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HIS FATHER’S DOLLAR

“If you try to be kind and good, you will be blessed with life and goodness and honor.”  Proverbs 21:21 (The Poverty and Justice Bible) My father-in-law believed it was important to tithe, that is to give a tenth of his income to the church, but that wasn’t all he gave.  He could not let a collection plate go by without putting something in it.  After retirement, with a more   [Read More …]

BUDGETING FOR PHILANTHROPY: A REASONABLE RESOLUTION

 “Let us give according to our incomes, lest God make our incomes match our gifts.” Rev. Peter Marshall, U.S. Senate Chaplain 1/4/47 – 1/26/49 Realism, I suspect, is the secret to actually making a New Year’s Resolution you’ll keep, especially if it deals with losing weight or giving away more money. If you find yourself wanting to be more generous, the likelihood is very high you can   [Read More …]

GENEROSITY TO ENHANCE LIFE – PART 2

“Nobody gets into heaven without a letter of reference from the poor.”             Reverend James Forbes Over 2,000 verses in the Bible wake us up to issues of poverty and justice.  How we respond to them is our option and our responsibility. December, the don’t-miss-this sale, buy-it-now time in this country, is actually   [Read More …]

GENEROSITY TO ENHANCE LIFE – FOR YOU AND THE RECIPIENTS

“When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear.” . . . “Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me.”    Matthew 25:35-36 and 25:40. There is no way any gift could   [Read More …]

Partners and Friends in Haiti

Because of the political turmoil in Haiti, Faith and Money Network had to cancel its summer Trip of Perspective this year. FMN travelers could have flown into Port-au-Prince, but navigating streets crammed with protestors and chaos could prevent them from getting around in the city, from meeting with the leaders there they planned to see, and even, potentially, from getting food and water. The   [Read More …]

In Memoriam, Bob Hadley

On August 29, Faith and Money Network lost one of its long-time board members and board secretary, and part-time, unpaid staff, Bob Hadley. We miss him. My introduction to Bob was on a Trip of Perspective to Haiti in the mid-1990s. This was one of many such pilgrimages he led to Haiti, to India, and later with me to Palestine/Israel. He also was a marvelous presenter to many FMN retreats and   [Read More …]

A THANKSGIVING LESSON FROM A GENEROUS MAN

“Nobody gets into heaven without a letter of reference from the poor.”  Reverend James Forbes We feel sure that a very big stack of letters of reference from the poor had already been received in heaven by the time Bob Hadley arrived there a few weeks ago.  Hadley, a long-time member of the Faith & Money Network’s Board of Directors illustrated what it means to be God’s   [Read More …]

HOW CAN WE EVER KNOW HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

“What does sufficiency mean for a planet that is nearing exhaustion?  Cultivating a sense of enough has become a biological and ecological imperative.” from What About Our Money? A Faith Response by Susan K. Taylor Ouch.  Sometimes the truth hurts. More often “ouch” is an appropriate comment when you’re faced with an undeniable truth you would rather ignore. In 1992 a book   [Read More …]

THE COMMITMENT CONNECTION

“I commit myself, regardless of the expenditures of time, energy, and money to becoming an informed, mature Christian.”* What does it take to be God’s hands and feet in the world today? Since the first nine members of the Church of the Saviour recited the pledge quoted above on October 19, 1947, that small congregation has had an impact beyond anything they could have imagined. The   [Read More …]