Dear Caldwell,
When I was a speech writer in a portion of a different career, I paid a lot of attention to the president’s annual State of the Union address. A White House full of speech writers and advisors typically spend weeks crafting the speech, which often runs close to an hour in length. The president delivers it on the floor of congress, usually with half of the room cheering on and the other half sitting with arms crossed and stoic faces so as to avoid any appearance of by-partisan support. Ronald Reagan had a way with words as did his speech writer, Peggy Noonan. Bill Clinton spun inspiring thoughts and Barak Obama was often stirring in both his prose and his delivery. (Ask me sometime about the occaision when I met Clinton. He signed his book for me and, having been told I was a speech writer, he wrote, “Send me some good words.”)
This Sunday, as called for in Caldwell’s by-laws, we will hold what’s called the Annual Business meeting. Part of that is a brief
“state of the church” update, a quick look back at the past year and ahead to what 2022 has in store here at Park and 5th. I promise it will be only a few minutes long, but there is enough going on at Caldwell that we could easily spend an hour talking about all that the Lord has given us to do. You will receive a copy of the budget for 2022, our moral covenant for how we will direct your financial support to be a blessing to hundreds of others, on and off our campus. You will also vote on the proposed compensation packages for Gail and me, as called for in our polity.
All of this reminds us of how Presbyterian governance reflects the same kind of representative system we see in the U.S. You have elected elders who are charged with leading on your behalf as guided by their sense of what we all want for Caldwell along with the individual guidance of the Holy Spirit. Ideas “bubble up” from our members and flow through a system of committees made up of other members. Your elders work hundreds of hours over the course of the year and deserve our deepest gratitude. In fact, it is our governance system that sets Presbyterians apart from other traditions, like Baptist, United Methodist and Roman Catholic.
No church is without its challenges, but I am so often reminde that our challenges at Caldwell are those of abundance and not scarcity. Beyond your generous financial support, Caldwell is deep and wide with passions, interests, talents and desires to serve the world as the body of Christ. Sometimes the sheer abundance of the oppotunities and callings we share collectively can be overwhelming. That’s how the disciples experienced abundance in Luke 5:1-11. Jesus told them where to cast their nets, and they hauled in such an enormous catch that they worried their nets would tear and their boats sink.
Yes, there is some risk in abundance, including the challenge of balancing multiple interests and the risk of trying to do too much. But that’s a good kind of problem. As for the disciples and their abundance, they got ashore with the giant haul of fish. After that day, Luke says, they left everything to follow Jesus.
In worship Sunday, I will preach from that story as context for our “business meeting.” Our “business” is to spread hope, love and justice and we are all called to take part in extending God’s rich blessings of abundance to a hurtng and fearful world. Or, as Jesus said to the disciples that day, we are invited to become fishers of people.
Chew The Fat One More Time
Let’s gather one more time Thursday night at 7 p.m. as Anne and Gail lead a decidedly un-heavy time for catching up and visiting online. Jump on in to see your Caldwell siblings as we find a way the tell this pandemic that it can’t keep us apart. Click here to join.
On another note, we are going to postpone the workday we scheduled for this coming Saturday to clear out The Third Place. The weather looks iffy Friday night (again) so let’s play it safe.
The weather should be fine come Sunday. Hope to see you then, in person or online.
In Christ,
John