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Practice Both ‘Giving Up’ and ‘Giving To’ during Lent
‘The Widow’s Mite’ by James Tissot, ca. 1886, The Brooklyn Museum
By the Rev. Christine Maddux, Deacon
Christ Anglican Church, Cashiers, NC
“What are you giving up for Lent?”
I have heard this question ever since I was a child. Back then, giving up candy (which we seldom had at home anyway) was much easier than giving up bickering with my siblings, with whom I lived in close quarters day and night.
Even people who do not observe Lent sometimes ask, “What are you giving up?”, because that particular practice seems to be the best-known aspect of Lent. And indeed, fasting from something enjoyable like candy (or something self-centered, like bickering) for 40 days is powerful, as we deny ourselves for the sake of drawing closer to God. But giving something up – fasting – is not the only way we do this during Lent.
Prayer, a powerful practice year-round, is traditionally intensified during Lent. It dovetails readily with fasting, as each occasion to rein in our personal desires prompts us to pray. As we pray for the strength to resist temptation and maintain our fast, we enter into Christ’s suffering in some small way, which strengthens our spiritual backbone.
But there is another Lenten practice which receives less attention: alms-giving.
Giving to the poor has been inherent in Christianity from the very outset, rooted in its Jewish heritage. Jesus, a faithful Jew, just assumed that his followers would give alms, telling them, “when (not if) you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do… But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:2-4, emphasis added).
Therefore, alms-giving was integral to the early Church. The Christians in Antioch gave generously to their brothers and sisters in Christ who were soon to suffer from the famine prophesied for Judea (Acts 11:27-30). The Church was also instructed to care for widows who had no family to support them (1 Timothy 5:16). As a deacon, I am reminded that distributing food to the needy widows was the initial impetus in establishing diaconal ministry (Acts 6:1-6). Perhaps that is why God brought the sometimes-neglected practice of alms-giving to my attention with rather convicting insistence this Lent.
But no one ever asks, “Whom are you giving to for Lent?”
Is that because we want to be secretive, to honor Jesus’ admonition to not let our right hand know what our left hand is doing regarding alms-giving?
Or, might it be that we are not truly focused on giving to the poor, especially as we lick our own financial wounds of late? Perhaps we need to reflect anew on alms-giving, and how it aligns with God’s heart.
God’s concern for the poor is clearly revealed in almost every book of the Bible. Early on, He instructed his people through the Mosaic law to leave the crops on the edges of the fields and the gleanings for the poor, and likewise the fallen grapes in the vineyards (Leviticus 19:9-10). And by Jesus’ own testimony, we can see that God is pleased when we give sacrificially, instead of just giving spare change (Mark 12:41-44).
This understanding is echoed in Paul’s remarks about the churches in Macedonia, whose “abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints” (2 Corinthians 8:2-4). Paul saw their joyful generosity as an act of grace and proof of their genuine love for God and others, and calls us to emulate them in both attitude and action (v. 5-7).
And this becomes easy when we ponder “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). This thought alone should move us to eager generosity, knowing that whenever we give “to one of the least of these,” we give to Him (Matthew 25:40).
When we see needy people through the loving eyes of Jesus, we will no longer view sacrificial alms-giving as a spiritual discipline or moral duty. We will see it as the joyful privilege of giving freely to Jesus, by sharing his grace, love, and provision with others in just a fraction of the way He has showered it upon us.
Read more from Deacon Christine Maddux in her Deacon’s Column for Christ Anglican Church, Cashiers, NC.
Almsgiving and the Persecuted Church
“Throughout the Church’s history, Christians have given alms as a Lenten discipline, following Christ’s command to love the lost and least.” – Archbishop Foley Beach, 2018
Anglican Church of the Redeemer in Chattanooga, TN is encouraging a two-fold focus during Lent for its parishioners: Daily home worship, and the Persecuted Church.
“We’ve made weekly guides with new songs, scriptures, and prayers to help orient us in harmony with our weekly lessons on Sundays,” says Rector Fr. Philip Hanner. The guides encourage individuals and families to establish regular worship practices throughout Lent – especially for families to gather at dinner or in the evening to pray and worship.
“This has been going really well,” he says. “We are delighted that so many of our folks are trying to be faithful in worship.”
Part of that home worship includes prayer and alms for the Persecuted Church around the world – the home worship guide stating, “We will be making an intentional effort to understand more specifically the various sources of Christian persecution and how to better understand the needs of our brothers and sisters who undergo tremendous hardships and even death simply because they are Christians.”
“Every week we are praying for a country where Christians are suffering under religious persecution — Myanmar, N. Korea, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Colombia – and every week we are fasting from one meal and saving our money and putting it in the ARDF mite box,” says Fr. Philip.
Mite boxes are simply almsgiving collection boxes that can be ordered from The Anglican Relief and Development Fund, to give your parish or family a visual and tangible goal with Lenten donations. It’s early in Lent, so you can still request them – expect to receive your boxes a week after ordering. ARDF says that past seasonal mite box collections “have strengthened communities by improving agriculture, healthcare, or access to water” through their sustainable model of working through local churches globally.
For a little more info on the ARDF Mite Box, the organization recently published this article on their blog: “What’s an ARDF Mite Box – Lenten Version!”
“At the end of Lent, we will collect our monies and give them to the Anglican Church in Myanmar,” says Fr. Philip. “We’ve been in contact with Canon Keith Allen, the Canon to Myanmar, and we’ll be presenting them with money to wire directly through ARDF to the Church. They’ve been hit pretty hard on a lot of fronts — COVID, government insurrection, etc.”
Redeemer Chattanooga has provided us with a PDF download of the scriptures on persecution they’re praying and meditating on during Lent, plus information on numerous other organizations that support persecuted Christians around the world, including the New Wineskin Missionary Network – which is the communication contact for the Anglican Persecuted Church Network.
Additional Almsgiving Resources
Within the Diocese
As a starting point, check out this video produced for the 2020 Synod, highlighting ministries from around the Diocese – including non-profit Route 78 Coffee Company whose proceeds help provide for the immediate needs of refugees in the Clarkston, GA area.
The Bishop’s Live Love Campaign
This fundraising effort helps Archbishop Foley give to needs around the Diocese concerning Church Planting, Benevolence (Homeless & Needy), Multi-Ethnic Ministry, and Student Ministry. Donate here.
Texas Disaster Relief – ARDF
In addition to raising funds for global aid projects, ARDF assists in domestic disaster relief by working through local churches on the ground. Your gift to the ARDF General Relief Fund goes to the most urgent needs.
Or, choose to support a global project that still needs funding! Donate here.
Lenten Activities for Families & Youth
Are you looking for Lenten devotionals and activities to engage the whole family? ADOTS Canon for Youth & Family Ministry, Jessica Greiner, shares a list of her favorite resources for this season.
Devotional and activity guides:
- Good Dirt by Lacy Finn Borgo & Ben Barczi. Good Dirt takes a cue from nature and the garden and combines kid-friendly seasonal activities and daily devotionals with readings from the Gospels. Children and adults participate together as they learn to “till, plant, water, and weed their souls,” while readings guide families through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Canon Jessica highly recommends this seasonal guide!
- Camels, Carols, Crosses and Crowns – Advent and Lent Activities for Children, by Shiela Kielly & Sheila Geraghty. This book explores the imagery, history, and traditions of the seasons of Advent and Lent, incorporating them into worship.
- Before and After Easter – Activities and Ideas from Lent to Pentecost, by Debbie Trafton O’Neal. Offering daily activities, this colorful book combines crafts, recipes, and “fascinating facts” for all of Lent, Easter Day, and each week of the Easter season.
Storybooks to enjoy during Lent and Easter:
- Journey to the Cross by Helen Haidle, ages 6-12.
- Benjamin’s Box by Melody Carlson, ages 4-7.
- Amon’s Adventure by Arnold Ytreeide, ages 8-12.
Mobilize Your Parish for Life in 2021
In January 2021, Anglicans For Life held its first online Summit conference, allowing Anglicans from around the country to receive AFL’s excellent training to care for the unborn, the elderly, and the vulnerable – and learn about supporting life in their own communities.
The ADOTS Life Issues Coordinator, Paulette Ivey, gives a summary about the Summit and how you can start mobilizing your church to become an advocate for life in your community!
“This year, due to Covid-19, Anglicans For Life, under the guidance of President Georgette Forney, produced the first Virtual Summit. The goal was to provide practical ideas, education, and inspiration for every person and church and to emphasize that God has a purpose for every life!
“It was exciting to realize that people all across America were able to participate as they viewed from home on their computers, or as they participated in watch party gatherings. The focus this year was on learning about abortion and euthanasia. January 16th featured keynote presentations, along with discussion times for people to share their ideas. January 23rd featured topical workshops that allowed us to dig deeper into specific life issues.
“A special Youth Program was provided also. It was awesome to realize that so many were able to be a part of the AFL Summit this year. In past years, we only had approximately 125 people attending from churches across the nation.
“If your church is interested in doing more for life issues, please consider starting your own AFL chapter. Go to anglicansforlife.org for resources on how to get started. They offer incredible resources.”
You can also email Paulette, or call her at (404) 992-3778, to start the discussion!
Paulette also recommends parish AFL chapters become part of their church’s budget.
This allows the chapter to support local organizations which promote life. One such financial gift from the Holy Cross Cathedral chapter allowed a local pregnancy center to invest in technology that allows new moms to see their ultrasounds right away on their smartphones. The pregnancy center is now able to text the 2D, 3D, and color ultrasound images directly to patients, giving a new mother the opportunity to continue viewing her ultrasound after she leaves the clinic. “This is especially important if she is undecided about her pregnancy. She can share with family and friends, as well.”
“As Anglicans For Life, we are called to educate church members about life issues and to put our convictions into action!” says Paulette. “We continue to pray and ask God to guide us in 2021!”
Last Updated: March 16, 2021 by adotsadmin
Live into the Legacy of Saint Patrick, ‘Apostle of Ireland’
Statue of St. Patrick at the footstep of Croagh Patrick, Co. Mayo, Ireland
By Fr. Wesley Brown
Associate Priest, St. Patrick’s Anglican, Murfreesboro, TN
What sticks out in your mind when you think of St. Patrick’s Day? I think of the color green, shamrocks, corned beef and cabbage, and for my inner child, Lucky Charms cereal. It turns out that for me, and for many of whom I’ve asked the same question, St. Patrick himself plays a very minor role in the celebrations that take place on his feast day. That being the case, let’s take a brief look at the life and mission of St. Patrick.
St. Patrick’s Call, in His Own Words
A few years after Patrick returned home, he was given a vision urging him to return to the people of Ireland. In his own words from his Confessio:
After returning to Ireland as a missionary we know that Patrick had a fruitful ministry, a ministry that is still bearing fruit to this very day. Many churches still in existence are attributed to his discipleship and church planting. There have been countless volumes written about St. Patrick, the man and the legend. His Confessio is available for free online and I encourage you to read and study his life and ministry.
Follow in the Footsteps of St. Patrick
This St. Patrick’s Day, I want to encourage you to shift your focus from parties and secular revelry and remember that the call that St. Patrick heard is alive and well today. Our world is in desperate need of salvation. In my lifetime I have never seen so many people searching for hope, meaning, and mercy. We are surrounded on every side by a ministry field that is ripe and ready for the harvest.
At St. Patrick’s we strive to answer that call by being a church that exists to invite, train, and send. Our world has had its fill of cultural Christianity. It’s time that we as believers hear the call to “come and walk among us.” Pray to God that you may grow in your faith. Desire to follow Jesus by forsaking the things of this world and devoting yourself wholly to Him. Listen for the Holy Spirit and be ready to move at His urging. Follow in the footsteps of St. Patrick and be a believer that grows disciples who grow disciples.
Statue image credit: Tom Szustek / CC BY-SA 4.0
Icon image credit: Father Ted on Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
St. Patrick’s Dream image credit: Andreas F. Borchert / CC BY-SA 3.0 DE
Related:
Remember Again Our Heroes and Saints, with Fr. Michael Fry