One Million Dollars

by | Dec 31, 2015 | Life Between Sundays

CLC dr-evil

December 29th marked our first snowstorm on Grand Manan.  I am not a snow lover by any sense of the term but somehow I enjoyed it.  Grand Manan, my home, seems to add something to every experience that I have these days.  Elaine and I decided to take Rango for a walk on the Seal Cove beach before the storm worsened.  The sands were snow covered and the visibility was limited.  Even in its wintry version it held a beauty of its own.  

Our footprints were the first to mark the otherwise blank canvas.  Rango’s frenzied feet threw the sand far and wide with each retrieval of the fetch stick.  Three quarters of the way across the beach I asked Elaine, “What more could a million dollars give you than what you are enjoying right now?“

I asked myself the same question and the answer was immediate and obvious.

“Nothing … absolutely nothing.”

It is a beautiful realization that money can add nothing to a person’s life in and of itself.  And money was just “the thing“.  Truthfully we lack nothing.  And everything that we enjoy is a perfect gift from the perfect Gift-giver.

I am 60 years old and I haven’t had a lot of these moments of awareness.  They have come sporadically, unexpectedly along the journey, presenting themselves differently each time.  The message has been the same.  We have so much that we take for granted when others have so little.

Lord Jesus … thank you for your wonderful blessings.  We are not kept from them by our lack of resource.  They are given freely and indiscriminately.  Good and perfect gifts!  Like everything else they speak to me of your beauty, grace, mercy and faithfulness.  Reveal yourself to us in these days as we have never known you before.  Not so much in signs and wonders as in the incredible notion that we could know you intimately.  Let the heart of Christ beat the cadence of our lives.  

Amen.

Monday Re-Cap

by | Dec 28, 2015 | Life Between Sundays

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The winter winds remind me that it is no longer Fall.  Like it or not snow is on the way.  The weather people suggest another storm tomorrow, this one more significant than what was supposed to have taken place yesterday.  We’ll see.

I enjoy my time on Sunday as I never have before.  Yesterday held two surprises for me.  One was that Eric was back for the Sunday School class.  I always enjoy this time.  I believe that the conversations that have taken place in this group have largely influenced the church as we experience it.  Consequently, I am immensely grateful.  You’d have to journey around the church landscape a bit to fully appreciate the things that I love about our spiritual family.  When I express my appreciation for our church, I am not wasting words or flattering needlessly.  CLC has been a fresh breath of hope for Elaine and I.  More than just hope but the opportunity to observe the birth of something truly new and geared to the realities of our changing world.

The other surprise was that Jon was back.  I was expecting to have to lead worship yesterday.  I enjoy this but it takes a toll on my voice, leaving me a bit croaky by the time that I have to preach.

This week, I am taking some time off.  We have family yet to visit for the holiday and I am looking forward to seeing the grandkids.  I am available if there is a need.  Please feel free to call me at 222-0410.  I won’t be keeping office hours.

As the New Year approaches, I continue to believe for God’s great involvement in my life and our church family.  Whatever He does, big or little, is truly magnificent.  As I think of the Isaiah scripture that we shared yesterday, I am reminded that He is a God of the “new“.  He doesn’t recycle … doesn’t do encore performances.  Today is a new day.  We are approaching a New Year and He has plans.  Our greatest delight and joy will be to be involved in what He is doing.  We’ll discover that one day at a time.  Occasionally the opportunities will shout at us.  Other times we’ll hear a small whisper.

Let’s tune in to what He is saying.

I truly love you all …

Involvement … Ushers

by | Dec 15, 2015 | Get Involved, Life Between Sundays, Weekly Bulletin

clc Get-Involved

Many years ago, when church was more formal, “ushers” would guide people to a pew and seat them there. Then later in the service, they would take up the offering. Now, their only function is to take up the offering, but they are still called “ushers”.

When the offering is announced, two ushers come forward, each stands in front of the each collection plate, and awaits the prayer over the offering. Then they each go down their side of the church to ensure that anyone who has an offering to give has an opportunity to put it in the plate. And then they each come back up the middle of the church and return the plates with offering in them to the front of the church.

Not a difficult job at all; mainly an usher needs to be pleasant and not make someone feel uncomfortable if they are not putting anything in the plate. Some people give their tithes and offerings through “automatic deposit”, straight from their bank account to the church bank account. Others write one cheque a month for their tithe to the church; others simply don’t have money to give.

For some reason (tradition perhaps), people seem to think that only men can take up the offering. This is really quite a ridiculous notion, but I am sure many women would feel uncomfortable taking up the offering since the tradition has been around so long. Any woman who would like to lend a hand at taking up offering would be very welcome to.

This role can also be performed by boys and girls, as long as they are mature enough to follow the directions with a pleasant manner.

We have a few men who take up offering regularly, and in the Newsletter, an attempt is made to schedule the “ushers”. However, with people coming and going, it is rare that the ushers listed are actually the ones taking up the offering.

Perley usually looks after making sure two people will take up the offering, so if you (men, women, boys and girls) would be willing to do this from time to time, let Perley know, and he will have a list to draw from each Sunday, depending on who is here and available.

It would be nice to have men and women, boys and girls, all feeling very comfortable working together to do the various things that help to make a Sunday morning a wonderful experience for all of us.

— Eric Allaby

Involvement … Greeters

by | Dec 15, 2015 | Get Involved, Life Between Sundays, Weekly Bulletin

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In recent “Round Table” we talked about different things we do around the church, things that are now done by a few, where others, if they knew about it, might be interested in helping and enjoy being involved. Last week we had an insert describing “ushers”, this week we talk about “greeters”

Each Sunday, people coming into church are welcomed warmly and given a copy of our “newsletter”, often with a hug. Our greeters work in pairs, to keep each other company and make it easier to greet if several people are coming in at once. Our greeters start at about 10:15 and greet people until worship starts at 10:30. Sometimes one or both will stay right there by the door into the service in case some arrive a little later.

Right now we have three pairs of greeters: Carolyn & Carolyn, Bonnie & Perley and Jeanne and Carole, so these pairs of greeters take their turns once every three weeks.

Our greeters help people to feel welcome when they come into the church, to feel encouraged. And it’s a funny thing: when you focus on making other people feel welcome and feel special, it makes you feel good too. Blessing others also blesses the blesser.

If you enjoy talking with people and think you might like to try being a greeter, talk to any of those who now take their turn greeting, and they can tell you what they do and what they like about being a blessing to others in this way.

This might work better if you and a friend decided to do this together. A husband and wife team works well; ask Bonnie and Perley, as they enjoy ministering to others together this way. Or perhaps a mother and daughter team might work, or father/son; or a couple of friends who enjoy doing things together.

If you feel shy, or are afraid you might not get it right, why not join with the greeters on a Sunday morning and see how it feels.

You might be pleasantly surprised at how blessing others with a warm greeting will also pour an extra dose of joy into your own morning!

So give it some thought, and give it a try!

— Eric Allaby

Taxes & Tithes

by | Dec 15, 2015 | Life Between Sundays, Weekly Bulletin

CLC tiberius

At this time of year, when we are thinking about wrapping up our year and getting receipts to lower the income tax we must pay, we are reminded that it is our Christian duty to pay taxes just as it is to return our tenth back to God. In Matthew 22:21, Jesus says: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Just as our tax is figured to “come off the top”, so is giving to God to be our priority.

In Caesar’s time, there was no government recognition of what believers gave to God, but now government appreciates the good work of churches and charities and returns back to you in the form of a tax credit a significant portion of what you donate to the church.

Based on the official receipts you turn in with your tax return, you can receive a credit that will reduce the tax you must pay.

While each person’s situation is different, some examples are listed below to give you an idea of what this might mean. In recent years, for an annual donation of $200 or less, the tax credit is 15% for federal tax and 9.68% for provincial tax. The portion of annual donations in excess of $200, give tax credits at rate of 29% federal and 17.95% provincial tax. If we look at tax tables, it is clear that for donation amounts over $200, the total credit percentages are actually much higher than the rate at which you pay tax!

For example, for 2014, for annual donation of $1,000, your total tax credit would be $424.96. For a donation of $2,000, your tax credit is $894.46. For an annual donation of $3,000, your tax credit is $1,363.96. An annual donation of $5,000 reduces the tax you pay by a total of $2,302.96. It will probably be quite similar for the current tax returns.

People often wonder how they can reduce the tax they must pay; one of the best ways to reduce your tax is to give to the Lord what is the Lord’s anyway. Although each person’s situation is different, this is probably the most effective way for average working people to reduce their income tax.

People love to growl about the taxes they pay; well, you do have a choice: you can choose to send your money to Ottawa, or you can help support the good work of your church on Grand Manan and get some of it back!

Not only will you be blessed by blessing others and our church through your personal worship of giving, but you will also have your income tax you must pay significantly lowered.

— Eric Allaby