Our Commitment to Generosity in 2026

 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.

 A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

                                          Luke 6: 37-38 NRSVue 

1. We give Thee but Thine own,

Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.

I am relieved that we are now into 2026 so that the endless barrage of "this is your last opportunity" messages has ceased. At least ten worthy charitable organizations were bombarding me, almost to midnight, asking for financial support. Most of them we have supported over time but in the category of "no good deed goes unpunished" we were receiving relentless pleas, sometimes several in a day from the same organization. 

As frustrating as this became I appreciate the challenge of fund-raising in a difficult economic climate. The need is there in so many sectors of society yet there is a pervading atmosphere of scarcity which is hard to overcome. Of course, the cost of living has been rising quickly affecting everything from groceries to housing. At the same time, fewer Canadians make financial generosity part of their everyday lives and many corporations are stepping back from charitable contributions. 

A week before Christmas the Globe and Mail ran the headline: Canada has become a nation of charity grinches:

 ‘Tis the season for giving, but for Canadians that increasingly entails foregoing gifts to charities. The share of tax-filers in Canada who reported that they donated to charity sat at just 16.8 per cent in 2023, according to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada, down from nearly 22 per cent a decade earlier.

CBC Radio's The Current offered it's own exploration: Are Canadians becoming less generous? Fewer Canadians are donating and volunteering. The economy, the pandemic, age are all factors -- but longtime leaders in the charitable sector say we've also lost some shared values. 

I would suggest that one place we learn those shared values is in places of worship, including churches. On Sunday mornings we are encouraged to be generous, not only to sustain our faith community which is active in the local community,but in support of a variety of causes including refugee support and international aid. There is no coercion but the encouragement is important and it influences how we respond to those other causes which were hot on our trail until the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, 

When I was a child in days of yore we had a box of church envelopes on our dining room sideboard with compartments for local support, mission and service, and "other" with its write-in line. The Offering during the service when the plate was passed was considered an act of worship,our grateful response to a generous God. We sang our gratitude as well (see above), as we still do in worship now, although with more contemporary music. 

While this childhood experience was very"old school" it was an apprenticeship in consistent giving and it stays with us to this day, in no small part with the reinforcement of Sunday mornings. Much of our giving in online now, including congregational support, but the lessons were learned early on. 

This is a good time of the year to take stock of the ways we will be generous in "time, talent, and treasure" (also an phrase from the past) as a response to God's love in Christ.