Today while sitting in the midst of a typical plenary at our annual church conference came a moment that I will not soon forget.  The speaker at the podium was the guy in charge of health care benefits packages and he was saying, "Blahdiddy blah bloop blop blahber blah."  Well, I'm paraphrasing.

Then at some point I started to hear his actual words.  They came in snippets at first and then I started to paste them together.  "Surplus,"  "creative but totally legal accounting,"  "One million dollars."  Finally I realized that he was suggesting that out of a surplus of funds that we make a $1,000,000 donation to the pension funds of pasters serving in Africa for whom the economies have truly left them without the means to support themselves.

Then another voice came through the mic.  And this time I was listening from the first time that the idea to DOUBLE that gift was said.  The best part was the general nod of agreement across the whole crowd.

It was such a joy to vote on this business matter today.  Recognizing the abundance around us and giving to those who could really benefit from it.  I wish that more of our business meetings had this kind of giving at their center.  Not just the kind of giving that we're used to, but the kind of extravagent double-your-million-dollar-pledge giving that really points us toward the kind of extravagant love God provides.

Nice one DAC.  Thanks for that point of order!

Carl