A Weekly Stewardship Reflection, Sunday, October 22, 2017
By: Georga Williams
St. Mary’s was my old church but now it is our new church. Danny and I are delighted to be back. What took us so long? We raised our young family in another Episcopal church closer to our home. When they became adults they chose to go to other churches. Our daughter and her family chose St. Mary’s. Two nieces, two nephews and their families plus Danny’s sister and brother-in-law are here, too. We come to church on Sundays and see family. And it is a happy place to worship with them and old friends.
My father, mother, sister, brother and I were members here in the 50’s. I met Danny at a St. Mary’s Young Peoples’ Service League progressive dinner. Nine years later we were married by Rector Stanley Ashton in 1961. My father’s and mother’s funerals were conducted here by the Rev. Holt Souder and the Rev. John Miller respectively. And our daughter was baptized here. You get the idea….we have come home again.
This is a bright, sunny, friendly, happy place. We love it. I have enjoyed meeting and interacting with the parishioners, and joining the altar guild and a pastoral care team. To continue to be a vital place, churches must ask their congregations for funds. It should be all of our pleasure to give to a place that means so much to so many.
Danny and I aim to tithe. We came to this conclusion some years ago and continue to strive to tithe. It is not a burden but a genuine honor to help keep this place functioning to the standards to which we are all accustomed. We all know that we will be asked to give once a year. Do it joyfully from your heart.
I urge you to see this as an opportunity to prove to yourself that you have done your best to support this special place, St. Mary’s.