Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas

As I close out the year and end my postings in this blog, thanks for traveling with me. I started out this morning with one of my favorite activities. We headed for the church at 5:30 a.m. to start cooking eggs for the FUMC Christmas Eve Brunch. The decorating team had done a great job yesterday, and the kitchen prep had been done. The Christmas trees and the star were glimmering brightly on the second floor even before the guests began lining up to enter the FLC. I'm always impressed by families with children who can get their tweeners and teenagers up at that hour to serve! For many of our guests, thr FLC is as close to a home as they have, they breakfast there, shower there, eat there, worship there, some attend AA meetings there, and this winter some will find shelter during the coldest nights as we initiate our participation in the cold shelter program. I think of how appropriately we named our building, the Family Life Center. What a lot of life goes on there.

As we end this experiment with the Stewardship Circle, I'm thinking of a conversation recently about the difference between stewardship and discipleship. We make disciples to go into the world and share the good news. That is our great commission. Some disciples also become stewards. Stewards, I think, make a commitment to to building a specific congregation of the United Methodist Church. A steward sees no difference in spiritual development between scrubbing the floor and serving communion. Each act is a sacred act carried out to care for and build up the church.The way in which every activity is carried out is as important as the end result. I think this particular congregation of the United Methodist Church has a very important role to play and its unique gifts are worthy of my support. It is my prayer that we may be found good and faithful stewards of our legacy.

May the Lord bless you and keep you
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace
Now and forevermore, world without end.
Amen






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