witnessing effort of their local church. Some argue it is better to teach a person to fish than to hand them a fish. The mandate of Christ would argue, regardless of whether you’re handing out fish or fishing rods, it is always best to hand out a little Jesus at the same time.
This is what sets apart your support of the church from that of any other organization. Not only this, but in addition to ensuring the Good News of Christ is spread far and wide, you are also investing in your own relationship with Christ by furthering your commitment to His purposes and reliance on His provisions.
Speaking of Good News, the Advent season now before us boasts the best news ever! The Son of God comes to us in human form. It has become a huge cliché within church circles to refer to the gift of the Christ child at Christmas as “the greatest gift ever given.” This doesn’t make it any less true. Philippians 2:6-7 describes the radical nature of the gift of the incarnation with these words, “…Christ Jesus who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Many glorious notions such as the incarnation begin to lose their wonder for us over time. May it never be so with the notion that our Creator God took on fragile and filthy human flesh to walk amongst His wayward creations, all for the purpose of serving them and saving them from themselves. Thanks to our role as recipients of this indescribable gift of Christmas, our own hearts are stirred to a state of generosity and we have made it a season of unmatched giving. As we receive God’s love, we can’t help but want to give it away in abundance, especially this time of year.
Well, if you’ve been nodding along with me thus far, I have more great news for you (although not quite as great as the gift of the Christ-child!). If you love your church and feel called to invest in its mission, and if you are inspired by the selfless love of Christ to a place of great generosity each Christmas, there is an easy way to bind these two efforts together. And believe it or not, it is quickly recognized by this symbol:
Amazon, yes Amazon, offers an easy way for you to support Rocky River UMC every time you shop on Amazon, called “Amazon Smile”. The instructions are simple:
1. Next time you buy something on Amazon (think Christmas gifts!), instead of going to www.amazon.com, instead go to www.smile.amazon.com. Add a bookmark right away to make it easier to return.
2. You will be prompted to choose a non-profit organization to support. Please choose “Rocky River United Methodist Church”
3. Continue shopping just as you would at the main Amazon site.
4. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase cost to RRUMC.
That’s it! It truly is that easy. You can also activate AmazonSmile on the Amazon mobile app by going to “settings” and tapping on “Amazon Smile”, then following the on-screen instruction. 0.5% may not seem like a lot, but it adds up quickly when our entire church community comes together. Think about it, simply by using Amazon Smile for your Amazon purchases, you can contribute to RRUMC’s ability to add a new ministry, expand our missional efforts at Story Church, even add a new staff position. What a beautiful way to compound the already bountiful joy of Christmas.
Thank you, RRUMC family, for supporting your church in this way!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Pastor Paul