As the Associate Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, KS, I write a weekly article for the newsletter article. I invite both members of the church and other visitors to my blog to share their thoughts!

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Let me add my “thanks” to the chorus for those who helped out with the Trinity Work Nights.  It never ceases to amaze me what is possible when enough hands are helping.  In what was really just a few short hours spread out over a month, we did a significant amount of work from weeding to painting several rooms.

It’s also a perfect example of how some people are living a generous life.  Not everyone has the same gifts to give.  There are some of you, I am sure, who would not be able to bend down to pull weeds on a hot summer evening.  But we also have folks who come in and prepare these Tower newsletters for mailing!  What about those who offer music in the choir, praise team, or in many other ways?  What about those who bring treats for Sunday School classes or who make food for funerals or for the sick?  The list could go on and on.

Christ calls us to a life of generosity.  It’s about so much more than giving money (though as one of the wealthiest nations in history, can we really be generous without giving money too?)  It’s about orienting yourself in such a way giving is of more value to you than having.

Let me add a little post script here about a different kind of giving opportunity that you’ll be hearing about in another week or two…  New Beginnings is preparing to open new transitional housing units and they are in need of used furniture in good condition.  This would be a great opportunity for anyone who is moving this summer or anyone who has been thinking about getting some new furniture.  There will be more details to come, but I thought I would give you a “head’s up.”

How do you give?  I hope you’ll share your thoughts on my blog, http://ministrygeek.net.

As the Associate Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, KS, I write a weekly article for the newsletter article. I invite both members of the church and other visitors to my blog to share their thoughts!

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I thought I would give you update on my hair.  You may remember that about a year ago I decided to grow it out for the Locks of Love charity, or perhaps for another charity like it (I have a while to make up my mind!)  The donated hair goes to make wigs for children who have lost their hair due to disease– can you even imagine the dignity, the hope, and the simple sense of “normalcy” such a gift gives?  It seems a simple way to give a gift more precious than I can imagine.

To donate, the hair needs to be in a pony tail, ten inches long.  Right now I have about 3, but the hair from the front isn’t quite long enough to reach the pony tail yet (so I can’t pull it back day-to-day just yet).  It will probably be at least a year before I can donate, but it will be valuable when I do…  The retail cost of such a hairpiece is $3,500 to $6,000!

Many of you will laugh at this (I know I am), but I made a fascinating discovery about a week ago.  Until recently, I had been using a comb– a trusted comb I had used for ages.  One day my wife saw me laboriously combing through the tangles, and asks me why I don’t use a brush.  I stared at her dumbfounded.  After she showed me the right type of brush for my hair, it was amazing!  I couldn’t even feel the tangles any more– the brush just goes right through, and the hair looks better, too!

Naturally, it made me think about faith.  When we pray, read the Bible, etc., there are times when the way we’ve always don’t work any more.  Sometimes life has gotten too long and tangled, and we’re in need of a new spiritual practice, or a new way of going about life.  Maybe it’s silence, maybe it’s a service like Evensong, maybe it’s focusing on a different part of the Bible than we usually do, maybe it’s finding a new way to be generous.

Any workman or cook or craftsperson of any type can tell you that much depends on using the right tool for the job.  Why should our faith be any different?

I welcome your thoughts at http://ministrygeek.net.