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From the Vicar...
Stewardship starts with God's abundance
In these opening days of my ministry among you as Vicar, I'd like to take some time to reflect upon our Christian stewardship. Over the next four issues of the E-News, I will be writing about four important topics. Today, I would like to address how stewardship starts with God's abundance.
Our infinite God is the source of infinite abundance. All too often, however, we have a "scarcity mentality." All we can see is what we lack, what we need, what we want. The focus is not on God's ability to provide for all our needs, but on us and our scarcity. We allow ourselves to become obsessed with our fears about jobs, mortgage payments, saving for our children's college education, food, clothing, and shelter. We cling tightly to the things we have - because we believe if we let them go, nothing will replace them.
In fact, the opposite is true. The more we hold on to what we have, the less we can receive. It's like trying to hold water in your fist. The tighter you clench, the less water you can carry. It's only when you relax your grasp and open your palm that you can form a cup.
It's the same with all in our lives. We have to let go. We must accept the fact that everything we have and everyone we love is only on loan from God. We get to utilize those objects and love those people, but sooner or later they will go back to the One who gave them to us. We can try to hold on to them, kicking and screaming as they are pried from our fingers, or we can graciously, lovingly, and freely let them flow in and out of our lives. Only when we are willing to surrender them, to share our bounty with the rest of God's creation, will God bestow even more blessings on us. That's the paradox of stewardship.
Fr. Chip
This week's "Ministry Minute"...
You folks will always be my family
Gary Dozier, Christ Church
Don't look at the "snow" on my "roof." And don't listen to my stories about my lifetime as a member of Christ Church. And definitely don't take my participation in the liturgy and other church activities as any attempt to earn a "Badge of Honor." I am just a common man with a deep, abiding love and respect for this parish, for our members and friends, for this building and for the history of Christ Church from its incipient stages through this moment in time.
Because we are all beings with body, mind and spirit, I feel Christ Church has fed all aspects of our being, not just spiritually, and certainly not just in addition to our penchant for good food, but also for feeding our minds with thoughts and ideas and dialogues and discussions and just plain ol' conversations. And one other point, we sometimes disagree, grow frustrated and even reach a fever pitch, but we work it out. And as a family, we are bound to have differing views on an infinite number of issues. It is in our combined efforts to collaborate, cooperate, compromise and reach consensus that shows we are a family with the "Right Stuff." And even then it is still OK to hold differing opinions and thoughts without being adversarial.
It is rare that I miss attendance at church, but on those days I do feel the emptiness in my soul, in my mind, and ...yes, in my belly! All this is my way of explaining why I love all of you. You are my spiritual family, very important to me, very special to me and each of you unique to me. I am so grateful for our relationships...and how they are all so wondrously integrated with the Holy Spirit and woven into the fabric of our lives.
Christ Church is MY church, and you folks will ALWAYS be my family. Thanks.
-Gary Dozier -
Next week's Ministry MInute Speakers
Trinity Church: Linda Swartz of Christ Church
Linda is Christ Church's FUNdraising chair and social media coordinator
Christ Church: Jean Shula of Christ Church
Jean is a choir member, Stephen Minister and coordinator of the healing ministry will speak at Christ Church
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