This past Sunday, November 30, we entered the season of Advent. Advent begins every year on the fourth Sunday prior to Christmas Day; it is a season to recollect the hope of the coming of Christ, and to look forward to the Lord’s coming again. Ideally, Advent should feel different from the rest of the Christian year – not just because the sanctuary is beautifully decorated, not just because we light Advent candles every week, not just because we begin to sing songs that remind us of Christmas, but also because we have the privilege and the opportunity to be intentional about observing this season of Advent in our daily lives. That is to say, there are things we can do during this Advent season to nourish our spiritual selves. When practiced well, Advent can be a deeply enriching and life-giving spiritual experience. Yet how do we do that? It is so easy to get caught up in the “busy-ness” of the season – what can we do to stay focused on the reason for the season? When the whole retail industry is encouraging us to “buy, buy, buy,” what can we do to “grow, grow, grow”?
Here are half a dozen suggestions intended to help you grow spiritually this Advent season. Many of these can continue with you well after Advent is over.
Worship faithfully. Join us in community each week as we remember and celebrate the hope, peace, love, and joy of the coming of Jesus Christ this Advent season. Don’t allow your schedule to become so packed full of “things to do” or “presents to buy” that you neglect to carve out time to nourish your spirit in community with other fellow pilgrims. Every time we gather together to worship is an opportunity for spiritual renewal. Don’t just come because you feel like you’re supposed to; come because you know you need to – for your own well-being.
Read and study the lectionary passages prior to Sunday worship. We have a habit here of publishing the scripture readings for each Sunday in the newsletter. There’s a reason for that, and it’s not just to fill up space. I’d like to invite and encourage you to read the lessons before you arrive here for worship. Whether you know the Bible pretty well or whether you aren’t sure whether Isaiah is in the Old Testament or the New, this is a great practice to develop. When people spend time with the scriptures prior to worship, they tend to get more out of worship. If you’re not sure what the passages mean, spend some time in the church library – we have a whole set of the New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, and a partial set of the Westminster Bible Companion (it would sure be nice to complete that set!), both of which are good, solid, reliable commentaries on the various books of the Bible; the Westminster series may be a little more accessible for the novice. But even if you don’t feel inclined to explore the commentaries, simply exploring the scriptures will deepen your experience in worship.
Go deeper in the scriptures. For those who feel ready to really go deeper, there are structured ways to spend some time with the scriptures on a daily basis. One that I find useful is the “daily lectionary,” which every day provides one gospel reading, one reading from somewhere else in the New Testament, a few readings from the Psalms, and a reading from somewhere else in the Old Testament. Over the course of one year, you will read through the entire New Testament; over the course of two years, you will read through the bulk of the Old Testament. A new cycle of readings began just this past Sunday; Advent is a great time to start developing this habit. Some people find it difficult to keep up with all the readings simultaneously; it’s okay to simply focus on some of the readings – you could, for example, make a commitment to read one gospel text and one Psalm every day. You can find full details about the daily lectionary online at http://www.pcusa.org/devotions/lectionary/; you can print out month-by-month lists of readings, and you can even subscribe to an email list that will provide you with each day’s readings automatically in your inbox every day.
Spend some time in prayer or meditation daily. Lay your hopes and fears and dreams and joys and concerns before God. Some people prefer to do this in “traditional” ways; others may prefer some “non-traditional” ways, such as journaling or even yoga. Don’t forget, when you pray or meditate, to listen attentively for what God might be telling you; sometimes, we’re so busy talking to God that we neglect to listen for what God might be saying to us in the silence. Personally, I have found two books immensely helpful to help me grow in my own devotional life: Soul Feast by Marjorie Thompson is a wonderful introduction to the spiritual life, written by an ordained PC(USA) minister (and it’s a great book to read and discuss in the company of others); and Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life by Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn, and Matthew Linn is a very simple book that introduces a very simple practice that you can do at the end of each day to prayerfully reflect on your day’s high points and low points, and to listen for what God might be saying to you through those reflections. I have been wonderfully enriched by spending time with both books and engaging in the practices they recommend, and I heartily recommend them to others. Of course, enriching your prayer life is something you can do in any season – but why not start now, here in this season when we’re expectantly looking forward to the coming of Jesus Christ?
Develop some Advent disciplines with your family or the members of your household. There’s nothing quite like having your own Advent wreath sitting on your kitchen table, using an Advent calendar, lighting candles, singing songs, and/or reading passages out loud together. Our church is, right now, giving away copies of a book filled with activities that you can do at home to help deepen the meaning of this Advent season, and another book filled with Advent devotions. Pick these up, take them home, and find ways to engage in practices in your homes that foster the Advent spirit. Remember, Advent isn’t just (or even primarily) for children – it is an opportunity for spiritual growth for all of us!
Consider alternative Christmas giving. In the past hundred years in our culture, getting ready for Christmas has become a tremendously commercial activity; the emphasis in the culture around us seems to be on buying things in retail chain stores. It was not always so. There are other things we can do to show our love for the people we care about. Some people would simply welcome someone willing to spend some time with them. Or, how about creating something for the people you love – maybe some art, or some pottery, or some poetry, or a song? There are also ways to give gifts to other people that provide benefit to people in need near at hand or far across the globe; you can always make a charitable donation to various worthy causes (like Loaves and Fishes, Heifer International, or Church World Service). You can also buy gifts that guarantee that the workers who made these products are getting a fair return for their labor, such as fair trade gifts, Ten Thousand Villages products, and sweat-free tees. Our own Maggie Knust will be leading a class this coming Sunday following worship on alternative Christmas giving in which she will be talking about the ways you can give “alternative” gifts to your loved ones this Christmas season; for a little teaser, you can explore http://www.pcusa.org/enough/.
Ultimately, how you spend Advent is up to you. These weeks leading up to Christmas can be a time of incredible stress. They can also be an opportunity for you to focus your priorities, to look for ways to concentrate on the real meaning of the season, and to grow in the ways of Jesus Christ. Isn’t that what really matters?
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor
December 1, 2008
November 1, 2008
Tough Talk About Stewardship (Part III)
We come now to the end of a three-part series about stewardship. I’ve offered you two articles about stewardship already (or were they sermons?), and here is the third, and final. Two months ago, I talked about how we might be good stewards of the monetary treasures that God has given to us. Last month, I talked about how we might be good stewards of the various other gifts and blessings that God has given to us as we go through our daily lives. This month, I’m going to talk about how we might be good stewards of the promises that we have offered to God.
For those of you who are members of the church, there was, at some point in the past, a moment in which you stood before the entire congregation and made some promises. You made some promises to yourself; you made some promises to the congregation; you made some promises to God. (For those of you who are considering membership, there will come a time when you make promises like that!) The specific wording of those promises has changed over time, but the general thrust has remained the same. Today, when someone joins the church, we typically ask this question: Will you be a faithful member of this congregation, share in its worship and ministry, through your prayers and gifts, your study and service, and so fulfill your calling to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? The one who is joining the church answers in the affirmative: “I will, with God’s help.” Then we pray for that person, that she or he might diligently and faithfully fulfill their promise. This can happen either by rote - simply reciting the words that we are supposed to utter, or it can happen with intentionality – a deliberate, heartfelt desire to genuinely follow through on the promise.
I always pray that it is the latter.
But how often do we stop and consider what the words mean? How often do we pause to reflect on what, exactly, we are promising to ourselves, and to the congregation, and to God? How often do we reflect on how we might be good stewards of the promise that we have made? For most of us, the answer probably is – not very often!
Well, let’s do it today.
According to the constitution of our church, “a faithful member accepts Christ’s call to be involved responsibly in the ministry of his church.” The constitution goes on to say that such involvement includes:
You see, membership in the church isn’t a right so much as it is a responsibility. Jesus Christ calls us to be responsible members of the church . . . in a whole variety of different ways. Using the words of the promise we make when we become members of the church, let me offer some specific reflections on what responsible membership looks like. . . .
A faithful member shares in the worship and ministry of the church. Our church constitution is quite clear: It is not possible to be a faithful member without participating in the worship life of the community of faith. It is also not possible to be a faithful member without participating in the ministry of the church. According to our church’s constitution, the difference between an “active member” and an “inactive member” is that active members participate in the worship and work of the church, whereas inactive members do not. Faithful membership involves both worship and work.
Currently, our congregation offers at least six worship services a month – at least four on Sunday mornings, and at least two on Sunday evenings. There are plans in the works to add additional worship opportunities at other times. In other words, we are trying to provide an array of worship possibilities to suit varying tastes and interests and work schedules. There are many people here in this congregation who are very faithful in their attendance patterns. But I have discovered an interesting statistical fact, which I think is worth sharing. If you look at our total membership – the total number of people on our roll of “active members” – and if you compare it to our average worship attendance – the total number of people present here for worship on Sundays, averaged out over the course of the year – and compare it with some of our sister congregations, a very interesting pattern emerges. When you compare our attendance and membership statistics with the statistics of the other ten Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations in the greater Lansing area, you discover that for four out of the past five years, our congregation has had the lowest attendance-to-membership ratio of any of those eleven congregations. Our lowest year was 2003, when our average attendance was less than a third of the total membership of the congregation. (Those of you who were here then know that there are some complex reasons why that was the case.) Our highest ratio in the past five years was in the year 2006, when our average attendance was approximately 43% of the total membership of the congregation. The statistical average for all eleven Presbyterian congregations in the area in the past five years has generally hovered between 44% and 47%. Two or three churches in the region have had considerably higher statistical averages at various times over the past five years, with average worship attendance equal to anywhere from 50% to 65% of their total membership in those years. Those are the kinds of numbers I would like to see here! That’s the kind of commitment I would like to see here! Let me be clear about this – just so everybody knows and so there are no surprises: one of my long-term goals here is to help this congregation grow both spiritually and numerically. By that, I don’t just mean getting more people on our membership roll. I mean getting more people involved and invested in the worship and work of this community of faith. I want to see a steady increase in the number of people who choose to worship here regularly and faithfully. I also want to see a steady increase in our attendance-to-membership ratio. That’s not because I care about statistics – the numbers are not what really matters, although the statistics do serve as a tool to help us to measure our effectiveness. The fundamental reason I want to see an increase in spiritual and numerical growth is because we are called – in the words of Jesus – to “make disciples of all nations,” and one critical component of discipleship is faithful participation in the worship life of the church.
Faithful membership also involves faithful participation in the work of the church. In our tradition, we believe that every member is a minister. This congregation does not have one minister; it has (as of right now) two hundred forty ministers! Or, at least, we have two hundred forty ministers, in theory. What happens in practice – well, that’s another matter. We have to work to make the practice more truly reflect the theory. Let me be clear about this, just so everybody knows and so there are no surprises: another one of my long-term goals here is to see that every member has some kind of job to do here in the church (with the sole exception of those people whose health makes this impossible). I believe that every single member needs to be doing something to help our congregation accomplish our mission. That could be serving on Session, serving as a Deacon, serving as a member of a committee, serving as an usher, serving as a greeter, serving as a liturgist, singing in the choir, singing with the praise team, playing an instrument, teaching Sunday School, teaching adults, leading a small group, cooking for Wednesday night dinner, cooking for Sunday night dinner, helping with the Wednesday night program, welcoming visitors, counting the offering, creating or running the PowerPoint, editing the bulletin or the newsletter, stuffing the bulletin or the newsletter, helping to keep the church clean both inside and out, helping with publicity, delivering communion to shut-ins, visiting people in the hospital or in their homes, helping in the office, and so forth. The list could go on and on, for a very long time. There are endless possibilities of ways in which people can actively serve in the church to promote the mission of the church; the trick is often figuring out which ways represent the best use of people’s gifts. That can be hard sometimes, but there are tools that we can use to help people discern their gifts. I would like for every single member to be able to say honestly, “I help promote the mission of the church by doing __________.” Jesus calls us to serve in his name – to be faithful disciples – in both word and deed, and one critical component of discipleship is faithful participation in the work of the church.
A faithful member shares in the worship and work of the church through prayers, gifts, study, and service. Now, we start to get specific. The promise that we agree to when we join the church is that we will share in the worship and work of the church by doing several very specific things. We agree to pray. We agree to use our gifts for the betterment of the church. We agree to study. We agree to serve. I’ve already talked a bit about using our gifts; I’ve already talked a bit about service. I’ll have more to say about prayer at another time, but let me offer a word here about study.
When we join the church, we make a promise that we will study. What that means is that we promise to study the scriptures and the faith of the Christian church. There are a good number of adults here who participate in various opportunities for spiritual growth, and there are some amazing conversations that happen during some of those opportunities. Just this fall, we added one new class and one new small group Bible study. I hope that we will continue to expand. Christian education is not primarily just for children! When we get confirmed as a teenager, or when we join the church as an adult, we are taking just the first step in what ideally should be a lifelong spiritual journey. We are called to study the scriptures and the faith of the church not just before we become members, but also throughout the whole course of time that we are members. We all get a weekly dose of the scriptures in our Sunday worship, but I don’t believe that’s sufficient. I myself have grown spiritually through sitting through many sermons (some of which fed me more than others!), but I also know that I have really grown spiritually when I am sitting in a room full of other people and we are actively talking about what these scriptures mean for the here and now of our daily lives, and I have to work to develop my own, personal, robust understanding of what it means to be a Christian. In other words, I believe in the power of sitting around in a roomful of fellow Christian pilgrims and talking about the scriptures and the faith of the church. Our congregation is committed to “fostering spiritual growth” – that’s part of our mission statement – and I would like to urge every single member of the church to find some place where you can sit down with other people and talk about what this Christian faith means in your daily life. We’ve currently got about half a dozen places where you can do that, and my hope and desire is that we will add more in the years to come. And if my urging isn’t enough to persuade you that this is important? Well, remember that once upon a time, you made a promise to yourself, to the congregation, and to God that you would study. I believe that involves more than just listening to preachers preach; I heartily recommend investing your time and energy into a class where you can talk to others about matters of faith in daily practice. That would be a great way to be a good steward of the promise that you once made to yourself, to the congregation and to God. I believe it involves getting yourself in a group with people who are reading and talking and thinking and praying together. So, today, I’m reminding you that, at some point in your life, you promised that you would study, I’m giving thanks to God for those many people here who are already doing that, and I’m inviting the rest of you to be good stewards of that promise that you once made.
A faithful member fulfills her or his calling to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. At rock bottom, that’s what all this is about: We are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Being active in the worship and work of the congregation – that’s discipleship. Offering our prayers, our gifts, our study, and our service – that’s discipleship. Being a faithful member of the church – that’s discipleship. It’s part of the essence of what it means to be Presbyterian. It’s part of the essence of what it what it means to be a Christian. It’s part of the essence of what it means to be a member of the church. We have promised – to ourselves, to the congregation, and to God – that we intend to fulfill our calling to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Let’s be good stewards of that promise!
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor
For those of you who are members of the church, there was, at some point in the past, a moment in which you stood before the entire congregation and made some promises. You made some promises to yourself; you made some promises to the congregation; you made some promises to God. (For those of you who are considering membership, there will come a time when you make promises like that!) The specific wording of those promises has changed over time, but the general thrust has remained the same. Today, when someone joins the church, we typically ask this question: Will you be a faithful member of this congregation, share in its worship and ministry, through your prayers and gifts, your study and service, and so fulfill your calling to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? The one who is joining the church answers in the affirmative: “I will, with God’s help.” Then we pray for that person, that she or he might diligently and faithfully fulfill their promise. This can happen either by rote - simply reciting the words that we are supposed to utter, or it can happen with intentionality – a deliberate, heartfelt desire to genuinely follow through on the promise.
I always pray that it is the latter.
But how often do we stop and consider what the words mean? How often do we pause to reflect on what, exactly, we are promising to ourselves, and to the congregation, and to God? How often do we reflect on how we might be good stewards of the promise that we have made? For most of us, the answer probably is – not very often!
Well, let’s do it today.
According to the constitution of our church, “a faithful member accepts Christ’s call to be involved responsibly in the ministry of his church.” The constitution goes on to say that such involvement includes:
- proclaiming the good news,
- taking part in the common life and worship of a particular church,
- praying and studying Scripture and the faith of the Christian Church,
- supporting the work of the church through the giving of money, time, and talents,
- participating in the governing responsibilities of the church,
- demonstrating a new quality of life within and through the church,
- responding to God’s activity in the world through service to others,
- living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political, cultural, and social relationships of life,
- working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment.
You see, membership in the church isn’t a right so much as it is a responsibility. Jesus Christ calls us to be responsible members of the church . . . in a whole variety of different ways. Using the words of the promise we make when we become members of the church, let me offer some specific reflections on what responsible membership looks like. . . .
A faithful member shares in the worship and ministry of the church. Our church constitution is quite clear: It is not possible to be a faithful member without participating in the worship life of the community of faith. It is also not possible to be a faithful member without participating in the ministry of the church. According to our church’s constitution, the difference between an “active member” and an “inactive member” is that active members participate in the worship and work of the church, whereas inactive members do not. Faithful membership involves both worship and work.
Currently, our congregation offers at least six worship services a month – at least four on Sunday mornings, and at least two on Sunday evenings. There are plans in the works to add additional worship opportunities at other times. In other words, we are trying to provide an array of worship possibilities to suit varying tastes and interests and work schedules. There are many people here in this congregation who are very faithful in their attendance patterns. But I have discovered an interesting statistical fact, which I think is worth sharing. If you look at our total membership – the total number of people on our roll of “active members” – and if you compare it to our average worship attendance – the total number of people present here for worship on Sundays, averaged out over the course of the year – and compare it with some of our sister congregations, a very interesting pattern emerges. When you compare our attendance and membership statistics with the statistics of the other ten Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations in the greater Lansing area, you discover that for four out of the past five years, our congregation has had the lowest attendance-to-membership ratio of any of those eleven congregations. Our lowest year was 2003, when our average attendance was less than a third of the total membership of the congregation. (Those of you who were here then know that there are some complex reasons why that was the case.) Our highest ratio in the past five years was in the year 2006, when our average attendance was approximately 43% of the total membership of the congregation. The statistical average for all eleven Presbyterian congregations in the area in the past five years has generally hovered between 44% and 47%. Two or three churches in the region have had considerably higher statistical averages at various times over the past five years, with average worship attendance equal to anywhere from 50% to 65% of their total membership in those years. Those are the kinds of numbers I would like to see here! That’s the kind of commitment I would like to see here! Let me be clear about this – just so everybody knows and so there are no surprises: one of my long-term goals here is to help this congregation grow both spiritually and numerically. By that, I don’t just mean getting more people on our membership roll. I mean getting more people involved and invested in the worship and work of this community of faith. I want to see a steady increase in the number of people who choose to worship here regularly and faithfully. I also want to see a steady increase in our attendance-to-membership ratio. That’s not because I care about statistics – the numbers are not what really matters, although the statistics do serve as a tool to help us to measure our effectiveness. The fundamental reason I want to see an increase in spiritual and numerical growth is because we are called – in the words of Jesus – to “make disciples of all nations,” and one critical component of discipleship is faithful participation in the worship life of the church.
Faithful membership also involves faithful participation in the work of the church. In our tradition, we believe that every member is a minister. This congregation does not have one minister; it has (as of right now) two hundred forty ministers! Or, at least, we have two hundred forty ministers, in theory. What happens in practice – well, that’s another matter. We have to work to make the practice more truly reflect the theory. Let me be clear about this, just so everybody knows and so there are no surprises: another one of my long-term goals here is to see that every member has some kind of job to do here in the church (with the sole exception of those people whose health makes this impossible). I believe that every single member needs to be doing something to help our congregation accomplish our mission. That could be serving on Session, serving as a Deacon, serving as a member of a committee, serving as an usher, serving as a greeter, serving as a liturgist, singing in the choir, singing with the praise team, playing an instrument, teaching Sunday School, teaching adults, leading a small group, cooking for Wednesday night dinner, cooking for Sunday night dinner, helping with the Wednesday night program, welcoming visitors, counting the offering, creating or running the PowerPoint, editing the bulletin or the newsletter, stuffing the bulletin or the newsletter, helping to keep the church clean both inside and out, helping with publicity, delivering communion to shut-ins, visiting people in the hospital or in their homes, helping in the office, and so forth. The list could go on and on, for a very long time. There are endless possibilities of ways in which people can actively serve in the church to promote the mission of the church; the trick is often figuring out which ways represent the best use of people’s gifts. That can be hard sometimes, but there are tools that we can use to help people discern their gifts. I would like for every single member to be able to say honestly, “I help promote the mission of the church by doing __________.” Jesus calls us to serve in his name – to be faithful disciples – in both word and deed, and one critical component of discipleship is faithful participation in the work of the church.
A faithful member shares in the worship and work of the church through prayers, gifts, study, and service. Now, we start to get specific. The promise that we agree to when we join the church is that we will share in the worship and work of the church by doing several very specific things. We agree to pray. We agree to use our gifts for the betterment of the church. We agree to study. We agree to serve. I’ve already talked a bit about using our gifts; I’ve already talked a bit about service. I’ll have more to say about prayer at another time, but let me offer a word here about study.
When we join the church, we make a promise that we will study. What that means is that we promise to study the scriptures and the faith of the Christian church. There are a good number of adults here who participate in various opportunities for spiritual growth, and there are some amazing conversations that happen during some of those opportunities. Just this fall, we added one new class and one new small group Bible study. I hope that we will continue to expand. Christian education is not primarily just for children! When we get confirmed as a teenager, or when we join the church as an adult, we are taking just the first step in what ideally should be a lifelong spiritual journey. We are called to study the scriptures and the faith of the church not just before we become members, but also throughout the whole course of time that we are members. We all get a weekly dose of the scriptures in our Sunday worship, but I don’t believe that’s sufficient. I myself have grown spiritually through sitting through many sermons (some of which fed me more than others!), but I also know that I have really grown spiritually when I am sitting in a room full of other people and we are actively talking about what these scriptures mean for the here and now of our daily lives, and I have to work to develop my own, personal, robust understanding of what it means to be a Christian. In other words, I believe in the power of sitting around in a roomful of fellow Christian pilgrims and talking about the scriptures and the faith of the church. Our congregation is committed to “fostering spiritual growth” – that’s part of our mission statement – and I would like to urge every single member of the church to find some place where you can sit down with other people and talk about what this Christian faith means in your daily life. We’ve currently got about half a dozen places where you can do that, and my hope and desire is that we will add more in the years to come. And if my urging isn’t enough to persuade you that this is important? Well, remember that once upon a time, you made a promise to yourself, to the congregation, and to God that you would study. I believe that involves more than just listening to preachers preach; I heartily recommend investing your time and energy into a class where you can talk to others about matters of faith in daily practice. That would be a great way to be a good steward of the promise that you once made to yourself, to the congregation and to God. I believe it involves getting yourself in a group with people who are reading and talking and thinking and praying together. So, today, I’m reminding you that, at some point in your life, you promised that you would study, I’m giving thanks to God for those many people here who are already doing that, and I’m inviting the rest of you to be good stewards of that promise that you once made.
A faithful member fulfills her or his calling to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. At rock bottom, that’s what all this is about: We are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Being active in the worship and work of the congregation – that’s discipleship. Offering our prayers, our gifts, our study, and our service – that’s discipleship. Being a faithful member of the church – that’s discipleship. It’s part of the essence of what it means to be Presbyterian. It’s part of the essence of what it what it means to be a Christian. It’s part of the essence of what it means to be a member of the church. We have promised – to ourselves, to the congregation, and to God – that we intend to fulfill our calling to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Let’s be good stewards of that promise!
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor
October 1, 2008
Tough Talk About Stewardship (Part II)
I promised you last month that I would say more about stewardship this month, but that I wouldn’t say one word about money. Well, here goes!
I offered you one definition of stewardship last month. Here is another definition, somewhat similar but also somewhat different: Stewardship is what we do when we recognize that everything that we have comes to us as a gift and a blessing from God, and we make conscious and deliberate choices to use those gifts and those blessings in responsible ways, seeking to be good stewards of the gifts and the blessings that God has entrusted to us.
This is a much more all-encompassing view of stewardship than one that focuses exclusively on money! It has to do with everything in our lives, and in the life of this world. It invites us to consider all the gifts and blessings that God has given us, and it challenges us to reflect on what we do with all these gifts and blessings.
What are the gifts and the blessings that God has given to us? What kind of choices can we make to use those gifts and blessings in responsible ways? How can we be good stewards of the gifts and the blessings that God has entrusted to us?
Here are some partial answers to those questions. This is by no means a complete list! As I keep growing in my own Christian walk and my understanding of what it means to be a responsible steward, I keep coming up with more answers. Some of these may be obvious to you; some of them may be new to you; you may be able to come up with some that I haven’t thought of yet. I am about to provide some partial answers – and each answer generates even more questions! Be aware that I am about to raise some issues that may be difficult to hear. Believe me, some of the issues I raise are difficult for me to hear!
What are some gifts and blessings that God has given to us, gifts and blessings for which we have some choice as to how we will use them, gifts and blessings that God has entrusted to us for which we are called to be good stewards? Here are a few. . . .
Our spiritual selves. Jesus calls us to love the Lord our God with all our soul. Each of us has a spark of the divine within us. We have the choice of nurturing that spark within us. Sometimes the world around us seems like it’s trying to stifle that spirit, rather than nurturing it. What can we do to be good stewards of the spiritual selves that God has gifted to us? There are a myriad of ways to do this. One way is through art, or music, or drama, or poetry, or writing - finding ways to allow our creative and expressive selves to move in harmony with the rhythms of God. There’s also much wisdom in that old familiar adage to “read the Bible and pray,” so long as we understand that is an invitation and an opportunity rather than as a mandate or a demand. The real trick with Bible reading and praying, in my mind, is making the connection to what’s really going on deep down inside us. When it comes to reading the Bible, I would say: soak in the scriptures! Drench yourself in God’s word. Don’t be afraid to struggle with the scriptures; I think one of the ways we really grow spiritually is when we ask tough questions of the text, and when we allow the text to ask tough questions of us. I can’t tell you how many times it’s the case that when I’m wrestling with the scriptures I find the text speaking to me in new ways that I had never considered before, challenging me in ways that I might not necessarily want to be challenged! When it comes to prayer, I would say: cut loose! Let it all hang out! Don’t be afraid to cry out to God from the very depths of your heart. Don’t be afraid to bring before God’s feet your toughest issues, your deepest hurts, your biggest worries, your greatest joys. Don’t be afraid to cry out to God with the fullest expression of your soul. I think God can handle it all! I find the Psalms to be a tremendously helpful resource and model; those poets who wrote many centuries ago weren’t afraid to talk about how they would drench their pillow at night with their tears, or about how they were afraid of people who wanted to do them harm, or how joyfully exuberant they were in those moments when – just when they thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse – something happened that made them feel the amazing grace of almighty God. The psalmists weren’t afraid to show God their real, raw feelings; neither should we. There is so much that we can do to nourish our spiritual selves; I have mentioned here just a few ways. God has given us the gift of our spiritual selves. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our bodies. Jesus calls us to love the Lord our God with all our strength. Paul, in his first letter to the fledgling church in Corinth, describes a person’s body as “a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God” and calls his hearers to “glorify God in your body.” What can we do to be good stewards of the bodies that God has gifted to us? Do we smoke? Drink excessively? Use drugs? What kind of eating habits do we have? How much junk food or soda do we consume in a typical week? Are we getting enough protein? Fruits and vegetables? Are we overweight? Underweight? Do we get enough exercise? What are we doing to maintain our present level of physical health? What are we doing to improve our present level of physical health? God has given us the gift of our bodies. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our minds. Jesus calls us to love the Lord our God with all our mind, and Paul challenged the early Christians in Rome to “be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” Of all the life on this planet (with the possible exception of the dolphins!), God has given to us the greatest degree of mental prowess. We humans have often used our minds for tremendously good causes, but unfortunately we have also used our minds for tremendously evil causes, developing horrible schemes throughout the pages of history for harming or destroying other beloved children of God. What can we do to be good stewards of the minds that God has gifted to us? What can we do to foster and stimulate the good use of this amazing gift? There are all sorts of possibilities. How about taking a class to explore a subject you’ve always been interested in? Or exploring the treasures to be found in the public library, or in an art museum? Or learning how to play an instrument? Or exploring more deeply the mysteries of the universe? Literature, art, music, science – there is so much out there worth learning about, so much that can enrich our understanding of and appreciation for this world in which we live and all the creatures in it. (And let it never be said that this is a church where you have to check your brain at the door!) God has given us the gift of our minds. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our emotions. Jesus calls us to love the Lord our God with all our heart. In the ancient Hebrew world in which our faith originated, the heart was viewed as the seat of all human emotions. Paul talks about emotions a lot – anger, jealously, greed, enmity, envy, hatred, not to mention love, compassion, mercy, peacefulness, and so forth. We humans have been blessed with a tremendous range of emotions. What can we do to be good stewards of the emotions that God has gifted to us? Sometimes, we carry around grudges; sometimes, we carry around fears; sometimes, we carry around hurts; sometimes, we carry around worries; sometimes, we carry around anxiety; sometimes, we carry around jealousies; sometimes, we carry around all sorts of unpleasant emotions because we haven’t figured out how to let go of them and to embrace a more productive way of living. There are people out there who know how to help us work through the emotional baggage that is weighing us down so that we can become happier, healthier human beings, and there is no shame in going to these people to get help. God has given us the gift of our emotions. Howe can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our tongues. There’s a wonderful section in the book of James in the New Testament about “taming the tongue.” The author calls the tongue “a restless evil, full of deadly poison,” says that “from the same mouth comes blessing and cursing,” and declares that “this ought not to be so.” He’s talking about the ways in which we speak to one another. What can we do to be good stewards of the tongues that God has gifted to us? Who among us has never been hurt by harsh words that others have spoken? Who among us has never yelled at somebody else? Words can build people up, but words can also tear people down. When we are angry, or upset, or frustrated, what do we do with our tongues? Do we lash out in ways that are hurtful and destructive? Or do we take a moment to catch our breath, and put forth a little extra effort to make sure that whatever comes out of our mouth is going to be constructive rather than destructive? God has given to us the gift of our tongues. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our time. The psalmist proclaims, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Every day that we are alive comes to us as a gift from God. Every hour that we are alive comes to us as a gift from God – all 24/7/365 of them. God has blessed us with a tremendous amount of time. What can we do to be good stewards of the time that God has gifted to us? How do we find healthy balance between work and play, between service and Sabbath? Do we try to cram so much work into our day that we don’t have any time left for family, friends, ministry to others, or just plain rest? Or, alternatively, do we have so little work to do that we find ourselves bored, listless, struggling in vain trying to come up with things to do to keep us busy? How much of our time do we spend addressing our own “needs” (real or imagined), and how much of our time do we spend on the real needs of others? What is a healthy balance between care of self and responsibility to the world? God has given us the gift of time. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our children. Jesus invited children to come to him; the books of Deuteronomy and Proverbs in the Old Testament both stress the importance of raising children responsibly; Psalm 103 celebrates the gift of God’s righteousness that is given to children’s children. Over and over again, we hear about the importance of children, and the responsibility we adults have for shepherding our children. As a parent, I know how difficult that “shepherding” work can be at times! Children are one of the greatest blessings that many of us are fortunate to be given, but they are also a tremendous responsibility. We have a responsibility to shepherd our children in responsible ways. That’s not always easy! What can we do to be good stewards of the children that God has gifted to us? There is no end of parenting resources out there, but there also, unfortunately, seems to be no end of children who have grown up with lingering scars from their childhood. I grieve when I hear stories of children who have been abused, or neglected, or deemed by a parent to be “not good enough” to receive their love and care, or who are viewed by their parents more as trophies than as people. Parenting is a tremendously rewarding task, but it is also tremendously challenging at times, and one of the questions those of us who are parents always need to be asking ourselves (no matter how old our children are!) is, “Am I being as good and responsible a parent as I can possibly be?” When I look at myself honestly, I know that too often the answer is, “No, I’m not; I could be doing better.” God has given us the gift of our children. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our planet. In the creation story in the first chapter of Genesis, God gives to humanity some responsibility for this world that we live on, and all the other creatures with whom we share this earth. The psalmists repeatedly extol the beauties of the world. In recent years, we have become more aware of the impact we humans have had on the world and the creatures that live in it. We have, quite honestly, not been very good stewards of our world, and we and other creatures are suffering because of it. What can we do to be good stewards of the planet that God has gifted to us? What can we do to reduce our carbon footprint? Are there ways we can reduce gas consumption? Water consumption? Are there ways we can improve our home’s energy efficiency? (What about the energy efficiency of our church building?) How about carpooling to work, or walking or riding a bike to places near your home? What can we do to reduce unnecessary waste? What are some things we can do now to make this world a better and healthier place for our grandchildren, and their grandchildren? God has given us the gift of our planet. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Those are some of the gifts and blessings that I can think of that God has given to us, and some of the ways in which I believe God calls us to be good stewards of God’s gifts and blessings. Maybe you can think of some more. . . .
Next month, I conclude this little series on stewardship, with an emphasis on how God calls us to be responsible stewards for this community of faith. And again, I promise – I won’t mention money!
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor
I offered you one definition of stewardship last month. Here is another definition, somewhat similar but also somewhat different: Stewardship is what we do when we recognize that everything that we have comes to us as a gift and a blessing from God, and we make conscious and deliberate choices to use those gifts and those blessings in responsible ways, seeking to be good stewards of the gifts and the blessings that God has entrusted to us.
This is a much more all-encompassing view of stewardship than one that focuses exclusively on money! It has to do with everything in our lives, and in the life of this world. It invites us to consider all the gifts and blessings that God has given us, and it challenges us to reflect on what we do with all these gifts and blessings.
What are the gifts and the blessings that God has given to us? What kind of choices can we make to use those gifts and blessings in responsible ways? How can we be good stewards of the gifts and the blessings that God has entrusted to us?
Here are some partial answers to those questions. This is by no means a complete list! As I keep growing in my own Christian walk and my understanding of what it means to be a responsible steward, I keep coming up with more answers. Some of these may be obvious to you; some of them may be new to you; you may be able to come up with some that I haven’t thought of yet. I am about to provide some partial answers – and each answer generates even more questions! Be aware that I am about to raise some issues that may be difficult to hear. Believe me, some of the issues I raise are difficult for me to hear!
What are some gifts and blessings that God has given to us, gifts and blessings for which we have some choice as to how we will use them, gifts and blessings that God has entrusted to us for which we are called to be good stewards? Here are a few. . . .
Our spiritual selves. Jesus calls us to love the Lord our God with all our soul. Each of us has a spark of the divine within us. We have the choice of nurturing that spark within us. Sometimes the world around us seems like it’s trying to stifle that spirit, rather than nurturing it. What can we do to be good stewards of the spiritual selves that God has gifted to us? There are a myriad of ways to do this. One way is through art, or music, or drama, or poetry, or writing - finding ways to allow our creative and expressive selves to move in harmony with the rhythms of God. There’s also much wisdom in that old familiar adage to “read the Bible and pray,” so long as we understand that is an invitation and an opportunity rather than as a mandate or a demand. The real trick with Bible reading and praying, in my mind, is making the connection to what’s really going on deep down inside us. When it comes to reading the Bible, I would say: soak in the scriptures! Drench yourself in God’s word. Don’t be afraid to struggle with the scriptures; I think one of the ways we really grow spiritually is when we ask tough questions of the text, and when we allow the text to ask tough questions of us. I can’t tell you how many times it’s the case that when I’m wrestling with the scriptures I find the text speaking to me in new ways that I had never considered before, challenging me in ways that I might not necessarily want to be challenged! When it comes to prayer, I would say: cut loose! Let it all hang out! Don’t be afraid to cry out to God from the very depths of your heart. Don’t be afraid to bring before God’s feet your toughest issues, your deepest hurts, your biggest worries, your greatest joys. Don’t be afraid to cry out to God with the fullest expression of your soul. I think God can handle it all! I find the Psalms to be a tremendously helpful resource and model; those poets who wrote many centuries ago weren’t afraid to talk about how they would drench their pillow at night with their tears, or about how they were afraid of people who wanted to do them harm, or how joyfully exuberant they were in those moments when – just when they thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse – something happened that made them feel the amazing grace of almighty God. The psalmists weren’t afraid to show God their real, raw feelings; neither should we. There is so much that we can do to nourish our spiritual selves; I have mentioned here just a few ways. God has given us the gift of our spiritual selves. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our bodies. Jesus calls us to love the Lord our God with all our strength. Paul, in his first letter to the fledgling church in Corinth, describes a person’s body as “a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God” and calls his hearers to “glorify God in your body.” What can we do to be good stewards of the bodies that God has gifted to us? Do we smoke? Drink excessively? Use drugs? What kind of eating habits do we have? How much junk food or soda do we consume in a typical week? Are we getting enough protein? Fruits and vegetables? Are we overweight? Underweight? Do we get enough exercise? What are we doing to maintain our present level of physical health? What are we doing to improve our present level of physical health? God has given us the gift of our bodies. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our minds. Jesus calls us to love the Lord our God with all our mind, and Paul challenged the early Christians in Rome to “be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” Of all the life on this planet (with the possible exception of the dolphins!), God has given to us the greatest degree of mental prowess. We humans have often used our minds for tremendously good causes, but unfortunately we have also used our minds for tremendously evil causes, developing horrible schemes throughout the pages of history for harming or destroying other beloved children of God. What can we do to be good stewards of the minds that God has gifted to us? What can we do to foster and stimulate the good use of this amazing gift? There are all sorts of possibilities. How about taking a class to explore a subject you’ve always been interested in? Or exploring the treasures to be found in the public library, or in an art museum? Or learning how to play an instrument? Or exploring more deeply the mysteries of the universe? Literature, art, music, science – there is so much out there worth learning about, so much that can enrich our understanding of and appreciation for this world in which we live and all the creatures in it. (And let it never be said that this is a church where you have to check your brain at the door!) God has given us the gift of our minds. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our emotions. Jesus calls us to love the Lord our God with all our heart. In the ancient Hebrew world in which our faith originated, the heart was viewed as the seat of all human emotions. Paul talks about emotions a lot – anger, jealously, greed, enmity, envy, hatred, not to mention love, compassion, mercy, peacefulness, and so forth. We humans have been blessed with a tremendous range of emotions. What can we do to be good stewards of the emotions that God has gifted to us? Sometimes, we carry around grudges; sometimes, we carry around fears; sometimes, we carry around hurts; sometimes, we carry around worries; sometimes, we carry around anxiety; sometimes, we carry around jealousies; sometimes, we carry around all sorts of unpleasant emotions because we haven’t figured out how to let go of them and to embrace a more productive way of living. There are people out there who know how to help us work through the emotional baggage that is weighing us down so that we can become happier, healthier human beings, and there is no shame in going to these people to get help. God has given us the gift of our emotions. Howe can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our tongues. There’s a wonderful section in the book of James in the New Testament about “taming the tongue.” The author calls the tongue “a restless evil, full of deadly poison,” says that “from the same mouth comes blessing and cursing,” and declares that “this ought not to be so.” He’s talking about the ways in which we speak to one another. What can we do to be good stewards of the tongues that God has gifted to us? Who among us has never been hurt by harsh words that others have spoken? Who among us has never yelled at somebody else? Words can build people up, but words can also tear people down. When we are angry, or upset, or frustrated, what do we do with our tongues? Do we lash out in ways that are hurtful and destructive? Or do we take a moment to catch our breath, and put forth a little extra effort to make sure that whatever comes out of our mouth is going to be constructive rather than destructive? God has given to us the gift of our tongues. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our time. The psalmist proclaims, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” Every day that we are alive comes to us as a gift from God. Every hour that we are alive comes to us as a gift from God – all 24/7/365 of them. God has blessed us with a tremendous amount of time. What can we do to be good stewards of the time that God has gifted to us? How do we find healthy balance between work and play, between service and Sabbath? Do we try to cram so much work into our day that we don’t have any time left for family, friends, ministry to others, or just plain rest? Or, alternatively, do we have so little work to do that we find ourselves bored, listless, struggling in vain trying to come up with things to do to keep us busy? How much of our time do we spend addressing our own “needs” (real or imagined), and how much of our time do we spend on the real needs of others? What is a healthy balance between care of self and responsibility to the world? God has given us the gift of time. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our children. Jesus invited children to come to him; the books of Deuteronomy and Proverbs in the Old Testament both stress the importance of raising children responsibly; Psalm 103 celebrates the gift of God’s righteousness that is given to children’s children. Over and over again, we hear about the importance of children, and the responsibility we adults have for shepherding our children. As a parent, I know how difficult that “shepherding” work can be at times! Children are one of the greatest blessings that many of us are fortunate to be given, but they are also a tremendous responsibility. We have a responsibility to shepherd our children in responsible ways. That’s not always easy! What can we do to be good stewards of the children that God has gifted to us? There is no end of parenting resources out there, but there also, unfortunately, seems to be no end of children who have grown up with lingering scars from their childhood. I grieve when I hear stories of children who have been abused, or neglected, or deemed by a parent to be “not good enough” to receive their love and care, or who are viewed by their parents more as trophies than as people. Parenting is a tremendously rewarding task, but it is also tremendously challenging at times, and one of the questions those of us who are parents always need to be asking ourselves (no matter how old our children are!) is, “Am I being as good and responsible a parent as I can possibly be?” When I look at myself honestly, I know that too often the answer is, “No, I’m not; I could be doing better.” God has given us the gift of our children. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Our planet. In the creation story in the first chapter of Genesis, God gives to humanity some responsibility for this world that we live on, and all the other creatures with whom we share this earth. The psalmists repeatedly extol the beauties of the world. In recent years, we have become more aware of the impact we humans have had on the world and the creatures that live in it. We have, quite honestly, not been very good stewards of our world, and we and other creatures are suffering because of it. What can we do to be good stewards of the planet that God has gifted to us? What can we do to reduce our carbon footprint? Are there ways we can reduce gas consumption? Water consumption? Are there ways we can improve our home’s energy efficiency? (What about the energy efficiency of our church building?) How about carpooling to work, or walking or riding a bike to places near your home? What can we do to reduce unnecessary waste? What are some things we can do now to make this world a better and healthier place for our grandchildren, and their grandchildren? God has given us the gift of our planet. How can we be responsible stewards of this wonderful gift that God has given us?
Those are some of the gifts and blessings that I can think of that God has given to us, and some of the ways in which I believe God calls us to be good stewards of God’s gifts and blessings. Maybe you can think of some more. . . .
Next month, I conclude this little series on stewardship, with an emphasis on how God calls us to be responsible stewards for this community of faith. And again, I promise – I won’t mention money!
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor
September 1, 2008
Tough Talk About Stewardship (Part I)
Let’s talk about stewardship. Yes, I know what you may be thinking. The new program year is starting up, the Wednesday night activities are starting up again, the Christian education offerings are expanding, the contemporary service is returning, the Mission committee is renewing their efforts – and the Pastor wants to talk about stewardship?!? Yep, I do.
Stewardship is what we do when we recognize that everything that we have comes to us as a gift and a blessing from God, and we choose to give back to God a generous portion of what God has given to us. That’s stewardship. Stewardship is not, “How much am I willing to contribute to the annual budget this year?” Stewardship is not what we give to charitable contributions and take as a write-off on our taxes. Yes, stewardship is related to our giving to the annual budget, and it’s related to our charitable contributions that we count up at tax time, but stewardship goes beyond those simple concepts. Stewardship is a way of life. It’s a discipline. It’s a habit, a habit that develops over the course of time as we grow in the ways of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t just happen; it takes some work; it takes some effort; it involves a degree of sacrifice; it may mean that we have to ask ourselves what are we willing to give up in terms of the things we want, so that we can more fully partner with God in the things that God wants.
Here at the beginning of my ministry with you, I think it’s important to share with you my own stewardship habits. Please understand, I share this not to boast or brag; I share this, rather, because I recognize that I am now the primary “spiritual leader” of this congregation, so to speak, and I think it’s important that you know that if I am going to ask and invite and encourage you to develop some habits and some practices, that I have done some work myself to develop those habits and practices in my own life. It’s not fair for me to ask things of you that I’m not willing to ask of myself. Simply put: I tithe. A tenth of my annual household income goes straight to the church. It comes right off the top. I looked at my gross income for the year, I figured out what ten percent of that is, and I divided it by fifty-two, so I would know how much I should be contributing on a weekly basis. Of that ten percent, I have chosen to give half of it to this congregation, and half of it to the Presbytery of Lake Michigan, which is, technically speaking, the “congregation” that I belong to; but all of my ten percent is going directly to help fund the ongoing, regular ministries and expenses of the church. Offerings for special purposes (for example, special mission projects and special building projects) are not counted as part of my tithe, nor are my contributions to other organizations and agencies outside the church. Simply put, ten percent of my annual income goes straight to the church for ongoing, regular, budgetary expenses.
I would like to invite and encourage you to reflect on your own patterns and habits of giving. I would like to invite and encourage you to ask yourself a series of questions: “Am I giving as generously back to God as God has given to me?” “To what extent am I being a faithful steward of the gifts and blessings that I have been given?” “What do my giving habits suggest about my level of commitment to Jesus Christ and to Christ’s church?” “If somebody were to look at my overall financial picture, what would that person think were the real priorities in my life?” “Jesus was willing to give his all for me, but what am I willing to give back in return?” Some of you are, undoubtedly, already tithing, or perhaps more than tithing; if you are, please know that you will probably never get thanked publicly for your gifts – since individual giving patterns are confidential (and no, I do not know what individual people or families give to the church) – but please also know that your gifts are greatly appreciated. Some of you, probably, are giving as generously as your means will allow, to the point of it being sacrificial for you to do so, and perhaps you feel guilty about not being able to tithe. If you fall in that category, please know that your gifts are also greatly appreciated, and please do not feel guilty about not being able to give more. I believe that your generous gifts warm God’s heart.
I’d also be willing to bet (well, no, not literally!) that some of you who are reading this have what might be called “lukewarm” giving patterns. (See Revelation 3:14-22!) Yes, you give; yes, perhaps you give quite a bit; yes, you could give more. Perhaps you contribute to the church as you might to any other worthy organization – a modest contribution that helps you feel like you are doing your part, and that doesn’t pinch your budget too much. If you fall into that category – if you find yourself thinking, “Darn, that’s me!” – well, just ponder those questions I mentioned above. What does your contribution to the church suggest about your commitment to Jesus Christ and to Christ’s church? You’ll have to answer that. I can’t answer it for you. Ultimately, it’s a matter between you and God, and you’ll have to figure out what you can live with.
I would hope, however, that none of the members of this church would be willing to settle for a lukewarm commitment to Jesus Christ and Christ’s church.
You know, the heart of the Christian story is about one individual who was willing to take all the resources that had been given to him (in his case, they weren’t financial!) and give them all away. To give them all away . . . for the benefit of people like us.
I wonder: what if he had been willing to give only in part?
Okay, I can hear the objections coming!
“But Pastor, I’m massively in debt!” Well, you’re not alone. According to some estimates, 20 to 30 percent of the population of this country has a massive problem with consumer debt. But just because lots of other people have the same problem you do doesn’t mean that you need to stay in debt. It is quite possible to learn healthier fiscal practices. I’ve had to learn some of that myself; I got into some bad spending habits earlier in life that I’ve had to work to un-learn. It can be done, and there are people and books and resources who can help you. (Go the public library and check out a book on how to take charge of your fiscal life!) And as you begin to take charge of your fiscal life, you can build a stewardship component right into that, giving thanks to God for the new practices and habits you are learning.
“But Pastor, I don’t even know how much I give!” If you’re one of those people who puts a few dollar bills in the offering plate and doesn’t keep track of it, start keeping track. Or, better, look at your overall financial picture, figure out what you want to be giving, and do the math to figure out how much you would need to give each week or each month to reach your goal.
“But Pastor, it’s too much of a stretch to jump to a full tithe right away!” Yes, that may well be true. If you have been in the habit of giving somewhat modestly, it might very well be a huge leap to jump to a full tithe, and it might not be possible for you at the present time. The real question is not are you tithing currently, but are you taking concrete steps to move in the direction of giving generously back to God in gratitude for the gifts and blessings that God has given you? Perhaps you could go from giving $5.00 per week to a full one percent of your income. Or perhaps you could go from giving two percent to four percent. You might need to take measured steps, over a period of several years. Lasting change in habits rarely happens successfully overnight! It will take work, and effort, and discipline. Measured steps can make the journey more manageable.
“But Pastor, I disagree with how the church is spending its money!” Well, that may be. Rarely does everyone in any congregation fully agree, 100%, with the spending habits of the church. I’ve already discovered one thing we spend money on here that I’m not sure is a good use of our resources, and at an appropriate time I might bring it up for discussion. But I’m not going to reduce my giving because of my disagreement. If you disagree with how the church is spending its money, the absolute best thing you can do about that – both for yourself and for the church! – is to let the leadership of the church know how you feel. There is no way to do this effectively by trying to do it anonymously. If you care that much, write a letter outlining your concerns (a polite letter, please!) and send it to the Clerk of Session. It will be shared with the Session. Session will talk about it, and get back to you. Please don’t send your letter to the whole congregation; that would be overkill. All you need to do is to politely and clearly state your concerns to your elected leaders. You helped to elect them; now, help them to do their job by communicating with them your concerns. And, while you’re at it, please make some specific suggestions about ways in which you think our spending habits could be improved. Please don’t just criticize; take the time to make some constructive suggestions for improvement. And remember, the Session’s job, ultimately, is not to make choices that are pleasing to the congregation, but rather to make choices that are pleasing to God. The Session will take your concerns under advisement. I can’t guarantee that you will get what you want, but you will at least have had the opportunity to be heard, and it could be the beginning of a very interesting conversation.
“But Pastor, I want to have more control over where my money goes!” If you feel that way, you’re probably not alone here either! Over the course of the past thirty to forty years, more and more people want to have a “say” in where their money goes. Gone are the days when most people would give freely and generously to institutions or organizations with no strings attached. More often than not, people want to have a say in where their money is going, and often, people want to give their money to very specific causes. That change has benefited many special projects of various kinds in a multitude of ways. It has also had the unfortunate effect of crippling many churches and other non-profit agencies that depend on income that comes with no strings attached to be able to pay their ongoing, regular, cannot-be-avoided bills. Maybe you get excited about supporting a particular mission project, or a particular Christian education project, or a particular building project. Maybe you don’t get excited about contributing to the water bill, or the electric bill, or the payroll taxes, or the Board of Pension dues, or the insurance, or the repair contract on the copy machine, or the paper towels, or the light bulbs, or the toilet paper. But all those expenditures are necessary for us to be able to do business. What happens if everybody gives their money to designated causes, and nobody contributes to basic necessities? We would have a big problem! (How would you like to not have toilet paper when you want it?!?) What we need are people who are willing to contribute generously and sacrificially to the ongoing mission of the church with no strings attached, people who recognize that this organization has basic, necessary, ongoing expenses that we must pay if we want to do all the other things that we really get excited about (like mission, and music, and Christian education, and so forth). We need people who are willing to be able to give up some degree of control. Remember Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me . . . yet not what I want, but what you want.” We follow a Lord who was willing to give up control. One of the lessons that we all learn in life, sooner or later, is that we are not in control of our lives. Too often, we like to think that we are. No, when we become a Christian, we place our trust not in our own power, but in God’s. That means handing over some of the control we really want to keep for ourselves. Yes, designated causes are important, but not at the expense of basic necessities that nobody gets excited about paying for but that we would all notice and dearly miss if we no longer had them around (how about heat in the wintertime?). This may be tough for some of us to be able to do. But what is the Christian life, if not an ongoing self-examination of our attitudes, and an ongoing course-correction to live a life more like Christ’s? Remember, he gave it all away, freely, giving up all his control in the process. And he did it for us . . . so that we could do the same for others.
The heart of the Christian story, as I said above, is about one individual who was willing to take all the resources that had been given to him and give them all away. To give them all away . . . for the benefit of people like us.
Stewardship is what we do when we make choice after choice after choice to follow in his footsteps. . . .
Next month: “Tough Talk About Stewardship, Part II” – and I promise, it won’t have anything to do with money.
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor
Stewardship is what we do when we recognize that everything that we have comes to us as a gift and a blessing from God, and we choose to give back to God a generous portion of what God has given to us. That’s stewardship. Stewardship is not, “How much am I willing to contribute to the annual budget this year?” Stewardship is not what we give to charitable contributions and take as a write-off on our taxes. Yes, stewardship is related to our giving to the annual budget, and it’s related to our charitable contributions that we count up at tax time, but stewardship goes beyond those simple concepts. Stewardship is a way of life. It’s a discipline. It’s a habit, a habit that develops over the course of time as we grow in the ways of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t just happen; it takes some work; it takes some effort; it involves a degree of sacrifice; it may mean that we have to ask ourselves what are we willing to give up in terms of the things we want, so that we can more fully partner with God in the things that God wants.
Here at the beginning of my ministry with you, I think it’s important to share with you my own stewardship habits. Please understand, I share this not to boast or brag; I share this, rather, because I recognize that I am now the primary “spiritual leader” of this congregation, so to speak, and I think it’s important that you know that if I am going to ask and invite and encourage you to develop some habits and some practices, that I have done some work myself to develop those habits and practices in my own life. It’s not fair for me to ask things of you that I’m not willing to ask of myself. Simply put: I tithe. A tenth of my annual household income goes straight to the church. It comes right off the top. I looked at my gross income for the year, I figured out what ten percent of that is, and I divided it by fifty-two, so I would know how much I should be contributing on a weekly basis. Of that ten percent, I have chosen to give half of it to this congregation, and half of it to the Presbytery of Lake Michigan, which is, technically speaking, the “congregation” that I belong to; but all of my ten percent is going directly to help fund the ongoing, regular ministries and expenses of the church. Offerings for special purposes (for example, special mission projects and special building projects) are not counted as part of my tithe, nor are my contributions to other organizations and agencies outside the church. Simply put, ten percent of my annual income goes straight to the church for ongoing, regular, budgetary expenses.
I would like to invite and encourage you to reflect on your own patterns and habits of giving. I would like to invite and encourage you to ask yourself a series of questions: “Am I giving as generously back to God as God has given to me?” “To what extent am I being a faithful steward of the gifts and blessings that I have been given?” “What do my giving habits suggest about my level of commitment to Jesus Christ and to Christ’s church?” “If somebody were to look at my overall financial picture, what would that person think were the real priorities in my life?” “Jesus was willing to give his all for me, but what am I willing to give back in return?” Some of you are, undoubtedly, already tithing, or perhaps more than tithing; if you are, please know that you will probably never get thanked publicly for your gifts – since individual giving patterns are confidential (and no, I do not know what individual people or families give to the church) – but please also know that your gifts are greatly appreciated. Some of you, probably, are giving as generously as your means will allow, to the point of it being sacrificial for you to do so, and perhaps you feel guilty about not being able to tithe. If you fall in that category, please know that your gifts are also greatly appreciated, and please do not feel guilty about not being able to give more. I believe that your generous gifts warm God’s heart.
I’d also be willing to bet (well, no, not literally!) that some of you who are reading this have what might be called “lukewarm” giving patterns. (See Revelation 3:14-22!) Yes, you give; yes, perhaps you give quite a bit; yes, you could give more. Perhaps you contribute to the church as you might to any other worthy organization – a modest contribution that helps you feel like you are doing your part, and that doesn’t pinch your budget too much. If you fall into that category – if you find yourself thinking, “Darn, that’s me!” – well, just ponder those questions I mentioned above. What does your contribution to the church suggest about your commitment to Jesus Christ and to Christ’s church? You’ll have to answer that. I can’t answer it for you. Ultimately, it’s a matter between you and God, and you’ll have to figure out what you can live with.
I would hope, however, that none of the members of this church would be willing to settle for a lukewarm commitment to Jesus Christ and Christ’s church.
You know, the heart of the Christian story is about one individual who was willing to take all the resources that had been given to him (in his case, they weren’t financial!) and give them all away. To give them all away . . . for the benefit of people like us.
I wonder: what if he had been willing to give only in part?
Okay, I can hear the objections coming!
“But Pastor, I’m massively in debt!” Well, you’re not alone. According to some estimates, 20 to 30 percent of the population of this country has a massive problem with consumer debt. But just because lots of other people have the same problem you do doesn’t mean that you need to stay in debt. It is quite possible to learn healthier fiscal practices. I’ve had to learn some of that myself; I got into some bad spending habits earlier in life that I’ve had to work to un-learn. It can be done, and there are people and books and resources who can help you. (Go the public library and check out a book on how to take charge of your fiscal life!) And as you begin to take charge of your fiscal life, you can build a stewardship component right into that, giving thanks to God for the new practices and habits you are learning.
“But Pastor, I don’t even know how much I give!” If you’re one of those people who puts a few dollar bills in the offering plate and doesn’t keep track of it, start keeping track. Or, better, look at your overall financial picture, figure out what you want to be giving, and do the math to figure out how much you would need to give each week or each month to reach your goal.
“But Pastor, it’s too much of a stretch to jump to a full tithe right away!” Yes, that may well be true. If you have been in the habit of giving somewhat modestly, it might very well be a huge leap to jump to a full tithe, and it might not be possible for you at the present time. The real question is not are you tithing currently, but are you taking concrete steps to move in the direction of giving generously back to God in gratitude for the gifts and blessings that God has given you? Perhaps you could go from giving $5.00 per week to a full one percent of your income. Or perhaps you could go from giving two percent to four percent. You might need to take measured steps, over a period of several years. Lasting change in habits rarely happens successfully overnight! It will take work, and effort, and discipline. Measured steps can make the journey more manageable.
“But Pastor, I disagree with how the church is spending its money!” Well, that may be. Rarely does everyone in any congregation fully agree, 100%, with the spending habits of the church. I’ve already discovered one thing we spend money on here that I’m not sure is a good use of our resources, and at an appropriate time I might bring it up for discussion. But I’m not going to reduce my giving because of my disagreement. If you disagree with how the church is spending its money, the absolute best thing you can do about that – both for yourself and for the church! – is to let the leadership of the church know how you feel. There is no way to do this effectively by trying to do it anonymously. If you care that much, write a letter outlining your concerns (a polite letter, please!) and send it to the Clerk of Session. It will be shared with the Session. Session will talk about it, and get back to you. Please don’t send your letter to the whole congregation; that would be overkill. All you need to do is to politely and clearly state your concerns to your elected leaders. You helped to elect them; now, help them to do their job by communicating with them your concerns. And, while you’re at it, please make some specific suggestions about ways in which you think our spending habits could be improved. Please don’t just criticize; take the time to make some constructive suggestions for improvement. And remember, the Session’s job, ultimately, is not to make choices that are pleasing to the congregation, but rather to make choices that are pleasing to God. The Session will take your concerns under advisement. I can’t guarantee that you will get what you want, but you will at least have had the opportunity to be heard, and it could be the beginning of a very interesting conversation.
“But Pastor, I want to have more control over where my money goes!” If you feel that way, you’re probably not alone here either! Over the course of the past thirty to forty years, more and more people want to have a “say” in where their money goes. Gone are the days when most people would give freely and generously to institutions or organizations with no strings attached. More often than not, people want to have a say in where their money is going, and often, people want to give their money to very specific causes. That change has benefited many special projects of various kinds in a multitude of ways. It has also had the unfortunate effect of crippling many churches and other non-profit agencies that depend on income that comes with no strings attached to be able to pay their ongoing, regular, cannot-be-avoided bills. Maybe you get excited about supporting a particular mission project, or a particular Christian education project, or a particular building project. Maybe you don’t get excited about contributing to the water bill, or the electric bill, or the payroll taxes, or the Board of Pension dues, or the insurance, or the repair contract on the copy machine, or the paper towels, or the light bulbs, or the toilet paper. But all those expenditures are necessary for us to be able to do business. What happens if everybody gives their money to designated causes, and nobody contributes to basic necessities? We would have a big problem! (How would you like to not have toilet paper when you want it?!?) What we need are people who are willing to contribute generously and sacrificially to the ongoing mission of the church with no strings attached, people who recognize that this organization has basic, necessary, ongoing expenses that we must pay if we want to do all the other things that we really get excited about (like mission, and music, and Christian education, and so forth). We need people who are willing to be able to give up some degree of control. Remember Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me . . . yet not what I want, but what you want.” We follow a Lord who was willing to give up control. One of the lessons that we all learn in life, sooner or later, is that we are not in control of our lives. Too often, we like to think that we are. No, when we become a Christian, we place our trust not in our own power, but in God’s. That means handing over some of the control we really want to keep for ourselves. Yes, designated causes are important, but not at the expense of basic necessities that nobody gets excited about paying for but that we would all notice and dearly miss if we no longer had them around (how about heat in the wintertime?). This may be tough for some of us to be able to do. But what is the Christian life, if not an ongoing self-examination of our attitudes, and an ongoing course-correction to live a life more like Christ’s? Remember, he gave it all away, freely, giving up all his control in the process. And he did it for us . . . so that we could do the same for others.
The heart of the Christian story, as I said above, is about one individual who was willing to take all the resources that had been given to him and give them all away. To give them all away . . . for the benefit of people like us.
Stewardship is what we do when we make choice after choice after choice to follow in his footsteps. . . .
Next month: “Tough Talk About Stewardship, Part II” – and I promise, it won’t have anything to do with money.
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor
July 1, 2008
Building a Winning Team (Part II)
Last month, I began sharing with you a bit about my understanding of the role of the Pastor in the life of the congregation. I spoke briefly about how Pastors must operate within the boundaries of two job descriptions simultaneously: the responsibilities of the offices of “Minister of Word and Sacrament” and “Pastor” as defined by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), on the one hand, and the “position description” that is created by each local congregation every time there is a pastoral vacancy, on the other. You will find enclosed in these pages a copy of that “position description” for me that has been approved by the Session of this congregation.
I also shared with you an analogy, comparing the work of a Pastor and that of a coach. I said, “Simply put, being a Pastor of a local congregation is, in my mind, a lot like being a soccer coach and a soccer referee at the same time.” I talked about the kind of work that a coach does, and how that relates to pastoral ministry. This month, I’d like to share some reflections on the second analogy – namely, the ways in which being the Pastor of a local congregation is like being a soccer referee (or, if you prefer a different sport, a baseball umpire). This second job may not sound like quite as much fun as the first job, but it is also important – very important, indeed.
In a game of baseball, there has to be somebody who knows the rules really well, who is adept at applying them to different situations, who is willing to enforce them, and who is prepared to discipline players when necessary. When the runner slides into home plate just as the catcher catches the ball, somebody has to decide: was the runner safe, or was he out? When a pitched ball passes right near the margin of the strike zone, somebody has to decide: was that a ball or a strike? When a disagreement erupts about whether a ball landed in foul territory or fair territory, somebody has to decide: which one was it? When a player gets really upset and starts mouthing obscenities or becomes violent, somebody has to have the authority to eject that player from the game. In baseball, that’s the umpire.
Similarly, in a game of soccer, there has to be somebody who knows the rules really well, who is adept at applying them to different situations, who is willing to enforce them, and who is prepared to discipline players (or even parents!) when necessary. When a ball rolls off the field after a flurry of confusing kicks, somebody has to decide: which team kicked the ball out, and which team gets to throw it back in? When a ball flies up and it hits a player on the arm, somebody has to decide: was that a handball? When a player gets jabbed by the elbow of a player on the opposing team, somebody has to decide: was that intentional? When a player is becoming overly aggressive, somebody has to have the authority to dismiss that player from the game. In soccer, that’s the referee.
I’d like to be able to say that there is no need for an “umpire” or a “referee” in the business of the church. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise to us; we are only human; none of us is perfect; we recognize that we fall short of all that God calls us to be. We have discovered, over the long course of time, that it’s helpful to have a set of “rules” – a set of policies and procedures and guidelines that tries to help keep us on task and on target, and that provides a means whereby problems can be resolved fairly and equitably. Every church denomination has its own set of policies, procedures, and guidelines. Yes, even the so-called “non-denominational” churches have their own sets. In my opinion, there is no “perfect” system (though I also happen to think that our Presbyterian structure can be remarkably effective when it is practiced as it is intended). There are certain procedures and certain policies and certain guidelines that we all agree to abide by so we can live together peaceably. To put it simply, we agree, when we join the church, that somebody has to call the shots. There has to be somebody who can decide what’s foul and what’s fair. There has to be somebody who can decide when to call a penalty. There has to be somebody who can enforce discipline . . . because sometimes, unfortunately, we need it.
In our system, “calling the shots” – serving as an “umpire” or a “referee” – is a joint effort between the Pastor and the Session. In the ordinary course of the ongoing daily life of the church, the Session has that responsibility. In the Presbyterian Church, the Session has way more authority over what goes on in the church than the Pastor does. But there are two specific instances when it specifically becomes the Pastor’s job to do the work of the “referee”: when the Pastor is moderating a meeting of the Session, and when the Pastor is moderating a meeting of the congregation.
I’ve seen a lot of “moderating” in the Presbyterian Church. I’ve seen a variety of different styles. Some have been effective; some have been less than effective. I’ve known one moderator who had a heart of gold but who didn’t know beans about how to apply parliamentary procedure. Those were painful meetings; I couldn’t help but feel sorry for that poor moderator, and kept wishing that somebody would coach her between meetings so she could do her job more effectively. I’ve also known one remarkably effective moderator who could be tough when she needed to be tough. I remember one meeting in which she boldly declared, in front of a whole assembled gathering of people, that the comments that one member of the body was making were inappropriate, derogatory, and insulting to other members of the body. The moderator declared that his comments were “out of order,” and she refused to let him speak further until he calmed down. Now that was some moderating!
It would be nice to think that we don’t need moderating. It would be nice to think that we can all just get along fine without rules, without procedures, without policies, without Robert’s Rules, without discipline, without moderators. But, alas, we are only human. Sometimes, we need to be reminded what the appropriate procedures are. Sometimes, we cross a line and we need to be brought back in line. We need people around us who can help keep us on track. In the ordinary, ongoing, daily life of this church, that’s one of the responsibilities of your Session. But there are two specific occasions when it is clearly my task and my responsibility. It’s not necessarily the part of this job that I enjoy the most; how I wish that it weren’t necessary sometimes! But it is an important job. It’s one that needs to be done well, and done fairly. I will seek to do that to the very best of my ability. I will seek to be an effective “referee” – an effective moderator – to help build a winning team . . . and a team that plays fairly.
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor
I also shared with you an analogy, comparing the work of a Pastor and that of a coach. I said, “Simply put, being a Pastor of a local congregation is, in my mind, a lot like being a soccer coach and a soccer referee at the same time.” I talked about the kind of work that a coach does, and how that relates to pastoral ministry. This month, I’d like to share some reflections on the second analogy – namely, the ways in which being the Pastor of a local congregation is like being a soccer referee (or, if you prefer a different sport, a baseball umpire). This second job may not sound like quite as much fun as the first job, but it is also important – very important, indeed.
In a game of baseball, there has to be somebody who knows the rules really well, who is adept at applying them to different situations, who is willing to enforce them, and who is prepared to discipline players when necessary. When the runner slides into home plate just as the catcher catches the ball, somebody has to decide: was the runner safe, or was he out? When a pitched ball passes right near the margin of the strike zone, somebody has to decide: was that a ball or a strike? When a disagreement erupts about whether a ball landed in foul territory or fair territory, somebody has to decide: which one was it? When a player gets really upset and starts mouthing obscenities or becomes violent, somebody has to have the authority to eject that player from the game. In baseball, that’s the umpire.
Similarly, in a game of soccer, there has to be somebody who knows the rules really well, who is adept at applying them to different situations, who is willing to enforce them, and who is prepared to discipline players (or even parents!) when necessary. When a ball rolls off the field after a flurry of confusing kicks, somebody has to decide: which team kicked the ball out, and which team gets to throw it back in? When a ball flies up and it hits a player on the arm, somebody has to decide: was that a handball? When a player gets jabbed by the elbow of a player on the opposing team, somebody has to decide: was that intentional? When a player is becoming overly aggressive, somebody has to have the authority to dismiss that player from the game. In soccer, that’s the referee.
I’d like to be able to say that there is no need for an “umpire” or a “referee” in the business of the church. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise to us; we are only human; none of us is perfect; we recognize that we fall short of all that God calls us to be. We have discovered, over the long course of time, that it’s helpful to have a set of “rules” – a set of policies and procedures and guidelines that tries to help keep us on task and on target, and that provides a means whereby problems can be resolved fairly and equitably. Every church denomination has its own set of policies, procedures, and guidelines. Yes, even the so-called “non-denominational” churches have their own sets. In my opinion, there is no “perfect” system (though I also happen to think that our Presbyterian structure can be remarkably effective when it is practiced as it is intended). There are certain procedures and certain policies and certain guidelines that we all agree to abide by so we can live together peaceably. To put it simply, we agree, when we join the church, that somebody has to call the shots. There has to be somebody who can decide what’s foul and what’s fair. There has to be somebody who can decide when to call a penalty. There has to be somebody who can enforce discipline . . . because sometimes, unfortunately, we need it.
In our system, “calling the shots” – serving as an “umpire” or a “referee” – is a joint effort between the Pastor and the Session. In the ordinary course of the ongoing daily life of the church, the Session has that responsibility. In the Presbyterian Church, the Session has way more authority over what goes on in the church than the Pastor does. But there are two specific instances when it specifically becomes the Pastor’s job to do the work of the “referee”: when the Pastor is moderating a meeting of the Session, and when the Pastor is moderating a meeting of the congregation.
I’ve seen a lot of “moderating” in the Presbyterian Church. I’ve seen a variety of different styles. Some have been effective; some have been less than effective. I’ve known one moderator who had a heart of gold but who didn’t know beans about how to apply parliamentary procedure. Those were painful meetings; I couldn’t help but feel sorry for that poor moderator, and kept wishing that somebody would coach her between meetings so she could do her job more effectively. I’ve also known one remarkably effective moderator who could be tough when she needed to be tough. I remember one meeting in which she boldly declared, in front of a whole assembled gathering of people, that the comments that one member of the body was making were inappropriate, derogatory, and insulting to other members of the body. The moderator declared that his comments were “out of order,” and she refused to let him speak further until he calmed down. Now that was some moderating!
It would be nice to think that we don’t need moderating. It would be nice to think that we can all just get along fine without rules, without procedures, without policies, without Robert’s Rules, without discipline, without moderators. But, alas, we are only human. Sometimes, we need to be reminded what the appropriate procedures are. Sometimes, we cross a line and we need to be brought back in line. We need people around us who can help keep us on track. In the ordinary, ongoing, daily life of this church, that’s one of the responsibilities of your Session. But there are two specific occasions when it is clearly my task and my responsibility. It’s not necessarily the part of this job that I enjoy the most; how I wish that it weren’t necessary sometimes! But it is an important job. It’s one that needs to be done well, and done fairly. I will seek to do that to the very best of my ability. I will seek to be an effective “referee” – an effective moderator – to help build a winning team . . . and a team that plays fairly.
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor
June 1, 2008
Building a Winning Team (Part I)
As I write these words, I have been in Mason for two weeks, settling into my new role and responsibility as the Pastor of this congregation. I have learned a lot from many of your leaders already about the pulse of this place. I also know I have a lot more to learn, and you will all have an opportunity to take your turn sharing your thoughts and feelings about the past, the present, and the future of this congregation in the months to come.
Meanwhile, while I am busy learning, I thought it might also be helpful to share with you a bit about my understanding of the role of the Pastor in the life of the congregation. Pastors must operate within the boundaries of two job descriptions simultaneously: the responsibilities of the offices of “Minister of Word and Sacrament” and “Pastor” as defined by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), on the one hand, and the “position description” that is created by each local congregation every time there is a pastoral vacancy, on the other. Yet even with these two written job descriptions, there is still room for latitude and interpretation as the Pastor seeks to be faithful to his or her calling. So, let me tell you, in simple terms, how I see my role here. To do that, I’d like to use an analogy that I understand is near and dear to many people’s hearts here in Mason: soccer. Simply put, being a Pastor of a local congregation is, in my mind, a lot like being a soccer coach and a soccer referee at the same time.
A good soccer team has to have a good coach: someone who can teach players how to dribble, pass, and kick; someone who can help players understand the nuances and importance of the different positions; someone who can help players know how to effectively communicate with each other when they are in the middle of a game; someone who can make sure that all the players understand the game rules; someone who can teach people how to be in just the right place at just the right time so they are ready to receive a pass from a teammate; someone who can see latent talent and potential in players; someone who can build players up without tearing them down; someone who can help players to become the best that they can possibly be, both as individual players and together as a whole team. I have watched enough of my kids’ soccer games over the past several years to know that there are many different kinds of coaches – and I have watched enough to know which coaches I have more respect for than others. I am not, for example, a fan of coaches who shame or ridicule players in the middle of the field in front of all their teammates! I much prefer the coaches who give praise when praise is due, who constantly seek to teach, and teach, and teach some more, who are good-natured, friendly, and inspirational, who care more about playing a good game than about beating the other team, who work with players to help them overcome their limitations or their fears, who help players to become more assertive without becoming more aggressive, who use the more experienced players to help teach the less experienced ones, who make sure that everybody on the team gets a chance to play, who never assume that the “star players” on the team will be around forever, but are constantly working to build up other players to become future leaders, and who – when a player makes a really bad play – pull that player aside and talk quietly with them about what they could do differently next time. Those are some of the qualities I see in the coaches that I most respect . . .
. . . and they’re also some of the qualities I see in the Pastors of congregations that are healthy, alive, vibrant, and flourishing.
I seek to serve that kind of a church . . . and to be that kind of Pastor.
So, take everything I’ve just said about coaches, and apply it to Pastors. Teaching . . . equipping . . . mentoring . . . coaching . . . building people up (without tearing them down) . . . helping people to understand the rules (our polity), the skills (gifts for ministry), and the duties and importance of the different positions (elders, deacons, committee chairs, etc.) . . . fostering effective communication skills throughout the whole congregation . . . maintaining a positive attitude . . . building a winning team.
That’s the kind of Pastor I want to be. An effective coach . . . for a winning team.
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor-Elect
Meanwhile, while I am busy learning, I thought it might also be helpful to share with you a bit about my understanding of the role of the Pastor in the life of the congregation. Pastors must operate within the boundaries of two job descriptions simultaneously: the responsibilities of the offices of “Minister of Word and Sacrament” and “Pastor” as defined by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), on the one hand, and the “position description” that is created by each local congregation every time there is a pastoral vacancy, on the other. Yet even with these two written job descriptions, there is still room for latitude and interpretation as the Pastor seeks to be faithful to his or her calling. So, let me tell you, in simple terms, how I see my role here. To do that, I’d like to use an analogy that I understand is near and dear to many people’s hearts here in Mason: soccer. Simply put, being a Pastor of a local congregation is, in my mind, a lot like being a soccer coach and a soccer referee at the same time.
A good soccer team has to have a good coach: someone who can teach players how to dribble, pass, and kick; someone who can help players understand the nuances and importance of the different positions; someone who can help players know how to effectively communicate with each other when they are in the middle of a game; someone who can make sure that all the players understand the game rules; someone who can teach people how to be in just the right place at just the right time so they are ready to receive a pass from a teammate; someone who can see latent talent and potential in players; someone who can build players up without tearing them down; someone who can help players to become the best that they can possibly be, both as individual players and together as a whole team. I have watched enough of my kids’ soccer games over the past several years to know that there are many different kinds of coaches – and I have watched enough to know which coaches I have more respect for than others. I am not, for example, a fan of coaches who shame or ridicule players in the middle of the field in front of all their teammates! I much prefer the coaches who give praise when praise is due, who constantly seek to teach, and teach, and teach some more, who are good-natured, friendly, and inspirational, who care more about playing a good game than about beating the other team, who work with players to help them overcome their limitations or their fears, who help players to become more assertive without becoming more aggressive, who use the more experienced players to help teach the less experienced ones, who make sure that everybody on the team gets a chance to play, who never assume that the “star players” on the team will be around forever, but are constantly working to build up other players to become future leaders, and who – when a player makes a really bad play – pull that player aside and talk quietly with them about what they could do differently next time. Those are some of the qualities I see in the coaches that I most respect . . .
. . . and they’re also some of the qualities I see in the Pastors of congregations that are healthy, alive, vibrant, and flourishing.
I seek to serve that kind of a church . . . and to be that kind of Pastor.
So, take everything I’ve just said about coaches, and apply it to Pastors. Teaching . . . equipping . . . mentoring . . . coaching . . . building people up (without tearing them down) . . . helping people to understand the rules (our polity), the skills (gifts for ministry), and the duties and importance of the different positions (elders, deacons, committee chairs, etc.) . . . fostering effective communication skills throughout the whole congregation . . . maintaining a positive attitude . . . building a winning team.
That’s the kind of Pastor I want to be. An effective coach . . . for a winning team.
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor-Elect
May 1, 2008
What To Expect
I understand there is quite a bit of a buzz around the church right now! There is a sense of eager anticipation about the future. Here is some of what you can expect in the weeks and months to come. . . .
I envision that the summer months will be a time for me to get acclimated. Don’t expect any major, significant changes to happen immediately! There will be plenty of time to work on growing the ministry of the church . . . my first priority, for the time being, is to work on getting to know this congregation very, very well. After I’ve made some good progress in that area, then we’ll roll up our sleeves and really start to get to work. . . .
My primary goal is to serve as your Pastor with integrity, courage and self-discipline in all my words and deeds in a way that embodies the rich heritage of our Reformed tradition, the just nature of our Presbyterian form of government, and an ever-present openness to the ongoing movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the life of this world, so that I might be instrumental to you in your spiritual journey as you seek to grow in your faith in God, in your commitment to the church and in your service to the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
I am looking forward to all the things that we will do in ministry together in the years to come!
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor-Elect
- During my first couple weeks on the job, I plan to meet individually with many of the people in key leadership roles in the life of the congregation. Specifically, I am hoping to meet with all members of the church staff, with your Clerk of Session (Bruce Archer), with your Deacon Moderator (Phil Gamber), and with the chairs of all the various committees. Their job during those meetings will be to give me the “crash course introduction” to the ongoing life and ministry of the church.
- During my first week on the job, I plan to make the rounds to all the “homebound” members of the congregation, to those in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities, and to those who are currently in any of the area hospitals. Since we will be celebrating the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper on my first Sunday, May 11, I will be bringing home communion to those who wish to receive it. Some of the Deacons will be assisting me with these visits.
- The Session and I will be taking a little retreat around May 16-17. We’ll be talking about the past (where the church has been – because history matters), the present (where the church is now), and the future (where God is calling this church to go). It is my hope that this retreat will result in at least a general idea of where we are headed in the months to come!
- Sometime around May 28, Katharine and I are expecting the birth of our fourth child. We know neither the day nor the hour! When the baby comes, I will be taking a week off as we try to settle into our new lives. But the ministry of the church will carry on! The Worship and Music Committee is already working on making sure that the pulpit will be filled on the Sunday that I will be out of action. We’ll also make sure that there is pastoral coverage available in the event of a dire emergency.
- I’m sure that after a week my head still will be spinning, but at that point, I’ll really start to settle in. My first order of business, after the whirlwind introduction of the first few weeks, will be to get to know the church and its ministry. I’ll begin making my way (slowly) around the congregation, trying to get to know you all individually: your stories, your hopes, your dreams, your fears. My plan is to work my way through the list of members, starting first with those people who have been members of the church the longest (those of you on the “fifty-year member” list) as well as those who have joined the church most recently (those of you who have just joined. Then, I will start to work my way towards the middle, from both ends. Please be patient with me . . . this process will take many months! I will keep you posted regarding how far I have gone, and how far I have yet to go.
- I’ll also start working my way around to the various committees of the church. My general philosophy is that committees don’t ordinarily need the pastor present to be able to function effectively. I intend to rotate through all of the committees in a pretty systematic fashion; I will keep in close contact with the chairs of all the different committees on a regular basis; and I will show up at committee meetings when the committee specifically requests that I do so.
- I’ll also start working my way around to the various other activities in the life of the church – classes, mission activities, breakfasts, dinners, small group discussions, and so on. Be patient with me, please – it will take some time to make my way through all the various things that you all are involved in!
- There are lots of other people beyond the membership of the congregation that I will need to get to know: other local clergy, local funeral home directors, other people in leadership roles in the city, and more. (There’s already a list of names of people I need to meet with in the church office – and it’s growing!) These will be worked into my busy schedule!
- There are also a number of people around who are interested in the life and ministry of this congregation but who aren’t members. If you fall into that category, you might want to make sure that the church office has your current contact information. I will be working to get to know you, too!
- If you ever find yourself admitted to any of the area hospitals, please make sure the church office knows about it. Due to HIPPA regulations, hospitals can only inform churches about admissions if the patient specifically requests it. If I know that you have been admitted to the hospital, I will do my best to come visit you and pray with you. But I can’t do that if I don’t know that you’ve been admitted, so please make sure you keep us informed.
- I hold confidentiality in very high regard. Please know that if you share confidences with me, they will stay with me, unless I feel that there is a real danger that you might cause bodily harm to yourself or to another individual.
- For my sermons, I’ll be following the texts in the Revised Common Lectionary. This is a standard three-year cycle of texts that is used by many mainline Protestant congregations, intended to provide a balanced survey through the major texts of the Bible. Each week, the lectionary ordinarily provides for one text from the gospels, one text from elsewhere in the New Testament, one text from the Old Testament, and one psalm. You won’t hear all four texts each week, but you will hear at least one. For the next few months, we’ll primarily be focusing on texts from the Gospel of Matthew. You can find the full list of lectionary texts elsewhere in this newsletter. It’s a good discipline to read the passage ahead of time, before you arrive for worship!
I envision that the summer months will be a time for me to get acclimated. Don’t expect any major, significant changes to happen immediately! There will be plenty of time to work on growing the ministry of the church . . . my first priority, for the time being, is to work on getting to know this congregation very, very well. After I’ve made some good progress in that area, then we’ll roll up our sleeves and really start to get to work. . . .
My primary goal is to serve as your Pastor with integrity, courage and self-discipline in all my words and deeds in a way that embodies the rich heritage of our Reformed tradition, the just nature of our Presbyterian form of government, and an ever-present openness to the ongoing movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the life of this world, so that I might be instrumental to you in your spiritual journey as you seek to grow in your faith in God, in your commitment to the church and in your service to the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
I am looking forward to all the things that we will do in ministry together in the years to come!
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Bill Pinches
Pastor-Elect
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)