The Season of Lent

For the past several weeks I have been reminding people that the season of Lent is coming soon.  In fact, it begins less than a week away on Ash Wednesday, February 22.  We will officially begin this church season with an Ash Wednesday service at 7:30 in Celebration Hall.  Traditionally an Ash Wednesday service will include a time called the imposition of ashes where the sign of the cross marked in ashes will be placed on one’s forehead with the words, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.”  Not very flattering words, are they?  The point is to remind those who need reminding that we are all human.  And that we are all in need of God’s love and grace.

 

 

Many of you know that in some traditions church members are asked to fast during this season from Ash Wednesday to Easter.  In my experience that means different things for different people.  For some it usually means giving up something they enjoy like chocolate, or ice cream, or coffee.  For others it means trying to go without a meal on a certain day.  Some twist the tradition around and say that instead of giving something up, I’m going to take something on, like eating healthier, or exercising more, or volunteering at church. 

 

 

Scripturally, fasting is always associated with prayer.  John Wesley says that this is the true purpose of fasting; it is to help us focus our prayer time by reminding us physically that we live and move and have our being solely at the mercy and love of God.  Fasting is always supposed to be a means to a greater end, not an end unto itself.

 

 

For John Wesley, that end was the experience of happiness that comes from being beloved of God and seeking daily to serve him by living out of and through that love.  Wesley regularly fasted from food on Wednesdays and Fridays until 3 p.m. That was just his habit. 

 

 

As we enter into the Lenten season, I’m not asking you to fast for fasting’s sake. But I would like for you to think of a personal goal in your life; it could be spiritual or practical; something that you would like to improve or enhance about your life.  It should be something that you care deeply about, a desire that you will move you further toward your best self.  Then focus on that goal throughout the Lenten season and pray about it daily.  And if fasting from something or engaging in something new will help to move you closer to your goal, then do it.  And when you slip up, don’t fret, remember we are all human, God loves you, and forgives you, so forgive yourself and move on.  Blessings be with you on this journey.

 

 

In His Service and Yours,

 

Vic Casad

Ahead of the Curve

Well I have survived my first Advent/Christmas season at Stonebridge UMC.  And to be honest…for the most part it was a wonderful time. I enjoyed the music ministry and the children’s programs.  I was overwhelmed with joy and awe at all the talent on display at the “Aloha Christmas” musical.  And I enjoyed the whole Christmas Eve experience. And even Christmas morning and New Year’s Day worship services were a blessing for me.

 

But the truth be told, what got wearisome for me (and I’m sure for you as well) throughout this past season was my anxiety over trying to meet the year-end budget responsibilities and in particular to pay out our church’s connectional obligations; what we call apportionments. 

 

Every church in the United Methodist connection is allotted through an equitable formula an apportioned missional assessment.  This apportionment for Stonebridge is based on membership and the size of its operational budget.  This past year our apportionment request was for $131,621.  Due to various issues such as the size of our debt payments, our capital overhead, and the economic realities of the day we were only able to pay 80% of our obligation.  This, however, is 20% more than we were able to pay last year.   But we are all let down when we are not able to meet our obligations.

 

The new 2012 Stonebridge UMC Finance Team met for the first time last Tuesday night under the leadership of Keith Knight.  After making a couple of important strategic budgetary decisions; one being renegotiating our building debt payment locking in a favorable rate for the next five years and lowering our monthly payment, plus setting a monthly apportionment allocation, the team began to discuss ways to keep our church financially ahead of the curve throughout the year.

 

The main focus of the discussion centered on trying to enhance the viability of our budget by making the effort to secure more pledge estimates from the congregation.  While our Extravagant Generosity program last October went very well, we actually received less pledge estimates than in years past.  Much of the discussion as to why that might be, centered on the current economic realities causing people to feel uneasy about making any financial commitment.  However, with the New Year beginning it was felt that now might be a good time to re-communicate the need in the church and those church members who have not made their 2012 pledge estimate might be better able to help the church at this time.  So, the Finance Team is initiating this effort soon.

 

It was also discussed that the Finance Team needs to work at keeping the congregation regularly informed as to our church finances.  So, you may be seeing more multi-media displays and presentations keeping us all aware of our week to week stewardship. 

 

I was very encouraged by the proactive energy of our Finance Team.  We all know that staying financially ahead of the curve through the year will better able us to meet our obligations in a timely way and hopefully by the year end, make for a more joyful Advent/Christmas season.  That is my prayer today.

Answering the Call

I am finding myself profoundly humbled and deeply appreciative of the many of you who have rallied in such a wonderful and gallant way to help us meet our year-end financial responsibilities.  I have been amazed each day for the past few weeks with the continuing response of so many of the Stonebridge UMC family who have answered the call to help us meet our year-end challenge.

Unfortunately as of Thursday, January 5, we are still $116,659 away from paying our 2011 obligations.  So, once again I appeal to those who still can help us meet this need by turning in a 2011 offering by Monday, January 9 at noon.  (Dating your check 12/31/2011) That is when we will close the books for 2011 and what we have yet to collect will become the deficit we bring with us into 2012.  The more we are able to reduce this deficit in the next few days will greatly ease the budgetary burden for 2012.

Thank you again for your love for Christ and His Church. 

In Christ,

Vic Casad

Answering the Call

I am finding myself profoundly humbled and deeply appreciative of the many of you who have rallied in such a wonderful and gallant way to help us meet our year-end financial responsibilities.  I have been amazed each day for the past few weeks with the continuing response of so many of the Stonebridge UMC family who have answered the call to help us meet our year-end challenge.

Unfortunately as of Thursday, January 5, we are still $116,659 away from paying our 2011 obligations.  So, once again I appeal to those who still can help us meet this need by turning in a 2011 offering by Monday, January 9 at noon.  (Dating your check 12/31/2011) That is when we will close the books for 2011 and what we have yet to collect will become the deficit we bring with us into 2012.  The more we are able to reduce this deficit in the next few days will greatly ease the budgetary burden for 2012.

Thank you again for your love for Christ and His Church.

In Christ, 

Vic Casad

The Beginning of Advent

This Sunday begins the season of Advent.  These four Sundays prior to Christmas day offer us a time to spiritually prepare for the true meaning of Incarnation Day, the moment in history when God, the eternal, entered human time and space as a helpless vulnerable little baby boy.  

The gospel of John tells us why the Son of God entered human history; “For God so loved the world, have he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  The emphasis in this passage is God’s love for the world, for everyone.  Until Jesus, the Bible reveals that while God has always loved the world, the descendents of Abraham were called and commissioned by God to be instruments of God’s love in and to the world.  But it seems they kept God’s love to themselves.  Jesus’ primary mission, according to the gospel of John, is to be the light of the world to the world and make God’s love and blessing accessible to every person on the planet.

The angels sang on the Judean hillside to the bewildered shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14)  The little baby boy of Bethlehem is God’s gift to the world as evidenced by the great journey of the Persian Magi searching a new born King.  Even the cosmos bore witness to the birth as a star guided the way, and those who knew what they were looking for found him, believed, worshipped and were blessed.

The Season of Advent is a particular time for spiritual work. Try not to get so caught up in all of the secular Christmas distractions, with all of its consuming, competitive, conforming, complicated, confusing commercialism, and spend time seeking the true light of the season, the source of true blessing and fulfillment.  It’s about the little baby boy in Bethlehem and really nothing else.