Stewardship – 2008
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We often read in Holy Scriptures how people change
when they are touched by God. When Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus into his
home and received forgiveness of his sins, Zacchaeus offered half of his
wealth back to God and pledged support to those he wronged. When the
Holy Apostles Andrew and Peter first met Jesus, He said to them: “Follow
me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). In answer, they
abandoned their boat, nets and livelihood in complete trust and joy.
And, likewise Jesus said to the rich young man, “Go, sell what you
possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and
come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21). Today, these words are addressed to
you and me as well.
Each of us can recall at least one moment in our life,
when we felt the loving touch of God’s grace. We felt joy, comfort,
peace and love – we felt that we were His. Having come into our life,
our Lord asks us to give back to God, not only out of thanksgiving, but
for our salvation.
You see, to love is to sacrifice. “God so loved the
world, that He gave His only-begotten Son so that whoever believes in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). When we
look upon the Cross, we indeed see sacrifice; but we also see God’s love
for us.
And so, to love God, also means to sacrifice, to put
our faith in action. We offer many types of sacrifice. However, our
sacrifice is acceptable to God, only if it is sincere and if it is
precious to us. The Lord Jesus Christ, through His Holy Orthodox Church
is asking you today to sacrifice out of love for Him – sacrificial love
– so that we all may have “treasure in heaven.”
Please submit your stewardship pledge for the year
2008 – your pledge of financial support...of sacrifice...of love. We ask
that you give from your heart, not in an emotional way, but in a
faithful and loving way, so that we more worthily may be called Orthodox
Christians.
Wealth by its very nature is meant to go out from you,
like a light that dispels darkness. When wealth is locked up within the
walls of your own spirit, it becomes evil – St. John Chrysostom
Please use the enclosed pledge form and mail it back
to us or drop it off in the specially marked box in the church hall.
When completing your pledge, please consider raising your level of
giving. Our church cannot operate without your financial contributions.
Thank you for your generous support. May God bless you abundantly.
With love in Christ,
Rev. Priest John Vass
Pastor
