Giving is a vital part of our response and gratitude to God! Generosity connects our adoration for God with the life God has called us to live. We give from our whole selves to God’s service in response to God’s loving faithfulness to us. Giving is symbolic of the many other gifts we also return to God: time, possessions, talents, insights, and concern for others. The word offering implies something freely given and not out of obligation or guilt. We give out of thankfulness as an act of worship, because everything we have is a gift from God, and our giving is a way of tangibly acknowledging this. Our giving is an offering of our first fruits to God, to render to God a sacrifice of praise!