The Newsletter of Gilead Presbyterian Church, Carmel, NY
October, 2012
Dear Friends, There’s so much good to be done in the world! How do we choose which causes to support? Of course we have the difficulty of sometimes being able to tell if a request for help is genuine or worthy. Even if the need is real, sometimes charities spend so much money on administration and organization that almost nothing goes to the actual help needed. But even when we know a cause is deserving and urgent, there are still so many! I was struck this morning by how many emails I get that are actually very crucial calls for aid by really good people and groups (although you have to pick them out between all the spam). Do you feel pulled and twisted in too many different directions? Where to turn? Which way to go? Naturally, my belief is that church is the place to start. If you’re bothering to read this, you probably already agree that Gilead is a cause worthy of support, so I won’t try to sell you on it (at this time). But I’ve wondered for a long time if the trend toward waning attendance and involvement in mainline churches is because many people have begun to see church in general, or even their own church, as just one more worthy cause vying for attention. When we start to see Gilead, the Red Cross and cancer research as three agencies where we help out when we can, we’re not far off from adding “catching up on sleep” as a vital weekend need that edges out church attendance. Our church needs to be more than just another charitable foundation we like. It needs to be a priority in time and giving, so that our lives are ordered as God first, family second, and then your numbering I leave to you. Why? Because our spiritual growth and faith development nurtures all those other things, including our families, and strengthens our involvement with them. The most important thing in this life, bar none, is to feed a relationship with Christ. It carries us into the next life, but it also carries us through this life, and adds richness and meaning to all the rest. Wherever you are fed spiritually (and I don’t just mean pleasant feelings but the real peace that comes from the challenge and comfort of Christian calling) should be a priority for you and your family. I recommend Gilead, but I promised no sales job this time around, so I’ll let it go at that. But remember that you can have it all—faith, growth, and the discernment about where and how to do good in the world, if you place Christ first. Love and light, Martin I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!" For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you." For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good. (Psalms 122:1, 8-9) The Shingle
October, 2012
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