First

"On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up," 1 Corinthians 16:2.

(It's amazing that the Good Book moves from a most stirring vision of victory in Jesus (!) to something so common as instructions for collecting money toward famine relief. So. We belong to the kingdom of heaven, but we still live on this troubled earth. In it, but not of it, right? Anyway.) The tradition of contributing money weekly for churchly affairs arises from this very note. Yet, this instruction had to do with what we nowadays call a special contribution. The collection went to ease the burden for brothers and sisters in hardship, for benevolence - in civil government, we'd call it for welfare. In any event, as people gaining assured victory, we have each others' backs in these passing troubles. That's what we do as we await in hope until Messiah comes.

As we meet with a brother or sister today we attend to each other's good. And together we give thanks to Christ who shares the boundless riches of his heaven with us all.