Discipleship Always

On this Sabbath day, it has been so strange not to be with you, gathered in our beautiful sanctuary, praising God together. To gather is a core value of discipleship, and so I miss the rhythm of my typical Sunday morning: warming up with the choir; hearing one of the Elders welcome everyone to worship; announcing all of the lively activities planned for the week ahead; greeting one another with a bow or a sign of peace; singing hymns and reciting affirmations of faith; spending a few improvisational moments with kids who say the darndest things; praying for one another; listening for God’s voice through scripture and proclaiming Good News; smiling at the ushers as they carry the collected offerings up the center aisle to be dedicated to God.

Our ushers are on hiatus for the time being, as are we all, while we perfect our social distancing skills. But even though we may not physically gather , that should not curtail the other ways we practice discipleship. At any and every moment we may be called upon to connect or to serve. When we do these things authentically, it becomes clear that we are not afraid to live , and that’s what is attractive to many who are fearful. When, as Christ-followers, we are bold yet kind, brave yet compassionate, folks notice. That’s how we multiply.

One other core value of discipleship is to give. Regular, thoughtful financial support is what allows the church to carry out all the other aspects of discipleship. As you might suspect if you were to think about it, sometimes give is linked to gather. When there is no gathering, giving has a tendency to drop off. It’s understandable, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Last Wednesday I stopped by the church office to check on things in our closed building. The mail had recently been delivered through the slot in the office door. I stooped down to pick up the three pieces laying on the floor. Each envelope bore a return address label from the household of a retired clergyperson. I fanned the envelopes out on the desk and felt an immediate flood or warmth and gratitude for the folks who kept up their regular patterns of giving even in these irregular times.  And I thought, “Who would better understand the importance of an uninterrupted income stream than someone who has already led a congregation through a bout of crisis?”

The photo at the top is a testimony to their stalwart commitment to discipleship. When I asked permission to share this observation with you as an encouragement to continue or perhaps even increase your own giving habits at this crucial time, some exercised true humility, noting, “We don’t do this for notoriety.” It took some gentle arm-twisting for some of them to concede. But I assured them that you would be inspired, so I hope you are! Thank you so very much, Doug and Rosemary Kleintop, Will and Nancy Harstine, and David and Nancy Danneberger.

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8.

Faithfully,

Pastor Chris