Several years ago, Carondelet UCC received a financial gift from an unexpected source. The gift was sizeable; that mattered and it still does insofar as it goes for making that gift stand out in my mind. But the most amazing thing about that gift was the place from where it came. Upon her death, the giver shared some of her financial resources with the church and other community and educational service providers. She, as far as I can tell, had no real connection to Carondelet UCC herself in the span of her life, but the church had made such a difference in her father’s life when he was growing up and that she wished to support its ministry with her gift.

That gift gave me a whole new wrinkle in how I would think and talk about signs of grace. Out of nowhere, this gracious gift came. It was received as a blessing, which it was -- it made the elevator in the building possible. But it was more than that; it was an invitation to respond and to imagine how we might live graciously and creatively and with love after receiving such a loving gift.

That’s one example. But you know, those grace notes from the resources we are led to share are played all the time - every service where folks give faithfully to sustain ministry in our congregations and the community it builds; every time folks contribute to those who help neighbors make the ends meet or who are bending our society to be more just; every time we share from our resources to build up goodness in the world.

We never quite know the ripple effects of generosity and how the Spirit may use it for good, but may we simply trust that the Holy One will do “more than we can ask for or imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20)