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Evalgelical Lutheran Church in America Northeastern Ohio Synod
Letters from Pastor Alan Smearsoll


August 2018

Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.

This excerpt from the 1834 poem “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is one of the few things I remember from my High School English class. I admit, I did have to cheat and look it up for the exact words, but I remember the words “Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.”  The ship had sailed into a part of the ocean where there were no currents to take it nor wind to sail it. The irony is that the crew was surrounded by water, abundant water, but it was not available for the purpose the crew needed it – to sustain them in fulfilling their journey.

The church is not unlike this ship caught in the stagnant ocean waters. Money, money, every where, nor any cent to spare. Like many congregations, Emmanuel has money in a variety of special funds, but most of this money is restricted in use and unavailable for meeting the day-to-day expenses. We are like the ship’s crew in the poem with water all around but none to drink.

You are the vast ocean of money in which the ship named Emmanuel sails. You keep Emmanuel and its ministry to its members and the community of Salem afloat. Your church leaders do a very good job of keeping expenses at bay. Actual expenses in 2010 were $242,167 and in 2017 were $251,278. That is just a 3.8% increase over eight years! You have provided an actual offering income that in 2010 was $230,384 and in 2017 was $228,098.  That is only a 1% decrease in eight years. These numbers are pretty good for a ship that lost 140 crewmembers to death and transfer and gained just 87 new adult members in that same timeframe, but you can see they are headed in opposite directions.

Last year we happened to lose two very generous families to death and relocation. This is putting added stress on a pretty tight budget. Management and Council are watching the situation, but recovery from last year’s loss is going to be hard to overcome. Yet I know that the Spirit moves over these waters. I know that Jesus is piloting this ship. We are faithful in our journey together. We maintain our commitment of tithing 10% of our offering income to give to the larger church and community when that is the first thing most churches cut.

Endowment funds available for budgeted expenses will cover the gap for a limited time, but not sustain us in the long term. I have seen how this church can be generous. We raised nearly $12,000 for charities in celebration of our 125th anniversary last year. When called upon to assist the families in our community affected by the Fresh Mark raids, you have given out of your pockets $800 in just a few weeks.

Money, money, every where – is there a cent to spare? As we journey together in our mission to serve the Lord in this community, can we drink from the abundant water that is all around us so that we don’t end up like a “painted ship upon a painted ocean” - stagnant and dying with no ability to move forward?  I know we can.

There is an episode of Gilligan’s Island where the castaways have run out of clean water to drink. Their spring ran dry. In an effort to help them survive, they collected all of the clean water into one pot to ration. Individuals tried to steal some of that water for themselves, which would have helped them but hurt the community. The culprits were discovered and they gave the water back. In this act not only they were made well, but the community was also healed.

This spiritual healing comes to us too. To my knowledge, Jesus never specifically spoke about tithing or stewardship. However, there are many instances of his encouragement to be generous in a number of ways. I suspect that is because, in being generous, a person is free from selfish desires and therefore blessed in ways unimaginable and so are those who are the recipients of that generosity. Just imagine what you could be a part of in this community and around the world through Emmanuel if Emmanuel’s operating expenses were covered and there were twelve baskets of scraps leftover! (Matthew 14:20)                                                           

Some who read this will be inspired. Some will pause to think about their giving habits. A few might be angered or offended by this seemingly blatant “plug” for increased giving. Pastorally, the point is that all the money necessary for the church’s ministry and more is already among us. In considering your offering, it should always be given without a thought to what the right or left hand is doing (Matthew 6:2). It should be given for the needs of the local church (Acts 2:44) and the larger church (Romans 15:25). It should be given with a love for the Lord (Luke 21:2). It should be given cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Thank you for your very faithful giving that has sustained Emmanuel’s ministry over the years. With the Spirit’s guidance, let us not become like so many other churches “like a painted ship upon a painted ocean.”

Blessings,
Pastor Alan
               
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To contact us:
Phone: 330-332-5042
Fax: 330-332-4405
Email: lutheran251@gmail.com
251 S. Broadway Avenue
Salem, OH 44460