Every day I wrestle with how and where I expend my energy. There are only so many waking hours in a day and each minute is precious. It seems that the time I get with you goes by so quickly and the time away so slowly. As I leave each morning for work, I long to just sit by you, to share in the simple things, a cup of coffee, a plan for the day.

I am often asked to go spend time with friends, maybe do some extra work and most of the time it is easy to turn down. I’d rather spend time with my family than spend time alone or leave you alone to spend time with friends.

Seeing you thrive even through struggle brings me great joy. So the decision of when and how to spend my time and invest my limited resources becomes clear when I filter through that lens.

I started this as a love letter to my wife, and the parallels between my love for my wife and the love for the church are astounding. Our time, energy, resources are limited--sometimes painfully so, but to see our parish thrive brings so much joy. Not just to myself, but to our community.

This month our culture celebrates our most loving relationships. We buy flowers and chocolates, go on romantic dinners, and give gifts to shower our beloveds. What do we shower on Christ’s bride? Do we love to see her thrive? Do we eagerly yearn to belong, serve, and invest in her? These are lenses I want to have on as I consider my part in her future.

There are already many places to belong, to invest in relationships, to give, to serve within this community. If you have not already spent some time looking at the ever-growing list of ministry groups on our website, check them out by clicking here. If you would like to fill out and turn in a stewardship form for 2017, download it here and bring it by the church. The stewardship team would be happy to get you connected more deeply to the community.