One Body with Many Members

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all of the members of the body – though many – are one body… so it is with Christ.”  (I Cor. 12:12)

So it is with stewardship!

As you know… a Church is dependent on the generosity of its many members.  We are all unique and blessed with different gifts, but we feed the same fire… we serve the same purpose.  As a pastor, I give thanks for the ways that you bless this ministry.  Your faithfulness, your creativity and your financial gifts are the wellspring of our day-to-day functioning.

Over these past few years… we have received a series of very significant gifts that have helped to pay down the debt of our renovation project, our budget deficit and our outreach ministry to the neighborhood.  I am humbled by these gifts and I give thanks to God in prayer.

Now… as most of you know… we have recently been given another financial gift… but this one is different.  This is a match gift.  This means that every contribution that you give… above and beyond your normal offering… is automatically doubled.  So…

If you give 1 dollar… it becomes $2

If you give 10 dollars… it becomes $20

If you give 50 dollars… it becomes $100

Isn’t that incredible?  Isn’t this fun?  All you have to do… is put your donation into the green envelope that was recently mailed to you.  Or you can simply pick up one of these envelopes at the back of the church.  If neither of these options is available… you can simply send in an envelope and identify the contribution as a match gift…

What this means… is that every dollar counts.

What this means… is that no contribution is insignificant.

What this means… is that every single one of us can contribute.

What this means… is that we really are one body with many members.

Thanks be to God,

Thank you for your generosity,

Thank you for your participation,

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Mark

Living Abundantly

Throughout these fifty days of Easter, many images surround us: the empty tomb, the resurrected Christ, lilies, sunrises, new beginnings, new life. The Gospel of John, from which many of our gospel readings for this season come, is one of my favorite gospels because John writes in such a way that we are able to “see” not only through images, but also through hearing. John tells us…

Jesus is the bread of life

Jesus is the light of the world

Jesus is the gate for the sheep

Jesus is the Good Shepherd

…and all that Jesus is, he is so that we might have life.

…Jesus says, “I came that they may have life, and have it

abundantly.” John 10:10

So Jesus is not simply talking about “having life,” but he came so that we can live life abundantly!

I encourage all of us to ponder simply this: abundant life. Just what does abundant mean?

overflowing           generous          profuse        plentiful      rich            ample      bountiful          teeming           lavish         full         unstinted            abounding         chockfull         unsparing         flowing             fruitful              exuberant         unmeasured

Yes! Abundant means all of this…thanks be to God!

Blessings and peace to you all in this Easter season,

Pastor Laura