Hi Church,

I’ve been reading about gifts and gift-giving. In his remarkable book Paul and the Gift, John Barclay describes the concept of gift as referring broadly to “a sphere of voluntary, personal relations that are characterized by goodwill in the giving of some benefit or favor and that elicit some form of reciprocal return that is both voluntary and necessary for the continuation of the relationship.” A bit technical, but I think you know what he’s writing about. I hope you’ve experienced the ways gifts and gift-giving are a blessing, and the ways they bind us together in relationship. 

This week I’ve been encouraged by the voluntary giving of benefit and favor that I’ve seen among our church. Whether it is through the mutual support and care of Midday prayer, the impromptu provision of meals for a member who is hurting, or even in the gifting of a vehicle or home furnishings to someone who can use them, this week has been full of gift-giving that expresses and deepens our shared life. The generosity of God is expressed in these various gifts. 

Of course, as the people of God were are also called to extend goodwill and generosity beyond the bounds of our own community. We desire to extend our gift-giving that others might know the gift of Christ himself and his kingdom. Doing this can be a challenge for us in the best of times, and especially difficult in a pandemic. Where to begin? 

One minor way we are again seeking to extend ourselves in generosity through the hand washing station for those experiencing homelessness as 290 and Cameron Rd. You can sign up to help here. Our hope is to maintain this station through to Thanksgiving. More generally, our Missions Team, composed of Mike Greer, Ellyn Steidl, Emily McAfee, and Jordan Johnson, are looking at ways we can deepen our engagement in mission locally and globally. Please pray for them in this good work, and please pray that our community would grow as a gift-giving presence to our neighbors and the world, to the glory of God. 

In Christ, 

Peter+