In every profession there are people who are admired. We pastors have certain people in our profession that we enjoy studying. I spend quite a bit of time reading the works of Fred Craddock, Barbara Brown Taylor, Thomas Long, and Ann Weems. They represent a fairly diverse cross section of religious thought and tradition. The time I spend with their poetry, sermons, or stories is rejuvenating, filling. That time is my self - imposed continuation of seminary ? only without the formal papers or exams. That's probably why I enjoy them now more than I did then!

Especially Fred Craddock speaks to me. Dr. Craddock and I share similar experiences of growing up. Most of the people he writes about or tells stories about are known to me. They just have different names. Like this story about an experience he had at the first church he served. Craddock tells the story like this: " They had a fund called the Emergency Fund and it had about $100 in it. They told me I could use it at my discretion, provided I dispensed the money according to the conditions. So I said, ' What are the conditions? '

The chairman of the committee said, ' You are not to give the money to anybody who is in need as a result of laziness, drunkenness, or poor management, ' I said, ' Well, what else is there?' As far as I know, they still have that money. "( Craddock Stories, p. 48 ).

See, in my upbringing I know people who think like that. They think that the help the church gives to others is conditional ? that the help we give is meant to make them feel miserable or less than us. It's hard to imagine anything further from gospel than thinking like that.

We have a discretionary fund, an emergency fund, here at Elliottsville. Sometimes it has a $100 in it. Sometimes it has more. What it doesn't have is a set of conditions. We help people. Give to people. Gas. Food. A night's shelter. Help with a utility bill. We're the church. We're God's people. And so is every other person. We aren't called to conditions. We are called to service.

As your pastor, I want you to know that we help people. Almost daily. To quote another disciple, whose name is Mother Teresa, " We do what we can, where we are, with what we have." The church knows that the individual members are not always able to meet with people and help them with their daily needs. So, the church represents you. Some of the money you give finds its way in to the stomachs of hungry children, provides a pillow for a comfortable night's rest, keeps the lights burning, or the water warm for a bath.

We are entering a time in the church's year when we begin to specifically address money. Budget. Stewardship. Tithe. Those aren't bad words. Boring words. Those words are gifts from God. They are, on many occasions, love. Help. Mercy. Grace. They turn into food, shelter, security, service, discipleship.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Mark