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A while back I heard Scott Weimer, former pastor of the North Avenue Presbyterian Church, talking about a woman who was one of their international members from Kenya. She came down front after a service and she told Scott that she missed some parts of the worship from Kenya. Scott asked what she missed. The woman said that she missed how they gave the offering. In her country, they placed the offering plates down front, and then people danced down the aisle while carrying their gifts up to place them in the offering plate. I wonder how that "offering dance" would go over here at JCPC.
This Sunday is the last in our "A Time to Give - A Time to Save" sermon series. We are asking you to bring your 2020 pledge card forward at the end of the service. Now, you do not have to dance - you can simply join others in placing your card on the communion table. However, if you do want to dance, as long as it is appropriate for worship, you can if you want. (We are not Baptists, you know!) Actually, our Presbyterian Book of Order says this about "prayerful participation" in worship: "Participation in worship may involve a wide range of actions: kneeling, bowing, standing, lifting hands, dancing, drumming, clapping, embracing, or joining hands, anointing and laying on of hands. The gifts of the Spirit are for building up the Church." (W-2.0202)
I hope you will prayerfully consider what "gifts of the Spirit" God is leading you to share this Sunday to build up the Church. I want to invite you to consider giving away a tenth or a "tithe" of what God has given you, so that God can use your generosity to save a part of God's world. Together we can do great things here in Johns Creek and throughout our world! See you Sunday and thank you for your generous support of God's work.
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