Go Further

Please consider all the good things that go on every Sunday and every day here at St. John's.We live in a world of death where people are dying on battlefields in faraway places. In parts of the world, like China or India, people have to wear a mask to go out because of pollution. We turn on the TV and see senseless and gratuitous violence. Our children observe a world with values that move the bar lower evermore and require nothing of us when it comes to living with responsibility and compassion.Every Sunday, without fail, we hear a message that asks us to face ourselves, seek forgiveness, try again, move on from what is holding us back and stopping us from being more human - the way God has intended us to be. It begins with the simple message that God is love and we are to love one another. This may mean walking the extra mile, turning the other cheek, finding a way to forgive even when it is not easy.Keeping St. John's running, paying the bills, meeting all our commitments is a challenge that we face every year. We try to live wisely and frugally against the headwinds of inflation and rising expenses. We know from our own experience that costs seldom go down. Please keep in mind that every gift is important to us.There is a Ford commercial with the slogan "Go further". That is what I am urging everyone to do when it comes to filling out their commitment card. Go further and challenge yourself to give more, do more, and help us as we begin an exciting new year here at St. John's.MEH