Show
of hands...who has served or is currently serving on our Vestry?! Ok,
so for those of you who raised your hands, you know the feeling of
having roughly two months remaining on your Vestry term. Right?! Maybe
feels something along the lines of "YES!" Now...imagine being
approached (keeping in mind that your Vestry term is near an end) by
your Stewardship chairperson asking you to speak to the congregation
about St. Johns...from the heart! Quite brazen of him, don't you
think?! Quite bold of you, Billy! Cause quite frankly you just don't
know what an outgoing Vestry member might have to say!!
Now,
please don't misunderstand, I have served with exceptional, dedicated
people during my three years as a Vestry member. St. John's is
fortunate to have them all! And I appreciate having gained a greater
knowledge of church operations, and of these fine folks! BUT, i cannot
tell a lie... I've been seeing the church thru a different lens. Not a
bad one- not necessarily blurry - just different. And that lens kind of
shifts your focus away from the more spiritual lens you would
ordinarily wear. It's a lens that focuses on budgets, programming,
event planning, personnel. But, I'll say...having looked thru both
lenses, I think I can speak to what and who St. John's is. For my
purposes this morning, this is what St. John's means to me!
So,
I was thinking in preparing remarks for today, is St. John's the
perfect choice? May not be, but, then again, what would be? Is it the
trendy choice? Here again, probably not. For that we probably need an
internet cafe or coffee bar! (Hey... get enough pledges in, and
anything is possible!) Is it the easy choice? For some, I hope so.
But for me and my family, St. John's is the solid choice. Solid, you
ask? Yep, Solid. Solid in its ministry and outreach. Solid in it's
rich history. And I'm part of this history - I've grown up here, having
been baptized, confirmed & married here. Also, baptizing &
confirming our children here. My husband, Trey, was also confirmed
here. Over 41 years here for me, give or take a few!
I
vividly recall as a child, rushing in the church, squeezing into one
pew, and wiggling for elbow room. (There were six people in my family!)
My sisters & brother and I would just giggle as we situated
ourselves and negotiated into position! My parents would glare at us
until we found those appropriate spots! I love watching the Schaefers
now, as it takes me right back! It's also why I sit in the rear of the
church today. Just feels right! I remember the Christmas Pageant being
staged in Hauser Hall; Church league ball at the YMCA; Hauser Hall was
where the church ended; preschool in the much smaller basement. I
remember when many of you joined our church family.
It's
Solid for me in that it's home...a place where Trey and our girls, Emma
Caroline & Ashton are comfortable. It's here where we share in
worship with a crib buddy, preschool friends, one of our girl's
kindergarten assistant teachers, their elementary music teacher, our
pediatrician, high school friends - not to mention my parents & one
of my sisters, and her family! This is home.
And
like ALL homes, there is always something in need of repair &
maintenance! Please tell me your homes are the same, or is it just
mine?! Sometimes you can maintain with a little elbow grease and skill.
Sometimes it takes calling in an expert - which inevitably costs
money. But at all times, you have to consider what the home really
needs.
And
if you haven't already, liken this to the 3 T's of Stewardship: Time,
Talent & Treasure. At times, St. John's needs are met with Time
& Talent. In some situations, this may actually offset the need for
as much treasure. It is so important for us as parishioners to find
something that speaks to us, to be involved. This is how we maintain,
and this is how we build for our future. But, it is so easy to
complain. I know, I do it too. So easy to find the creaky spot in the
floor, or the leaky faucet, the need for this and the want for that.
Neverending, the list can seem. Daunting even. But, it is in actually
recognizing these things, sorting through the dirty laundry, that we
can better plan for the upkeep of our home. So, those parking lot
conversations that many of you and I have had can prove to be
constructive - despite feeling somewhat sacriiege in the moment! But,
honestly, out of every conversation I've had with a fellow parishioner, I
see the passion and desire for St Johns to be their permanent
residence. To be as close to the perfect choice as it can be. And boy,
are there are a lot of choices out there these days?! It is in these
moments when you realize we all want this home to be strong and sound.
Just need to address the honey-do's with a little TLC, and the three
T's. This place has good bones. It's solid.
And
as I said at the beginning, I'm an outgoing Vestry member who has been
focusing through a different lens in recent years. But, more
important than being a Vestry member, I'm a member who sees that St
Johns is her foundation for Christian faith. A place where we have lots
of room for building p and planning for a bright future if we will.
This place is home.
Thank you!
Respectfully submitted by,
Kensley Edge
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