Category: Uncategorized

Before the Covid 19 virus I rarely used hand sanitizer. I am not much of a germ-a-phobic, but months of spraying my hands after grocery shopping is creating a new habit for me. And, from what I’ve observed, I am not the only one. I can just imagine two years from now passing the peace in church and then afterwards watching everyone sanitizing their hands.   Sanitizing goes beyond cleaning; it means killing all the germs. It is interesting that another definition of sanitizing pertains to making something less offensive by eliminating anything that is unwholesome, objectionable, or incriminating. The combination…

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I think we all have either heard or used the idiom, “a new lease on life.” I heard it the other day when a person described surviving the Covid virus. People in twelve step programs regularly use the phrase with gratitude. Sometimes a new job or a financial windfall will feel like a new lease on life. I find the concept of a “lease on life” curious. You see, a lease is a contract whereby one party agrees to rent property owned by another. To calculate the lease payment, we need to know the value of the asset, the term…

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In carpentry the dovetail joint is the strongest methods of joining different pieces of wood together without using nails or screws. The interlocking “tails” require precise measuring and cutting. Done correctly, the dovetail joints are not only functional, they are beautiful. I like to use the image of the dovetail to explain the process of gift and estate planning. While gift and estate planning have many aspects in common, they are also different, and sometimes have competing interests. One major difference is that gifting often entails making an irrevocable transfer of an asset to a charity or family; either directly,…

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An often overlooked discussion in the estate and financial plan is charitable gift planning. It is true that there are many financial and tax benefits associated with charitable gifts, however, rarely are these benefits the motivating force in making a gift. In Scripture the word charity is synonymous with love. St. Paul tells us that if we would give all of our estate away but did this without love we are just making a loud noise. Today He would probably add doing it for the tax deduction. It is love that brings meaning to our giving and our lives. Whether…

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Imagine you are grocery shopping at Christmas time. As you approach the door to the store you hear the familiar bell ringing. Without a second thought you donate to the Salvation Army (A highly respected charity). Later that night, you and your spouse of 40 years engage in a conversation about your life together, and how you would like to live out you remaining years. This conversation leads to talking about how to give your estate to your children and grandchildren. Perhaps, this question is even more difficult if you do not have children. Unlike the gift to the Salvation…

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THE DISCERNMENT PROCESS: The Quadrilateral, based on the work by John Wesley, used in spiritual formation provides the basis and framework for discerning our philanthropy. This back to basics approach connects personal dreams and goals to social needs, both locally and globally. Using scripture, tradition, reason, and Christian experience in the philanthropic discernment process draws upon the best of our Wesleyan teaching. Discerned Giving leads to inspired high-impact solutions. As individuals and families we often question the role wealth has in our lives and how to discern how God is calling us act generously. By using Wesley’s Quadrilateral we can begin…

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Some will remember Loren Mead as the person who founded the Alban Institute, others may remember him as an author. A couple years after he wrote “The Financial Meltdown in the Mainline” in 1998, he was the keynote speaker at the Northeast Ecumenical Stewardship Council event in 2000. Twenty years ago, Loren Mead predicted with a prophet’s voice, both the decline of church membership and the accompanying financial problems associated with that decline. I remember well his comment that if you love a ministry or program you better get an endowment underneath it to support it while the church goes…

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There are many things you and I do voluntarily: taking a walk, listening to music, going to church, to name a few. There are some activities that are involuntary, but that I can control. I can hold my breath – but only for a short period of time. Actors can train themselves not to blink. Other things are reflexively involuntary. The sneeze comes to mind, mostly because it is ragweed season and I find stifling a sneeze impossible without pinching my nose. And sneezing is one activity that I cannot make myself do voluntarily. I suppose I could sniff pepper…

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The Covid virus has disrupted much of what and how we live. It has also provided space to examine things like my cravings. Somehow craving is a notch up from desiring. Often a word used in the field of addiction, craving suggests a driving force, not to be stopped until satiated. Chocolate lovers know what craving is, they have their own unique need; dark or milk chocolate, Hershey, or Lindt, with or without nuts. I’m partial to fried clams, and when the craving comes it’s time for a road trip. Cravings affect our physical, mental, and spiritual being. Some are…

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The Foundation and Joe Park of Horizons Stewardship are ministry partners that help serve local churches throughout New England. Never in the 20 years since I left my role as a bank CEO and followed a call into ministry, have I seen anything approaching the level of exhaustion, stress, anxiety, and depression among pastors and key staff. The isolation created by social distancing protocols has left our church members largely unaware of the trauma their staff is experiencing. Now, after investing heroic efforts to pivot from an in-person ministry focus, the honeymoon seems to be over and disillusionment is beginning…

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