Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
“When we look to the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others.” Psalm 49:10
I had a little contagion downtime early on Thursday morning. My sermon for Sunday was recorded and in the hands of our very able technical team. I laid out the order for the service 10 days down the line, but my brain did not have the creative energy to write a sermon. I picked up my coffee and pulled out a pile of personal papers. In that pile was my “Last Will and Testament.” I had revisited it a few years ago, made revisions, got everything good and legal. But never quite had the opportunity to sign it in front of a notary. In other words, it was mostly worthless. The Will itself is not very complicated. Our assets are not spread out, we share ownership of our home with Quicken Loans. The Will is not very complicated. After my golf bets are settled and my columbarium spot is paid for, whatever is left will be split between my three daughters, Luther Seminary, and the Trinity Lutheran Church Endowment.
This season of loneliness and lock-down should give me the opportunity to find a notary and finalize my Will. Felicia and I believe that our final statement in this world should be consistent with the values that guided us in this life. In every season of our lives, from the early years when we often could not afford to get a car fixed, to the nearing golden years when we can, on occasion, afford a good bottle of wine, we have always given money to the church. Blessed to be a blessing! The amount of the gift is not as important as the recognition that the money does not really belong to us. My gift is only possible because God has gifted me. God gifted me first; my life is lived in response to that gift.
The final statement of our lives will be the reading of the Will. My hope is that this final statement will reflect our thankfulness to God and to the faith communities that nourished and formed us. Our hope is that this final statement will continue our life-quest of teaching our children and grandchildren that life is not all about the next toy or purchase. Life is not all about us, it is a gift to us. Blessed to be a blessing, we hope to make our final statement a final lesson in generosity. The odds are very good that my girls will not need our money anyway, they are doing fine on their own. What better place to put a final gift, than in the Trinity Lutheran Church Endowment, where 100% of the proceeds go to college scholarships, are given to local benevolences, or spread out in the far corners of our world to combat poverty.
If you are a notary, please contact me. I need one.
Blessed to be a Blessing!
Pastor Jim
To make a donation to Trinity, follow this link: https://trinitylutheranfreeland.org/give/
