The Wired Word for 06082025 - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

The Wired Word for 06/08/2025 ![rw-book-cover](https://www.thewiredword.com/touch-icon-iphone-retina.png) ## Metadata - Author: [[The Wired Word]] - Full Title: The Wired Word for 06/08/2025 - Category: #articles - Summary: Since this is graduation season, students are thinking about the teachers and professors who have been important to them. - URL: mailto:reader-forwarded-email/b815a5c6c912e577dc141604822ae5a8 Dear Class Members, Since this is graduation season, students are thinking about the teachers and professors who have been important to them. After coming across the surprising story of a professor who left most of her life savings to her favorite students, we decided to focus on gratitude, generosity and leaving a legacy for this installment of *The Wired Word*. ![](https://www.thewiredword.com/_img/tww_logo_email.jpg) **Professor Leaves Her Life Savings to Favorite Students*****The Wired Word*** **for the Week of June 8, 2025** **In the News** Cris Hassold was a professor at New College in Florida for more than 50 years, and she influenced generations of students. But after her death, she had an unexpected impact on her 31 favorite students. According to *People* magazine, she left them the majority of her life savings, valued at about $2.8 million. The inheritance amounts ranged from approximately $26,000 to $560,000. One student was Dr. Nicole Archer, who lives in a cramped apartment in Manhattan and teaches at Montclair State University in New Jersey. "She knew that a beloved college professor had bequeathed her something in her will," reports *The New York Times*. "She was expecting a modest gift -- enough money for a fancy dinner, perhaps, or one of the beaded bracelets the professor liked to make by hand." But when she saw the amount of her inheritance, $100,000, she thought "there must be a misplaced decimal point." About 30 other people across the country received similar notifications, fulfilling the terms of the will of a college professor. Over the course of a half-century of teaching art history at New College, Professor Cris Hassold had made a complicated impression on her students. On the one hand, she was known to humiliate students in class and hire them to clean her home, which was a disturbing hoarder's den. But on the other hand, she referred to her students as her children and had a positive impact on many of them. Her 31 favorite students were part of the so-called "cult of Cris," and they inherited her passion, her commitment, and finally her life savings. New College, a small public honors college in Sarasota, was long known for attracting gifted students. Courses were demanding, and Professor Hassold often assigned 150 pages of weekly reading from the works of writers and critics. Former student Andrea Bailey, who is now the director of a nonprofit arts organization, received a scathing review of her take on a van Gogh painting. "Her conclusion that the woman in 'The Straw Hat' is an aristocrat is simply wrong," Hassold wrote in Bailey's academic file. "I do not understand how she could have read about the works and gotten it so muddled." But the students who were not intimidated by Hassold often became part of her inner circle. The professor and her students enjoyed long, informal dinners that strengthened their bonds with one another. Hassold would dig into her students' aspirations, asking them questions such as, "What do you want to do and how do you get there? Who do you like to read? Where do they teach? They teach abroad? How do you save up the money to go?" Former student Archer recalls that these were "fun spaces where you could imagine a life for yourself without restrictions." Another student, Ryan White, was asked by Hassold to mow her front lawn and tidy up her home. The house was filled with cans of food, office supplies and art history books. A guest bathroom was stuffed with boxes of papers. White, who now runs a New York-based knife sharpening company, says that it was a "nightmare." Archer says that Hassold "wasn't very good at letting things, or people, go. ... she had a collection of students in the same way that she had endless collections of books." Hassold retired in 2016 at the age of 85, and in her final years she told some of her former students that she planned to leave them something when she died. "She didn't have a family, but we were her family," White says. "She adopted us, and we adopted her." In April 2020, Hassold had a stroke at a grocery store and collapsed. Three months later, she died. In August 2021, 31 of Hassold's former students received a package of legal documents that revealed her intentions. All were surprised by the generosity of the gifts. They used their inheritance in a variety of ways: for a down payment on a house, to travel or to cover their bills. White, who received around $26,000, believes that Hassold lived frugally because she had her students in mind. "She wanted to give as much away as she could," he concludes. For Archer, the $100,000 gift from Hassold changed her life. "I literally opened my first savings account with it," she says in a story on the Montclair University website. Still, Archer adds, "The true inheritance isn't about money -- it was about the way Cris [Hassold] taught me to look at the world. The real gift was the way she encouraged me to think deeply, challenge assumptions, and approach art and history with openness and curiosity. It's something I try to pass on to my students here at Montclair." One of Archer's most treasured possessions is a photograph of her professor from graduation. Now, when she looks at it, she sees "the beginning of everything -- grad school, teaching, publishing, mentoring. Every time I help a student take that next step, it feels like I'm honoring Cris's legacy." More on this story can be found at these links: [A Professor's Final Gift to Her Students: Her Life Savings.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPp5LOZlu2s2cMKq4YaaO1YFJJbFp5dx5Vega5GUPIFYIyW27j9VaLNW3uTavcDi8dbwJSg47PlKlS1LKSdEftI-2BLzqZehE2RzxOqVvOHubB-2BLgr3FHIhcaRaA1Wge6uiKnUfcK4-2FbepeWtReUSyY7e5DBICARaEstVvi7hcef0Xh9QqJN9ZuBey7xxpj-2Frp8e-2FSPuORh8nNWxHODVldIYlU6qvYXYl4tO6FOvG8u6rpb23nijFwjCouAiabWqEc35YerSQ0YZQyG1rfyGWuvB3vV3elEo3itQtnNxmvzNZheA-3D-3Dzhqi_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg4ZcFxpc2r0mbczTwamWdi-2B6mPNmaSB-2BrJiHa0Cde6N0sWbhf5vUmB0w6NjVGGz9-2BVyFGUhZI296tFyDbuCJYmH7OgPCMczRAQfHNVQ9UNa0qCATPllddcTahgnkdbwzK1v9peOZ8iaLswCgLWvxnfK4kejGPrDLmtbd-2FqWLFjsJ4FBU1wGWQ2S0bNYwAaPy1RUUxWyFVldk99jWNTqSYGM-3D) [*The New York Times*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPp5LOZlu2s2cMKq4YaaO1YFJJbFp5dx5Vega5GUPIFYIyW27j9VaLNW3uTavcDi8dbwJSg47PlKlS1LKSdEftI-2BLzqZehE2RzxOqVvOHubB-2BLgr3FHIhcaRaA1Wge6uiKnUfcK4-2FbepeWtReUSyY7e5DBICARaEstVvi7hcef0Xh9QqJN9ZuBey7xxpj-2Frp8e-2FSPuORh8nNWxHODVldIYlU6qvYXYl4tO6FOvG8u6rpb23nijFwjCouAiabWqEc35YerSQ0YZQyG1rfyGWuvB3vV3elEo3itQtnNxmvzNZheA-3D-3Dyciu_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg0r95NEKx8GNIYNpoq8rMYFe-2FevGtg-2FCMKyvB35m-2FDNtSecDE0IhukNkBV-2F-2FATXcplc4hDsXNPe1igdQlOMystlGj7BBB7WGmr672bRsXpB0Y2QzTCWV5miUMCFEQ-2FgPyLJd8G1fLcTjwoPaDHvhMrcd-2BovmMhbIQcbacAjkg7YflTg9d8lptAGCcDbjakrEcIlLd8jsG0poyqoliLGEgTg-3D) [A Beloved College Professor Died. Then She Stunned Her Former Students by Leaving Them Most of Her $2.8 Million Estate.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPD-2BhCraoQMfrG9z5ZNAi-2FkcXen95zW9cBGZEoBb3Kusek-2BpLqE901m-2FA7K8IHRp9LkFpTKYeKHbinAk3sb9YLgbZmG9Tig77JC4XpSQl1jWLlA0goRBnqAh1DV04nIgQYA-3D-3DTXWI_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg-2BbcoL3JLBFF0Fm-2BpzpMYUSKXl7QAfI4-2F4tAttOTCjSWLv8Ge36Eb95CbadlERrVeqNNKQPYETfs3lrin0IwHWLFZUS8zL-2BEosJGKMXVQTysFS43Rc4fNyc7rb9n-2FS7EGMzKiIdXV-2B4QVk2Z3myYEfYCMZkd-2FRnOyMi5zcjLgKC1AD7WdvaP5zLw4DVNoKvKdNBWMFYy03WTfbmm9aR9OCs-3D) [People](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPD-2BhCraoQMfrG9z5ZNAi-2FkcXen95zW9cBGZEoBb3Kusek-2BpLqE901m-2FA7K8IHRp9LkFpTKYeKHbinAk3sb9YLgbZmG9Tig77JC4XpSQl1jWLlA0goRBnqAh1DV04nIgQYA-3D-3Df7MQ_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbgyY1bNcatiVdYN7-2Fo6xHMa5psduP4MEpKpSRZJWhkhhZXIPrlP2GakymTs8eHnQhUq1tGYAf4jy9pYPovmN5-2FsCWQU4VjlR-2FwaXtcHTT42Kf-2BDf-2BLoa50IcAFiegWn3bJT8yZYCrEL5KtD27NkWLfiSCQYknu0TiCGir8DitloC-2B1uhniSZsc7Ao6tI6U3GAtYKLltoJgfkK9seCJTsw1Yc-3D) [Montclair Professor Among 31 Students Who Received Mentor’s Final Gift: Her Life Savings -- College Of The Arts.](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPE8QuWEQtJG-2B25EYwd3Zr7mU5WAqbAN7GRv90Y6xzrqItpOJuwJfjKBdZkPX3Q5b4QSG76wQR2lkr7CVW3kKaVhLiANhKHbct2YD7-2Fzb6OljqOexY8-2Bl59UKQPpANZOehtEzXpH6Nlah9FV9vuaCheduufjXmA-2Bj7CAPJN4-2F95QSvl18_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg6J-2BpdOlnpMBHI53EpadbU64BcB9mq7kPF8pMpd3i7utHUZzz5wue2asgjqXQ4YQTCxVv6-2BPgVleEPvAlJDw3feF7fSOP4Fpd51QAnxLJiX15GwqFg3K86qSw8SnUVl0qsjsMH7ym8QFRXoWjj7g39I5Xjv-2BBLNS0dbQRlN-2FJdwBo3tsMuatFDZ6FTeAg6W5IzXND3No7T7gek-2F-2FHR38nFM-3D) [*Montclair State University*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPE8QuWEQtJG-2B25EYwd3Zr7mU5WAqbAN7GRv90Y6xzrqItpOJuwJfjKBdZkPX3Q5b4QSG76wQR2lkr7CVW3kKaVhLiANhKHbct2YD7-2Fzb6OljqOexY8-2Bl59UKQPpANZOehtEzXpH6Nlah9FV9vuaCheduufjXmA-2Bj7CAPJN4-2F95QSChSp_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg0SEYmdrjX54RSvhirxLOyqnYDkyonLJan6SQQMFzijY1KINKk0MuxkfhVb8C9fJsYp5e98WPO3zsO5OfnQjfzTgtdnN-2FLKU49IT-2F9bFs-2BDVJ26GyGsPe57o-2Bl2L60HMVkVKG2B6PUls3AIV0FYfMnvZUHaFrfRnqQSM8Lcn-2FsPuo0xc35QzOaCSaZzaV66hFF-2BzajxBBl4cdk5MK6oIP2M-3D) **Applying the News Story** This story creates an opportunity to share your gratitude for the teachers or professors who have shaped your life. Describe a generous gift that you have received -- monetary or otherwise. Reflect on the legacy of people who have been good to you, and how you will pass those gifts to others. Connect such generosity to God, the giver of every good and perfect gift. **The Big Questions** 1. Who are the teachers or professors who have had a positive effect on you? Describe their impact. 2. When have you received a particularly generous gift? How did it make you feel? What did it make you want to do? 3. Grace is sometimes described as the gift of God's unmerited favor. When have you felt God's grace? How is grace proclaimed and taught in your church community? 4. The word "legacy" can mean an amount of money left to someone in a will, or the long-lasting impact of actions, events or people. Sometimes it means both. What kind of legacy is important to you? How do you want to be remembered? 5. Good mentors can be found in schools, colleges and congregations. Who are your mentors today? How can you be a mentor to a child or youth in your church? **Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope**Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: **1 Kings 17:13-16***Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth." She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.* (For context, read [1 Kings 17:8-16](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxfg8cQo5t8kKCb0xyK-2Be5CoKUf0fffNJKFnzv2bNgCzT1DX3XvvgDuS7n3hdAoATcp5eI_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg4rWjTMc9anaG0vKd3Hr3ZyogiRuzt4fxELIfv9YS84c32sX0tOXoAtRvbasIbhd-2FsrkSytC-2Bx54PWeVrz6eqqgswRfUzZg6umzXJKePReSK2tR7eAhaq4Afp57CUJqJM4s6eBvPaK1WTf4dAlFzUEn4MhP7vpCq54UqKYN8maxnCzWsUF09jPJ4bhqRn5O0XfTdWjnLrWgTMyI7Qoi9Jac-3D).) The story of Elijah and the widow appears right after the prophet has been told by God to leave the land of Israel. Since Elijah is locked in a power struggle with Israel's King Ahab, one that is over the nature of God himself, the Lord says to Elijah, "Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there, for I have commanded a widow there to feed you” (v. 9). Elijah does what God says, and as he comes to the gate of the town, he sees a most pathetic sight: a poor widow, gathering sticks. Any sympathy he might be feeling is overwhelmed by his own thirst and hunger, aggravated by the length of his journey and the drought that is now gripping the whole land. "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink," he calls to her. And then he adds, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand" (vv. 10-11). The widow is at the end of her rope, and her response to Elijah is as depressing as a funeral dirge. But Elijah will hear none of this gloomy talk. "Do not be afraid," he counsels her; "go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son." Elijah shares with her the promise of God: "The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth." She goes and does what Elijah says -- a remarkable act of faith for a woman so down in the dumps, so depressed, so close to death. And sure enough, she and her household are able to eat for many days. The jar of meal is not emptied, and the jug of oil does not fail, according to the word of the Lord, spoken by Elijah. > **Questions:** What impresses you about the generosity of the poor widow? When have you seen impoverished people sharing what they have, and what do you think motivates them? Where do you see a connection between faith and giving? **Psalm 112:5***It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.* (For context, read [Psalm 112:1-10](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxOn8-2BvBaRasM2A7q4fYNgnpK-2BV9DUs99EeP-2BHUJhR1Th27j4AK2oVPg5-2FuMwh0sa-2BBSa-_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg4AsaREwXhvKROXNOS63olq3-2BWr9mdWeNKKoNgCe1e0irLRA9quMJLbIWd6cSWyzRwRjT9G3Ghd2f-2FDQVz4CbMXccZw1Uc1XGQpWRH3k7gaupKmrwjnkr2lgHgDpZ1k-2Fp7yleQd1P6trdnvfYHbf5vqsaKW9O3RGMp4qcHg8WFXwKHsoQJQ19GvsjkL0X19B58Pn4HqzOOSehuqJ-2F6oK2Us-3D).) Among the songs of Israel found in the book of Psalms is this song that praises God for righteous people, defined as "those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments" (v. 1). Since it was a common ancient belief that righteousness led to prosperity, the psalm writer says, "Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever" (v. 3). But the righteous are not praised for hoarding their wealth; instead, the writer says, "It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice." The psalm makes clear that the righteous are generous and always treat people fairly. While Jesus would later question the connection between wealth and righteousness in parables such as the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), he consistently praised those who showed generosity. He would have endorsed the words of Psalm 112:9, "They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever." > **Questions:** What is the connection between righteousness, generosity and justice? How is giving to the poor an expression of your faith? Where is your church involved in such work? **2 Corinthians 8:9***For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.* (For context, read [2 Corinthians 8:1-14](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzx5N3asDrM8aLtAZM6HVDt1fJhCb-2BtKAx-2BK-2FJYgT2zvsNVl3OSCF-2FzKewLYLjW2qtPZXqR_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg8AlxTaNUn8Ia70DynjquE-2FLvm4FwB-2BTL-2FMMa8l-2FJnnI-2B6XjtRPHnGFkw7Y71PvkOaE-2FO6JuzQd8PMGs2VgNNjC1znk2JSf8wndVCx9VF8XOBACGCrY29QUlQqASOBsCN9GEkpbzfE8KuWhz5DAvxlFsmejVjo9RKjUISuFmKYG32O-2BgXDMcs45yACarP9RmGhqLxosDq-2BwatGfKQkcQljU-3D).) In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul challenges the church in Corinth to "excel in everything" -- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in utmost eagerness (v. 7). But in particular, he wants them to excel in what he describes as a "generous undertaking" (v. 6): a collection for the followers of Christ in Jerusalem. The city of Corinth is a booming economic center, prosperous and highly competitive, and the church contains a cross section of the city's economy, with laborers and slaves sitting side by side with people of leisure, wealth and social influence. Paul makes an appeal to this community, asking them to contribute to a collection for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem (Romans 15:26). He believes that need and abundance should always be kept in equilibrium within the larger Christian community, and that those who have wealth are obligated to assist those who are in need. The inspiration for this is "the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich." Paul wants to make sure that there are always resources and support available for members of the Christian community. "I do not mean that there should be relief for others and hardship for you," says Paul, "but it is a question of equality between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may also supply your need, in order that there may be equality" (vv. 13-14). > **Questions:** What motivates you to give generously to Christian causes? How is your gratitude for "the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ" a factor in your giving? Where do you see Christians striking a faithful and healthy balance between abundance and need? When have you felt depleted by giving, if at all, and when has it enriched you? **James 1:17***Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.* (For context, read [James 1:16-18](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxNIqZG-2B-2B-2BvBBz5qy3Z-2Fu623pSJwkcCGcHkrnq8djsjSdpopkrB9GkMgrtom1AqESrKbhy_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg33DO-2FErhYIOcN7IACsppXL7W314TGNvH-2FxAY9-2FaQ9UH31J2qL6o7OfAC2F62mR22vnAyNmIguK430JQ5LpBiTgnSXcx2P-2FFxkZdcgsxqOapgbxSMbfrF2etULNYeFo46amftOBZG8b93-2Bon8l3sy6MVbq7RL-2BLNGkEde2O3E7-2FblymxG-2Bc4uR5sg38mh7JAlFL5AcghRT07Vy-2FRj-2B57l7M-3D).) Like the letter to the Hebrews, the letter of James was written to followers of Christ who had grown up Jewish, and the focus of James was the proper relationship between faith and action. "Be doers of the word and not merely hearers," James says to a group of Christians outside of Palestine (1:22). "Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (2:17). In his first chapter, James advises people to put their faith in God instead of money, "because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field" (v. 10). Christian faith will be rewarded, because every "generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." James makes connections between faith, the gifts of God and our ability to act with generosity > **Questions:** What kind of a legacy do you want to leave your family and your church community? How is your generosity a response to God's generosity? Where do you express your faith in works that benefit others? **For Further Discussion** 1. [In the novel](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPGRAfabCXRFNA5kzk67Eh1qb1ekNFS9KjCyEjKAoQEW4S4MytAvBg0uLzKKxKHbEdjTSpTas55YO1qc-2BQ-2FW4JZnT71twLoofWpugIax6xl60cuG8_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg-2F89hGANrBX3rSwMalA3brgPjJN0pZiZu1CxQ5NnKScSUfJH30ecaj9wwSZk8axf44ALqOWMKBOVWi9-2FvZr2PUE6I-2FPYXu1pc7n9J8p5LH40ZwdK6-2FqOQ5PYmoHNcuwraPRqOoX64X1zm5-2FMzJuyIqktnSNJRZE9QTMpOzHewHb0kyadTGix6Htk8rmTXrOe3VThmzDLWfa2f30-2FiFovejo-3D) [*War Bug*](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPGRAfabCXRFNA5kzk67Eh1qb1ekNFS9KjCyEjKAoQEW4S4MytAvBg0uLzKKxKHbEdjTSpTas55YO1qc-2BQ-2FW4JZnT71twLoofWpugIax6xl60vyVs_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg6BGTBhO-2BYMhEsiClUtNEqAkwLMt2JH04PbStzJ9epqZuqmBfCLgfsH-2FrR0zCT5ZQl5IG0wlTrOL8-2FhVWrXZlet-2BED8jb-2BbEB3H9ugZvAT6fXdSGA2T2GfzwMcqRa4WwnqLg42sx0BQJdJyewChz5M9NSo1EI8Y1HkeQ31ZD7fgl51F5cn-2FHPLEltZEj0maS4Wkzlduoniv24UT7vGFTyE4-3D), a Methodist pastor named Harley Camden says in his Easter sermon, "The resurrection was God’s greatest act of generosity. It appeared as though the life of Jesus was over, after a week of conflict, trial, torture, and crucifixion. His followers grieved his death, deeply, but they knew that the tomb was the end. But then God said, 'There's more. You thought that you had been given everything, but there's more. In a world of limits, I am going beyond. In a world of scarcity, I am offering abundance. In a world of death, I am providing new life." How do you understand the Resurrection as an act of divine generosity? In a world that so often focuses on scarcity, how can Christians act in ways that reflect the abundance of God? 2. TWW Team Member Mary Sells says that the "story of unwarranted gifts from the professor makes me think of the free gift of salvation from Jesus." The professor knew these students at one point in time, she says, "and based on that limited time made the decision to share 'grace.' Jesus sees us and gives us grace, finding all of us worthy -- warts and all." Discuss. 3. "Amazing Grace," one of the most popular hymns in the world, includes the line, "I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see." What does your gratitude for God's amazing grace help you to see? What does it inspire you to do? How can the church be a better messenger of God's amazing grace? 4. Professor Cris Hassold was far from perfect. She was known to humiliate students in class and hire them to clean her home, which was a hoarder's den (although the extra money might have felt like a godsend to a needy student). She loved her students and was generous to them. How have your mentors helped you, despite their failings? What good and generous gifts can you give to others, in spite of your imperfections? **Responding to the News** In response to the gifts that you have received, think about what you want to leave to others. Increase your giving to at least one charity. Make a will, if you have not already done so (there are many websites where you can create a will for no charge, or you can use an attorney to create one). In it, remember not only your family members and friends, but your church and other groups that do Christ's work in the world. Think about the legacy of your life, and how you want to be remembered. **Prayer** Gracious God, you are the source of every good and perfect gift. Help us to be generous to others, following the example of Jesus Christ, your greatest gift to us. Amen. ****Copyright 2025 Communication Resources**** [Unsubscribe From This List](https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/asm/unsubscribe/?user_id=14323725&data=O4lG07kW9oVot6XBi7fo_qvCTXyhrgQAaCGcWeSSp7loMDAwdTAwMKtrMnEBvOEH3kZpv2nwZ2flolSWCgcinN7GRM-Dir-auaCD1yf_7e-mRbSfHKkcFbJs7uuNndBUVq35OmOyWvrGZYR2fN7Ts-syMX2iXOKxmTX308R9N14SQOBFw1dnW_pb3LK6D3t9OM3s48PASmwKJkIKGByhOJfc9-51CpBZNbzrf2n5Np92fQRD6E7u8XPzxnUcPtdQXNPl0bn8dPp1DekPX3vJVeEU5xGOB75pWWCrnav5HarueDV14TtVYaJRwqT_74Q2UmXxpLMAJZFah68JYlt2JSA5uBLgIzlQJvgh_MEobkE5RUY39q94AMD9ZEgKmwZ1QLnXEhzGD9cuXJ3kQMwCj1FyO-LSllCe82hfOb3YDICEGdEqsatO5gQsDEwYgqhxWPOYB6Y4EmOLf1dQoWTLaftwEKy1VcRZm7e_5k4EY1iOw61xP2tBoMGHCOL8ImaxMF9Nd2Ev--PlmqMA4vM3RvB0oyt9GXpHhnR7w6mvPvovAPSZLSVkxNyt3nHUZmVp0QB3JvaqKPD-BGcEsEEtRA2M_v1o71VxgMcY6AOM4Q3VmWfycVyHQVNjkvhhxJ9biFeXauwoc1o=) <div>Dear Class Members, Since this is graduation season, students are thinking about the teachers and professors who have been important to them. After coming across the surprising story of a professor who left most of her life savings to her favorite students, we decided to focus on gratitude, generosity and leaving a legacy for this installment of The Wired Word. <center><img src="https://www.thewiredword.com/\_img/tww\_logo\_email.jpg"/></center> Professor Leaves Her Life Savings to Favorite Students The Wired Word for the Week of June 8, 2025 In the News Cris Hassold was a professor at New College in Florida for more than 50 years, and she influenced generations of students. But after her death, she had an unexpected impact on her 31 favorite students. According to People magazine, she left them the majority of her life savings, valued at about $2.8 million. The inheritance amounts ranged from approximately $26,000 to $560,000. One student was Dr. Nicole Archer, who lives in a cramped apartment in Manhattan and teaches at Montclair State University in New Jersey. "She knew that a beloved college professor had bequeathed her something in her will," reports The New York Times. "She was expecting a modest gift -- enough money for a fancy dinner, perhaps, or one of the beaded bracelets the professor liked to make by hand." But when she saw the amount of her inheritance, $100,000, she thought "there must be a misplaced decimal point." About 30 other people across the country received similar notifications, fulfilling the terms of the will of a college professor. Over the course of a half-century of teaching art history at New College, Professor Cris Hassold had made a complicated impression on her students. On the one hand, she was known to humiliate students in class and hire them to clean her home, which was a disturbing hoarder's den. But on the other hand, she referred to her students as her children and had a positive impact on many of them. Her 31 favorite students were part of the so-called "cult of Cris," and they inherited her passion, her commitment, and finally her life savings. New College, a small public honors college in Sarasota, was long known for attracting gifted students. Courses were demanding, and Professor Hassold often assigned 150 pages of weekly reading from the works of writers and critics. Former student Andrea Bailey, who is now the director of a nonprofit arts organization, received a scathing review of her take on a van Gogh painting. "Her conclusion that the woman in 'The Straw Hat' is an aristocrat is simply wrong," Hassold wrote in Bailey's academic file. "I do not understand how she could have read about the works and gotten it so muddled." But the students who were not intimidated by Hassold often became part of her inner circle. The professor and her students enjoyed long, informal dinners that strengthened their bonds with one another. Hassold would dig into her students' aspirations, asking them questions such as, "What do you want to do and how do you get there? Who do you like to read? Where do they teach? They teach abroad? How do you save up the money to go?" Former student Archer recalls that these were "fun spaces where you could imagine a life for yourself without restrictions." Another student, Ryan White, was asked by Hassold to mow her front lawn and tidy up her home. The house was filled with cans of food, office supplies and art history books. A guest bathroom was stuffed with boxes of papers. White, who now runs a New York-based knife sharpening company, says that it was a "nightmare." Archer says that Hassold "wasn't very good at letting things, or people, go. ... she had a collection of students in the same way that she had endless collections of books." Hassold retired in 2016 at the age of 85, and in her final years she told some of her former students that she planned to leave them something when she died. "She didn't have a family, but we were her family," White says. "She adopted us, and we adopted her." In April 2020, Hassold had a stroke at a grocery store and collapsed. Three months later, she died. In August 2021, 31 of Hassold's former students received a package of legal documents that revealed her intentions. All were surprised by the generosity of the gifts. They used their inheritance in a variety of ways: for a down payment on a house, to travel or to cover their bills. White, who received around $26,000, believes that Hassold lived frugally because she had her students in mind. "She wanted to give as much away as she could," he concludes. For Archer, the $100,000 gift from Hassold changed her life. "I literally opened my first savings account with it," she says in a story on the Montclair University website. Still, Archer adds, "The true inheritance isn't about money -- it was about the way Cris [Hassold] taught me to look at the world. The real gift was the way she encouraged me to think deeply, challenge assumptions, and approach art and history with openness and curiosity. It's something I try to pass on to my students here at Montclair." One of Archer's most treasured possessions is a photograph of her professor from graduation. Now, when she looks at it, she sees "the beginning of everything -- grad school, teaching, publishing, mentoring. Every time I help a student take that next step, it feels like I'm honoring Cris's legacy." More on this story can be found at these links: <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPp5LOZlu2s2cMKq4YaaO1YFJJbFp5dx5Vega5GUPIFYIyW27j9VaLNW3uTavcDi8dbwJSg47PlKlS1LKSdEftI-2BLzqZehE2RzxOqVvOHubB-2BLgr3FHIhcaRaA1Wge6uiKnUfcK4-2FbepeWtReUSyY7e5DBICARaEstVvi7hcef0Xh9QqJN9ZuBey7xxpj-2Frp8e-2FSPuORh8nNWxHODVldIYlU6qvYXYl4tO6FOvG8u6rpb23nijFwjCouAiabWqEc35YerSQ0YZQyG1rfyGWuvB3vV3elEo3itQtnNxmvzNZheA-3D-3Dzhqi\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg4ZcFxpc2r0mbczTwamWdi-2B6mPNmaSB-2BrJiHa0Cde6N0sWbhf5vUmB0w6NjVGGz9-2BVyFGUhZI296tFyDbuCJYmH7OgPCMczRAQfHNVQ9UNa0qCATPllddcTahgnkdbwzK1v9peOZ8iaLswCgLWvxnfK4kejGPrDLmtbd-2FqWLFjsJ4FBU1wGWQ2S0bNYwAaPy1RUUxWyFVldk99jWNTqSYGM-3D">A Professor's Final Gift to Her Students: Her Life Savings. </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPJjqs9eTHTvMgxKUxOrSDPp5LOZlu2s2cMKq4YaaO1YFJJbFp5dx5Vega5GUPIFYIyW27j9VaLNW3uTavcDi8dbwJSg47PlKlS1LKSdEftI-2BLzqZehE2RzxOqVvOHubB-2BLgr3FHIhcaRaA1Wge6uiKnUfcK4-2FbepeWtReUSyY7e5DBICARaEstVvi7hcef0Xh9QqJN9ZuBey7xxpj-2Frp8e-2FSPuORh8nNWxHODVldIYlU6qvYXYl4tO6FOvG8u6rpb23nijFwjCouAiabWqEc35YerSQ0YZQyG1rfyGWuvB3vV3elEo3itQtnNxmvzNZheA-3D-3Dyciu\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg0r95NEKx8GNIYNpoq8rMYFe-2FevGtg-2FCMKyvB35m-2FDNtSecDE0IhukNkBV-2F-2FATXcplc4hDsXNPe1igdQlOMystlGj7BBB7WGmr672bRsXpB0Y2QzTCWV5miUMCFEQ-2FgPyLJd8G1fLcTjwoPaDHvhMrcd-2BovmMhbIQcbacAjkg7YflTg9d8lptAGCcDbjakrEcIlLd8jsG0poyqoliLGEgTg-3D">The New York Times</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPD-2BhCraoQMfrG9z5ZNAi-2FkcXen95zW9cBGZEoBb3Kusek-2BpLqE901m-2FA7K8IHRp9LkFpTKYeKHbinAk3sb9YLgbZmG9Tig77JC4XpSQl1jWLlA0goRBnqAh1DV04nIgQYA-3D-3DTXWI\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg-2BbcoL3JLBFF0Fm-2BpzpMYUSKXl7QAfI4-2F4tAttOTCjSWLv8Ge36Eb95CbadlERrVeqNNKQPYETfs3lrin0IwHWLFZUS8zL-2BEosJGKMXVQTysFS43Rc4fNyc7rb9n-2FS7EGMzKiIdXV-2B4QVk2Z3myYEfYCMZkd-2FRnOyMi5zcjLgKC1AD7WdvaP5zLw4DVNoKvKdNBWMFYy03WTfbmm9aR9OCs-3D">A Beloved College Professor Died. Then She Stunned Her Former Students by Leaving Them Most of Her $2.8 Million Estate. </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPD-2BhCraoQMfrG9z5ZNAi-2FkcXen95zW9cBGZEoBb3Kusek-2BpLqE901m-2FA7K8IHRp9LkFpTKYeKHbinAk3sb9YLgbZmG9Tig77JC4XpSQl1jWLlA0goRBnqAh1DV04nIgQYA-3D-3Df7MQ\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbgyY1bNcatiVdYN7-2Fo6xHMa5psduP4MEpKpSRZJWhkhhZXIPrlP2GakymTs8eHnQhUq1tGYAf4jy9pYPovmN5-2FsCWQU4VjlR-2FwaXtcHTT42Kf-2BDf-2BLoa50IcAFiegWn3bJT8yZYCrEL5KtD27NkWLfiSCQYknu0TiCGir8DitloC-2B1uhniSZsc7Ao6tI6U3GAtYKLltoJgfkK9seCJTsw1Yc-3D">People</a> <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPE8QuWEQtJG-2B25EYwd3Zr7mU5WAqbAN7GRv90Y6xzrqItpOJuwJfjKBdZkPX3Q5b4QSG76wQR2lkr7CVW3kKaVhLiANhKHbct2YD7-2Fzb6OljqOexY8-2Bl59UKQPpANZOehtEzXpH6Nlah9FV9vuaCheduufjXmA-2Bj7CAPJN4-2F95QSvl18\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg6J-2BpdOlnpMBHI53EpadbU64BcB9mq7kPF8pMpd3i7utHUZzz5wue2asgjqXQ4YQTCxVv6-2BPgVleEPvAlJDw3feF7fSOP4Fpd51QAnxLJiX15GwqFg3K86qSw8SnUVl0qsjsMH7ym8QFRXoWjj7g39I5Xjv-2BBLNS0dbQRlN-2FJdwBo3tsMuatFDZ6FTeAg6W5IzXND3No7T7gek-2F-2FHR38nFM-3D">Montclair Professor Among 31 Students Who Received Mentor’s Final Gift: Her Life Savings -- College Of The Arts. </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPE8QuWEQtJG-2B25EYwd3Zr7mU5WAqbAN7GRv90Y6xzrqItpOJuwJfjKBdZkPX3Q5b4QSG76wQR2lkr7CVW3kKaVhLiANhKHbct2YD7-2Fzb6OljqOexY8-2Bl59UKQPpANZOehtEzXpH6Nlah9FV9vuaCheduufjXmA-2Bj7CAPJN4-2F95QSChSp\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg0SEYmdrjX54RSvhirxLOyqnYDkyonLJan6SQQMFzijY1KINKk0MuxkfhVb8C9fJsYp5e98WPO3zsO5OfnQjfzTgtdnN-2FLKU49IT-2F9bFs-2BDVJ26GyGsPe57o-2Bl2L60HMVkVKG2B6PUls3AIV0FYfMnvZUHaFrfRnqQSM8Lcn-2FsPuo0xc35QzOaCSaZzaV66hFF-2BzajxBBl4cdk5MK6oIP2M-3D">Montclair State University</a> Applying the News Story This story creates an opportunity to share your gratitude for the teachers or professors who have shaped your life. Describe a generous gift that you have received -- monetary or otherwise. Reflect on the legacy of people who have been good to you, and how you will pass those gifts to others. Connect such generosity to God, the giver of every good and perfect gift. The Big Questions 1. Who are the teachers or professors who have had a positive effect on you? Describe their impact. 2. When have you received a particularly generous gift? How did it make you feel? What did it make you want to do? 3. Grace is sometimes described as the gift of God's unmerited favor. When have you felt God's grace? How is grace proclaimed and taught in your church community? 4. The word "legacy" can mean an amount of money left to someone in a will, or the long-lasting impact of actions, events or people. Sometimes it means both. What kind of legacy is important to you? How do you want to be remembered? 5. Good mentors can be found in schools, colleges and congregations. Who are your mentors today? How can you be a mentor to a child or youth in your church? Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion: 1 Kings 17:13-16 Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth." She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxfg8cQo5t8kKCb0xyK-2Be5CoKUf0fffNJKFnzv2bNgCzT1DX3XvvgDuS7n3hdAoATcp5eI\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg4rWjTMc9anaG0vKd3Hr3ZyogiRuzt4fxELIfv9YS84c32sX0tOXoAtRvbasIbhd-2FsrkSytC-2Bx54PWeVrz6eqqgswRfUzZg6umzXJKePReSK2tR7eAhaq4Afp57CUJqJM4s6eBvPaK1WTf4dAlFzUEn4MhP7vpCq54UqKYN8maxnCzWsUF09jPJ4bhqRn5O0XfTdWjnLrWgTMyI7Qoi9Jac-3D">1 Kings 17:8-16</a>.) The story of Elijah and the widow appears right after the prophet has been told by God to leave the land of Israel. Since Elijah is locked in a power struggle with Israel's King Ahab, one that is over the nature of God himself, the Lord says to Elijah, "Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there, for I have commanded a widow there to feed you” (v. 9). Elijah does what God says, and as he comes to the gate of the town, he sees a most pathetic sight: a poor widow, gathering sticks. Any sympathy he might be feeling is overwhelmed by his own thirst and hunger, aggravated by the length of his journey and the drought that is now gripping the whole land. "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink," he calls to her. And then he adds, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand" (vv. 10-11). The widow is at the end of her rope, and her response to Elijah is as depressing as a funeral dirge. But Elijah will hear none of this gloomy talk. "Do not be afraid," he counsels her; "go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son." Elijah shares with her the promise of God: "The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth." She goes and does what Elijah says -- a remarkable act of faith for a woman so down in the dumps, so depressed, so close to death. And sure enough, she and her household are able to eat for many days. The jar of meal is not emptied, and the jug of oil does not fail, according to the word of the Lord, spoken by Elijah. <blockquote> Questions: What impresses you about the generosity of the poor widow? When have you seen impoverished people sharing what they have, and what do you think motivates them? Where do you see a connection between faith and giving? </blockquote> Psalm 112:5 It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxOn8-2BvBaRasM2A7q4fYNgnpK-2BV9DUs99EeP-2BHUJhR1Th27j4AK2oVPg5-2FuMwh0sa-2BBSa-\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg4AsaREwXhvKROXNOS63olq3-2BWr9mdWeNKKoNgCe1e0irLRA9quMJLbIWd6cSWyzRwRjT9G3Ghd2f-2FDQVz4CbMXccZw1Uc1XGQpWRH3k7gaupKmrwjnkr2lgHgDpZ1k-2Fp7yleQd1P6trdnvfYHbf5vqsaKW9O3RGMp4qcHg8WFXwKHsoQJQ19GvsjkL0X19B58Pn4HqzOOSehuqJ-2F6oK2Us-3D">Psalm 112:1-10</a>.) Among the songs of Israel found in the book of Psalms is this song that praises God for righteous people, defined as "those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments" (v. 1). Since it was a common ancient belief that righteousness led to prosperity, the psalm writer says, "Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever" (v. 3). But the righteous are not praised for hoarding their wealth; instead, the writer says, "It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice." The psalm makes clear that the righteous are generous and always treat people fairly. While Jesus would later question the connection between wealth and righteousness in parables such as the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), he consistently praised those who showed generosity. He would have endorsed the words of Psalm 112:9, "They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever." <blockquote> Questions: What is the connection between righteousness, generosity and justice? How is giving to the poor an expression of your faith? Where is your church involved in such work? </blockquote> 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzx5N3asDrM8aLtAZM6HVDt1fJhCb-2BtKAx-2BK-2FJYgT2zvsNVl3OSCF-2FzKewLYLjW2qtPZXqR\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg8AlxTaNUn8Ia70DynjquE-2FLvm4FwB-2BTL-2FMMa8l-2FJnnI-2B6XjtRPHnGFkw7Y71PvkOaE-2FO6JuzQd8PMGs2VgNNjC1znk2JSf8wndVCx9VF8XOBACGCrY29QUlQqASOBsCN9GEkpbzfE8KuWhz5DAvxlFsmejVjo9RKjUISuFmKYG32O-2BgXDMcs45yACarP9RmGhqLxosDq-2BwatGfKQkcQljU-3D">2 Corinthians 8:1-14</a>.) In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul challenges the church in Corinth to "excel in everything" -- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in utmost eagerness (v. 7). But in particular, he wants them to excel in what he describes as a "generous undertaking" (v. 6): a collection for the followers of Christ in Jerusalem. The city of Corinth is a booming economic center, prosperous and highly competitive, and the church contains a cross section of the city's economy, with laborers and slaves sitting side by side with people of leisure, wealth and social influence. Paul makes an appeal to this community, asking them to contribute to a collection for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem (Romans 15:26). He believes that need and abundance should always be kept in equilibrium within the larger Christian community, and that those who have wealth are obligated to assist those who are in need. The inspiration for this is "the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich." Paul wants to make sure that there are always resources and support available for members of the Christian community. "I do not mean that there should be relief for others and hardship for you," says Paul, "but it is a question of equality between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may also supply your need, in order that there may be equality" (vv. 13-14). <blockquote> Questions: What motivates you to give generously to Christian causes? How is your gratitude for "the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ" a factor in your giving? Where do you see Christians striking a faithful and healthy balance between abundance and need? When have you felt depleted by giving, if at all, and when has it enriched you? </blockquote> James 1:17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (For context, read <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPIPMr3QdAndcnhgARhLxPRBMJBYCTolkbvW-2F0TosyGzxNIqZG-2B-2B-2BvBBz5qy3Z-2Fu623pSJwkcCGcHkrnq8djsjSdpopkrB9GkMgrtom1AqESrKbhy\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg33DO-2FErhYIOcN7IACsppXL7W314TGNvH-2FxAY9-2FaQ9UH31J2qL6o7OfAC2F62mR22vnAyNmIguK430JQ5LpBiTgnSXcx2P-2FFxkZdcgsxqOapgbxSMbfrF2etULNYeFo46amftOBZG8b93-2Bon8l3sy6MVbq7RL-2BLNGkEde2O3E7-2FblymxG-2Bc4uR5sg38mh7JAlFL5AcghRT07Vy-2FRj-2B57l7M-3D">James 1:16-18</a>.) Like the letter to the Hebrews, the letter of James was written to followers of Christ who had grown up Jewish, and the focus of James was the proper relationship between faith and action. "Be doers of the word and not merely hearers," James says to a group of Christians outside of Palestine (1:22). "Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (2:17). In his first chapter, James advises people to put their faith in God instead of money, "because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field" (v. 10). Christian faith will be rewarded, because every "generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." James makes connections between faith, the gifts of God and our ability to act with generosity <blockquote> Questions: What kind of a legacy do you want to leave your family and your church community? How is your generosity a response to God's generosity? Where do you express your faith in works that benefit others? </blockquote> For Further Discussion 1. <a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPGRAfabCXRFNA5kzk67Eh1qb1ekNFS9KjCyEjKAoQEW4S4MytAvBg0uLzKKxKHbEdjTSpTas55YO1qc-2BQ-2FW4JZnT71twLoofWpugIax6xl60cuG8\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg-2F89hGANrBX3rSwMalA3brgPjJN0pZiZu1CxQ5NnKScSUfJH30ecaj9wwSZk8axf44ALqOWMKBOVWi9-2FvZr2PUE6I-2FPYXu1pc7n9J8p5LH40ZwdK6-2FqOQ5PYmoHNcuwraPRqOoX64X1zm5-2FMzJuyIqktnSNJRZE9QTMpOzHewHb0kyadTGix6Htk8rmTXrOe3VThmzDLWfa2f30-2FiFovejo-3D">In the novel </a><a href="https://u14323725.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.kR2s0BHA4IMM0a9cQYZVPGRAfabCXRFNA5kzk67Eh1qb1ekNFS9KjCyEjKAoQEW4S4MytAvBg0uLzKKxKHbEdjTSpTas55YO1qc-2BQ-2FW4JZnT71twLoofWpugIax6xl60vyVs\_-2FDMt8DmC0b3MPPPEfxHbnxzgfJsbXDNMpwCP9nNwhUmwW6wkyKFLFNgtWOsfoWlqzJWknYznvBlIhQrMvSLcaZdhhbJIKGm-2F5qmCcYPIpJSn2obb9skqJf4MgaypxrLi7oLPa8a7eS7JtzjOXCCX8BHD-2F4cv9wFI-2FUH-2BL75pc25Hbh6RKf8EPZebHASiEu2b1aGXbOqJQ3Dnm6HAk92YmUYIFk8Z9WUaUh8uOQiblGs2F3wCdm5u2BXLjWM1XmiieIRXvCMkL-2BU-2BOpKPdtjbg6BGTBhO-2BYMhEsiClUtNEqAkwLMt2JH04PbStzJ9epqZuqmBfCLgfsH-2FrR0zCT5ZQl5IG0wlTrOL8-2FhVWrXZlet-2BED8jb-2BbEB3H9ugZvAT6fXdSGA2T2GfzwMcqRa4WwnqLg42sx0BQJdJyewChz5M9NSo1EI8Y1HkeQ31ZD7fgl51F5cn-2FHPLEltZEj0maS4Wkzlduoniv24UT7vGFTyE4-3D">War Bug</a>, a Methodist pastor named Harley Camden says in his Easter sermon, "The resurrection was God’s greatest act of generosity. It appeared as though the life of Jesus was over, after a week of conflict, trial, torture, and crucifixion. His followers grieved his death, deeply, but they knew that the tomb was the end. But then God said, 'There's more. You thought that you had been given everything, but there's more. In a world of limits, I am going beyond. In a world of scarcity, I am offering abundance. In a world of death, I am providing new life." How do you understand the Resurrection as an act of divine generosity? In a world that so often focuses on scarcity, how can Christians act in ways that reflect the abundance of God? 2. TWW Team Member Mary Sells says that the "story of unwarranted gifts from the professor makes me think of the free gift of salvation from Jesus." The professor knew these students at one point in time, she says, "and based on that limited time made the decision to share 'grace.' Jesus sees us and gives us grace, finding all of us worthy -- warts and all." Discuss. 3. "Amazing Grace," one of the most popular hymns in the world, includes the line, "I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see." What does your gratitude for God's amazing grace help you to see? What does it inspire you to do? How can the church be a better messenger of God's amazing grace? 4. Professor Cris Hassold was far from perfect. She was known to humiliate students in class and hire them to clean her home, which was a hoarder's den (although the extra money might have felt like a godsend to a needy student). She loved her students and was generous to them. How have your mentors helped you, despite their failings? What good and generous gifts can you give to others, in spite of your imperfections? Responding to the News In response to the gifts that you have received, think about what you want to leave to others. Increase your giving to at least one charity. Make a will, if you have not already done so (there are many websites where you can create a will for no charge, or you can use an attorney to create one). In it, remember not only your family members and friends, but your church and other groups that do Christ's work in the world. Think about the legacy of your life, and how you want to be remembered. Prayer Gracious God, you are the source of every good and perfect gift. Help us to be generous to others, following the example of Jesus Christ, your greatest gift to us. Amen. 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