A few weeks ago when I was asked to speak to all of you this Stewardship Sunday, I really did not reflect on the request, or pray about it, or consider my talents and how they could equip me to perform this task.  In that regard, I suppose I did not model the behavior that I am here to request of you today.  The truth is I heard the words “you can say no” from the mouth of a friend and I figured, “I am being asked to do this for some good reason” so I said “sure.”  I have now spent the last few weeks trying to figure out what is that reason.

 

You see, I am hardly a super parishioner in this congregation.  For at least a year, my primary reason for coming to church at all was to escape, for a single hour each week, the chaos, noise and stress that had come to rule my days.  I probably was looking to avoid, more than to join.  Certainly I was taking more than I was giving.  I needed help, but I did not know how to ask.  So I came to church, and I sat here, and I pretty much trusted God and all of you to take care of me.  And amazingly, you did.

 

Over time, the care and comfort of this church brought me out of my shell and made me want to do more.  You asked for my help, though with discreet tasks that even I could manage: summer flowers from my garden on an occasional Sunday; cookies for the Christmas pageant with an assurance that store-bought was just fine; hosting coffee hour (though in the summer when we don’t serve coffee, which makes things much easier).  These may seem like small things, but they are not.  They are all critical to making Cleveland Park Congregational the church that we love.  We would notice if there were no flowers on a Sunday.  We would notice, most definitely, if there were no cookies to follow our carols.  And we would be startled by a Sunday without coffee hour (even in the summer when we don’t serve coffee).  But, Cleveland Park Church needs each of our help to make all of these wonderful little things happen.

 

Of course, it takes more than just getting the little things done to keep our church thriving and to allow it to grow.  I suspect this is not news to you.  Whether you have been attending Cleveland Park Church for 4 weeks, 4 years or 4 decades, you are aware of the tasks at hand.  You have heard already today about the opportunity we have to expand our church space, and about the financial realities surrounding that choice.  You know that our Gift of Tomorrow Campaign has brought us a new pastor for families and youth, a beautiful organ, significant structural improvements, and the ability to make charitable contributions to local organizations that are critical to our neighbors.  These are incredible things, but they are gifts of today, not of tomorrow, unless we find a way to sustain them.

 

To sustain our family and youth program and to allow it to prosper into tomorrow, we need space – yes.  But, we also need teachers.  We need children (our students).  We really need new members.  Each one of you can contribute to the future of this program.  Prayerfully consider an increase in your annual giving next year to support our footprint expansion.  But please, do not stop there.  Keep coming to church.  Bring your friends and relatives.  Invite neighbors to our social gatherings, or our upcoming Christmas pageant.  Volunteer to teach a Sunday School class or two – you can do it!  

 

To build on the investment in our beautiful organ and enhance our musical programs for tomorrow the church needs your time and your talents as well.  In addition to our wonderful choir, our new vespers service presents opportunities for those of you with musical talent to share.  Give it a try.  What an opportunity to contribute something you truly enjoy to the future and growth of our church.

 

Similarly, the recent structural improvements to our church have made a down payment that supports, but does not itself guarantee the vibrant, thriving church community of our aspirations.  We have the bricks and mortar, but we need each person here today, and more, to give this structure life – to make this building a body with a spirit and sense of community that endures through the comings and goings of any single member.  

 

Finally, the Gift of Tomorrow campaign enabled Cleveland Park church to make significant contributions to local charitable organizations that help minister to people in need beyond the four walls of our church.  Continuing and enhancing our Congregation’s commitment to external ministries is so inextricably connected to some of our other goals – like growing our membership, nurturing our youth, or sharing our music – that it would be easy to ignore.  We must not.  Actually my personal goal for the coming year is to find ways to better support those ministries . . . which brings this discussion now back to me.  

 

 

And outside of the walls of this church my life is equally chaotic.  My husband and I both work full time in jobs with Washington hours, and we both feel like utter failures as parents at least once a week.  We don’t take care of ourselves like we should.  And we don’t take care of each other or those around us like we should. . .

 

The bottom line is that I am not an obvious role model or motivator.  I am a person who, most days, is just getting by.  But God and this church still need me – they need all of us.  We all know that.  And so, why was I asked to speak to you this morning?  The answer to that, I think, is why not?

 

Since joining Cleveland Park church I have tried each year to think about what I can comfortably give, both financially and in kind, and then I try to find ways to do a little more.  Last year I agreed to teach pre-K Sunday school on three Sundays.  This year I will double that.  Last year Dirk and I thought we pushed our financial pledges beyond what our budget would allow; this year we will try to push even more.  My family and I have made efforts to give to the various charitable drives of the church throughout the year; next year my personal goal is to organize one.  My message to you here is that you do not need to start big.  Start small.  Figure out what you can give, prayerfully and willingly.  Over time opportunities to do even more will present themselves.  And when they do, you will say yes.  Just like I said yes to speaking this morning.

 

In closing, my hope is that one of the opportunities I have mentioned today to not just attend this church, but to really be a part of its body and soul is something that you can consider.  Please take the time in the days and weeks ahead to pray about what your contributions could be.  Think about how this church has helped you, like me, to survive – at times – and to grow.  And then, think about how this church could do just that for countless others.  Every single one of us is critical to this congregation’s today, and to its tomorrow.  Thank you.