From the Pastor
It’s an old story. Two men were shipwrecked on a deserted island with no food or water and little hope of being found. “Our situation is hopeless,” wailed one of the men, “We are going to either die of starvation or thirst.” “Don’t worry,” said the other. “I make $100,000 a week.” “What good is that going to do us here?” wondered his companion. “I tithe to my church,” was the response, “and my pastor will surely find us.” And, speaking as a pastor, I can assure you that he was right!
Yes, it is November. And along with Thanksgiving, the season of Advent, and the beginning of the Christmas rush, November is also the month of Stewardship in our church, the month when we make decisions about our financial support of the church in 2006. And I suspect that for some of us, this month can feel like a time when the church is out to find us and our wallets, no matter where we are. But I hope that is not the case.
Rather I hope we see the month of November as an invitation - an invitation to be involved in something greater than ourselves; a community that is hopeful and caring and growing and faithful, where each person is upheld and affirmed as a precious child of God. The opportunities for advancing the ministries and outreach of this church are limited only by our own hesitations, fears, or uncertainties.
I think of the great biblical stories of the widow who gave all she had and of Jesus multiplying the loaves and fishes. They are powerfully symbolic of the way resources expand and grow when they are given freely to God, given from thankful hearts. They remind us that faithful stewardship proceeds not from what we give to God but from what God has given to us.
Gene
