From the Pastor…
In the most recent “Presbyterian Outlook,” magazine, Rev. Karie Charlton, who serves in Pittsburgh, PA imagines that the church has run aground, and we can’t sail anymore. She believes that it is time to disembark and find a new way to be the church post Covid. I agree with her recommendations for the body of Christ to move forward:
Be authentic. Be (and love) your most authentic self as a church and as individuals within the church community. Pretending to be what you think someone is looking for will only end in heartbreak for everyone. And worse, if you’re holding on to an ideal of what it means to be a church, people will notice that no one is free to be themselves.
Work together. Stop comparing yourself to other congregations but work together in loving partnership. It’s ok if you don’t have the same programs or attendance numbers or endowments as other churches. The comparison between congregations only makes people feel grief and shame.
Find another metric. The goal of ministry is not to put butts in pews. The PC(USA) Matthew 25 initiative is something a lot of us are talking about, but I wonder how many of us are hoping that by welcoming the stranger we will have more than 50 people in worship. That’s really not the point. Jesus talks about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and visiting the sick and imprisoned. I believe Jesus taught us to help vulnerable and marginalized people by ending systemic poverty and structural racism and providing hope for new life. Somehow, we have twisted that into putting on breakfast and egg hunts, so we get more kids to show up on Easter Sunday. We should be asking ourselves: Are we feeding the hungry or are we having brunch with the privileged?
I agree with Rev. Charlton that our call is to be authentic, to work together with others and measure ministry in lives transformed not by statistics. I continue to believe that our church does ministry this way and can do more ministry by loving as Christ loved, first. Please know that I am praying for you and hope to see you during the summer months as we continue to be a faithful witness of Christ’s ministry!
In Christ,
Phil
My mom died and we need to clear out her house soon so I was wondering if you (or anyone you know or any organization that you know) would like a donation of an antique piano?
My mother’s house was burglarized last year (on my birthday of all days) when she was in a nursing home so I’m afraid to post an ad online and yet I really hate to waste anything. Ever. Especially if someone out there has a need or desire for it.
This piano is very sentimental to me, my sister and my kids because it was our great grandmother’s piano and it was played by her, my grandmother, my mom, my sister and I and my own kids. I really hate to have to break that family chain but we simply don’t have room for it in on our own houses. It’s free but the only condition is we can’t afford to have someone move it so whoever wants it would need to have it moved to where it will end up.
To save precious time I’m going to send this email to all of the churches nearby so the first one who wants it and has the means to get it can have it.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Sylvia