Grace, Gratitude and Giving – the fall 2009 parish-wide theme
The following is an excerpt from Part One of a three-part sermon by the Rev’d Jerry D. Godwin, Rector:

So, I ask, what is grace? Actually, The Book of Common Prayer asks and answers the question on page 858, of The Catechism. What is grace? A. Grace is God’s favor towards us, unearned and undeserved; by grace God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and strengthen our wills. It all depends on God’s action on our behalf. Nothing depends on our action for God’s sake. We cannot earn it by being good little girls and boys and we certainly don’t deserve it. Yet, God gives it.

This me-centric Western culture to which we Christians have so blithely accommodated ourselves continues to mitigate against a scriptural understanding of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. God loves us. God loves you and God loves me in spite of ourselves. God loves us whether or not we love God.

Grace is necessary for salvation. In Ephesians 2:8, we read, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God?” And how do we receive that grace? Through the waters of Holy Baptism in the power of the Holy Spirit. How do we live in that grace? Through the Sacred Meal at God’s Table – the Holy Communion. Obviously we are weak and prone to stray. We are continually in need of confessing our sins, renewing our faith, being restored to a right relationship with God and one another. That’s the individualist part – our need to be responsible to and for the grace God has freely bestowed on us in Baptism – wherein God adopted us as his children and made us heirs of his kingdom. And God – unlike earthly parents – God doesn’t disinherit us when we don’t do what he wants. Rather God gives us the means to live in his grace by the strengthening of his presence in the Body and Blood of his Son, Jesus. Here, at this Table, we come week by week to receive and be renewed in God’s gift of grace.

For us who are orthodox Christians, baptism is no mere dedication of one’s life to God. It’s not something we do after we accept Jesus as our Savior. Baptism is the sure and effectual sign of God’s grace freely given to us. In hymn 706, we sang two weeks ago, what I think to be the most powerful statement of grace: – Lord I did not freely choose you till by grace you set me free; for my heart would still refuse you had your love not chosen me.

For us who are orthodox Christians, the Eucharist is no mere memorial of a long past event. It is the sure and effectual sign of God’s continuing love for us – God’s grace – whereby we are fed as God abundantly fed the five thousand on the lakeside that day. In the Lord’s Supper we receive forgiveness of our sins, the strengthening of our union with Christ and one another, and the foretaste of the heavenly banquet which is our nourishment in eternal life. But as our bodies wither and die without regular physical sustenance, so do our souls wither and die without regular spiritual sustenance.

To live faithfully in this grace-filled life, we are called to repentance; to examine our lives, repent of our sins, and be in love and charity with all people. So, yes, there is a personal component to our faith, but even there, it is in relationship with the larger community – in charity with all people.

read the complete three-part sermon

The following is an excerpt from parishioner Stephen M. Kahl

Stewardship is indeed the giving with gratitude your treasure to the church, but it isn’t only that. It is giving of every gift you are holding in trust for those who need it the most, and that includes the gift of yourself.
 · Stewardship is giving to the Clergy Discretionary Fund so that help can be given to those who you might not know but need it most. It need not be much, but much will come from such a gift.

 · Stewardship is seeing an old couple in a restaurant who might appreciate the anonymous gift of their dinner being paid for by someone who they don’t know and will not see, but who will find peace within for a simple act of giving. Try it sometime and feel the joy.

 · Stewardship is giving your time to help – to help carry pipes from the organ truck into the church, to help set up a room for a meeting, to asking whenever and wherever you can “how may I help?”

 · Stewardship is being a mentor and a network resource to someone out of work and passing on your experiences to help them find work.

 · Stewardship is listening without judgment or condemnation.

When we see Stewardship in this way, we know that we are not abandoned and that Grace is abundant in our lives.

read the complete sermon

Giving from the Heart
Christian stewardship is defined as using the gifts God has given us, to do the work God is calling us to do. Christian stewards, empowered by the Holy Spirit, commit themselves to conscious, purposeful decisions. Members and visitors alike define worship at Transfiguration as a way to unite and be a part of something bigger than themselves. They value the worship, the music and the diverse programs and outreach we have to offer. Support for these programs and ministries come from generous gifts and the commitment of our members and friends to our annual pledge fund. These gifts allow Transfiguration to move forward and continue its mission and ministry to seek and serve Christ in every human being. When we understand what God has given us and give as we have been given…we learn to give from our heart.

Kids and Stewardship
Will Our Children Be Stewards?