During Eastertide (April 20-June 8), we are discerning how God wants each of us to work and serve in the world AND discerning our pledges of time, talent, and money that we will make to serve and contribute to our collective ministry in the year ahead.
Here is our mantra for the season:
• God has given me a gift of my own.
• I don’t have to do it all.
• We have what we need.
• Using my gifts is filled with joy!
This Sunday is Consecration Sunday, when we will dedicate our time, talent, and financial pledges to God’s service through the ministry of this church community. We are asking EVERYONE who participates regularly to fill out a pledge form. You can pledge online here, or complete a paper form and bring it with you to church (available here).
It’s also the Day of Pentecost, when we remember the fiery presence of the Holy Spirit descending on the early Christians. So wear your fiery colors: red, yellow, orange.
We’ll continue reading in the New Testament letters, this week from one of my favorites, Galatians 5:22-23 — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.
I love it because it just lays it out so clearly.
If you want to know how well a politician is following the Spirit, just ask yourself: “well, are they loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle, do they have self-control?”
If you are making an important decision, “well, how well does this promote love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control?”
If you want to know how well you’re doing in any given moment, just take a pause and ask “Am I being loving, joyful, peaceful, patient…?”
You get the idea.
On Sunday we’ll focus in on what it means to practice and cultivate the spiritual fruit of joy. And how joy is intrinsically linked to our best gifts, the best things we have to offer of ourselves.
And it will certainly be a joyful Sunday, with our Children’s and Handbell Choirs inspiring us and a bounteous, robust Coffee Hour after worship in the Sanctuary.
Come one, come all. Come let us celebrate and consecrate the gifts we offer, to God and to one another.
In faith,
Kent
Eastertide & Stewardship Season Themes:
May 4th – Intro to Discernment, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
May 11th – God has given me a gift of my own, 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11
May 18th – I don’t have to do it all, Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
May 25th – We have what we need, Ephesians 4: 11-14
June 1st – Celebrating our high school seniors, church school teachers
June 8th – Using my gifts is filled with joy, Galatians 5:22-23
