Building Project

A small black man, a bushman of South Africa’s San people named Xi, is walking across the trackless Kalahari Desert when out of the sky falls an object unknown to him but which is instantly recognizable to any Californian as a coke bottle. Thus opens the exquisite foreign film “The Gods Must Be Crazy.” When carried by Xi to his home and village the thing progressively becomes an object of curiosity and interest, then finally squabbling and contention as family and friends vie to possess this “gift from the gods.” Eventually the people, though backward technologically, are wise enough to recognize that it is the object which has brought quarrelling to an otherwise harmonious group of people. So Xi sets out on a humorous quest to return the object to its source.

In Genesis 13 Abram and his nephew Lot were living in the fertile Jordan Valley. They had both been blessed to the point that their livestock was overwhelming the ability of the land to support them. This caused conflict between the herdsmen of the two men: So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” (Gen 13:8-9) Luke 12 opens with Jesus surrounded by a crowd of thousands of people. In the crowd was a man who was at odds with his brother regarding an inheritance. Jesus was in the midst of a lengthy teaching regarding the necessity of trusting God to provide our needs when suddenly, as if to prove Jesus’ point the man bursts out “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Lk 12:13-15) These three stories have a common theme: an attachment to “things” (coke bottles, land, inheritance) brings unhappiness and strife. Relinquishing them brings harmony and happiness. Trusting in God as our Father allows believers to behave in ways that are incomprehensible to unbelievers. Abram could give Lot the pick of the land because he trusted God’s objective promise to bless him. Believers relax their stranglehold on possessions when we believe what Jesus told the multitude: “And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Lk 12:29-31, 33-34)

It is exciting to watch our congregation embrace this lesson. The building fund has received hundreds of gifts ranging from a few dollars to $50,000. For those who have given or otherwise participated in this project (or given to any other ministry of the church) your relationship to the church will never be the same. Why? Because you have placed your treasure here. Total giving for the period June 04 to May 05 is up over 32% over the previous one year period. This is just shy of a 1/2 million dollar increase over the previous year’s giving! The building ministry is flourishing in addition to all the other ongoing ministries that Calvary supports, including General Fund, Missions and Benevolence. Well done! Please pray for, and give to the building fund.