A Spirit of Abundance

Reflection by Nora Graham, pastoral intern

July 26, 2020

16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” Luke 12: 16-25

When I was about five years old, I started receiving an allowance of five dollars a week for doing chores around the house. But my allowance came with a condition: I could only earn that money if I also gave a portion of it each month to the church as an offering. I accepted the deal and began giving an offering of five dollars a month. I did not need all that money, because twenty dollars is a lot for a five-year-old, and so I was able to give it away to a place that I cared about.

This spirit of abundance takes on a new meaning when we think about it today compared to say, February or early March before the pandemic was full swing. Then, for me, abundance felt more like planning for a spring break trip or looking ahead to summer plans. Now, my definition of abundance is appreciating the little things, like zoom sessions with my friends and getting to come into work and seeing people who are not my family members. It also means giving more consciously to organizations and businesses that need my money and time the most right now.

But you cannot have a conversation about abundance without also discussing the privilege that accompanies it. I come from a place of a certain amount of economic stability that not everyone grows up with. It is important to remember that this privilege is not inherently a negative thing, it is only in using one’s privilege for selfish reasons or refusing to acknowledge its existence in the first place that it becomes harmful. Because my parents were able to meet all my other needs and wants as a five-year-old, I did not need every penny of my weekly allowance. That privilege allowed me to give back to my church and to build in me the habit of giving from an early age.

These ideas of privilege and abundance are also present in our scripture today, focusing on the parable of the rich fool. The story begins as Jesus is teaching and, “Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But [Jesus] said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And [Jesus] said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

The man in this passage is concerned about the inheritance laws that say the elder brother should receive half the inheritance. These laws also say that if there are no sons, the daughters should each receive a portion of the inheritance on the condition that they must marry amongst the tribe to keep the wealth within the family. Now, that whole stipulation about the role of daughters in these laws could be the subject of an entirely different sermon, but the clear issue with the man demanding half of the family inheritance is that he is preoccupied in his pursuit of wealth. In the tradition that this story is set in, wealth is regarded as a sign of God’s goodness or blessing on a family, yet they also warn that one should use wealth prudently and be cautious of greed. Another important thing to note about wealth at this time is that, “abundance requires that one prepare for the famine that will surely follow.” Even if one has all they need for the moment there is always that fear lurking in the back of their mind that they will lose it in the future, and so it is better to stock up now so that those hard times don’t hurt as much.

Jesus says something else important here, and by refusing to be the judge or arbitrator over this man’s inheritance problems, Jesus is telling us that God will not judge us. This idea of judgement is prevalent in many forms of Christianity, but that is not the way of Jesus’ teachings.

Jesus uses inviting stories and parables like this one to teach the audience a greater lesson about abundance and letting go, but also about the fact that God will not judge us if we do not succeed at either one. So many people feel judged or compare themselves to others when it comes to stewardship, and that is not at all the point. Everyone comes from different circumstances and they have a different definition of abundance and what they feel capable of letting go. These ideas of not always stocking up in times of abundance or letting go of what is unnecessary are counter-cultural and therefore not always easy to accomplish. And that’s okay, because God is not judging anyone or the situation they may find themselves in.

The story continues as Jesus introduces the parable of the rich fool and the dilemma he faces, “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ The problem or conflict of this story is not that the rich fool does not have enough room to store his abundant harvest, but that he wants to keep it all for himself. Instead of giving out of abundance he would rather build more storage facilities and eat, drink and be merry. This echoes the sentiment that storing up or hoarding is better than risking your future for the present of others.

God has a lot to say about the actions of this rich man, saying “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So, it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” God is reminding the rich fool that keeping everything for oneself is not a faithful value or a practice in line with the teachings of the Jewish tradition or the Christian tradition that would follow.

Clearly, this man is more worried about his harvest and its abundance than his neighbors who may not be experiencing the same good fortune as him. He feels secure in the self-sufficiency that he has established and is hesitant to move beyond that scope. Greed makes the rich fool worry more about how to maximize his profit and survival than letting go of his focus on material possessions. This man is experiencing how the pursuit of pleasure that leaves little satisfaction beyond the surface level. And he also demonstrates practical atheism, where he proclaims to be righteous yet in practice chooses his own needs over the needs of the community.

Another important theme from this story is letting go of what you do not need. The rich fool in this parable needs to let go of his attachment to always having the biggest harvest, and instead ensure that others receive what they need as well. It is this obsession with always wanting more that plagues our society today. The conventional wisdom we grow up with teaches us that it is best to provide for our family first and stock up on anything that we fear might run out. Subversive wisdom offers a different narrative, one that says yes, you should make sure you have enough, but you should also ensure that those around you have enough too. This is the idea of letting go and not focusing on our individual needs and instead seeing the needs of the greater community, because when one person struggles, we all struggle and when one person receives what they need, so does everyone else.

A significant aspect of Christianity is follow-through and demonstrating your beliefs with your actions, not just your words. In that way, giving to the church is a way to apply one’s faith, as a spiritual practice that can be an area of growth over time. Although I started out giving five dollars a month to the church, that amount has changed as I have grown up and become more financially stable and independent. Stewardship is, as Debra says, not about dollar signs and commas, it is about intentionality and percentage. John Wesley believed that everyone should give $1.50 to $2.50 to the church each week. If that sounds like a silly amount, great then consider giving more, and if not, then the church will do great things with whatever amount ends up in the offering plate, virtual or physical.

A spiritual practice is not something that one can master in just a few sessions, giving especially must come from a spirit of abundance, whose definition changes over time. This principle of abundance is essential to the foundation of the Abbey, and because we give away 10% of our coffee bar sales each month to support the work of a local community partner, we help create a strong community of connection. And just like any giving practice, our definition of abundance has changed over time, and there are times when abundance means several events each month and sizeable checks to community partners, and there are times when the amount on the check does not matter as much as our partnership and relationship with the community we have built. In this way, giving is a hospitality practice where we can use the money we earn or the money we raise to embark on new and exciting ways to invite people into our space.

And even though our worship does not look the same, we are still offering hospitality to all who walk through our doors. And in the fall, campus ministry will also look different, but we will find new and innovative ways to connect with college students. We can create zoom book groups and learn about monastics in our gardens surrounded by the soothing sounds of nature.

We were able to organize around Black Lives Matters and provide anti-racist resources to activists of all ages. Although our definition of abundance has shifted in these past few months, there are other ways that we can support and welcome people into our ministry. We are a space that welcomes all, from squirming children to adorable puppies, church nerds and those the church would rather shun, because we are a space of inclusion. We can do all this and continue to give what we have out of abundance and foster those connections that define our ministry.

Here at the Abbey, we believe that the world should be different, and we believe that we can make a difference with each latte, each student we meet, each event we host, each book we put in someone’s hands. And we know that the money we put into the Abbey helps make a difference, and because I believe in this work, that is why I give. May it be so. Amen.