A Lawn Mower and the Life of our Church…
Dear Church Family,
On Tuesday, I stopped at the Albertson's shopping center to grab some lunch. As I climbed into my truck, I glanced up at the hillside behind San Clemente High School — and I couldn't look away.
Coming down from the top of that steep hill was the most remarkable lawn mower I have ever seen. Now, I've mowed my share of lawns. I've pushed the old-fashioned hand mower, and I even got to ride one of those small riding mowers during a visit to family in Indiana. But this was something else entirely. Mounted on a massive construction vehicle with caterpillar treads, it had some kind of enormous blade-chopper contraption on the front — that's the technical term — working its way straight down a hillside that no ordinary mower would dare attempt. The little boy who once loved Tonka trucks was completely swept up. It was beautiful, as only lawn mowers can be.
(I was so transfixed that I didn't snap a photo until it reached the bottom — but I've included it for your viewing pleasure.)
So, what does a fancy hillside mower have to do with faith or the life of our church? Here's what struck me: I was watching a machine built for a very specific task. Somewhere along the way, someone looked at a steep, overgrown hillside and said, "I can build something for that." And they did.
Paul's words in Romans 12 came to mind:
"We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness."
The church is never a solo act. We are one body with many members, and we need a full range of gifts to be the church God calls us to be. I believe each of you at St. Andrew's is uniquely gifted in just the right combination to do everything God wants us to do together — even if you haven't yet discovered what your part looks like.
Over the last five years, we have stretched and grown in remarkable ways. When we moved to two services on Easter Sunday, more than 40 people stepped up to make it happen — helping us welcome over 300 people. That's just one example of what happens when people say yes to their gifts.
In recent weeks, we've invited you to fill out our Gifts Survey — a simple tool to help us know who to call when a need arises. And needs always arise. Right now, people across our congregation are sharing their gifts in all kinds of ways: teaching, folding bulletins, making coffee, singing, playing instruments, rocking babies, washing windows, painting stucco, and planting flowers.
We want you to be a part of this. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey using the link below or pick up a paper version in worship on Sunday. You are an essential part of this family — and we need your uniquely gifted lawnmower.
With God's Peace,
Pastor Karl
