Generosity

It wasn’t until I reached adulthood that I realized that my parents’ generosity wasn’t the norm. After serving as a priest for seventeen years, I have also learned that generous congregations like Beloved are rare and precious gifts as well. None of the wonder of our Christmastide celebrations would have been possible without the generous gifts of time, creativity, passion and resources of so many of our Beloved sisters and brothers. Beginning with the eighty-seven beloved ones who gathered on a weekday evening to decorate the worship space for Christmas and ending with the seventy-eight adult and children cast members of last Sunday’s Epiphany pageant, I never heard one complaint or negative word. Joy, enthusiasm and generosity were rampant and infectious. Thank you for all the hard work you offered to God on behalf of each of us!

There were so many behind-the-scenes people. Folks cooked chili (making sure the pots stayed hot) and baked even more for hospitality time during the bishop’s visitation. The band worked hard preparing music. Men climbed ladders and explored the best way to hang the live wreaths. Trees and the crèche were decorated. Numerous children joined adults in filling luminary bags with sand and quiet servants came early on Christmas Eve to place and illumine them. Others stayed late and removed them without fanfare. Folks helped the overflow Christmas crowds find seats and feel welcome. Coffee arrived and treats were placed on plates following worship as if invisible fairies had accomplished the work. Carols were sung to shut-ins. Holiday time was spent in the service of others.

Three people deserve particular recognition: Terry Herring for her gift of artistic beauty in all the decorations (and for rising from her sickbed to communicate the decorating plans to those willing to execute them); Nancy Montagnino for the loving way she coordinated Christmas Eve hospitality and created additional angel costumes; and Anna Moore for her generous servant heart in organizing, sizing, distributing and collecting all the pageant costumes.

Finally, please know how profoundly grateful Clifford and I are for the very generous cash purse you gave us for Christmas. Your tangible love and support means more than you can ever know. Over the weekend, our Assisting Bishop’s wife, Judy Gloster, commented to me that Beloved is a very special place. “The people are so warm, there are so many children and it’s so full of life. Beloved is such an important part of the future of the Church.” Truer words have never been spoken.

J. Derek Harbin, priest

25 Days to the Super Bowl…Beloved is raffling a 42” plasma HDTV to be given away before Super Bowl Sunday or when all 1000 tickets are sold. Because the donor is a national vendor, we are able to sell a raffle ticket to anyone residing in the continental United States. We are grateful to Fred Mellon who secured this generous donation and who is coordinating this effort on behalf of the funding team. Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to finish selling the remaining $20 tickets. Remember that in 2006 we will not receive any outside financial assistance, so let’s further the mission of Beloved with a beginning of the year cash infusion and make someone’s Super Bowl Sunday a spectacular one at the same time! For tickets, please see Fred at worship on Sundays or click here.

Around Beloved…Beloved’s Girl Scouts will be taking orders this Sunday for those delicious Girl Scout Cookies (if you will be out of town for the MLK Holiday Weekend and want to order cookies and support those girls in scouting in the Beloved congregation, please contact the Development Office and we’ll let you know who the Girl Scouts are)…Deacon Deb begins a month of respite leave from her ministry at Beloved. In Deb’s words, “Over the past 18 months, I've moved to Charlotte, changed jobs, and found that my body's starting to act its age - in spite of the "Peter Pan" view of life I hold [I won't grow up; I'll never be old]. Since last summer, what was just nagging stiffness has accelerated into chronic arthritis that has left me increasingly unable to use my hands and move with the agility to which I'm accustomed. This was one of the major reasons for even thinking about leaving a dream job (at Providence High School) of working with high school kids doing nothing but technical theatre! I couldn't continue to scramble up ladders, adjust theatrical equipment, or more importantly, show kids how to use the power tools that are part of the trade. Since October, I've changed jobs (chaplain at Trinity Episcopal School) and have had recurring bouts of the respiratory flu. I’ve finally agreed with the doctor and my family that I needed to take some time and let God and the medical profession help me recoup.” Please keep Deb in your prayers during this time, that her mind will allow her to slow down and that God’s healing presence will restore her during this time of abiding rest…Sunday Christian Formation for adults and children will resume on January 22…The Beloved CD, Looking through Windows, as well as HDTV raffle tickets will be for sale at a booth during the January 26-28 Diocesan Convention in Winston-Salem. We need folks to staff the booth, particularly during the break times during these three days. Interested? More questions? Click here.

Ministry Opportunities at Beloved…For those with the: gift of Helps or Serving with ability to prime, sand and paint the audio/video cabinet at Beloved Garden…gift of Serving: Being the second adult Beekeeper present in the 6-9 year old and 9-12 year old Beehive. No teaching necessary; being a helpful hand with a craft upon occasion and assisting the teaching leader are all this entails. To assist with any of the above ministry opportunities or if you have any questions about the duties, please contact Clifford at the Development Office.

Serving at God’s Altar this Sunday at Beloved…Acolytes: Forrest Boylston, Hailey Boylston, Ashley Fox, Olivia Fox; Reader: Lexi Leinenkugel; Presenters: Kenton, Terry and Carson King; Eucharistic Ministers: Wes Nichols and Dick Reif; Offertory Basket Passers: Ryan Cook, Connor King, Emily Scheppegrell, Allie Seidel; PowerPoint: Mitchell Harbin.

In our Prayers…for healing of Ariel Sharon and a continuing road toward peace in the Holy Land…for those serving in Iraq, especially Tom Friend and Scott, Dan Hood's brother…for Nancy and Tony Hodgson's granddaughter, Emily, whose health is rapidly deteriorating…for Deacon Deb during her respite month of leave from Beloved to allow her health to improve…for Marilyn Doyon, Laurel Durham, Marie Duty, and Julie Haarstick who are expecting babies this upcoming year…for Janie Lownes as she heals from back pain…for Herbert, Deb Seidel’s grandfather…for Jessie, Julie Sanniota’s mother as she struggles with back pain…for Dorothy, Mary Reid's sister who is fighting lung cancer…for Ed and Jean, Dick Reif’s parents who are in declining health in Oklahoma…for Bill, Lee Frickhoeffer’s uncle who has terminal cancer…for our missionary, Heidi Smith’s mother who is recovering from a heart attack…for Lauren Skrobot as she undergoes medical testing…for the Schmidt family as they hunt for a new home in Texas this week.

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