Dear Friends,
The Macedonian-born Indian missionary and saint, Mother Teresa, wrote,
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
It is easy to believe we have little to do with our fellow inhabitants of the earth.
We are separated by language, culture, race, nationality, and geography. We quickly focus on all our differences, and we find no peace. And, when it comes to our enemies or people who have very different political or religious affiliations, it’s even easier to feel the polarization. They are so “other” than us! But we can also feel separated from friends, family members, and even our brothers and sisters and siblings in Christ. There can be small divisions in the church which help us forget our connections. How can we remember we belong to each other?
This Sunday we begin our 2025 pledge campaign with its goal to help our congregation support St. Bart’s financially. We will be talking more about our relationship to money and the needs of the parish. We will be talking more about what Jesus taught with regards to giving and generosity. We will be talking more about our identity as sacramental people. We believe outward and visible signs, like giving generously, lead to inward and spiritual graces.
Saint Bartholomew’s Church in the City of New York is a community. We are bound to one another by our common worship, by our shared ministries, and by our faith in and our love for God. We are all part of the body of Christ and our attendance in worship, our participation in the various ministries of the church, and our financial commitment to St. Bart’s, are important parts of our connection. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.” When some are giving sacrificially and others are giving nominally, there is a tension in the community. If we belong to each other, we must fully share in the responsibility of supporting this parish which means so much to all of us. If we belong to each other, those of us who have a little more to give must become more generous to help make up for those of us who have a little less to give. This is what belonging to one another means.
Since I arrived at St. Bart’s, I’ve tried to transform our message regarding giving so that our congregation would give, not simply because the church needs their giving (which, of course, it always does), but because in giving, members of the congregation would receive a profound spiritual benefit. I wanted your giving to be a blessing to all of you. Being in right relationship with St. Bart’s includes being in right financial relationship with St. Bart’s. Being in right relationship with your fellow parishioners means being in right financial relationship with St. Bart’s. We belong to each other and, finally, we all belong to God.
In this season of stewardship, I invite you to:
- Prayerfully reflect on your charitable giving and consider making a significant commitment to St. Bart’s
- If you are already pledging to St. Bart’s, prayerfully consider increasing the amount you give.
- Prayerfully consider including St. Bart’s in your end-of-life planning.
Faithfully (and Gratefully,)
The Right Reverend Dean E. Wolfe
Rector