We have a guest blogger, Charlie Heaberlin!
Once when his minister was about to leave for a convention, my grandfather reassured him by saying, “Don’t worry, Reverend, we will scotch for you.” I did not know what my granddaddy meant by “scotch.” My uncle explained that to put a rock behind a wheel of a wagon in danger of rolling down a hill was to “scotch.” When one “scotches” one may not necessarily be creative or imaginative, but one is paying attention to what needs to be cared for.
It is easy to think about the church as a building, as a place of worship, or as a community just as we left it in March. Stephanie and other leaders have done what they can with creativity and imagination to keep the church alive and moving in the right direction.
Giving is always crucial to the wellbeing of the church. In this time of pandemic and physical distancing, it is time for us to scotch, to make sure our giving is sufficient to keep the church ongoing even when we are not right there in the pews, in Sunday School classes, or in the Fellowship Hall for meetings or dinners. While faith is always a hope in things unseen, stewardship is sometimes caring for things not present.
As the church is not often physically present, remember the church. Remember the church in your prayers. Remember the church in your giving.
Charlie Heaberlin, Elder and Chair of the Stewardship Ministry