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To be Read and Shared with the Sessions and Congregations of Salem Presbytery
Dear Members of Salem Presbytery,
Eat, Pray, Love – So begins the title of a popular book and movie, and while its content may not reflect our story accurately, the title itself is a wonderful summary of the Christian Life. Ross McKenzie, a former professor at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond observed that in living the Eucharistic (which means “thanksgiving”) life, we are to accept what God gives us with thanksgiving, and share with others. Eat – Pray – Love; in other words – accept the good gifts and food we are given, pray in thanksgiving, and love others as we share!
Among our greatest gifts is the Word of God itself, and as I write this letter to you I am particularly thinking of the gift of Paul’s letter to the Church in Colossae, “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were called in the one body. And be thankful.” Col. 3: 12-15
I urge you to take Paul’s words to heart, and I thank you for your financial support of the mission of Salem Presbytery – your giving has been generous even when your church budget was strained. I am writing this word of encouragement to you because I know that each of our churches has faced significant challenges and losses over the past two years. It is reflected in the emotional stresses of our times: war, economic challenges, and oil spills; it is reflected in all of our budgets. Salem Presbytery has cut its budget since 2007 by 309,000 dollars, yet even with that reduction we are 156,000 dollars behind on our giving from churches through June of this year. Many of the items that were taken from the budget (such as Church Growth and Transformation) have continued to be funded thanks to our restricted funds dedicated to such areas, so the good news is that Presbytery has continued to open its pocketbook to its churches, despite a significant drop in giving to the Presbytery. It is my hope that Salem Presbytery, depending upon the gratitude of its churches, will be able to meet our mission goals this year. As we Eat, Pray, and Love I trust that you will think of the shared ministry that we have together as Salem Presbytery, so that as God blesses your church with abundance, that you may share with us so that we may give thanks and share with our other congregations.
Gracefully,
Gracefully,
Sam Marshall |
