Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Musings at St. Andrew's
Rev. Wendy Paterson | Pastoral Care Coordinator
Abundant Living #2
Last month, my Musings was about Abundant Living. I invited you to tell me what that phrase means to you. Here are the three responses I received. Abundant living means knowing that God is real, that HE loves us and cares about each one of us in all of life's joys and sorrows. Lynda Kay
I think an abundant life, for me, would be remembering daily, and without reminding myself, that God chose me and loves me, AS IS. I am forgiven. (The writer of this piece asked to be anonymous.)
For me, an abundant life means being fully present to my humanness. God uses my flaws as well as my gifts to build community on this earth we all share. Living abundantly has taken courage to explore the unknown corners of my heart. I no longer need to numb out or deny pain but to walk through it into knowing God is with me every step of the way through both the dark and light filled times. Living abundantly requires my willingness to learn new things, consider new perspectives, and dive into new adventures. Consider the word ABUNDANCE - it could be interpreted as 'ABUN' which has its Celtic roots as 'ABOON' meaning 'ABOVE' followed by the suffix 'DANCE'. Perhaps we are all dancing with God. Heather Ingram-Smith
Many thanks to the three writers for these thought-provoking contributions.
Last month, I suggested that this Musings might be about what Abundant Living looks like for the church. What is the rich fullness to which God calls us as a congregation of Jesus' disciples? This, of course, changes the focus from our individual selves to a body of believers. The challenges increase but so do the possibilities and potential. What gets us excited about our church? What brings meaning and abundance to the life of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church?
Perhaps it is helpful to see the Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) opportunities.
The Martha component involves our outreach into the community and the world. At St. Andrew's we support many helping charities. We have just completed the peanut butter drive for Food4Kids. Earlier this year we supported the Adopt-a-Room project through the House of Friendship and we raised money through the Coldest Night of the Year Walk for Ray of Hope. Some of our members volunteer at soup kitchens and our Thrift Shop serves people in need of inexpensive clothing and household items. Right now we are considering hosting a mobile food bank through the region's Food Bank and being a drop off location for yogurt containers for Food not Bombs. Some are involved in environmental issues and projects. We support initiatives through our denomination's Presbyterian World Service and Development, responding to global emergencies and ongoing projects that improve the lives of thousands. Our church building provides rental space for many groups, events and church services in these tough economic times. Concerts are hosted and funeral lunches are served.
There is no end of opportunities for giving and serving. Even if we are no longer able to be physically involved or if our finances are limited, we can always support needs and projects by praying. When we all do what we can, as a church we can make a significant difference. All these things help to give us a sense of faithful, abundant living when we reach beyond our own needs and wants, to serve and support others.
The Mary component is more about our spiritual growth and caring for each other. We share our faith when we worship together and pray. We celebrate our love for God and for one another. Coffee Hours give us a chance to stay connected with the concerns and needs of our church family. Church pot-lucks and other meals provide opportunities to get to know newcomers and share stories with old friends. This past Sunday the 'Going through the Gates' ceremony gave everybody an opportunity to thank and encourage our Sunday School kids, Andrew and Sam, and our faithful teachers. June 22 is Camp K Sunday and again we will have a chance to express appreciation and to encourage the staff in their work this summer at Laurel Creek. The Mary component is about caring, loving, and supporting one another as we grow together in our Christian faith.
How good it is to love and be loved, to offer kindness and to be treated with kindness, to laugh, to cry, to grieve, to dream and to celebrate God's goodness and love TOGETHER as we live the Abundant Life Christ offers to the church.
Enjoy the summer everybody. Look for God in the beauty of nature and in each person you encounter. Be blessed. Scott and I will be on holiday for most of July. If you are in need of Pastoral Care, please call the church office.
Rev. Wendy Paterson (Pastoral Care Coordinator)