Dear friends, 

I was so moved last Sunday, November 1 (All Saints Day), to hear Elaine Avak give our "call to offering"  with a stewardship moment.  Elaine shared from her heart and her personal life experience about why she pledges to our church and why she treasures the support she received from our congregation at a critical time in her life. Her words were moving!   Thank you, Elaine, for leading us and encouraging us to name why we give and why we support our church during this stewardship season. 

May I share part of Psalm 146 that continues to help me understand our call to be good stewards?   It is a "prayer"  reminder of where we are to place our trust and hope with the time we have on earth and how we are to put life into perspective from God's view.

Psalm 146 (from Psalms for Praying by Nan Merrill)

Praise be to You!  Praise the Beloved, O my soul!
I will praise You with all my being; I will sing joyfully and with thanksgiving to you, Heart of my heart!

 

Put not your trust in riches, in illusionary things that fade away.
For when our day comes to depart this world, at that very time, we carry only the love imprinted upon our soul.

 

Blessed are those whose strength is in the Beloved,  whose trust is in You.  O Divine Lover, who gave birth to the universe---the heavens, earth, and sea---and all that is within them; Who is ever-faithful, bringing balance and harmony to earth, nourishment to body and soul.  You free us from bonds of fear; You give insight to those who would see.

 

We pray for insight as we "see" with God's eyes and plan with God's guidance for the life of WHCC in this stewardship season during the interim time.  We look forward to hearing Kyle Arndt preach on the subject "Who Is God Calling Us to Become?" this Sunday, November 8 in worship.  His presentation will prepare us for the Part 3 lunch/discussion on November 15.

Please reach out to me at any time if I may be of support to you. It has been so nice to hear your stories and your connections to WHCC.

May we be thankful for the gift of life, as the Psalmist says, and may we continue to carry God's love into our daily lives.  Thanks for allowing me to journey with you at WHCC!

Grace and peace,

Rev. Ann