28 January 2022
Good day to each of you!
It is Friday as I write this. For many, Friday represents the end of the week, the final step to the weekend and a break from the rigors of the routines of life. This might include school routines, work routines, meeting routines, or appointment routines. It may include other processes or scheduled functions. These are the things we do on the set calendar of weekdays- things and functions that get us to the weekend. I used to live like that. But now, Friday is the launch of the weekend. It is the day where everything has to be put in place, final plans set, sermon printed for the final time, media in the sanctuary computer, sound system tested, and working with our team to ensure that everything is in place for the focus day of my week, and that is Sunday! And I love Sundays!
Studying the book of Isaiah has challenged me as to what my focus is in life. In the past, it was the stuff of my life, the focus was primarily on the duties contained in the Monday through Friday calendar blocks. The weekend, which included Sunday, were my days off – days where I could simply do some chores around the house, engage in my favorite hobbies or past times, and, if time allowed, even check out what was happening at the church on Sunday morning. I would often hope that if I did attend church there would be good music that I liked and that the sermon would at least have some element of entertainment to it. (An Isaiah message series would have ensured that I had some extra personal time that weekend!). I will confess, there were many times when I drove home thinking, it would have been a good Sunday to miss; was not as relaxing or entertaining as I had hoped.
I fear that in our world, the thoughts that I used to have may not be that unusual. Church does not get the same focus in our lives as our weekly routines. Monday through Friday get our best energy and effort- our focus on accomplishment. By the time we get through Friday, we are ready for some “me time.” And this is understandable. After all, for several days in a row, we have gotten out of bed a few hours before we need to be at work so that we can be sure that we are ready and on time. Many times we spend some time reviewing notes for a meeting or spending some extra time in preparation for tasks that needs to be accomplished; we want to be sure that our mind is ready to ensure the best possible results. These things are of tremendous importance to us, and our way of life- and get the best of our efforts. We want to maximize the returns of the work we put in.
By the time Sunday gets here, the struggle to go to church seems to rob us of the time off that we need. This is life. And like it or not, it is a reflection of the priorities within our life. When I read Isaiah, I see Isaiah’s concern for the people of Jerusalem and Judah in myself. Maybe I haven’t “turned my back on God,” but I also haven’t made Him the focus of my life, the desire of my energy, the object of my worship. Our studies this week end with a question and response that occurs between the Lord and Isaiah, and it frames one of my favorite scriptural passages and is the basis for my favorite Hymn:
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8, NIV)
Now, as Yorkshirians, I know that I can celebrate with all of you that the sentiments I’ve discussed up to this point are all in our past, and that Sunday morning worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ is something that we focus and prepare for all week, even amidst our other responsibilities. It is also a blessing to know that at our church, folks not only look forward to the hour of “worship,” but the hour or Sunday School and the time that they spend serving one another as teachers, greeters, communion helpers, media center team members, ushers and money counters. What a blessing it is to serve God in this manner! What a blessing to have such opportunities to look forward to during the week while we are inundated with far less exciting activities such as meetings, appointments, schedules, and other requirements. We are a blessed people!
With that said, we have some opportunities that you can look forward to and put on your calendars as blessings. We are in dire need of people to serve our church in the media center, both on the media and the sound side.
We have a great team, but they are feeling guilty that they are dominating all of the service opportunities. Many of them are serving every Sunday and would love to allow others the chance to serve at least one Sunday a month. No experience needed, just a desire to serve!
Another area of opportunity is in the area of our greeting ministry. This is where we greet our folks, and also be present to receive and welcome the gift to our church of first-time visitors. God has been so good to us and these opportunities to respond are simply additional blessings that He is affording us as His church.
If you are being called to serve in any of these ways, or any others, please let me know, or simply call the office and let us know. We will help you to get plugged in to whichever opportunity that God is presenting to you!
I want to squeeze in some financial information for you. Here are our 2021 Year End numbers which include the Joyful Noise Christian Preschool ministry. If you would like more detailed reports, please let me know and I will send them to you. I will share our 2022 budget in our next What’s Brewing.
Income/Offerings: Expenses: Balance:
Money spent on Repairs & Improvements: Money needed from our Savings:
2021 Actual
$ 430,704 416,238
$ 14,466 (Pos Working Capital)
$ 29,485 ($ 15,019)
What you see is that our regular weekly giving income was able to cover our bills
and expenses as our Finance Team is effectively managing our resources. The church has required significant repair and maintenance this past year for which we needed to utilize our savings resources to help pay for. We are blessed to have these resources, but as you can see, we also have to ensure that we use great discernment in how we employ them. Your gifts and generosity allow us to do the things we are doing, and we look forward to some really great things in 2022! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Have a great and blessed week! And don’t forget about the opportunities to serve that are available! Blessings all around!
-pastor dave.
dkominsky@susumc.org
125 Edgewood Road, York, PA 17402 • (717)755-4952 • www.yorkshirechurch.org
You must be logged in to post a comment.