Peace and grace to the saints and sinners, the rich and poor, the faithful and the doubters of La Grange and beyond from Carly, called to be prophet, teacher, pastor, and vision caster with and among you.

Living away from the farm fields, it is easy to forget that Autumn is the time of harvest. In Ohio, I took many bike rides around the "country blocks" - the one mile by one mile squares that marked the homesteaded farms. Being in the shadow of the Campbell's plant, it was not unusual to see 20 huge trucks of vegetables pass me on a 10 mile ride. Along the sides of the road I would often see evidence of the very full trucks that had passed by: stray carrots, sweet potatoes, soy beans, green beans, tomatoes, cabbages, and occasionally watermelons. These would fall out of the hoppers behind the trucks. There was such an abundance that the drivers did not feel the need to cover the trucks or slow down for the bumps in the road. The mice and birds were the happy gleaners who benefited from the spill straying fruits.

The Bible tells us that when we harvest, we are to not harvest the edges of the fields and vineyards so that the aliens, widows, and orphans can glean the fields and be fed (Leviticus 23:22, Deuteronomy 24:21). Scripture also tells us to set aside the first portion of the harvest for our tithe to honor God (Deut 14:22ff) and to provide for the aliens, widows, orphans, and those with no allotments or inheritances; we are to keep the remaining 90% for ourselves.

Friends, in a non-agrarian community, our "harvest," the fruit of our labor, is our paycheck. Our bounty is evident in our grocery cart and on our restaurant tabs. How are you doing at following these Biblical instructions? Do you set aside the first portion of each paycheck to give to those who have less than you? Do you leave some of your groceries in the collection box for the food bank? Or are you more like the trucks that are flowing in abundance and leave only what happens to fall out along the way?

The truth is that even a U.S. household earning $34,000 a year (140% of the US Poverty threshold) is wealthier than 99% of the rest of the world. We may not feel rich, but in a world economy, most of us are in the top 1%! Sadly, since 1968, the charitable giving of households in the U.S. has dropped steadily and is now at an all time low: 2.2% of household income. This is far from what the Realm of God requires we share with others.

My challenge to each of you is this: Choose to set aside at least 5% of your monthly income to give to a local charity of your choice, and make do with the remaining 95%. Generosity by all is a requirement for making real the Realm of God in our midst. It forces us to think first of others. It draws our focus away from ourselves. It reflects the extravagant generosity and grace of God.

Unlike certain purveyors of the gospel of prosperity, I will not tell you that giving your money to God will cure all your woes. I will not tell you where to send your gifts and offerings. I will not promise that generosity will make you financially rich. I will promise you, however, that practicing generosity will bring you spiritual satisfaction.

In this season of abundant harvest, be generous with all you have.

Blessings,

Carly