Dear friends,
A few weeks ago, in worship, Karen Nell told our young people the story of Jesus changing water into wine. One girl asked, “Was it magic?”
“No,” Karen Nell replied. “It’s not magic. It’s a miracle—God working through Jesus with the power of love.”
And then she turned their attention from the biblical story to the wagonload of diapers in the back of the sanctuary. As the kids brought the diapers up front to dedicate them for A Place to Turn, Karen Nell named the overflowing wagon as a miracle: “This is a miracle of God working through us with the power of love.” I love that definition of miracle.
This fall, our Stewardship Team is Paul Blow, Peggy Harrison, and Norma Hart. As we talked at our first meeting about what our church means to us and why we give, some words kept emerging: miracle, commitment, hope. We selected our theme, Committing to Hope: The Miracle of Giving.
The theme reflects our sense of awe at the generosity of our congregation. There is so much in our world that tears people apart, so much that can prompt us to withdraw in fear, so much that can lead to despair. For me, it feels like a miracle every time we gather on Sunday morning to sing and pray and speak words of hope. It feels like a miracle that we each give of our time, talent and treasure and trust one another to do the same. It is certainly a miracle that this relatively small church can offer so much to enrich the wider community. It is God working through us with the power of love.
Our theme also acknowledges the hard work that is involved in this miracle of giving. We tend to think of hope as a feeling, but it is so much more. It is a choice–a choice to look for signs of hope when they may be hidden beneath layers of despair. It is a choice to act in hope even when we don’t feel hopeful. It is a choice to become hope for one another, to be a community that holds hope for those who cannot find it.
Hope is a choice. It is also a practice. The more we practice looking for hope, the better we become at finding it. The more we practice acting in hope, the more natural it will feel. When we commit to that practice, our lives are enriched and we become part of the miracle of giving.
During the month of November, we will reflect on this theme, Committing to Hope: The Miracle of Giving, in a variety of ways. On Nov. 3, our Stewardship Team will lead a conversation and offer a slide show at our Congregational Meeting. On November 10 and 17, our worship services will center on our theme, with testimonies from Matt Walker and Clair Ball. You will receive a mailing with inspiration, information, and a pledge card. We invite you to mail or bring the pledge card in time for our Dedication Sunday, on November 24.
We hope you will be part of the Miracle of Giving which is our church.
Peace,
Debbie