Haydenville Congregational Church, UCC September 22, 2013 Sermon: Kayla Gilman-Solomon, Chair of Stewardship. God Has No Hands On Earth But Mine

Transcription

1 Haydenville Congregational Church, UCC September 22, 2013 Sermon: Kayla Gilman-Solomon, Chair of Stewardship God Has No Hands On Earth But Mine Good morning everyone. I am so excited to be representing the magnificent Stewardship Committee- Toby, Bonnie, Pastor Andrea and I. This year we are launching the Stewardship campaign early because it a pivotal year in the life of the church. And we have some wonderful surprises. As you can see from the plaques on the wall this church has been a place of worship for more than 150 years. It is an understatement to say that through the years it has been through many transitions. A mere 10 years ago, this church was in a very different state. It had shrunk from an active, thriving Hill town church to one that was hanging on by a thread. There were 15 people who remained. They did everything. They opened the doors, cleaned and fixed everything, set up and planned the church services, and somehow with little or no help, paid all the bills. Each one of them had a very real understanding that they were essential. In 2005 they made the bold decision to hire Pastor Andrea and somehow managed to gather approximately $14,000 to pay her as a half time Pastor. Almost immediately they lost two people who didn't like the direction the church was taking. Now think about that. 13 people, who we now call the Saints, pulled together to pay all of the expenses. Even though the new salary was so low it represented a huge increase in their budget. 13 people. These were not wealthy people and some of them had very little expendable income. So how did they do it? They knew that God has no hands on earth but theirs. They knew that if this church were to continue to stay open it was up to them. They found a way. And miraculously the church stayed open. As new people came they brought new life, new energy and new resources. And soon Pastor Andrea was brought on as the full time Pastor. Here's an interesting part of the story. When the saints hired Pastor Andrea she had been working at Mount Holyoke College making a very nice living. But something about this church and this small but committed group of people spoke to her soul. She realized that this was the place she was supposed to be. With the little salary that was offered she jumped in with two feet and took a second job to support herself and her family. She found a way. The life force started coursing through all of the veins of this church and amazing

2 things began to happen. The church grew. People heard about the inspirational sermons and the open and welcoming community and some even came from far away and liked what they found. Ironically we all came here for different reasons. Some of us were refugees from churches and doctrines preaching hate and exclusion. Places that encourage people to cherry pick the bible, sending the damaging message that there is something wrong with us or the people we love. So we came searching for a place to be ourselves, and we stayed. Some of us were looking for a quirky, open, progressive community and we stayed. Some of us were seeking tradition and we stayed. Some of us wanted inspiration and we stayed. Some of us were longing to express our spirit with song and we stayed. Some of us sought a place for our children to learn and explore their spirituality and we stayed. Some of us wanted to become part of something larger than ourselves and we stayed. Some of us were searching for a safe place to be questioning and we stayed. And some of us didn't even have any idea what we were looking for but we felt good when we walked in and we stayed. And somehow in this slightly off the beaten path, quaint New England church we were able to discover our place, our calling, our gifts. We became known for our radical welcome, our passionate appreciation and affirmation of each other and a place where difference was celebrated. We worked and played together. And as we combined our passion, spirituality and commitment the church grew. We built a thriving children's church which drew new families. We made the church more beautiful inside and out. We brought our leadership and inspired others to lead. We built a music program that entertains moves and makes us think. We brought food to people who were infirm and made cookies for coffee hour. We set the table and cleaned the dishes. We raised money for those in need and became a resonant voice in the community speaking up for peace and justice. We served food to the homeless. We even joined together to create a unique and memorable Passover Seder. And most of all we smiled, laughed, loved, supported and opened our arms to each other and new people who walked in the door. I can go on. I have just described the way this wacky, unique, fascinating, different group of us somehow fit together and came to embody this church. And in Paul's word's some of us are the eyes, others the ears, the brain, the feet, the hands. All of us the heart and soul. No part more or less essential than the other. And as those of us who have lost use or function of parts of our body know, we can survive, but we are not the same.

3 Each of us brings something special and unique, our personal magnificence. Of course when you combine all of this personal magnificence together, amazing things happen. We become a larger entity that is more than any of could possibly be on our own. At first we came to church and then somehow we became the church. It is clear to see that this small, struggling Hilltown church has transformed. We went from survival to thriving. Yeah Us! So let's go back to Corinthians. Paul describes the body as a collection of parts that cannot exist without each other. We are not meant to live or work in isolation. Our fundamental needs get met through connection. Our ability to have impact in the world exponentially expands as we work together. So what does all this talk about the body have to do with Stewardship. I thought about this a lot. As the prophets taught, faith without works is nothing. And the body without blood cannot live. And so this year I would like us to look at money, in the form of our pledges as the blood. Even in the days of our saints the church needed money to run. Some of you have read last month's newsletter and were concerned about how we were paying the bills. What we meant was that we were using money that was reserved for emergencies, for an endowment, for other purposes to make up the difference between what was pledged and the actual operating budget. To use the metaphor of blood, we were taking money from the blood bank. So this year the Trustees, with strong encouragement and support from the Stewardship Committee have created a Stewardship goal that will actually pay the annual budget. Yes, it is a much higher amount than we have ever asked for but it reflects the church that we have become. And to continue to use blood as a metaphor, our church requires a more consistent flow. The pledges, which come in weekly and monthly are a more sustainable way of supporting this church. As with blood, consistency and unobstructed flow leads to better health. By having a realistic stewardship goal that reflects who we have become we will be able to more soundly and powerfully move into the future. We can leave the reserves where they belong. So are you ready to hear our goal? Drum roll please

4 The goal for the 2014 Stewardship Campaign is $180,000 And as Bob the Builder says, Can we do it. Yes we can. How do we know we can do it...? Look around. This is the new body of the church. Wait for it.we are no longer a small, struggling, hungry, Hill town church. We have become a passionate, thriving, lively, amazing, medium sized church. We went from no Pastor to 2 pastors, no children's church to 3 paid children's church staff and more than 70 babies, children and young people involved in our youth and children's programs. We have a paid part time treasurer and accountant. We have a paid choir director, and Kathy who keeps this place spotless and we're still growing. People come here from all over the pioneer valley and beyond and stay because this is a special community. We are a destination. Even the Yard birds, our local farmers, asked when they moved to the area if there was an active, interesting community that they could affiliate with. Several people told them you need to go to Haydenville Congregational Church. They came and they decided to work with us. So now we're even more interesting! So what is the Stewardship message this year? The message is "I am the church." I am the mother of Talya. I am the wife of Coni. I am a therapist. I am the church. And when I start my sentence with I AM I claim that part of me. It means that I cherish, take responsibility and care for. I am a Jew. I am a believer in the teaching and actions of Jesus. I am the chair of Stewardship of the Haydenville Congregational Church. I am the church. When I say "I AM I commit, I support, I claim.

5 I am the church. As each of us steps into the knowledge that "I am the church" There is no us and them. There is no me and you. No insider and outsider. No separation. Some believe that this was the original intent of Jesus. So if we take his words into our lives it means that each person that follows his teachings is the church. That every act of kindness and generosity is the church. That being a force for peace and justice is the church. That living with faith and hope is the church. Being filled with spirit is the church. Love is the church. Let's take a moment and try on "I am the church. $180,000 is a lot of money. But with the abundant power that lives within each of us, we will join together and without a doubt do what needs to be done to make that goal. We will be God's hands, and feet and eyes and brain on this earth. We will find a way. Amen