Getting Ready for Consecration Sunday

We've been blessed by three brilliant stewardship reflections by members of PCMK: Suzy Condit, Roe Gift, and Chris Dalrymple. I'm grateful for their sharing, and the chance to publish them here.

When I wrote to Chris to thank him for his offering, I said: "Thanks for your masterful stewardship message yesterday! From what I understand of PCMK's history, we got the congregation to go to a place they refused to visit with Molly--a modified 'call and response.'" Chris' comment was, "Thanks, I almost lost my place from shock when the congregation started participating!" 

--Jack Lohr, Interim Pastor

Suzy Condit -- October 24, 2010

I would like to thank the stewardship committee for asking me to speak today. It has been a revealing process to understanding myself and my role at PCMK.

First, I had to understand what stewardship was. I asked different members of the congregation and ultimately, Pastor Jack, “What does stewardship mean in the Presbyterian Faith?”. I realized, I had to back in to what stewardship is, in order to integrate it with my visceral and spiritual actions of service.

I tried to get my hands around the word, but it was a word – empty and cold. A definition wasn’t going to do it for me. My motivation for volunteering and service is spiritual and visceral. Just as I need to nourish my body with exercise, air, light and food, my soul needs to be nourished with prayer, meditation and by giving back to others. My Guide, to feeding my soul, is the Life and message of Jesus Christ.

By taking the focus off myself, and putting it on others, my soul is nourished. By osmosis or better yet, God’s grace, I hopefully have become a more compassionate, empathetic and understanding person. And I have gratitude for what God has given me and that I can share myself with others. Giving away, feeds my soul and strengthens my relationship with God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I humble myself to seek God’s will.

And yet I to have to feed others. I have been blessed as a mother, wife, sister, daughter, aunt , citizen of Mount Kisco, and a member and deacon of PCMK. Others have nurtured and planted seeds in me. I receive nourishment by doing the same for others. I am also fed by being with and working with others who want to give as well. I/we are walking disciples of Jesus Christ. As I am fed, Jesus Christ’s message grows in me. And I know, that I am not alone.

My children are young, they do not understand about “nourishing the soul” or “nourishing the spirit”. With the support of my husband, they see where I devote my time, money and service. How I derive joy, peace and serenity. My hope, is that they will learn by example. As they are assaulted by the world – the internet, violence, war, death and famine. I am hoping and praying that they will instinctively turn back to Jesus Christ and a congregation for comfort and guidance.

My Presbyterian faith is in its infancy, I am planting seeds of my time and money in missions in the congregation and community, -- in Gods universe. With God’s guidance, our future is before us.

Roe Gift -- October 31, 2010

This morning straight from my heart I’d like to talk about 3 things vital to me: faith, family & love.

Thanks to this congregation, my perceptions & feelings about these three have grown over the last 25 years.

First:

1. Faith: In recent scripture readings we've heard about the importance of place. Well, about this place, I can say that: it is here where I where I found my faith. Sermons, bible study, adult education, the women's retreats all helped me to think, question & explore. Then there was & still is the witness & encouragement of others. Do you have any idea how powerful living your faith is? We did it for Katrina, we do it during rummage, when we usher, host coffee hour, support the midnight run; the list is long… 

So I’ll stop here and move on to the second topic:

2. Family: I came from a tight nuclear family. Both my parents were the only child; so for me no aunts/uncles or cousins; and as an adult I was never blessed with a child of my own. While I revel in the family gained through marriage, clearly the number of my genetic relations is small. But faith does not limit me to genes; here my family is as large as the congregation. And, in the abstract of faith, my family is often limitless.

Here I have children. Younger parents I’m talking about you. You have no idea how much I admire you as I witness both the trials & joys that you face in parenting today.

You make me proud.

Here I have grandchildren. What a wonderful lot they are! Do you hear that (?): teens & you young ones wiggling in your seats, bored by this old person blathering on: I’m telling you: you're wonderful! Weekly my heart almost bursts with pleasure during children's time & especially as most of you run, not walk, out to Sunday school. As an elder I have had the honor to witness the faith statements of our confirmands. I may lob in a hardball question or two--but the responses they give are reassuring: our children are free to think & to question, to find what is meaningful for them. Each of us gets to see this more fully on youth Sunday, when more than one young person has taught us a lesson or two.

Here, I’ve had grandparents also. Now that I’ve reached the grand parenting stage, and my mother and father are both gone, thanks to you I still have parents. Thank you for enlarging my family and heart.

Family and heart leads me right to my last topic:

3. Love: A woman was asked to sum up her faith, & her response was: "Jesus loves me." when I heard this, I was in awe of her, certain I was not capable of such a summary. Yet I get it. My God--our God-- is a loving God. For me, that's still an awesome, radical thought. Yet over the years, thanks to this family of faith, it's a truth that has seeped into my bones.

Love is shown in many ways. For some, work equals love. I see that equation at work in our congregation--think Sunday school teachers, those whose efforts cut down our maintenance bills for building, grounds & the manse, Katrina workers & office volunteers, supporters of the midnight run, crop walk, prison & other ministries, choir members, whether you make a joyful noise through voice or instrument. This list just scratches the surface of our love…I could go on, but won't.

In closing I’d like to say, if you find value or meaning in any of the things that have nurtured my faith & spirit over the years in this congregation, then keep it in mind on stewardship Sunday. Give what you can and how you can. Remember that it's not only your treasure, but your time and talent that is needed and appreciated.

I ask you to support what you love out of love. Together let us sow seeds for faith and family and love. God loves you and, in case you haven't figured it out already, so do I.

Chris Dalrymple -- November 7, 2010

So, as Chair of the Stewardship Committee and tasked with the last “Time for Stewardship” discussion before Stewardship Sunday, I was a little nervous and unsure about whether my remarks would be well received, especially in light of the previous wonderful and touching remarks from Suzy Condit and Roe Gift. I finally put myself at ease by realizing that one of the things I love about our Church is the diversity of viewpoints and opinions among the members. In this regard, I realized that whatever I said in my remarks, some may think them wonderful, some may think “eh,” I’ve heard better, and some may think “well that was the worst thing I ever heard!” And I really do love that!

So with that behind me, let’s proceed shall we?

Although I had a part in selecting this year’s Stewardship theme… “Seeds of Growth’” the irony is that I am a terrible gardener. But the theme is a meaningful one for me both personally and I think, with respect to where we are as a congregation. On a personal level, a few years ago almost to the date, I was pretty mad at God, we were not on speaking terms and my faith was pretty much a dry husk. In talking things through with Molly, she told me at time “Don’t worry about your relationship with God at the moment, God’s love is patient and God will wait for you. Just keep coming to Church and let God plant the seeds so that your faith can grow again.” And I did just that, it wasn’t a fast or smooth process, but over time through the healing words of scripture and sermons, the balm of hymns and the support of fellow Church members, God did indeed plant the seeds for a renewal of my faith and relationship with God.

After some recent rough and tumble times, I know that discerning where our path as a congregation may take us may seem difficult. But just as for me, I know that God’s patient and abundant love for us can be found in the seeds of growth I see all around me in this Church. I know that with our stewardship gifts of treasure, time and talent, these seeds of growth can flourish into a garden of faith that nourishes our members and the larger community.

• I see the seeds in our Christian Education programs with bustling Sunday School classes, adult bible studies and other faith education initiatives;
• I see the seeds in Worship and the Arts, with a gifted new organist and adult choir director, the efforts of our Junior Choir Director and the music made by our choirs,
• I see the seeds in our Social Justice programs and missions which we support with our pledges and which make God’s love manifest in the larger community;
• I see the seeds in our new Interim Pastor who has gifted us already with his ministry and healing;
• And finally, I see the seeds in each of us, who whether in agreement or disagreement, have a love for this place and each other.

I have been a member of The Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco for over ten years now and I have a love for this place that I hope shows through my work and financial support for it and I hope that each of you feel the same way and I will tell you why through an anecdote:

A Session member recently told us that when she told a person she was a member of the Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco (in response to the person’s inquiry) this person replied “Oh…THAT Church.” Well, I went home that night and got myself a little worked up and I thought:

• If THAT Church means the one where all people are welcome, because we are all God’s children, then yes, I guess we are THAT CHURCH
• If THAT Church means the one where we proclaim that being gay or lesbian is not a source of shame and whose Blue Book has brought God’s love to those who have been damaged by such a message, then yes, I guess we are THAT CHURCH
• If THAT Church means the one where through our Midnight Run, prison ministry outreach, participation in the Emergency Shelter Partnership and other Social Justice initiatives we try to provide outreach to the forgotten and discarded in our society, then yes, I guess we are THAT CHURCH
• If THAT Church means the one where we respect those of other faiths through work with the Islamic and Jewish communities through interfaith services and other outreach then yes, I guess we are THAT CHURCH
• If THAT Church means the one where through the Women’s Association rummage sale and other initiatives we provide meaningful support to women’s and children’s charities, then yes, I guess we are THAT CHURCH
• AND If THAT Church means the one where, although we may stumble from time to time, or take some hard knocks, God’s grace and love for us and our love for others plants the seeds of growth, then yes, I guess we are THAT CHURCH.

This Church has all the seeds it needs to grow right here and I hope that when you consider your pledge for 2011, whether a pledge of treasure, time and/or talent, you will be part of the growth of Church and the good things it can do for us, and for our community.