Posted on 12/22/2007 12:03:55 PM PST by xtinct
Chagrin Falls, Ohio -- The Rev. Hamilton Coe Throckmorton shivered with anticipation as he gazed at the loot - wads of $50 bills piled high beside boxes of crayons in a Sunday school classroom.
It was a balmy Friday evening in September. From several floors below faint melodies drifted up - the choir practicing for Sunday service.
Throckmorton was oblivious. For hours, perched awkwardly on child-sized wooden stools surrounded by biblical murals and children's drawings, the pastor and a handful of coconspirators concentrated on the count.
Forty-thousand dollars. Throckmorton smiled in satisfaction as he stashed the money in a safe.
That Sunday, the 52-year-old minister donned his creamy white robes, swept to the pulpit and delivered one of the most extraordinary sermons of his life.
First he read from the Gospel of Matthew.
"And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his ability."
Then he explained the parable of the talents, which tells of the rich master who entrusts three servants with a sum of money - "talents" - and instructs them to go forth and do good. The master lavishes praise on the two servants who double their money. But he casts into the wilderness the one so afraid to take a risk that he buries his share.
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This is a terrific story! What a lot of great ideas this congregation had. The money distributed by the pastor was just a catalyst, of course; I’m sure most adults in the congregation had $50 that they could have “invested” on their own, if they’d just thought about it.
Ping for later
Pastor must be a great guy :o)
I’m thinking the Spirit breathed on this pastor...
It’s a great story.
I don't like it at all. This pastor knows damn well that many people will "cough up" some money whether really made it or not, so as to not be embarrassed ("You unfaithful bad servant..."), and so this is just compelling them to give to the missions fund.
My favorite was the man who sold rides on his motorcycle :-). And it encourages businesslike thinking in the children, too.
The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter sometimes features stories about different ideas people have used to raise money for persecuted Christians.
Oh my! What a wonderful report. Taking God at His Word has transformational results!
I would really like to be able to hear the song that Ms. Nagy wrote for her dying father- “Before you Go”.
If anyone knows how to find the full words and/or music for her song, please let me know.
It is a great story. And Tax-chick, you can count on the fact that the people of Chagrin Falls have plenty of “disposable” $50.
Chagrin Falls is a high end community with a small town feel. If you were to look for one community in America that looks like a Currier and Ives print, Chagrin is it. Quite frankly, I am surprised that a church of that size, in this environment, would rise to the challenge.
What an appropriate object lesson from the Bible.
It looked to me as if some of the projects discussed in the article would have required an extra investment from the church members, in addition to the church’s contribution.
I told my husband about this last night, and he thought it was really cool. I suspect that he’ll think it over for a while (weeks?) and then offer a deal to our children or the Cub Scouts, to come up with a creative way to raise money for charity.
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