(This letter also appears as "Matt's Musings" in the January edition of Intersections, our church newsletter)

To my dear friends and companions on the journey of faith, the Richmond Church of the Brethren, may God’s boundless love, Christ’s grace, and the Spirit’s peace bless each one of you. 

As much as I appreciate the important seasons of Advent and Christmas, awaiting and celebrating the in-breaking of God into our lives and our world in radical ways, I’m also a big fan of the less-liturgical holiday of the New Year. It provides me (and you) with an oft-needed vantage point to look back, to look within, and to look down the road ahead. 

The following sermon was a part of our 2011 worship series on stewardship, titled Simple Stewardship. You can find several other worksheets and documents for reflection and discernment on our stewardship resources page.  Though it's always a little awkward for me as a paid pastor to talk about financial stewardship, considering how much of our church's budget goes toward pastoral compensation, I hope you might find this a meaningful and challenging reflection on what it means to participate in God's work in the world when it comes to money.

The following sermon was a part of our 2011 worship series on stewardship, titled Simple Stewardship. It was shared alongside a time-use discernment worksheet, which you can download from our stewardship resources page. I hope you might find the time to take a few moments to pause, read through this scripture, and reflect on the ways that you've sought to engage abundance in your own life. 

This past Sunday was a day of great celebration and excitement in our congregation. In addition to giving a nod toward the Mother's Day holiday, we also blessed 12 graduating college and seminary students connected to our church and shared in a deeply meaningful baptism. This sermon, while shorter than usual, draws in several of these themes while reflecting on what it means for us to be "born again."

Though I don't always post my sermon manuscripts I had so many requests for a copy of this one that I thought I'd share it here. This was the final sermon of our 8-week long series on New Beginnings. If only I could also share the deep and meaningful 20 minutes of shared response that comprised the second half of our sermon time.