From The Interim Pastor:
The Appeal|
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From The Interim Pastor: The Appeal |
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Autumn is such an appealing season. I receive letters of appeal from every institution I've ever attended, funded in the past, or to which my address has been sold. There are general appeals, annual appeals, electoral appeals and emergency appeals. It's easy to become overwhelmed if not downright resentful of so many appeals especially when they fall as thick and fast as autumn leaves, but I'm beginning to realize something important about appeals as a means of grace. The first way such appeals offer a means of grace is by offering a practice of discernment. The vast majority of appeals I receive all ask me to fund worthy causes, but some of them hit closer to home than others. The way we respond to appeals can tell us a lot about what's important to us-even if our response to an appeal is to chuck it immediately into the recycle bin. The second way these appeals offer a means of grace is by empowering us to make a difference in the world. Fundraisers say that any amount, no matter how small, makes a difference and that's true. While any organized effort we choose to fund might burn through the five or ten dollars we can give very quickly, the difference that donation makes is the difference it makes to us. Our donation is an extension of our personal energy, devotion and care. The third way appeals offer grace is by connecting us more deeply to other people across shared concerns. Whether those concerns are about common interests such as art and culture, political futures, care for animals and the environment, or care for other people, the connections we make through participation in these appeals creates a sense of community, belonging and pride. These ruminations on appeals were triggered by appeals I received in my email inbox today from our UCC churches in fire-ravaged San Diego and flood-ravaged Minnesota through One Great Hour of Sharing. One Great Hour of Sharing combines the efforts of several mainline Protestant churches to respond to long-term and emergency relief efforts at home and abroad. If you would like to contribute to church-sponsored recovery efforts in San Diego, Minnesota or other locations, you can go to http://www.ucc.org/oghs and click on the "Donate Now" button. While it can seem that the stream of appeals we hear at church is consistent, if not constant, I hope that these efforts to reframe appeals as opportunities for grace can assist your encounter with the letters in your own mailboxes. And I pray blessings on your joyful tasks of discernment, empowerment and connection to all the various causes you support. Oh, and by the way, if you haven't gotten your pledge card for our church into the church office yet, we're still happy to receive them. That's an appeal I hope you find irresistible. In Joy, Jennifer Yocum |