Janaury 6, 2012
Dear Parker people,
Wow you guys! It is Friday night and I am reading some details about our church and other United Methodist churches in the New Orleans area. There are churches of all sizes who have shared in the joint missions of Methodists by paying 100% of their share. You are one of those churches.
There are churches of all sizes who have barely begun to pay their share and others who are still working at it. This is not about them. This is about my amazement at what you all have done. Before all else, I believe we should be contibuting this missions giving - and we have, to the tune of $9064. On top of that you contributed an additional $2525 of other missions giving. You people donated $11,593 in missions giving for 2011, (more than 10% of the total budget). Unbelievable!
This year our little spiritual community has also taken on some massive and unexpected expenses for the building, which Carolyn Clawson just finished tallying: $31,905! These were not budgeted, surely not expected, but paid 100% through your donations, our rental income, and our savings account. When the bills finish coming in we will have another $20,000 in unexpected expenses for replacing the heaters, i.e. two a/c units, two heating units, and a whole new sewage system in one year (not counting multiple other smaller expenses). No church can afford such extreme costs year after year - but thankfully, the whole heating and cooling system only goes out every few decades. So you have provided for this worship and education space for, hopefully, decades to come. I want you to know all this was possible in part because of the wise protecting of our savings for emergencies like these done by Tom Ballantine, Carolyn Clawson, and your Trustees over many years.
Off of money and onto other things like worship and spiritual growth:
Sunday 10 a.m. our wonderful discussion of the Jesus and the Kingdom of God DVD will resume and will be facilitated by Carol Ballantine. Dr. Lourdes Rincon will follow.
Rev. Dr. Cory Sparks will share a message, "Be Loved," and he and Dr. Melissa Sparks will share a poetic meditation this Sunday, January 8, 11 a.m.
Rev. Lenda Faye Matthews will share a message, "What about Tomorrow," on Sunday, January 15, 11 a.m. (You might remember her excellent poem shared in November, and now she will lead us on Human relations Day).
It seems like only a goober would miss these wonderful opportunities to worship and grow.
A Community of Soul began a 6-week journey of sharing what it means to us to watch and listen for the soul in our lives on Wednesday in the parlor at Rayne UMC. We had people from Parker, Rayne, and our School for Contemplative Living, i.e. a wonderful, ecumenical mix for deepening discussion. Two ladies drove all the way from Bush to be part of it. Join us this week at 6 p.m. as Dr. Phyllis Raabe, sociology professor, and Mrs. Stacy Hall facilitate the discussion. If you could use some inner stillness you could even come at 5:30 p.m. as Merry Toups facilitates a centering prayer time.
Finally, pray for me as I launch into 8 days of silence in Sewanee, TN for a Centering Prayer Intensive retreat offering training in deepening the contemplative life. We will drive early Sunday morning, Jan. 8 and return late January 15. I will be "off-line for those 8 days. But when I return you can tell me how great the worship and spiritual growth have been.
Remember me as I remember you,
William Thiele, pastor
Parker UMC
