Beloved of God,
I’m continually moved, honored, and humbled by the ways you care for each other in hard times and celebrate together in times of joy.
This week I read an article with the provocative title, “My Church is a Beautiful Waste of Money” (you can read the whole article HERE if you want). It’s a beautiful reflection on what it means to be the church in a world with vastly different metrics of success. The article also resonated with several of my colleagues as I saw several of them share it on social media.
As many churches and organizations are putting the final touches on next year’s budgets and closing out this year’s books; as we’ve just come through the season of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday with end-of-year giving drives on the horizon, there’s a lot that clamors for our attention and money. But when it’s at its best—when it’s truly living into its fullest potential as the beloved community, the church is a beautiful waste.
How the church loves and cares and serves is a beautiful waste of time, money and energy in the eyes of the world. And yet that’s exactly what it means to follow Christ. As we move into a new year, I pray we strive to be a beautiful waste in the world in the best and holiest ways possible.
In Love,
Pastor Annette