WELL, ITS STEWARDSHIP SEASON AGAIN; AND I AM ONE OF 3 STAFF MEMBERS WHO WILL BE SHARING WITH YOU OUR PERSONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT GIVING OVER THE NEXT 3 WEEKS.  THE TOPIC I WAS GIVEN WAS RESOURCES, ONE WE DONT NORMALLY HEAR, AS OPPOSED TO TITHING AND TREASURES.

BUT IT IS IRONIC TO HAVE THIS PHRASE IN THIS SEASON, IN THIS YEAR WHERE IT HAS HAD SO MUCH MEANING.  DO WE HAVE WE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO COMBAT THE CORONA VIRUS, ENOUGH VENTILATORS, ENOUGH PPE, ENOUGH FRONT-LINE WORKERS.   HAVE WE EXHAUSTED OUR RESOURCES IN FIGHTING THE NUMEROUS FIRES GROWING EACH YEAR, WILL WE HAVE THE RESOURCEFULNESS TO TAKE ON CLIMATE CHANGE, UNEMPLOYMENT, RACIAL AND CULTURAL TENSION?   SO MAYBE IT REALLY IS APPROPRIATE IN THIS VERY DIFFERENT YEAR.

SO,   WHILE WALKING AROUND EGLINGTON CEMETERY TWO WEEKS AGO, SOME THOUGHTS CAME TO MIND.  ONE WAS, THAT OUR CHURCH MEMBERS HAVE GIVEN OF THEIR RESOURCES IN THIS TOUGH TIME, THAT THE WAY WE GIVE IS CHANGING AS WELL.  SOME OF US HAVE AUTOMATIC DEDUCTION, SOME GO THROUGH THE PRESBYTERIAN FOUNDATION FOR THEIR OFFERING AND SOME OF US STILL WRITE CHECKS, AS I DO.  I KNOW IN MANY WAYS I MAY BE A DINOSAUR, BUT I MUST TELL YOU THAT THERE IS SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL TO ME ABOUT WRITING THAT CHECK – EVERY MONDAY MORNING.  IT IS ALWAYS THE FIRST BILL OF THE WEEK THAT ROSE AND I PAY, AND THAT SIGNIFICANCE HAS MEANING.  FOR IT REALLY ISNT A BILL, IT IS A BLESSING

BUT THEN, AS MY WALK CONTINUED  A MEMORY STRUCK ME CLEAR AS A BELL,   ABOUT ONE OF OUR MEMBERS WHOSE HEALTH ISSUES HAS NOT ALLOWED HER TO WORSHIP WITH US FOR SOME TIME NOW,   BUT HOW CLEARLY I REMEMBER GREETING JUDY FETTY EACH WEEK IN THE CHAPEL  AND MAKING THAT WALK THROUGH THE CHAPEL INTO THE SANCTUARY WHERE BEFORE SHE DID ANYTHING ELSE,  SHE WOULD STOP AT THE WINDOW AND TAKE OUT HER LITTLE CHANGE PURSE  AND ASK ME TO GET THE  WOODEN CHURCH   JUDY WOULD STRUGGLE AT TIMES WITH HER DEXTERITY BUT ALWAYS BRING OUT THE COINS, –  PENNIES, NICKELS, DIMES AND PUT THEM IN THE CHURCH FOR THE TWO CENTS A MEAL.    JUDY PUTS GIVING TO GOD FIRST EACH SUNDAY, SHE PUTS CHRIST AT THE CENTER OF HER GIVING AND MORE IMPORTANTLY AT THE CENTER OF HER LIFE. FOR EVEN AS DEMENTIA HAS GROWN, SO HAS HER LOVE OF GOD.

THAT LESSON IS NOT LOST ON ME, WHAT EACH OF US CHOOSES TO DO WITH THE RESOURCES GOD HAS GIVEN US IS OUR DECISION   AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE THOSE WEEKS AND MONTHS WHEN THOSE RESOURCES MAY BE STRAINED AND THE NEEDS ARE MANY – FOOD, CLOTHING, BILLS, PERSCRIPTIONS.

WE KNOW AS WELL, THIS IS NOT A YEAR FOR ANY OF US TO MAKE SPECIFIC DEMANDS, ONLY TO ASK THAT IF EACH OF US, KEEP CHRIST AT THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES, OUR RESOURCES, LIKE THE FISH AND THE LOAVES, WILL BE ABUNDANT.