1. When I came to my last rural charge, I didn't know much about rural ministry.  But they were very patient and over 4 ? years they taught me, and I was very grateful.  When I came to Valley, I still didn't really know a lot about rural ministry except the importance of recognizing I didn't know much!  And you've been very patient, and are teaching me, and I'm very grateful.  And then we came to more and more difficult economic times, and I've been wondering all fall, what in heaven's name do I say about stewardship this year?  Stewardship ?how we look after ourselves, our church, creation and others in good times and in more difficult ones.

2. Hard question.  The religious leaders also asked Jesus a similar hard question.  What's the greatest commandment?  They loved the law.  They believed that following the laws would enable them to look after themselves, the temple and others well.  Jesus took two of their existing laws.  He puts them together and says everything important about how you live (stewardship) can be summed up in, 'love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and your neighbour as yourself.?

3. Love God.  It's hard to love on command.  We do make choices to love, but it's ever so much easier when we know the receiver of our love!  What do we know about God?

a)      Do we know that God loves us?  Wants the best for us?

b)     Can we believe that God has a Holy hope for us?  Not a detailed plan that would take away our free choice.  But having more perspective than us, that God yearns to participate in shaping our dreams and convictions. 

c)      Do we believe that God has the persevering power and imagination to help our dreams grow roots, lead us through difficult and sensitive decisions, and fill our lives with meaning and purpose?

d)     Do we believe that God wants to enter into relationship with us?  And that God enters those relationships with such vulnerability, that we are able to respond.

e)      Do we believe that God has forgiven us, even for those things we can hardly face, and have a hard time to forgive ourselves for?

f)       Do we believe that God can call forth generosity and great love?

4. If we can really believe this about God, and I believe it's true with every ounce of my being, then in response it is easy to love God.  With all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  When we do that, we are most whole.  Most energetic, most at peace.  It's loving ourselves.  Think of us as a circle.  Divide it in 4.  In each quadrant, there is one of: body, mind, emotions and spirit.  When we love God with our mind, we ask questions, keep our minds active and give ourselves opportunities for learning.  Choose what we spend time thinking about.  Loving God gives a healthy mind.  When we love God with our body, we take good care of what we put in it and how much, how we exercise according to our abilities, how we spend our time, getting time for rest.  A healthy body.  Loving God with our emotions, is admitting to ourselves and sharing honestly what we're feeling, and taking responsibility for what I'm feeling ? not ?You made me?!?  Finding time for laughter, creativity and beauty.  Healthy emotions.  Loving God with our Spirit, is taking time to greet the spirit in me, and listen for Holy wisdom in private or public worship.  And inviting the spirit in me to greet the spirit in you.  The amazing paradox is that when we love God with our whole selves, we are also loving ourselves.  It's how we're re-created even in the midst of our most difficult times.

5. And our neighbour as ourselves.  Another part of our response to God's incredible love.  And gives us another reason to make sure we love ourselves.  So we are able to love others.  Including complex questions about how we care for creation.  Sometimes it is indeed a difficult choice to love.  Those either so like us it grates, or so unlike us, it's hard to understand how they think and feel and act.  The good news is that God also helps others choose to love us when we'd otherwise be rather difficult to love as well!

6. There's a popular saying that it takes a village to raise a child.  I agree.  I'd also add it takes a whole congregation to raise an adult.  Each one brings such different gifts, abilities, training, experience, and resources.  We need everyone.  That's why when people tell me they don't need to come to church to be a good person, I tell them I agree.  And that we need them.  With their unique gifts and personality.  It's not just about what I need, is it?  And at times I may be able to give differently ? either of my money or time or energy.  The beautiful poem ?Footsteps? talks of us being carried by Christ at those most difficult times in our lives.  Our faith community does that as well.  I may need to be carried for a time, and then it will be my turn to carry others.  Other times we work together in team.  That's also one of the reasons it's so important to have a church in our communities.  As Paul says we share not only the Gospel, but our very selves.  A visible sign of all we believe.

7. This congregation is taking a hold of the challenges well.  Way back in winter we dared to dream about what we hope for GR UC.  We wanted there to be a church in 5 years.  We wanted to have a full church at least once ? and we've had it twice this fall.  We wanted to welcome at least 3 new families to worship on a regular basis and we're on our way.  We wanted to balance our budget.  It would be possible if each family gave an average of $1. more per Sunday.  Of course we recognize that some of us will need to give more as others will not be able to this year.  A third goal is to do more visiting and personal contact with the community. In order to facilitate that we planned the visiting workshop for after church, and invite all of you to both share your experience and become more comfortable doing that important ministry.  We're also well represented on the Will to Survive Committee with Audrey and Linda and work inter denominationally and with the community in response to the economic situation of our area.  In all of this, there's energy and joy as faith grows and the Spirit is welcomed even more deeply into our lives and ministry together.  As people accept that their work with and for the church and in their families and communities and work places is ministry also, all becomes more filled with meaning and purpose.

8. Our Season's of the Spirit resource created a poem of our scripture from Thessalonians.  It could be entitled Stewardship:

Be bold!  Be Gentle!  Embrace love's warm flow around, among you.

Abused, knocked down here and abroad, we feel the Spirit rising, and you are a part.

Joy, strength, the Spirit we call Holy guides me in guiding you.

The same Spirit who guided Moses, Joshua, Silas and Chloe, Timothy and Lydia.

This Spirit spirals, swirls, turns until all is God and God is all in you, in us,

In this Spirit's power nothing can keep us down.

As we share Spirit, selves, souls with one another,

May God witness to our witness;

To our hearts intertwined pulsing with Love.

May God continue to bless us in our ministry together.