Steve's Scratchings
Each year, as November gives way to December, we move from Thanksgiving to advent to Christmas. It can be a deeply spiritual journey. In Thanksgiving, we reflect and give thanks for all that God has given us over the past year. It is a time of fullness, family, memory, and joy. The season of Advent invites us to turn from the past and its fullness toward a spirituality of waiting and expectation. Whatever the past may have held, God offers a future of new grace and new beginnings. Morning by morning fresh mercies we see. At Christmas, we have both gift and promise, as the Savior who is, and who is to come, is born.
The whole notion of journey, of movement into the unknown, is central to the advent and Christmas story. Joseph and Mary traveling the hard miles to Bethlehem. Shepherds and magi traveling to an unknown destination. God coming to earth in human flesh. None of it according to the conventional religious expectations of the day; all of it risky and uncertain. Who but Almighty God could know how it would all end?
These themes speak to me this Thanksgiving and advent, because our church is embarking on a journey into unknown territory. We are embarking on a capital campaign which is more than just an effort to raise much-needed funds. It will be a spiritual journey as well.
Our church has done capital campaigns before - the most recent one the successful "What Do These Stones Mean?" campaign in the mid-1990's. It should not be surprising that we need to another one - many churches and institutions plan to do a major campaign every decade, if not more often. Nor should it be surprising that we need to invest significant money into our building, particularly our heating and cooling system. Five years ago, when we considered whether to flee the downtown or stay here, our consultant, Jeff Patton, warned us that if we chose to stay, we would have to invest $1- 2 million to prepare this facility for the future. So why is this a spiritual journey?
As I have discussed in other columns and other forums, we live in a fast-changing community. The Elkhart of 2007 is vastly different from the Elkhart of 1959, when this building was built; the Elkhart of 2007 is significantly different even from the Elkhart of 1997, when we did our last campaign.
What is God calling our church to be an to do in the community that exists now, and the one that will exist in the future? How will our building help or hinder our response to God's call? What do we need to do to prepare for a future in which we can respond faithfully and effectively to God's call? These are spiritual questions for each of us.
We will explore these questions in our campaign, starting
the afternoon of Sunday, December 9, with the very important
FutureFocus Workshop. Click for more details.
Just as advent and Christmas represented an interruption of "business as usual" for Mary and Joseph - and the whole world - this campaign requires an interruption of "church as usual." It will require people to pay attention, and to participate. We need the prayers and input of all our members and friends. I hope and pray that we can count on you.
Just as advent and Christmas represented an interruption of "business as usual" for Mary and Joseph - and the whole world - this campaign requires an interruption of "church as usual." It will require people to pay attention, and to participate. We need the prayers and input of all our members and friends. I hope and pray that we can count on you.
PYF will again be sponsoring a family this Christmas. The Giving Tree will be located just outside Fellowship Hall. Please take an item (or two)
to purchase, wrap, and return to church no later than December 16.
On Sunday morning,
December 9, the First
Presbyterian Church Instrumental Ensemble will play in the Gathering Place
at 9:30 a.m. Come and hear beautiful Christmas music as you enjoy
refreshments and fellowship to celebrate the sounds of the
season!
We
are planning an all church Cookie Bake on the evening of
November 27 at
Susanna's
Kitchen
is an ecumenical soup kitchen currently housed in First Congregational Church,
at Third and Marion. Our congregation serves food
the fourth Monday of each month. Volunteers need to
be there from 10:45-12:30. If you would like to help, sign up in the
Gathering Place or call Walt or Beth Davis(293-7786).
Paul Randall has qualified in indoor rowing
for your time to enable our members to the European Indoor Rowing
Dresden, Germany on December 15. He is one of eight men in the U.S. to
be eligible. He will compete as an individual rower for the
competition of 2000 meters (1 .24 miles). Keep Paul in your prayers as
he travels December 12 - 16 with his son, Tim to The church office will
be closed and from Germany.
Poinsettias..
.lt's time to order! Write a check (in the amount of your choice) and
give the names to be honored. Order forms are available outside the
Chapel, in the rear of the Sanctuary, and on the counter at the Bridge.