Amazing Grace
On Monday May 11 our treasurer and senior warden knocked on my door, entered, and closed the door behind them. They told me that our pledged income was lagging behind so badly that we would have a difficult time paying bills and making payroll in the coming weeks. It fell on me to make a few (2 or 3) phone calls to ask some of our bigger givers if they would pay their pledge in advance. I made the calls and was promised a few thousand dollars. We needed $26,000 immediately. What was promised was not going to be nearly enough.
On Tuesday morning someone walked into the office, handed over a check for $25,000 and said, “I thought this might help.” I did not call this person. This person could have had no knowledge of the previous day’s conversation among the treasurer, warden and myself. God can do some amazing things when we least expect it. I am as clear as I can be that the Holy Spirit moved this person to do what they did. It was grace, amazing grace.
On Sunday May 17 I preached about God doing some unexpected, amazing things in our lives. I used the story I just told here as an illustration. I simply told the story. I did not ask for money in the sermon. By May 20, several people had come by the church office and given us over $75,000 in pledge money and gifts. That is amazing. That is amazing grace.
Before coming to Hot Springs I served in a cathedral that had an endowment. When cash flow was slow or low we could simply draw down some of the reserve and never miss a beat. That is not the case here. There is no endowment or even any reserve for that matter. At the other place I do not recall even one person ever coming in and giving us money that “might help.” Here it happens on a rather regular basis. Even though it is difficult sometimes when we have to worry about money, I think it is better this way than the other. It is just mind boggling how grace abounds at St. Luke’s.
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