Since Holy Currencies was published in 2013, many readers have embraced the Cycle of Blessings described in the book and began to practice and teach it to the people in their ministries. Do a Google search on “holy currencies” and you will find sermons, study guides, discussion groups, diagrams, articles, and videos about this dynamic model of sustainable and missional ministry. Here is the first part of a sermon given by the Rev. Heather Leslie Hammer of Lynnewood United Methodist Church, Pleasanton, CA on August 4, 2013 which demonstrated her adopting a holy currency mindset – seeing everything in terms of holy currency exchanges:
We are in the process of remodeling our kitchen. Some of you know what that is like. Last Tuesday we had to have everything out of the kitchen—canned goods, baking goods, pots, pans, glassware, dishes, vases, candles, cookbooks, and then there's what our family calls the miscellaneous drawer! Oh, my goodness! We have a corner cupboard that's hard to get to; you have to get down on your hands and knees and reach in to pull out the things that have worked their way into that far back corner over the 29 years we have lived in the house. And what surprises we found back there! Things we had completely forgotten we had. Wedding gifts, antique hand-me-downs from our parents, and things we honestly didn't remember ever having. In one of my more organized moments, I had made a list of all the things that were back in there. But I had long since forgotten all about the list, until I pulled it out this week. What good were those things doing, stored out of the way? Though at one point they were deemed to have been of value, now we had to admit that those "treasures" certainly were not ever being used. And if we hadn't missed those things in 29 years, would we ever even use them?
So off they went to the thrift store. Tri-Valley Haven has a new thrift store in Livermore on Railroad Avenue. It used to be run by Buenas Vidas Youth Ranch, which is no more. I hope Lynnewood will support this new thrift store perhaps by helping to refurbish it along with our Circuit. The building needs a lot of repair. I've been in this store many times. It is a gathering place of people looking for bargains and for food. Some one had donated a big box of bananas on Monday when I was there dropping off my box of "treasures." While I looked around, a man came in and took some of the free bananas, maybe 8. It made me glad to think that his family would be having bananas for dinner and for breakfast. While I was there I spotted a hand-made chalice. It made me wonder who had made it, and who had donated it; and then I thought, we could use another chalice here at church for communion. I bought it for $2. That $2 will be supper for a woman and her child at TriValley Haven, a shelter for families suffering from domestic violence. And then I thought about the people working at the thrift store. This place is giving women jobs. It's giving children inexpensive clothes to wear to school. It's giving families who move to this area pots and pans to set up a kitchen. Maybe someone will even put to use that yellow metal fondue pot I brought in.Thrift stores are places of recycling. Treasures aren't much good stored in corner cabinets. They are meant to be shared and used. In fact, a real treasure is one that converts into relationship and wellness and grace and truth.
Have you adopted a Holy Currencies mindset? How would you experience people, places, and things if you have? What changes will you make in the way you use your resources?
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Upcoming Opportunities to Study with The Sustainist and learn more about Holy Conferencing: April 21-25, 2015 July 20-25, 2015 August 6-11, 2015 November 1-5, 2015 |
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Reflection Questions for 3rd Sunday of Easter (Year B) Acts 3:12-19 Psalm 4 1 John 3:1-7 Luke 24:36b-48 |
Eric H. F. Law
Kaleidoscope Institute
For competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org
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