03-02-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 2, 2025
I took a walk last night, and even as the sun was going down, it was still warm. But what really caught my attention was the number of people who were grilling in their backyards. I couldn’t see them, but I could see the smoke rising and I could smell it. Maybe you’re not like me, but there are very few smells in my opinion that are as enjoyable as grilling. I don’t eat beef or pork, yet I’m guessing much of what I smelled was beet and pork. I still enjoyed it. In the Hebrew Scriptures, there are numerous passages that speak of a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to the nostrils of God. I like the imagery, and after my walk last night, I could relate to it. Yet in Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, he spoke of a very different offering given by the people of the faith community in Philippi. It was a monetary gift, one that represented an abundance. Paul went on to speak of it as a gift that gave off a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice that pleased God. He drew upon the ancient imagery, not only from the Jewish faith, but many religions in Paul’s day that had burnt offerings. Yet here Paul suggested that the smell of money, or probably more importantly, the aroma of generosity, was something that pleased God.

Whatever gifts I have, O Mighty and Holy God, I pray for the capacity to give in such a way that my generosity is something that is pleasing to you. May I follow the example of the Philippians who gave in abundance to the needs of others. Amen.