Generosity

Since generosity echoes God's love, practicing it in our lives and congregations is essential. Our contributors explore the distinctive features of Christian generosity, its central role in discipleship, and why its practice is so difficult in a consumerist culture.

A generous spirit is often impeded by presumption or despair - which are believing we can control our happiness, or giving up on it. Either view, Doug Henry observes, can make us grasping of objects and resentful of others. Kelly Liebengood outlines the Pauline expectation of generosity that not only gives to those in need, but also makes room for them in our gatherings. Such subversive generosity is as countercultural today as it was then, Jason Coker notes: it "can critique global capitalism by envisioning a future where human dignity is more important than profit."

Allen Walworth and Richard Stearns offer prophetic calls for us to be generous with our resources. Patricia Snell Herzog examines our "comfortable guilt" with giving so much less than we want to give or our religious commitments require. She recommends that we foster a new culture of giving in our congregations, and for this Ruben Swint has a suggestion: that we learn to speak the language of generosity as well as the language of stewardship. Jonathan and Elizabeth Sands Wise provide a winsome portrait of a generous and hospitable lifestyle.

The study guides and lesson plans integrate Bible study, prayer, and worship to explore the role of generosity in our discipleship. The guides can be used in a series or individually. You may download and reproduce them for personal or group use.

Download the entire Generosity issue and the set of five Study Guides. Or, download individual pieces by clicking the titles below.

Articles

• "Generosity of Spirit," by Douglas V. Henry
• "Paul's Expectations of Generosity," by Kelly D. Liebengood
• "Subversive Generosity," by K. Jason Coker
• "Solving the Riddle of Comfortable Guilt," by Patricia Snell Herzog
• "How Congregations (and Their Members) Differ on Generosity," by Ruben Swint

Art

• "Imperial Gifts," by Heidi J. Hornik, on the San Vitale mosaics Emperor Justinian and His Attendants and Empress Theodora and Her Attendants
• "Stopping to Help," by Heidi J. Hornik, on Jacopo Bassano's The Good Samaritan

Hymns and Worship Service

• "All Who Thirst," by Anthony Carl and Kurt Kaiser
• Worship Service by Sharon Kirkpatrick Felton

Inspirational Pieces

• "In This Old House," by Jonathan and Elizabeth Sands Wise
• "Time to Tithe," by Richard Stearns
• "Unlikely Champions: A Widow's Might," by Allen Walworth

Book Reviews

• "Generosity in the Bible," by Jo-Ann A. Brant
• • Craig L. Blomberg, Christians in an Age of Wealth: A Biblical Theology of Stewardship
  • Timothy Keller, Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just
  • Bruce W. Longenecker, Remember the Poor: Paul, Poverty, and the Greco-Roman World
  • Mark Allan Powell, Giving to God: The Bible's Good News about Living a Generous Life
• "Toward a Theology of Generosity," by Arthur M. Sutherland
• • Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson, The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose
  • Mark Scandrette, Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most
  • Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace

Study Guides and Lesson Plans (Download the set of five Study Guides)

• "Generosity of Spirit"
• "Paul's Expectations for Generosity"
• "Subversive Generosity"
• "Solving the Riddle of Comfortable Guilt"
• "How Congregations Differ on Generosity"