Setting Priorities: Put First Things First by Cheri Holdridge (with an assist by Kurt Young)

    Our blog is going to start a little differently this week.  Normally we don’t start with a description of something unique we did in worship, a little demonstration, but we’ll start it this way this week.

    A twelfth grade science teacher was trying to teach her graduating seniors a life lesson.  So she pulled out a large jar and seemed to fill it with large rocks.  Then she had her students try to put a large container of pebbles in.  They shook the container and worked them in slowly and sure enough the full container held another large container of pebbles.  Then she challenged them to add a large container of sand, and sure enough it fit in as well with some effort.  Finally, a large pitcher of water was added and slowly it fit as well.

    The students were amazed, but the teacher assured them that it was sound science and a life lesson.  She asked them what was the Lesson to be learned?  “You can always squeeze more into your life” was what one student said.   The teacher said  NO.

    The teacher’s response was you must always put the big, important things in first. Because then the other things will fit in around it. But if I put the same amount of sand and pebbles and water in first, I would never have been able to get those big rocks to fit in.

    If you have ever taken a time management course, this is what they will tell you. Block out on your calendar what it most important to you, and THEN stick with your calendar.

    If we were to each take out our calendars and show them, we would see what is important to us.  It show alot about each one of us. Most of us, a few times a day say: “I don’t have enough time.” “I wish I had an extra day in the week.” But here is the truth: we all have the same 525,600 minutes.

    We know it because of that great song from “Rent.” And if someone came along and said: I’ll give you a 7 day all expenses paid vacation to the place of your dreams, I imagine most of us would somehow be able to open up 7 days in our schedule just like that! We all have stuff that we want to do that we know would be good for us, it would bring us joy, but we just don’t have the discipline to carve out the time.

    That thing is the big rock that is left sitting out on the table. What is that thing for you? What is the thing that is important to you, but not urgent, so it just keeps getting put off until next week or next year? Taking a class? Giving some time in service for something that is your passion?

    I would like to write a book. One of the steps I need to take to work toward writing a book, is to write a blog. I was actually a writing major in college. I like to write. I would like to write about some of our experiences here at The Village so that people in other cities and in towns even smaller than Toledo could benefit from what we have learned. But I don’t have time. I am a busy pastor and mother of two children.

     I think God wants me to write. I have been given a gift. And so this year in order to live my dream and to live the calling that God has for me, I have to take this big rock and put it in my jar first. Somehow the laundry and the bill paying and cooking will get done. No one is going to starve at our house. The important work for The Village will get done too. I just have to set my priorities and put first things first. And, I have to trust God. I have to start each day with prayer, or the wheels will come off the whole thing. You can count on that!

    Now, in addition to our time, and feeling like we don’t have enough of that, a few of us, well most of us, say these words once or twice a day: “I don’t have enough money!”  If I had X amount of money I’d be happy.

    I have felt that one this week. I have some friends who are taking MY dream vacation this week. I am ENVIOUS of my friends, because they are taking the vacation that I have been dreaming for years of taking with Kurt. We wanted to take it for our 10th anniversary which is now long past. Now we are just hoping to take it after the kids get through college. I don’t like to feel envious of my friends. I just want to be happy for them. They don’t have kids at home. They are in a different life situation. I want to enjoy the photos of their trip on FB without being jealous.

    So, I was thinking this week, about money and budgets, because Kurt and I were discussing what we will give to The Village for the next year. This week we are going to send out Commitment Cards and invite those of us who attend here regularly to make our annual commitments of our time and our money to support The Village. And I realized that for the amount we give to The Village every year, we could easily take that dream vacation.

    But we would not dream of taking this year’s money away from our church in order to take that trip. The Village is our priority.  We have our big rocks just like you have yours. We have to pay our utilities and mortgage. We pay to send Jamie to private school because we live in a neighborhood that has a public school that has one of the lowest ratings the in the city. Those are all big rocks and so is our giving to The Village. All the other things just have to fit in around those.

    So we will take a vacation this summer, but we will visit friends for most of it. And if you come to our house, you will see that it still needs painting. I think I mentioned that last year in this message. It doesn’t look that bad. We listened to Kristen’s challenge to “step up” our giving to The Village last week. We believe in what this church is about and so we have decided to give an extra $40 a month over what we gave last year. It’s not a huge amount, but every little bit helps The Village live out our mission. And, as always, we will give FIRST to The Village.

    That takes me to today’s scripture.  Perhaps you were wondering when I might get to The Bible. First fruits.   We heard four short scriptures today. I could have chosen many more, because the Bible is full of these references to this idea of “first fruits.” Now, of course, the Bible was written during a time when many of the people were farmers who lived off the land. I don’t think we have a single farmer who attends The Village. But maybe some of you have a vegetable garden in your backyard in the summer. Or maybe you grew up with grandparents who had a farm. I don’t know much about farming. But I’m told this is how it goes. At harvest time, there is a day when the first crop is harvested.

    You have worked REALLY hard to get to this day. REALLY HARD! And especially if it’s something good to eat, it’s a great day to enjoy the first fruit of that harvest.  These are the best of the best of the food in harvest.

    Well, people who love God, that’s us, and that’s the people we heard about today, from the books of Deuteronomy, Exodus, and 2 Chronicles, take the first fruits to their place of worship, and give them as an offering to God. So they would take their first baskets of wheat, or corn, or figs or whatever and give them up. It’s like giving up the first tomatoes off the vine and trusting that there will be more. You know, like you hope there won’t be a big hail storm that will destroy the rest of the crop.  That’s pretty trusting.

    The reason they did this, is because they understood that they were connected to the land. They understood that they would not have the crops if it were not for God. You see, all of creation belongs to God. We are just tenants. We are just caretakers of God’s creation. Remember? God gave us this Earth to take care of. It does not belong to us. We may THINK that we hold deeds to property, but God created the whole thing. Our legal deeds really don’t mean anything. It all belongs to God and God just blesses us by letting us use it.

    So when we get something, like the miracle of crops coming right out of the ground, it seems like magic to me, we are so grateful, that we thank God by giving some of us right back to God. In practical terms, they took it to the temple so it could be used for God’s work.

    In the 21st century it works like this. Most of us earn money, in one way or another. Again, we have jobs, or we get some sort of financial benefit, because we are children of God. We are blessed. But the money does not belong to us. Everything we have is a gift from God. We can keep it all. God gives us free will. God does not come take it from us. Or as Christians, we can choose to give our first fruits to God, because this has been our way for thousands of years.

    Now that we have electronic banking systems, it’s even easier, just as I pay my mortgage and my car payment on the first day of the month when I know my paycheck is going to be deposited into my bank account, Kurt and I choose to transfer money to The Village Church every time we get paid. Because It is a priority to us. It’s actually more important to us than a new car having the premium cable package. It’s definitely more important than going shopping for new clothes or going out to eat. So we send money to The Village first. And we only go out to eat if there is money left over.

    Remember how I said we can look at our calendars and see where our values are? Well we can look at our checkbook registers and see where our values are too. Now I am not talking about this to make anyone feel guilty.

    I just saw a study on CNN this week.  We live in America. We live in a consumer society. Until recently, statistics showed that most Americans spent 10% more each year than we earned. That is why we all had so much credit card debt.  So, if you feel like you don’t have money to give, you are in good company. You are part of our unhealthy consumer driven culture in the U.S.

    Here is the good news: it does not have to be that way. I heard a study on CNN this week that said for the first time in years, Americans are SAVING money. We are no longer spending more than we are making. If you need help getting out of debt and learning how to live within a budget, there are tools out there to help you.

    Last year, the Village offered Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University course last year in order to help us learn how to get out of debt. We can offer that sort of help again. Kurt and I took the class and it helped us.  It’s hard.  We live in a culture where buying and spending are the norm.  Saving and giving are counter cultural.

    We want to be a church of generous givers. We are giving you an opportunity in this next week to consider making a Commitment of your time and your money to The Village for the next 12 months. We are not a church that wants you to give because you feel guilty or because you feel pressured to give.

    We want you to give only if you feel can feel good about it. This church has already been a blessing to many. We have come this far because of the generous gifts of people who have believed in what we are doing, and people who have freely given their time and money to make this church a reality for you.

    Those of you who are attending regularly will receive a Commitment Card in the mail early this week. I invite you to pray about it and to consider making a commitment of your first fruits to The Village church. Come to church next week either way, because we want you all to come enjoy lunch with us next week. If you feel ready to make a Commitment of your time and/or your money, bring the card with you and turn it in next week. If you don’t feel ready to commit, there is simply a place where you can say you want to pray for the Village, fill that out and put it in the basket.

    Now, again, we’re not a faith community where we are going to check your financial statements versus your giving.  We give our time, our talents, our money and our service because we believe in what the Village and the wider Methodist and UCC churches are doing.  We ask that you consider doing the same.

    If you’re not a part of a faith community like ours, consider joining one.  Together we can do much more than separately.  If you’re near where the Anthony Wayne Trail and Conant Street come together in Maumee, come join us some Sunday @ 10:30 AM.  We are following Jesus and we will change the world.