Looking Back: An Explosion of Gratitude

From February 1965

The Rev JG Matheson, Secretary of the Stewardship and Budget Committee, said recently:

“The real source of Christian gratitude is God’s gift of salvation. To think of what we owe to God for the gift of eternal life, of communion with Himself, of a place in His family through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, creates an explosion of thankfulness which breaks through mean calculations as to how little we can get away with, and small considerations about the response our neighbour has made. Liberality is an explosion of gratitude to God, which despises mean measures.

Penitence

“A second motive is penitence. When I think of the colossal injustice that deprives millions of food, education, medicine and the Gospel, I am ashamed at how little it has concerned me. I am penitent for the share in it which I and my people have had, and I am anxious to do something to make reparation.

“For most men and women, a great motive is sympathy. The Good Samaritan was sorry for the man he found by the way. This is not particular to Christians, or to religious people, as indeed the parable was intended to show. But Christians are particularly susceptible to it. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

“Among the gifts we should pray for to God the Holy Spirit is the gift of open-handed giving, as God Himself gives.

“In the story of the widow’s mite Jesus has made the point for all time that it is not the amount that matters, but the motive; and also, that when the motive is right, there are no mean calculations about the amount.

“The grace of liberality must be taught, just as other graces. Prayer, for example, is a gift. Yet we need to be taught to recognise it and use it. Patience is a virtue, and we need to preach it. We have to give the same care to our teaching of liberality.

First Part

“The question is raised – How much should this planned and proportionate giving amount to?

“In answering that question we have certain considerations in mind.

(a)    We want God to come first in all our arrangements. So we set aside the first part to be offered to Him.

(b)   If it is to satisfy our own wish to make an offering to God, then it must be a real and sacrificial gift.

“In the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria all members are required to give one shilling in the pound as a minimum offering. Again we should hesitate to follow in requiring any amount. Yet we cannot but be moved to consider what Christian folk who are far less wealthy than we are in Scotland believe to be a minimum pledge.

“How and when should it be given?

By far the best way is as a habitual act of worship. The WFO is designed for this very purpose.

“Finally, it ought to be regularly reviewed. At least once a year members should be personally approached and given the opportunity to revise their offering”.

The Rev James Gunn Matheson would go on to be the Moderator of the 1975 General Assembly.

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