From the Pastor, February 4

You’ve heard the phrase, “It’s time to pay the piper.” There’s some dispute on the origin of the phrase. One theory is that it comes from the story of the Pied Piper, who was promised payment by the village of Hamelin to get rid of all the rats in the village by playing them a tune. When the village refused to pay, the piper lured all their children away with the same tune. (I guess the moral of the story is that children and rodents are both attracted by the same things). Another source says the saying comes from the practice of paying the musicians at the end of a gig. If you enjoyed dancing to the music, there comes a time to pay the piper.

Regardless of the origin of the story, there is truth to the meaning. If you make a promise, you need to pay. And if you have enjoyed the music, you have to pay.

In our church, both of these are true. We approved an aggressive, forward-looking budget for 2018. A budget is basically a promise that an organization makes. And with this promise comes the possibility for a lot of great ministry for our church and our neighbors. Mission trips. Community outreach. Evangelism initiatives. Exciting stuff. But in order to fulfill that promise, we need a certain amount of revenue each week. So far in 2018, we have fallen short of that revenue target each week. Not by much, but a weekly shortfall will add up over the long haul.  So, in order to fulfill our promise, we need to pay the piper.

It is a genuinely exciting time to be at Glynwood. I am still basking in the afterglow of our Founder’s Day service, where Glenn Brock reminded us of our roots as a church. But there is a sense that we are getting focused on the future. Response to the “This is Us” sermon series on Sunday mornings has been really, really encouraging. After every service, I’ve heard enthusiastic responses from people who want to do something with what they are hearing. Community outreach. Block parties. More worship services. Increased focus on meeting the needs of both church members and folks in our community. It seems as though people are dancing to the music! So again, we need to pay the piper.

Our Fourth G, which you heard about this weekend, is We Share our Gifts. You will hear a lot about stewardship of our time, talents, and treasure. Let’s be a people who are rich in generosity because we serve a Savior who has richly blessed us!

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

–2 Corinthians 8:9

Joy in the Journey!

James