Dear Friends in Christ,

I came upon the following reflection some years ago:

Your pledge is …

…someone being baptized into Christ and his Church,

            the sick being cared about, and

praying together for those we love and strangers we’ve never met.

…the people of God celebrating the Holy Communion,

children getting their feet wet with faith, and

food fore the hungry.

…the Word of God being proclaimed,

important issues being discussed sanely, and

pastoral counseling when you need it.

…a new congregation in Virginia or Latin America or Africa,

your congregation being able to be effective, and

a witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ.

…a troubled person getting some help,

people studying the Bible, and

lonely people finding a few friends in Christian community.

…comfort for your family and reverent burial for someone you love.

young and old doing something together for others, and

the Good news being made visible and touchable.

…troubled youth finding someone who cares,

college students finding worship and witness, and

helping your community become better for all.

…responding to the love God gives free of charge,

a measure of your own maturing in Christ, and

a commitment opening the door to spiritual growth.

The Church of St. Michael and St. George, St. Louis

Transfiguration A.D. 1992 

Each Sunday, with great fanfare, we present our offering at the altar.  This is different from almost any other gift that we give.  Usually we expect a "thank you" from the one receiving the gift.  In this case we proclaim that all that we have and all that we are comes from God.  We are simply returning a portion of what God has given us.  The "thank you" is from us to God even as we make our offering!

We present two sets of gifts; bread and wine for Communion and money for the operation and mission of the Church.  And then we immediately receive the back the gifts we have just given.  God is like that. 

The bread and the wine are consecrated and we receive them back as the Body and Blood of Christ.  The bread and wine we use are purchased with the monetary gifts that we make.   So are the lights, the heat, the candles, Christian education materials, bulletins, newsletters ... all that makes our life together possible.  Our monetary gifts make possible a full time priest and our other staff who serve us.   Our offering is given to God in thanksgiving for God's generosity and then God, in God's goodness, returns our offering in the form of the ministry of the Church.

Our offering also goes out as ministry to the world around us.  A portion of the money that we give goes out of our parish to serve the world in the name of Christ.  Our offering feeds the needy of our community.  It serves the ministry of the Diocese and the national Episcopal Church.  Struggling parishes are assisted.  New ministries reach out to people our society would forget.  God's love is proclaimed to the ends of the earth.

As with all parts of our worship, the Offertory uses simple gestures to realize truths of cosmic importance.  On the one hand we bring forward some bread, some wine, and some money.  On the other hand "we offer and present unto (God) our selves, our souls and bodies to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto (him)" (BCP, p. 336).  Food (bread, wine, and the like) is the stuff of life.  We offer our lives to God.  Money is the currency of our time, talent, and effort.  We offer what we are to God.

We have come to the time of year when we ask each other to give careful consideration to our financial offering for the coming year.  Make no mistake.  We are asking each other.  Kara and I pledge every year.  We give what we do to the glory of God.  We give to St. John's because we believe that God has called us to share this ministry with you.  We know that the ministry of St. John's will only be as powerful as our collective response to the Holy Spirit.  Shall the ministry that God calls us to in this place plan for scarcity or celebration?  The answer rests, in part, with our prayerful consideration of our pledge cards.  Let us bless the Lord!

                                                            Your brother in Christ,

                                                            Wilson +