It’s “That” time again

Oh-oh; it’s that time again.  You know: Stewardship Time.  The church is asking for money again.  Sigh.

I was thinking about a story my mom used to love to tell, about how I just about embarrassed her to death in front of a bunch of church folk.  Seems that it was her turn to have the Women’s Circle over to our house; they began with devotions, shared some snacks, and then passed around a collection plate before the program.

Mom said I was pretty interested in all that was going on but it seemed to her that I paid particular attention to that part about the collection plate.  She recounts how as the plate was going around she saw a light go on in my eyes and she knew there would be trouble.

I don’t really remember any of this, but I take mom’s word for it.  After being a parent myself I know for a fact that children can be quite creative.

At any rate, mom said that I headed off into my room and came back to that Women’s Circle with my piggy bank in hand and proceeded to pass it around, just like that other plate.

I got some donations too.  I guess I was born to be a preacher.

Anyway, where was I?  Oh, yeah, Stewardship Time again.  ‘Tis the season for letters in the mailbox along with skits and witnesses in worship and more letters with commitment cards … and our Stewardship commission keeps talking about “Embracing God’s crazy.”  Shoot, it’s enough to make you crazy.

But you know, in a society that more and more emphasizes self-interest over the commonwealth, you have to be crazy to believe in a God who says we are to care about others.  In a society that says “I earned it and so it’s mine” you have to be crazy to affirm that “the Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”   In a society that increasing differentiates between “them” and “us” you have to be crazy to say “Wherever you are on the journey, you are welcome here.”

Fifty crazy people built a church at 8th Street and 108th Avenue in 1901 because they believed in the future and in 1952 a group of 165 crazy people expanded that church structure to fit the growing needs of the community of faith.  And now 400 crazy people are asking questions about how best to insure the next 110 years of Bellevue First Congregational Church.  That’s a lot of crazy.

So I hope you will join with the rest of your brothers and sisters at Bellevue First Congregational Church and Embrace God’s Crazy.  If you don’t, I just might have to send a kid to your door with a piggy bank … now, that would be crazy!

See you in church.

kevin