“Making a Difference”

Psalm 146: Micah 6:1-8

Do you remember the first time you gave money to a church offering? I have memories of the very first church offering I ever supported. At about the age of five, I received a quarter for doing basic house chores, and 5 cents of that allowance went into the offering basket in the Sunday School class—every week. I later found out that the money collected from the children in the Sunday school classes went toward supporting the teaching curriculum.

Then, in Junior High, I began giving an offering that was pretty self-serving. I put a quarter into a coffee can with a plastic lid and slot every Sunday so that I could get a doughnut before church. Then, after church, to keep the sugar rush going, I would put another quarter into an old Coke machine and suck down 12 ounces of sugar in water. Proceeds from doughnut and Coca-Cola sales benefited our youth group.

Those two offerings supported only a small portion of what those churches did in ministry. This morning’s offering helps the Big C church do a lot of good things in the world.

Around the world, millions of people lack access to sustainable food sources, clean water, sanitation, education, and opportunity. The work done in support of the causes supported by One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) — addressing disaster, hunger, poverty, climate change, and immigration/migration and refugees — serves individuals and communities in need. This work provides people with safety, sustenance, and hope. This Offering helps to improve the lives of people in these challenging situations. The Offering provides us a way to share God’s love with our neighbors in need. In fact, OGHS is the single largest way Presbyterians come together every year to work for a better world. And, in fact, not just Presbyterians, but other denominations, including  American Baptist Churches USA, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Church of the Brethren, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Reformed Church in America, and the United Church of Christ, all participate in this offering. It is one of the few multi-denominational offerings still around in the Christian church today. Let me provide a little history of why that is and where this offering originated.

Immediately following World War II, U.S. Protestant churches made appeals for relief and reconstruction in areas devastated by the war, primarily Europe and Asia. In 1949, the leaders of several denominations formed a committee to organize an appeal for support of the separate campaigns of their churches. A program called One Great Hour was broadcast on the radio on the evening of Saturday, March 26, 1949, and on major television networks and many independent stations. (Yes, TVs were around in 1949.) The cast included some of the foremost dramatic and musical talents of the time, such as Gregory Peck and Ida Lupino; President Harry Truman brought greetings. Just for fun, I looked up to see if either Mr. Peck or Ms. Lupino was Presbyterian. Alas, no. However, President Truman was associated with the Presbyterian Church in Missouri. The broadcast closed with a request that listeners attend their local church the following morning and make a sacrificial contribution. An exact count of receipts was not possible, but it was estimated that more than 75,000 churches participated.

The next year, the offering was repeated, using the name “One Great Hour of Sharing” for the first time. At times, One Great Hour of Sharing was coordinated with the Roman Catholic Bishops’ Fund Appeal for Overseas Aid and the Jewish Passover Appeal. Free time and space were donated to this joint appeal through the Advertising Council. From the beginning, this has been an ecumenical effort.

The sermon and service for today center around this offering. Liturgy and scriptures come from our denomination to focus on how this offering fulfills the message from God’s word.

So this morning, I will take us through the psalm and the well-known quote from the prophet, Micah. Then I will share just a few stories about how this offering does the work God calls us, as the big C church, to do in the world.

So, why was Psalm 146 chosen to help interpret this morning’s special offering? Let’s take a closer look to see why.

Psalm 146 is part of a group of psalms known as the “Hallelujah Psalms” because each psalm begins and ends with the word “hallelujah.”  If you have ever wondered what that word means, Theologian Joel LeMon has an answer. He writes, “ Grammatically speaking, this is a command, an imperative statement addressed to a community that we can translate 'All y’all must praise!” Who gets the praise? Yah, a shortened form of the divine name. Halleluyah means “Hey, everyone, praise Yahweh.”  So when we say, “Hallelujah,” we are saying Praise God, y’all!  

Why was this psalm chosen? In this particular psalm, God ascends the throne as sovereign of all the world. Here is a list of what God would do as a righteous sovereign of the earth, based on verses 7-9.

• Yahweh executes justice for the oppressed. 
• Yahweh gives food to the hungry.
• Yahweh sets the prisoners free.
• Yahweh opens the eyes of the blind.
• Yahweh lifts up those who are bowed down.
• Yahweh loves the righteous.
• Yahweh watches over the sojourner, the foreigner.
• Yahweh upholds the orphans and the widows.

One Great Hour of Sharing offering addresses many of those things done by God on the throne, which you will hear of in just a bit.

When we think of God acting as a just sovereign, we who follow that God through Jesus Christ are to follow in that sovereign's ways. We are called to be a faithful witness, working for God’s justice in the world. We are God’s royal subjects, if you will, called to help and serve those made in God’s image who are suffering.

Then we have a well-known passage in this congregation, Micah 6:8, which you will find on the wall in our office bathroom, hanging on a wall in Calvin Hall, and is our congregation’s mission statement, as seen on the fourth slide of this morning’s PowerPoint presentation and on top of each printed bulletin this morning. What does the prophet tell us that can connect to the OGHS offering?

The first 7 verses of chapter 8 read a bit like a court drama. All of nature is the jury- the mountains and foundations of the earth. God asks what case the people have against God. Why have they stopped following God’s ways? God says, “What have I done to you? Have I wearied you in some way? Answer me!” (v.3) Then God proceeds to remind them of all God has done for Israel- freed them from captivity in Egypt, provided 3 great leaders in Moses, Arron, and Miriam to lead them through the wilderness into the promised land, and helped them defeat their enemies twice on the field of battle.  

The people (perhaps in the courtroom seats) respond, “What then shall we do? Should we come before God and bow before God on high? Should we come before God and offer burnt offerings, of young calves, with thousands of rams, or 10,000 rivers of oil? Should we even sacrifice our firstborn children for all God has done?” God’s concern with the people is in their relationship with their Creator and their practice of faith out in the world. Sacrifice isn’t the answer. God has told them what is good- give of yourself on behalf of others, particularly those who are in need, by doing two things: Mishpat-  justice, and Chesed- translated as kindness. God requires us to show our faith by DOING. When we do acts of justice, when we perform kind deeds to others, we show our faith in God. But, Micah says, there is more to the picture. We are to walk humbly WITH God.  God’s call for action for those in need is coupled with our relationship with God. The relationship with God will strengthen our actions in the world. Or, as Episcopalian theologian, bishop, and author Michael Curry wrote, “Faith is about both a personal relationship with God and a social one that can motivate change for the greater good.”   

Much like in Mark’s gospel, where Jesus sums up the whole of scripture in calling us to love God, neighbor, and self, this passage is a summation of the Hebrew scriptures. 

The prophet Micah calls for a life that is focused on justice and mercy. It’s a call to action, urging us to live out our faith in a way that reflects God’s love, to put justice into practice. We can all respond to the prophet’s call through simple acts of kindness and by showing care and compassion to others. Small gestures like speaking up for someone who needs a voice, sharing a meal with someone who is hungry, or offering relief to those in crisis are all works of justice. Although they may start as small acts, they make a big difference and have a profound impact on the world around us. Such actions help create more supportive communities and can serve as a foundation for addressing broader justice issues that exist everywhere.

Because we believe that all people are created and loved by God, our faith compels us to work toward justice for all in the way of Christ Jesus.

Here are just a few ways OGHS does all the things listed in the psalm and in Micah’s calling for the people of God.

Disaster relief

Ukraine- YMCA Moldova is one of several OGHS recipients working to respond to needs caused by the Russia/Ukraine war. Projects include services for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova, such as mental health, employment service, and legal support for more than 9,000 beneficiaries, and establishing a safe and inclusive space for youth and refugees with a hub for personal development and a wide range of free services to support education, digital skills, mental health, and employability.

Addressing Hunger

A Maskoke community in Alabama, Ekvn-Yefolec, is now home to the only fluent-speaking Maskoke children on the planet, thanks to its language-immersion schooling program. They are a recipient of OGHS. They have successfully repatriated 5,584 acres of traditional Maskoke homelands, bringing their total stewarded land base to 6,824 acres, and have made significant progress in ecological restoration and regenerative food agriculture, including environmentally friendly animal grazing, tree planting, and the restoration of southeastern grasslands.

Addressing Poverty

Ohio-Taste of Peace “New Neighbors receives funding from OGHS. This ministry helps refugee women market their sweet and savory treats to farmers market patrons and other customers in the Columbus area. The mission is to work with, assist, and provide equitable opportunities and enfranchisement to the local refugee population in the Greater Columbus area by providing tools, resources, and support to create economic stability and to enable refugee women to become culinary entrepreneurs.

Addressing the Sojourner- Immigration

The work and ministry of PC(USA) supports offices, advocates, and partners through OGHS, which enable the church to provide direct support to those navigating the complexities of the immigration system, advocate for compassionate and just immigration laws and policies, and collaborate with partners who directly respond to these critical and complex issues in a range of communities and settings. Through these ongoing efforts, the PC(USA) seeks to embody Christ’s call to justice, compassion, and welcome for all who journey in search of safety and hope.

This offering does so much through our denomination and others. It makes a difference. This offering makes a significant impact as God acts as a sovereign in our world. It does a lot more than that nickel I gave in Sunday school or the sugar rush I paid for every Sunday as a teenager. Giving to OGHS is a tangible way of having our faith impact the world around us in big ways. I encourage you to give as you are able, to help bring about glimpses of the coming Kingdom. Alleluia! That is, “Praise God, y’all!” Amen.