Dear St. Lukers,
Presence. It’s a word that has come to have more meaning in my life as I’ve moved through the years. These last few Christmases we have given our kids the gift of an experience – just heading out for a few days together to be present with one another in a new place. Just recently, someone in our congregation offered me the gift of just grabbing coffee once a month to talk, share, and let me glean their wisdom of decades of leadership. It was such a gift to know someone was willing to just be present and listen and reflect with me.
When we become members of the church, we commit to participate in the life of the church and support its ministries with our prayers, PRESENCE, gifts, service, and witness. For me, presence used to mean making sure everyone showed up for worship on Sundays. And while I do believe that is a key part of the commitment – placing ourselves in the presence of God and the community of faith as a discipline of corporate worship – it’s more than that.
It’s being present with one another and begs us to consider how our presence helps the church show up in the world and our community, present with our neighbors in need. We do so through the bags of grace we collect and donate to local schools and the money we raise to build beds for children, but what about the ministry of presence our lives can give? Consider the hope it offers to build and deliver the beds to the families. Consider the belonging a student feels when you show up every week in their classroom. What about the gift of presence to sit with people trying to expand their job capacity in Jobs Partnership, or to walk alongside a Circles Leader to meet their goals of a new life? The gift of your presence with someone, using your expertise and offering your heart to listen, is needed in some very important and particular ways for our ministries right now. If you would like to know more about how your gift of presence can change a life, click here for more information about Circles West Orange (applications are currently being accepted for 15 new Circles Allies).
As we move toward Sunday and you consider what the promise of your presence means to St. Luke’s and our community, make sure you listen to this week’s podcast episode with Dr. Brett Opalinski from Candler School of Theology, and spend some time with our Scripture (Hebrews 10:19-25). Consider the author’s words as we prepare our hearts, minds, and our calendars to make worship a priority this week: “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
See you Sunday, because it’s not St. Luke’s without U!
Jenn.