Grace and peace to you,
You are a saint!
Hmmm… how do you hear that? I immediately 
jump to – oh no, not me! I’m not a saint, for sure. Or maybe you think about the saint perched on one shoulder telling you what good to do, with the devil on the other telling you – eh – don’t worry about it.
But a saint in the Christian tradition is anyone who is a follower of Jesus, and isn’t that all of us? We may consider ourselves unlikely saints, but if we follow that tradition, well then, we are all saints. And, as we celebrate our 150th anniversary this year, we can honestly say we follow a long lineage of saints at First Presbyterian Church Bethlehem. Imagine – 150 years of saints to celebrate!
And celebrate we will as we move into our stewardship season that honors our 150 years and looks to the future. Our stewardship theme this year is Faithful Past, Hopeful Future: Built by Saints, Called to Serve. What stories of our faithful past do you have? What makes you hopeful for our future? How have you seen saints, including yourself, building our mission and ministry? Where do you feel called to serve?
Over these next weeks we will explore this theme in worship, thinking about these questions as well as the characteristics of saints. How do saints express gratitude, even during suffering? How do saints persevere in hard times? How do saints take risks and exhibit courage? Finally, how are saints generous in loving God and neighbor? And where have you seen those characteristics in the saints of this community of faith?
I was fascinated to read about one such saint in the 125th Anniversary Booklet: Reverend George W. Musgrave, a prominent Presbyterian minister and former moderator of the General Assembly, who in 1877 discovered the tiny two-year-old church on Union Street and envisioned a more suitable building for the growing congregation.
Through his financial and personal support, and his faith in their future, he helped them purchase lots and erect a large building with stained glass windows and room for a Sunday school. In all, Dr. Musgrave gave approximately $8,000 (more than $253,000 in today’s dollars!), as well as inspirational encouragement when both were needed most. Talk about risk-taking, courage, and generosity to enable our church to better serve our neighbors!
Who are the saints you recall? Let’s explore together!
Blessings,
Pastor Karen