A Letter From Our Cathedral Rector: As the New Year Dawns, Let Us Be Generous and Giving

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

On the last Sunday of November, many of us breathed a sigh of relief that we had survived Thanksgiving. We also reflected on the joy of giving thanks and the joy of giving help to those who needed assistance to fittingly observe this holiday with a special meal. On that same day, we began the Advent season as a time of preparation for Christmas and a time to be particularly charitable to those who are in need. On that same November Sunday, I was struck by two articles on the editorial page of the Herald-Leader.

Now it is no longer November or December — it is no longer Advent and Christmas 2020 is history. The year 2021 is dawning with much-needed hope. And yet the message of these two articles remains with us as we enter the year 2021.

In the first article, Eddie Campbell, the president of the Kentucky Education Association, wrote that one in three Kentuckians have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. This is more than any other state in the nation. In this article, he advocated for an extension of the kind of financial support which has been offered by the CARES Act. It is one more reminder that just as the pandemic continues to be a dangerous plague, so too does the resultant economic devastation. Governmental assistance is necessary, but so too is generosity from the private sectors. The needs of our fellow citizens are greater than usual as 2021 begins.

The second article was written by Risa Richardson. She begins by telling the story of growing up in a large family where most of their clothes were hand-sewn by her mother or were from Goodwill. At age 5, she and other members of the children’s choir were to be featured in a church service. She was thrilled because she had a new beautiful lavender dress to wear. The night before the church service, the mother of one of her friends was very sick, so the other little girl stayed the night with Risa’s family. The next morning, in getting ready for Church, Risa needed to find something for her friend to wear. She found an outfit that she thought was nice enough. Her mother saw her choice and told Risa to let her friend wear the lavender dress and that she should wear what she had chosen for her friend. Even though little Risa was devastated, she later realized the lesson she has learned about sacrificial giving.

Giving is best when it hurts some. If we only give what we do not want or need, it can be like disposing or even dumping. Church leaders refer to the difference between giving of our extras and giving of our essence. The spirituality behind tithing is that we trust God to help us to live on 90 percent of our financial resources as we give 10 percent to God’s work. Risa suggests a twist of the Golden Rule, “Give unto others as you would like others to give to you.” She follows that statement with, “If it doesn’t cost you to give, it’s probably not generous enough.”

One of the themes of stewardship is the joy of giving. The joy is not only receiving gratitude, feeling good about ourselves, being part of a generous team, or having a vision of what will result from our giving. But there is also the spiritual joy of opening the door of our hearts to our God, Who will watch over us as we take the risk of going deeper than we ever have before.

Mr. Campbell reminds us that the needs throughout our state (and beyond) are great. Ms. Richardson encourages us to be intentionally generous as we give. Basic Christian theology maintains that if we give so generously that it is sacrificial, we share in the ministry of Jesus and we and others are brought closer to Jesus.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Paul Prabell, Rector

Fr. Paul Prabell, Rector