Rev. Cara Scriven, Lead Pastor
Last Sunday, I spent the day working outside in my yard. It was such a beautiful day and I desperately needed time away from my electronics. If I was going to have an abundant harvest this summer, I knew I had a lot more to do to get the yard ready. I spent the day weeding, adding enriched soil, and even removed some plants that had overgrown their spaces.
Towards the end of the day, some of our neighbors came by and offered us some mulch. A neighbor had won a large quantity of it at an auction last year and they were offering it free to the neighborhood. When I said we’d love to take some, they brought wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow to our backyard. It was an amazing act of kindness that I will remember every time I enjoy my backyard this summer.
Whenever I think about this kind of generosity, my first thought is always the line from the Prayer of St. Francis that says, “For it is in giving that we receive.” The spiritual practice of being generous isn’t solely about helping our neighbor although that is a beautiful outcome. The greater gift is what generosity does to the giver as they realize the power of their actions. Giving reminds us that we have the power to bring joy to others. It can also relieve us from the burdens that come with having too much. In addition, when we give to others, we begin to live into the belief that there is an abundance of time, money, and love.
Over the last year, I’ve been amazed repeatedly by the generosity of this church. During this pandemic, I have continued to be pleasantly surprised each week when the offering is counted. Your willingness to be faithful in your giving to the operating budget has allowed us to keep our staff, continue ministry in our community, and complete necessary repairs. This is not true in every church or faith community. For some churches, their tight budgets were not able to withstand the pressure that pandemic has brought and will close their ministries.
Not only have kept your commitment to our operating budgets, but your financial gifts have also gone above and beyond as you have given over $14,000 to our Christmas Offering and over $11,000 to our Easter Offering. These gifts were then given to community organizations like New Hope Resource Center, Helping Hand House, Puyallup Food Bank, and Nourish Pierce County. Your generosity is making a real difference in people’s lives.
However, it’s not just your monetary gifts that show your generosity. It’s the gifts of time to repaint our classrooms, to call and check in on members of the church, sitting on committees, putting food boxes together, organizing and making meals for the Armory, helping with New Hope Lunches, picking out flooring, weeding the church’s yard, planting a garden for the Food Bank, singing for worship, reading Scripture, and so much more. Your generosity has been an inspiration to me, to members of our church, and to the wider Puyallup Community.
Pastor Melinda and I are blessed to be appointed to such a generous community. We believe that your generosity, is a clear sign of the depth of your faith and your love of neighbor. May your giving continue to deepen your faith and hope in Christ.