This week's lectionary includes these words from 2 Timothy 1:
Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

The Great Ends of the Church, found in our Book of Order, remind us of our purpose as a church:
* Proclaiming the gospel for the salvation of humankind,
* Providing the shelter, nurture, and fellowship of the children of God,
* Maintaining divine worship,
* Promoting social righteousness,
* Preserving the truth,
* and, Exhibiting the Kingdom of God to the world.

Last Saturday 7 elders attended Leadership Training at Trinity Presbyterian and we explored how we can better live into our calling as a church. Our facilitator, Rev. Steve Eason of Myers Park Presbyterian, stressed the importance of maintaining divine worship. Worship is our number one priority on Sundays. Over the next month we will be making some changes that were discussed at this training, to enhance our worship experience. The ushers will be instructed to seat guests at appropriate times during the service. If you arrive after the welcome you may have to wait until an appropriate time to enter the sanctuary. Some of our guests do not understand the importance of divine worship and so we must teach them by example the importance we place on worshipping the Lord our God.

Peace and blessings,
George

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Reflections on Worship
This past Sunday was a Spirit filled service unlike any in recent memory. 50 minutes into worship two homeless people entered into the sanctuary, walked down the center aisle, and sat in the front row. My interaction and response to this situation left me feeling empty and so I reached out to Rev. Chad Hyatt, pastor of Mercy Church - a church for homeless people, to discern an appropriate response when things like this happen. Maintaining healthy boundaries in all of our interactions is very important even if the people we are interacting with do not share our understanding. I have asked Chad to help us discern how we can best serve the homeless population in the rent by week hotels up and down Memorial Drive when they come seeking assistance. I look forward to having him come in the next few weeks to speak to us all, but in the meantime there are a few things that we must do.

• We must maintain the integrity of worship, our reason for being in church on Sunday, by scheduling appointments with people seeking assistance for some other time than immediately after worship. The policy of Mercy Church is that unless someone is in need of immediate medical care they must make an appointment to meet with the pastor on Monday. It isn't fair to the congregation and visitors to take away from our fellowship and worship with people who are not interested in being in a healthy relationship with us.
• Under no circumstances should we give money directly to people who ask for benevolences. This does not help us to support one another in loving Christ-like relationships. While it might meet their immediate identified need, it does not help us build a relationship with them where real transformation can take place.

Of course there will be exceptions, but they will be exceptions, not the rule. Here is how we all need to respond:

• Let them know that as a church all requests for benevolences or other assistance are handled by the pastor, that the church does not give money directly to individuals, and that you will not give them any money.
• They must make an appointment to meet with the pastor on Monday or Tuesday and that the pastor will assist them then.
• If they are insistent, ask them to wait in the last pew of the church and tell them you will get the pastor who will be with them shortly and then come and tell me what is going on.

Chad has agreed to come and help us understand the importance of responding in this way and how it is true to our calling as Christians. If you have questions in the meantime please feel free to let me know and we can set a time to meet and talk about it together.

 In Christ,