| The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What do we say when we honk from behind? Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gun shot and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is able to fly or until he is dead; and then they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their original group. The geese who helped each other shared. Sharing is both serving and giving. It's part of our "stewardship". We believe that it is the privilege of the Christian to dedicate what he has, what he is, to God. We commonly speak of time, talents and treasure: How we use these is a choice we make which indicates the depth of our faith. I believe that the Reverend Beth's new ministry at Saint David's represents an exciting time to be part of this congregation! We as parishioners need to be ready to respond to the opportunities and challenges that this will provide. On Sunday, November 16th we were asked to make our first response for the coming year by pledging the support of our time, talent and treasurer. I ask your prayerful consideration of the challenges. Over the past several years I have talked to you about levels of commitment. From the Biblical standard of the Tithe, that is 10% of time, talent and treasure to the so called Modern Tithe of 5% to support the work of Saint David's and 5% to support the work of other charitable organizations. I have also discussed Proportionate Giving as a path to achieve a new level of personal and financial commitment to this parish. While I believe that we understand these concepts, I also believe that there are certain ideas and / or circumstances from allowing us to fully implement the possibilities that these opportunities present. And I am reminded of the following story! It seems that a Father was awakened night after night by his young son who claimed that the room contained several big dogs who were about to attack him. Of course, his father could not see any of these dogs. But the father did realize that the cause of this problem was an encounter that he and his son had had with a very large and very friendly dog a few days previous. Despite his attempts night after night for about a week, the father was unable to convince his son that the dogs did not exist. It finally dawned on the weary father that what he was doing was not working! So, on the next night when called to his son's room with the same request he responded by pretending to chase the dogs out of his son's room. After several minutes of frantic chasing, he asked his son if they were all gone. His son replied that indeed they were all gone and thank you daddy! This scene only had to be repeated one more night and then the father was never awakened again because of the dogs. The father in trying to persuade the boy that the dogs did not exist merely frustrated his son. Once the father "saw the dogs" he was able to enter his sonŐs frame of reference and ease his fears. I am not going to tell you that there are no obstacles to the commitment of additional time, talent and treasure to Saint David's, because indeed there are! But I will tell you that once these obstacles have been identified they can be dealt with on a rational basis. Maybe not all at once, but certainly they can be addressed one at a time. The challenge that The Reverend Beth and the Stewardship Committee have issued is a request for each pledging unit to increase there commitment to Saint David's by 20%. That means an increase of 20 cents for each dollar pledged and 12 minutes for each hour of time donated. On behalf of the Stewardship Committee, I request that you prayerfully consider this challenge as a response to the possibilities that this new beginning represents. We can indeed respond to the possibilities that these New Beginnings represent. Please come and celebrate new beginnings at Saint David's. LET US PRAY! Gracious God, giver of all we have and hold as stewards; grant the people of this church a deep and abiding awareness that all things come from you - our health, our incomes, our jobs, our talents and our generous impulse. Send your Holy Spirit to help us as we swim against the rising tides of materialism, envy, individualism and greed in our culture. When we are tempted to think of money as a private matter, remind us that you have asked for part of what we are given, to be returned to you as a symbol of our awareness that you give us all we have. And further, help us to help each other in this grace of giving, for you are the lover of our souls and call us to nothing less than transformation in Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN - Ted Daly, Chair, Stewardship Committee |
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