With a Little Help from My Friends
Our annual church stewardship campaign has just kicked off and the timing couldn’t be any more perfect for me to share my thoughts on giving (and receiving). If you ever needed a vivid and true example of what stewardship means, what it means to have the support and care of your community, go ahead and have yourself an unexpected surgery and see what happens. I’ll save you the trouble of surgery and tell you what many of you already know: when you are in a rough spot, your church family–this church family–will rally ’round with more care and kindness than you can imagine.
When Holly asked me in the couple of weeks before surgery if I wanted my name to go on the list of concerns, I was kind of squeamish about it. The nature of my surgery was fairly, ah-hem, sensitive. If you ask me about it in person, I’ll be happy to tell you, but it’s not something I was eager to have described in the church newsletter. I’m front and center during worship each week and so you might think it odd that I would become “shy” suddenly. By the same token, people would definitely notice if I were just as suddenly gone for a few weeks.
I’m so glad that I opened up to a few people in the weeks before surgery, the ones who told me to get to the doctor and report back, and glad that I gave Holly the go-ahead to share the news the week before. When you choose to be in community, your people simply can’t help themselves but to be kind. They will show up for you in all the ways that say, “I love you and I will care for you,” with texts and calls, cards in the mail, comforting meals, and a container of granola on the front porch. We practice stewardship by taking care of our church and our community, and by taking care of one another. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to practice the beautiful work of stewardship–the giving and receiving–alongside you all.
Holy One,
Thank you for the loving example of stewardship that you have set. May we be gracious in our giving, as we are humble in accepting the gifts of a loving community.
Amen
Eli is a founding member of Peace Church. Watch for her to be back soon at her spot leading songs on Sunday mornings. In the meantime, her husband and dog are excellent caregivers!