United Church of Pittsford

A Stewardship Testimonial by
DICK KRAGER

Please pray with me: Gracious and loving God, thank you for the words you have given me. Please help each of us to discern how to put them into action. Amen.

God has invested a lot in each one of us – Jesus was that investment! Jesus was the ultimate, priceless, sacrificial gift to each of us as Christians. It was the gift of Jesus’ life that has given us eternal life if we believe. Can a greater gift than our own lives be given in return?

Because I have been given much, I believe that God expects me to give freely from the richness of my own life to help others. Jesus tells us that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for Him.

When I retired from teaching a few years ago, I needed to assess how I would live my life that would be a good use of my time, talents, interests and treasures. What was God calling me to be and do? I knew that I wanted to put my faith and beliefs into action and that I wanted to serve others in ways that would be true to my faith and represent good stewardship of my resources to be of value to my community. So, I immersed myself in many activities, some new to me and some that I had participated in previously. I chose to work on a variety of things that allowed me to be of service to local and also regional needs, in some small way to help the dispossessed, to interact with new people, to grow spiritually, and to have a little fun along the way.

What does it take to do some of these volunteer tasks? I find that it requires an acceptance that the rewards are not tangible; rather they are emotional and spiritual in nature. A touch, a smile, a thank you, or a laugh is the reward. Knowing that what you have done may help someone remain healthy or independent, assisting someone to transition from a life of darkness and despair to one of hopefulness and a better future – these are priceless gifts to me from those that I help. It often takes a tolerance for things that may be different from how I have lived my own life. It may take risking my own comfort of knowing how to do something and transitioning through a period of uncertainty until the job becomes more familiar and I have a grasp on what and how to do the job. Life is fragile – service to others has exposed me to more of that fragility and made me uncomfortable sometimes.

May of you know that Cameron Community Ministries is one of our church’s mission projects. Cameron is a faith-based urban outreach ministry whose goal is to have: every neighbor and child fed – every child nurtured after school – every family clothed in dignity!

The neighborhood served by Cameron is the Lyell/Otis area off 490 not far from PAETEC Park on the west side of the city and it is a multi-cultural, low-income neighborhood of families and singles struggling to survive each day on very little. Sometimes I go there feeling overwhelmed by the poverty and desperation of that area, but also knowing that if I can help to change one life by what I do that day, it’s worth it.

I have worked at Cameron each Monday morning in the kitchen. Over several years, I have gradually gotten more comfortable in the environment there and more skilled at listening to the folks with whom I come in contact.

As the workers assigned by the Department of Social Services, volunteers, and employees have changed during my 5 years there, I have experienced many emotions: hot, tired, frustrated, uplifted, alive, thankful, appreciated, fulfilled, sorrowful, disappointed, happy, blessed. I have wept, laughed, danced, celebrated, sung, prayed.
I’d like to think that Cameron provides a source of unconditional love as it welcomes all who need life’s basics of food and clothing in a place that is safe, warm, dry, peaceful, comfortable. I have witnessed reconciliation and recovery by some with past troubles with drugs and alcohol, experienced a melting pot of cultures and life styles, rejoiced at a spiritual birth by others as they have come to know Jesus, seen floundering lives reclaimed and striving to get a degree in nursing or business in order to climb out of the cycle of poverty. I have tutored a few who have needed math help, given rides to others to lighten their daily burden, prayed silently for the right words to come when asked for some advice about sensitive, personal issues. There also, I have learned more about tolerance, modesty, humility and gratitude for all that I have been given. I have learned a little Spanish, watched people devour healthful food, served as a role model of patience, listening, caring and generosity. I have had to be flexible and non-judgmental. For me, the fabric of life is made better for each Cameron guest because of what we do together in supporting Cameron. The Holy Spirit moves with and among all of us as we encounter each other in this missional effort.

Finally, Edwin Markham paraphrase a well-known Bible verse in these words: “There is a destiny that makes us brothers and sisters, no one goes his way alone, all that you send in to the life of others comes back into your own.”

At our Ministry Fair today and as we approach Stewardship Sunday, may each of us be led to see what God is calling us to do. Amen.