Dr.
William A. Ritter
Senior Minister |
|
Dear First Church Friends:
People worry about you when you
start repeating yourself. Which is why I try to keep my sentences
fresh and original. But I feel compelled to recycle my reflections
from June 3, 2001, at which time I wrote: "I am amazed....overwhelmed....more
than moderately humbled....and extremely hopeful." To
those who ask "Why?", I'll tell you why. But first
a bit of history.
Those words were written as we
neared the culmination of a capital campaign for the CLC entitled
"Now's Our Chance." Now, 156 weeks later (exactly
three years), we are nearing the culmination of a capital
campaign entitled "We Have Work To Do." The goal
of the 2001 campaign was $5.2 million for the Christian Life
Center. Which we raised. And eventually exceeded. This year's
goal of $1.6 million in gifts and pledges is more modest.
But incredibly necessary.
In order to provide incentive
for the majority of us, I asked several leaders to join me
in making an early commitment. They included program staffers,
committee chairs, social group presidents, along with others
of high commitment and passion for the cause. Collectively,
I told them: "You are among the present leaders at First
Church. And the function of leaders is to lead. Which means
showing the way....doing things first....modeling behaviors....inviting
others to follow." Let me tell you the outcome. As
of this printing, a total of 85 First Church families or individuals
have stepped forward with three-year commitments totaling
$767,023, or 48% of the goal. Now the question remains:
"Can the rest of us finish the task?" I think we
can.
I am a goal-driven person. In
the middle of this epistle, I took time for some physical
exercise. Thank God for Dick Cheatham who forces me back to
the track and treadmill. For whatever reason, I challenged
myself to go more miles over more minutes, burning more calories
than at any time in the past year. For some ridiculous reason,
it seemed important to push myself (physically as well as
financially) before returning to ask a second-mile effort
of you. For while we may not be capable of an equal gift,
each of us is capable of an equal sacrifice.
This Sunday is the day to step
forward in faith. This Sunday is also our annual celebration
of Pentecost. Once again, I encourage you to rummage around
in your closet and wear all the red you can find. Flame is
one of the great symbols of the Holy Spirit. And a sea of
red tells the world what I have known for a long time, that
this is a church on fire for the Lord and the Kingdom. Yes,
there will be special music. Yes, there will be special food.
Yes, there will be balloons at the benediction. And if I can
channel my passion through the printed page to the pulpit,
there will be power in the sermon.
As for the campaign, my goal
is simply this. I want each of us to participate. As concerns
the dollars, I'll take my chances. But the sanctuary touches
us at every stage of our lives. I was moved by the words of
Jeff and Bridget Nelson elsewhere in these pages. They are
new. They are young. They are starting out in life. And although
they haven't said so, I suspect that years of schooling have
left them with debts equal to their assets. But they stepped
forward and have challenged us to follow. The other day, someone
wondered if our younger members, having identified more closely
with the CLC, would "sit this one out." I told them:
"Don't sell our younger members short. Or our newer members,
either." The fact that we saved the sanctuary project
for last doesn't mean it isn't first in the hearts of all
of us.
Having repeated myself once,
let me risk doing it again. In that same Steeple Notes from
2001, I quoted a preacher from St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh:
"When you enter a church like this, you are entering
into the confidence and the devotion of those who built it,
and are latching on to both." Wonderfully said. And may
future generations have reason to speak the same of us.
Sincerely,
William A. Ritter
|
