We begin this month with the celebration of World Communion Sunday. I love this day because it reminds me that we are not alone. God has children all over this world breaking bread and sharing the cup of redemption. We are not competitors but family. As we break bread on Sunday at Antioch our brothers and sisters across the county and across the world will be breaking bread along with us. As we offer prayers of confession and thanksgiving the larger Church will be doing the same thing. And as we affirm our faith in God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our brothers and sisters here and in every place will also affirm the faith in which we stand. Let us remember to pray for the Church. There are believers in places where persecution is great and where it is very dangerous to be followers of Jesus. This Sunday we will celebrate our connection throughout the world. Let us remember to lift up God’s Church in every part of our world.

During the month of October there will be an emphasis in our worship on stewardship. Now, I know that when one mentions stewardship many people start thinking the church wants money. To be sure we have some financial needs at Antioch. We have been in a campaign to get us “Back in the Black” and will continue that campaign until the end of the year. But, stewardship is about much more than money. It is about our commitment to God and to the Church. It is even about our commitment to ourselves and to our families.

Stewardship is about what we bring to worship on Sunday morning. There is a hymn we will sing on the first Sunday, “What Gift Can We Bring.” The message this hymn communicates to me is that the gift may be thankfulness. We should be thankful for the past and for those who have gone before so that we can gather in this place to worship and serve and we should express that thankfulness in our acts of worship. The hymn suggests that we should give thanks for the now and for the future, for the Word and for the mission to which God has called us. Have you ever thought about the stewardship of your thanksgiving?

There are many other tokens we might bring to our worship. We may bring joy, an embrace for others, and a prayer for God’s blessings. You may bring a song to worship to give unto the Lord or an enthusiastic and contagious smile. We have been given many gifts by God and stewardship is the generous sharing of those gifts.

So, as we proceed through the month of October and as you hear sermons about stewardship expect to be challenged to give, but to give a portion of all the gifts God has given you. God expects our time, our talents, and yes, even our tithe. God also expects us to share our joy, enthusiasm, and our thankfulness for the opportunities we have to worship and to serve. 

See you  on Sunday,

Randy