StoneBridge Community Church

Monday, March 30
A Reflection on Charity from Michael Toney

Michael is a longtime member of StoneBridge. He currently serves on the Nominating Committee at StoneBridge Community Church.

Over 30 years ago, I started pondering Song of Solomon 8:7. My paraphrase of this verse goes like this:

Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot overflow it. If a man were to give all he had for love, it would be utterly despised.

What? Come again? I appreciate the beautiful poetry in the first half. But what about that second part? Then one day, its meaning came to me — at least what I think, in part, it means.

I am a widower. My house is full of things that my wife, Sheryl, and I accumulated during our happy adventures. Many of them are things I wanted her to have. Of course there’s things she wanted me to have, too. I wanted her to have them because they brought her joy. How much is that joy worth? Don’t you want to give more than you are able to someone you love? The fact is, I wanted to give Sheryl everything I could — more than I could!

I recited that verse to Sheryl when I proposed to her. Giving is good. Very, very good.
I could never give her enough. I think that’s what the second half of that verse means.
And still our Heavenly Father loves to give good gifts to His children. And He rejoices in His children’s joy.

Charity. The word itself is beautiful. What it represents, even more so!

Charitable giving. Don’t recoil at the idea.

“Better to give than to receive,” said Jesus. That, coming from someone who gave everything.
Our Heavenly Father loves to give. He gives all the time. Abundantly. God gives… life, hope, provision, purpose, peace, blessing, salvation, redemption.

God also loves a cheerful giver, (2 Cor. 9:7). I have learned that it’s fun to give! To see someone light up when you surprise them; when you give a good tip; to know our Heavenly Father is pleased with such things. There’s marvelous joy in giving. A charitable act becomes immutably cemented in history. It lasts. Its memory brings joyful warmth to the heart years later.

Thursday, March 26
Associate Pastor Jonathan Lusche

Charity
Read Luke 10:30-37

In a consumer economy where people have expendable income, we shouldn't be surprised at the deluge of advertising that strategically targets our human insecurity of not having the newest, best thing. Madison Avenue’s advertising industry magically causes us to feel like we need everything they’re selling. Well, not quite magically. In the United States alone, $443 billion (with a B!) was spent on advertising in 2025. As Americans, our psyches are molded from an early age to feel like we don’t have enough, (commonly known as a scarcity mind set), when in fact many of us do have enough. It’s hard to break the mold.

The Good Samaritan’s example of charitability teaches us how to break the mold. It’s hard not to imagine that perhaps the Samaritan, in the moment, took a quick inventory of what he did have - a donkey, time to spare, and financial blessings. Then, he leveraged his resources in such a way so that he could care for the need that was right in front of him.

You don't have infinite resources. You never will. So, if practicing charity is a virtue prolonged until “you have it all”, then charity will be a virtue never realized. Instead, take an inventory of your current resources - Is it time? Financial blessing? A unique set of skills? Material resources, like a home or car? We all have something.

Then, practice charity by applying what resources you have to the need that is near and dear to your heart.

Prayer:
Loving God, help me connect the dots between the resources You’ve blessed me with and a meaningful charity, near and dear to my heart. Amen.