February 2010

Thoughts from the Pastor

O God, you are the wellspring of life.  Pour into our hearts the living water of your grace...

Sunday was our Annual Meeting.  There was, of course, concern about the budget.  Money causes anxiety.  Always.

Since Sunday, I’ve had additional thoughts rolling around in my head.  Each is true.  (These aren’t options from which you pick just one).

First, this year we needed to draw less from savings than ever before.  We are close, so very close to meeting our budget with our income.

Second, I remember the year we stopped receiving synod support.  I remember standing before you at the Annual Meeting and saying, now we need to learn to stand on our own.  I knew it would take time – that we would need to draw from reserves for awhile.  But my goal was to be sure that we drew less each year – that we could grow in our giving.  And we are.

Third,  the scripture passage which I read this morning was Mark 6:30-46.  It is Jesus feeding the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish.

I remember a Council retreat years ago.  We were listing favorite stories from Scripture.  I’m pretty certain it was Bev Bryant who recalled this story.  There was great need.  They didn’t have enough.  God provided.  God provides.

Bev was our treasurer at the time, so she knew we didn’t have enough.  She also knew that we could claim this story as our own.  God provided.  God provides.

Fourth, my number one concern for this year is not meeting our budget.  It is meeting our neighbors.  And meeting Jesus, every week.  Every day.

Another thing we did at the Annual Meeting was adopt the values the Re- Team put together.  This team has worked for the last six months or so gathering information – your responses – to events and conversations.  They took your thoughts about our values, and boiled them down into six.  (They are on the next page)

It is important to state our values.  They help guide us as we take our next steps forward.  They help us let God guide us.

This opportunity our annual journey more deeply into faith begins.  The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 17.  (Don’t forget that the youth sponsor our Fat Tuesday feast the night before!)

We will then gather each Wednesday night for a Soup and Salad supper at 6:00 and the service of Evening Prayer at 7:00.  These provide opportunity to dig more deeply – into God’s word, in prayer...

The journey begins anew.

Let’s go.

Still walking with you, in Christ,
Pastor Julianne Smeck