Rector's Note: More Than Enough

And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. Luke 9:16-17, NRSV

Dear Saints,

I am grateful to you, and to all the members of our congregation. Throughout the year I have seen such generosity as you contribute your ideas, your resources, and your time to our community. Every dollar that we raise, every minute of service, every committee and group we take part in is about something much bigger than any one of us. It is God bringing us together to do more than any one of us could on our own and becoming more ourselves in the process.

Our pledge campaign this year focuses on the miracle of sharing, the ways in which our means meet the needs of the world, the ways in which we respond to the Gospel, the ways in which we sustain our community. Our theology of giving focuses on the three-legged stool of Wealth, Works, and Wisdom. These are the ways in which we make our gifts to the world.

In thinking about Wisdom, our ancient texts treat Wisdom in a personified manner. In some cases, as if a member of the Godhead. Wisdom is a source of inspiration, creativity, and guidance that has been a part of the world since it was chaos. Wisdom smooths out the edges of our Creation and gives us ways to make order, plan for change, prepare for renewal, appreciate what we have. She (the pronoun often ascribed to Wisdom) is in all of us, resonant, reactive, reaching forward to make connections with our traditions and culture and experience.

More Than Enough, the theme for our campaign, brings us back to that moment of miracle described in Luke’s Gospel, having just been fed by Jesus from only a few loaves and fishes. The people in that story heard Jesus’ call to share what they had in order that all might benefit. It’s the call made to all of us; our opportunity to give the gift of Wisdom we possess. I see this in our parish all the time. When we have strategies that need to be developed, committees that need to be staffed, or problems that need to be solved, the people of All Saints answer the call.

When wisdom adds to wisdom our whole community is filled with inspiration and action. You are that inspiration and action, without whom our church and our ministry would be diminished. In a few weeks, you will receive an invitation to name and pledge the gifts you will make in the coming year to help our church and our neighbors. I ask that you pray with us as we launch our annual gathering of gifts and gratitude, and consider how you will contribute your gift of wisdom.

In Abundant Gratitude,

Andria+