Would John Calvin support #GivingTuesday?

The Presbyterian Mission Agency, in partnership with the Presbyterian Foundation, invites you to support Presbyterian Mission on Tuesday, November 29, 2016. One of my colleagues asked the Rev. Dr. Charles Wiley III, Coordinator of the Office of Theology and Worship at the Presbyterian Mission Agency, to weigh in on the upcoming day dedicated to charitable contributions:

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"Calvin doesn't seem to be a hashtag kind of guy. My guess is that he would be against hashtags as a matter of principle . . . On the other hand, Calvin was gripped by the vision of a God who is good to us, a goodness, a grace, that we reflect in all our lives. So, as important as right doctrine and faithful liturgy was to him, so was establishing a sewer system in Geneva so that the poor would not live in filth. As important as church discipline was to him, so was setting up a process to welcome refugees and find them shelter, sustenance, and work."

"The goal of #GivingTuesday is 'a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration' that takes place during the height of the commercialization of the Christmas season. Without a doubt, Calvin would have believed that overwhelming commercialization was not the way to celebrate the coming of the Savior. It seems entirely appropriate to harness the tools that we have to encourage ourselves and others to be generous for the good of all. Calvin would approve."

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This year, the Christmas Joy Offering and Presbyterian Giving Catalog will be featured alongside the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Public Witness and Advocacy, 1001 New Worshiping Communities, Mission Co-workers and Young Adult Volunteers on the Presbyterian Mission Exchange website.

To get involved:

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• Share the #GivingTuesday logo on your Facebook page
• Post an “#UnSelfie” – a photo of yourself, featuring causes you support or reasons you give
• Tweet using the hashtags #GivingTuesday and #GivePCUSA
• Encourage friends and colleagues to make a gift to promote #GivingTuesday
• Go to the Presbyterian Foundation’s #GivingTuesday website to make your gift on NOVEMBER 29. All gifts received on that day will count toward the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s #GivingTuesday goal.