When I was interviewed by the Pastor Nominating Committee from Bedford Presbyterian Church a little over ten years ago, I remember them asking the question, “Do you know how cold it gets in New Hampshire?” I remember responding telling them, “I like wearing jackets.”
Fast-forward a few months. . . When Amy and I moved to New Hampshire, I don’t know if either of us were ready in terms of the jackets we needed. So, within a matter of weeks, we visited the LL Bean Outlet several times and stocked up on our warm winter layers. I’m still wearing some of these jackets. Fast forward ten years. . . Over the past ten winters, we have accumulated a LOT more jackets and coats. It’s a wealth of riches!
This Sunday, as part of our Stewardship Celebration, we are inviting everyone who comes to worship to bring a winter jacket or coat with them to church and, when the worship service is done, to leave them in the sanctuary. The coats will be collected, sorted, and donated to Families in Transition in the hopes that we can help some of our neighbors stay warm this winter.
Of course, the gift of jackets and coats are only a small part of trying to help our neighbors. There are still matters of affordable housing, working on issues of addiction and mental illness, and seeking gracious ways to come alongside people and organizations to partner with them in the world of dismantling the structures of poverty. The task is large, but with the Spirit’s help and the partnership of other people, God can do much through us.
This Sunday, as part of our Stewardship Celebration, we will be focusing on the ways that God – through us – is able to make a difference in the life of our church family, our community, and the world. When you bring a coat to donate and when you fill out and bring your Estimate of Giving Card, you are invited to pray the prayer, “Lord, what would you do through me?”
May all that we give be offered with the thought and hope that we are part of God’s good and gracious work – making a difference in the lives of our neighbors and of one another.
See you in church!
Grace and Peace,
John
Prepare for Worship
This Week: “In the End, Grace” (Generous Grace: A Reflection of God’s Heart – 4)
- Read Psalm 103
- Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-9
- Read Hosea 11:1-9
- Read or sing Hymn # 36 – “For the Fruit of All Creation“