Burying Or Multiplying Riches
Stories
LECTIONARY TALES FOR THE PULPIT
Series III, Cycle A
In Jesus' day, it was rabbinical law that if you had a sure treasure, you could bury it for safekeeping. If it was stolen, you would be excused of any liability the treasure may cause. But if you hid it, it was assumed that your treasure would not increase. If you took a risk and made it multiply, then you were the wiser one. Your talents could grow and your profit would increase.
In this parable, Jesus was assuring the people that God would prefer a return on his investment and would welcome risk takers!
Our church had a clever, if not original, idea for stewardship. The Stewardship Committee handed out envelopes with ten--dollar bills enclosed. They were to be used at a person's discretion and returned in about three months as an exercise of applying their talents. A dynamic sermon was given on the topic of being "God's money managers." It was exciting to hear that as God had invested in our lives, so we could invest our money for the good of the church.
The opportunity to participate was purely voluntary, but not many of the 350 envelopes were turned down. The church was investing 3,500 dollars. The members could return as much or as little of this investment as they wanted.
Periodic updates were given during the following three months to see how people were using "God's money" and what their returns were looking like. Enthusiasm was mounting as the time for the "Talent Return" was nearing. A special service was held in which people got up and shared exactly what they did and how they made their money grow (or how it failed to grow in a few cases). A total of 18,491 dollars was returned to the church.
A contest was held at the end of the service to see who was the most creative, the most frugal, the most rewarding monetarily, the one who tried the hardest, and a few other categories. The awards ceremony was about as much fun as the entire project!
Following are some of the winning ideas that members used to make their money grow:
1. The money was used to buy craft supplies and crafts were made and sold for a 320--dollar profit.
2. A beautiful harbor--front home was turned into a Bed & Breakfast for two weekends with the ten dollars used for breakfast ingredients for a 480--dollar profit (this couple won the "Most Rewarding" award).
3. The money was used to buy ingredients for a fancy meal and two tickets were sold at fifty dollars each for the chance to eat this meal. The member is a chef at an elegant restaurant. The profit was ninety dollars.
4. Ingredients were bought to make lefse, a potato--based flat dough that resembles a tortilla. Forty dozen lefse rounds were sold at two dollars per dozen for a seventy--dollar profit.
5. One young man bought a very broad, strong rake and raked leaves for a 315--dollar profit (he won the "Most Innovative" award!).
6. One woman snipped her houseplants and bought small pots (ten for one dollar) with her ten dollars. She sold 100 small plants at three dollars and fifty cents each for a profit of 340 dollars.
7. One teenager and her mother bought window--cleaning supplies and washed windows at five dollars per window for a profit of 310 dollars.
8. One young man bought nothing with his ten dollars but offered to walk dogs along the beach. He made a 300--dollar profit.
9. One woman, who loves to organize parties, organized a potluck. She bought paper goods and decorations and hand--wrote name cards. Forty--three people came to her potluck for an entry fee of five dollars each person. She made 205 dollars in profit.
10. One couple spent ten dollars on fancy signs and had a neighborhood garage sale. They brought in almost 5,000 dollars for the church and won the "Most Successful" award.
11. One family gave a concert. The father and son play guitar, the mother plays piano, one daughter plays flute, and the other daughter plays violin. They used their ten dollars for refreshments and charged three dollars per person. They raised 401--dollars profit.
12. One elderly lady crocheted an afghan, using her money for yarn. She sold raffle tickets for five dollars at a summer concert and netted 375 dollars.
13. One lady offered to babysit for three weekends. Her return was 85 dollars.
14. One group of teenage girls went around to church members' homes for four weeks and offered to put garbage cans back in their holders for one dollar per can. They raised 198 dollars.
15. The pastor didn't use his ten dollars. Instead, he offered not to give a sermon for the highest bid. His profit was 1,350 dollars!
In this parable, Jesus was assuring the people that God would prefer a return on his investment and would welcome risk takers!
Our church had a clever, if not original, idea for stewardship. The Stewardship Committee handed out envelopes with ten--dollar bills enclosed. They were to be used at a person's discretion and returned in about three months as an exercise of applying their talents. A dynamic sermon was given on the topic of being "God's money managers." It was exciting to hear that as God had invested in our lives, so we could invest our money for the good of the church.
The opportunity to participate was purely voluntary, but not many of the 350 envelopes were turned down. The church was investing 3,500 dollars. The members could return as much or as little of this investment as they wanted.
Periodic updates were given during the following three months to see how people were using "God's money" and what their returns were looking like. Enthusiasm was mounting as the time for the "Talent Return" was nearing. A special service was held in which people got up and shared exactly what they did and how they made their money grow (or how it failed to grow in a few cases). A total of 18,491 dollars was returned to the church.
A contest was held at the end of the service to see who was the most creative, the most frugal, the most rewarding monetarily, the one who tried the hardest, and a few other categories. The awards ceremony was about as much fun as the entire project!
Following are some of the winning ideas that members used to make their money grow:
1. The money was used to buy craft supplies and crafts were made and sold for a 320--dollar profit.
2. A beautiful harbor--front home was turned into a Bed & Breakfast for two weekends with the ten dollars used for breakfast ingredients for a 480--dollar profit (this couple won the "Most Rewarding" award).
3. The money was used to buy ingredients for a fancy meal and two tickets were sold at fifty dollars each for the chance to eat this meal. The member is a chef at an elegant restaurant. The profit was ninety dollars.
4. Ingredients were bought to make lefse, a potato--based flat dough that resembles a tortilla. Forty dozen lefse rounds were sold at two dollars per dozen for a seventy--dollar profit.
5. One young man bought a very broad, strong rake and raked leaves for a 315--dollar profit (he won the "Most Innovative" award!).
6. One woman snipped her houseplants and bought small pots (ten for one dollar) with her ten dollars. She sold 100 small plants at three dollars and fifty cents each for a profit of 340 dollars.
7. One teenager and her mother bought window--cleaning supplies and washed windows at five dollars per window for a profit of 310 dollars.
8. One young man bought nothing with his ten dollars but offered to walk dogs along the beach. He made a 300--dollar profit.
9. One woman, who loves to organize parties, organized a potluck. She bought paper goods and decorations and hand--wrote name cards. Forty--three people came to her potluck for an entry fee of five dollars each person. She made 205 dollars in profit.
10. One couple spent ten dollars on fancy signs and had a neighborhood garage sale. They brought in almost 5,000 dollars for the church and won the "Most Successful" award.
11. One family gave a concert. The father and son play guitar, the mother plays piano, one daughter plays flute, and the other daughter plays violin. They used their ten dollars for refreshments and charged three dollars per person. They raised 401--dollars profit.
12. One elderly lady crocheted an afghan, using her money for yarn. She sold raffle tickets for five dollars at a summer concert and netted 375 dollars.
13. One lady offered to babysit for three weekends. Her return was 85 dollars.
14. One group of teenage girls went around to church members' homes for four weeks and offered to put garbage cans back in their holders for one dollar per can. They raised 198 dollars.
15. The pastor didn't use his ten dollars. Instead, he offered not to give a sermon for the highest bid. His profit was 1,350 dollars!
