Dear Church,
Traveling this week I read a study by the Urban Institute's Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy. The study looks at people's level of commitment to activities outside of work four years after the pandemic. Hannah Martin, a policy analyst with the Institute wrote, "People are still exhausted, suffer from low morale, and are overworked...as a result people are increasingly rejecting the narrative that they are supposed to “bleed for a cause.””
In Matthew 12.8 Jesus declares that he is, "The Lord of the Sabbath."
This is Good News to those of us who have been bled dry by the demands of life.
In that statement, Jesus declares that he is the answer to our exhaustion because he has met the ultimate demand that defines our worth before God and the world. In Jesus, there is nothing left to prove; and, in him, God Almighty declares you to be perfect and righteous (all things we are working for) so we can rest in him. This provides profound rest because it reminds us, not that nothing bad will happen, or that we won't continue to face hard things; but rather that there is nothing so bad that can happen, and there is nothing so hard we won't face that will ever ultimately separate us from God's love. You can rest because there is nothing left to ultimately bleed for, because all the blood necessary has already been shed for you.
Tomorrow, 11/10, marks the conclusion to our season of stewardship, and without that proper framework one might deduce that we are calling you or bleeding you to invest in just another cause. If this was simply about church growth and dollars and cents, then I would say that you are right. However, at Annandale we believe your pledge to the congregation enables us to share God's solution, his ultimate rest, to the low morale, overworked narrative that people are experiencing. Your pledge does not give you rest, but is the fruit of that rest that you have experienced in hearing and believing the Gospel.
So, if you haven’t yet, make your pledge today
And join me as well in thanking Brad and Libby Todd for leading our stewardship campaign this year.
Thus far:
We have $732,600 actively pledged from 118 families, an increase of 17% over last year!
We also have 18 new pledgers!
The median returning pledge is an increase of 17%!
This is all amazing news!
Thank you to all of you for your generosity and your response to the challenge.
Of course you can turn your pledge in at any time; however practically speaking, it makes a huge difference to have as many pledges in by tomorrow.
There are so many people who are out there totally exhausted and this community and the world cannot provide the answer. For there is only one answer: that Jesus is the Lord of Sabbath. Help us share this Gospel with the world by making your pledge today.
Enjoy Your Forgiveness,
Rev. Jason