The Messenger

By Linda Barber

Someone sent me one of those “cute things children say” e-mails recently and I enjoyed each story, but with eight grandchildren, I have quite a collection from my own family.  For example,  the other day Jack had been in trouble several times before lunch, so at story time I assured him that, though I didn’t always like the things he did, I always loved him. He answered, “Oh Gramma, I know you love me more than anyone except Jesus.”   I considered explaining that I love all my grandchildren, but settled for saying I was rather fond of his grampa too, and he thought that was okay.

In February we tend to think a lot about love with all the Valentine hype, and it is a good thing to take the time to tell others that we really care for and about them, but we really should be showing our love daily and telling people how important they are to us more than once or twice a year.  I am a terrible correspondent.  I am always meaning to write a note or even an e-mail; sometimes I plan the whole thing in my head while I am doing something else and I may even start, but it rarely actually gets done.

I am glad that the men who put God’s Word on paper were more disciplined than that. What if Paul had not take the time to dictate all those letters which apply the teachings of the Lord to everyday living?  What if Luke had been too busy listening to all the testimonies of the apostles to take the time to write down in an orderly fashion the story of Christ’s birth and life?  What if John had tired of writing before he finished recording the vision God gave him of the end times?  We may struggle with the meaning of God’s Word and we may wonder why certain things were included and others conspicuously left out, but we have God’s assurance that everything we need to know to be His faithful and obedient servants is there, and we have the Holy Spirit to open our minds to understand His truth and give us strength to follow where it leads.  It is all there because when He put it on the hearts of His servants to write things down, they obeyed, and He saw to it that what was written was preserved for us to read, inwardly digest, and apply to our daily circumstances. 

Lent is the perfect time to develop a habit of daily Bible reading if you aren’t already doing that or perhaps expand your study and include quiet time actually thinking about what you’ve read.  You could look up some of those notations in the margin that tell you other places in the Bible that talk about the same thing, and if you have a study Bible, read the notes at the bottom of the page instead of skipping over them.  Sometimes it is more important to reread a passage several times that it is to accomplish a set amount of reading in a day.  If we are truly “in the Word,” we can’t be lukewarm about any of our relationships, especially with Jesus.

Lord, thank You for the gift of your Word.  Help me to stand firm in it in all my relationships and to be disciplined in my study so that I can know You better and grow in my faith.  Help me to be more like You.   Amen.

Have you gotten used to writing 2010 yet?  So far I haven’t  reverted to 09, but I feel sure that some day, at an inopportune moment, it will sneak out of my pen when I am not paying attention and cause me grief.

It seems as though a lot of things have been sneaking up on me when I wasn’t paying attention. For example, our oldest granddaughter turned 20 last week and her sister got her driver’s license, little Luke overnight changed from a cuddly baby to a 2 ½ year old whose favorite sentence is, “I don’t want to,” and someone added extra steps to the basement staircase (but only on the “up” side).  Then there is the fact that the pile of books I really want to read gets added to faster than I can read, and it’s hard to keep in touch with the teens in our family because I don’t text or have a Facebook page.  Sigh. I am falling sadly behind the times.

There is a commercial on TV for an anti-aging cream that fills in the wrinkle lines and makes one look younger.  I wonder if they sell it in gallon jugs.  On the other hand, if I look so young, how will my grandchildren recognize that I have experience and wisdom?  After all, I earned those wrinkles worrying about them and their parents before them.  I have learned to trust God to handle things, but I help Him out with a little worrying when I am not paying attention to where my mind is wandering. 

One of the advantages of being a grandparent is that I have time to just listen, time for hugs, and I don’t have to be responsible for fixing everything anymore.  Oh sure, I fix zippers, mend tears in clothes and things like that, but I have learned I am not responsible for fixing people.  I kiss “owies” and remind little ones that there is a reason for the no-running-in-the-house rule, but I can only pray they remember there are always consequences for rule-breaking when they grow up.

When it comes right down to it, I can offer suggestions (when asked), forgiveness when required, and love no matter what, but mostly I need to be wise enough to keep my mouth shut and my arms open wide, and I need to pray the prayer that never fails – “Thy will be done.”  My reward may be a “Thanks for listening, Gramma,” or, best of all, a big hug and an “I wuv you!” when I least expect it. 

Lord, thank You for always paying attention to my prayers and for answering them according to Your will and not necessarily mine. Thank You for not giving up on me anymore than I give up on those I love. I even thank You for the times when You are silent so I can practice being patient and trusting You. Most of all, thank You for my family and the lessons of love they continue to teach me.  Help me to share You with them so they learn early in life to walk with You and grow in wisdom and grace.  Amen.

I hope you have all noticed a change in our Stewardship Campaign this year. We are not taking up important time on Sunday morning bombarding you with information about budgets and tithing. This year we are asking you to attend a “Stewardship Gathering” so you can join the conversation about the future of St. Michael’s Church and how your time, talent and treasure are instrumental in making the future come true.
 
You will also find something new about the pledge card we will be using on November 15th, “Stewardship Sunday”. On the card you will find a place to put your name. We are asking our members to sign their pledge cards. Why? Because it enables the church to be good stewards of what you give to the church.  Your signed pledge card confirms your commitment to the support of the ministry and life of St. Michael’s Church and it also allows the church to streamline it’s accounting and tracking procedures. Rest assured that your pledge is confidential information known only to the treasurer and church administrator.

Another benefit for our members is that Stewardship Sunday will not have those confusing color coded envelopes and multiple pieces of paper. On November 15th, you will just have one item, “A pledge Card” fill it out and then place it on the altar as an offering of thanksgiving. Oh, and remember “Name, Please!”

Thank you.

Fr. Terry McGugan