This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This morning, at Lydia's request, I drove to the track to time her and a friend as they did their running workout. It turned out a coach was able to come, so my timing services weren't needed. That was fine by me! The cool air and slight drizzle felt great on my face. Instead of timing, I walked the gravel road and watched the sun come up over a dove field. It was a blessed moment of quiet that I cherished. For it, I was grateful.

Each stewardship season, I have made it a personal endeavor to recommit myself to a gratefulness practice. I do this for two reasons. The first is very practical. As a church leader, my livelihood and my family's financial health depend on, and have always depended on, the giving of others. I have found that non-profit leaders who forget that fact can easily shift from gratefulness to entitlement, and that shift is usually followed by a fall. Reminding myself to practice gratitude, quite frankly, makes me more grateful. It's funny how that works!

This leads to the second reason, which is spiritual. When I practice, I become more grateful, and in that gratefulness, I notice more and more to be grateful for, which draws me closer to God. I know that last sentence is a lot, but it's true. In Galatians chapter five, Paul writes about the nine fruits of the Spirit. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, faithfulness, and gentleness. I have always found it odd that gratefulness was inconspicuously left off this list. That is, I found it odd until I realized that gratefulness is a natural response to these fruits. This morning's gentle rain and the peaceful sunrise left me grateful. God's patience with me, a sinner, leaves me grateful. My experience of love and joy fills my heart with gratitude. A gratitude practice calls us to notice the fruits of the Spirit, sometimes called God's blessings, in our lives. Noticing them and saying a simple "thank you" to the heavens reminds us that we are God's, and that it is from God that all blessings flow.

This brings us back to gratefulness; to everyone who has pledged to St. Martin's, let me say thank you once again! I am truly grateful. It is out of this gratitude that Denise and I join you in giving, for we believe St. Martin's is a place filled with the fruits of the Spirit, and when we share these fruits with the world, our common life grows in blessing, in love, and in gratitude as we grow closer to God.

Peace,

Mitch