."God loves a cheerful giver,” Paul tells us.

But sometimes givers—or potential givers—would just like to be left alone.

Stewardship—the wise use of all that has been entrusted to us;

Stewardship—the day in and day out decisions about how we will spend our money, how we will use our time, how we will best put our individual gifts and talents to good use;

Stewardship is heart work.

The heart, as we encounter it in scripture, has been described as “the innermost spring of individual life.” It is regarded as the source of all of our physical energy, our thinking, our feeling, and our will.

How do we become cheerful givers, those who give from the heart?

We welcome members of the University of Iowa Women's Chorale to our worship this morning. The Chorale, a select chorus of women, presents three to four concerts per year. They are conducted this year by Congregational UCC choir director and UI teaching assistant Kristin Ramseyer. They will be performing in a concert to be held at the Voxman Music Building's concert hall next Friday, October 25, at 7:30 p.m.

Scripture Lessons: Proverbs 15:11-17; II Corinthians 9:6-15

Sermon:           “The Cheerful Heart”

The Rev. William Lovin preaching

ANTHEM       “Gloria” from Mass No. 6                  Gyorgy Orban