Good morning! Last week we heard Karen King commend to us the story of the Good Samaritan. We heard how two people–separated by birth, geography, and circumstance–became neighbors because one of them saw the other in need and showed him Love by binding his wounds and transporting him to a safe place. Maybe the merciful Samaritan knew in his heart that the robbers might have set upon him, if the coin-flip of fortune had turned up differently. Maybe his very status as a traveller, and (from Jesus’ point of view) a foreigner, kept that possibility alive in his mind.
So what happens next? He makes a pledge! The kindly Samaritan entrusts the innkeeper with a meaningful amount of money, so that his neighbor who was assaulted could be sheltered, and provided for, while he heals. And he promises to come back, to see what else is needed, and pay for it.Your pledge to Emmanuel Church is not exactly like this: it isn’t open-ended like the kindly Samaritan’s; it’s simply for the coming year. The Samaritan is one man, while we, who have the means to commit our support, are many: over a hundred last year. And we, who come to Emmanuel to find warmth, shelter, and healing, for body and soul alike, we are Legion, coming by the hundreds every week. In the role of innkeeper, we have our vestry, our clergy and lay staff, and our 2023 budget, which is the plan for how we will commit our resources in this neighborhood.
Like that inn, Emmanuel Church is here for you, whenever you are cold, hungry, wounded or beset; and if you aren’t, you know that you have been, or might be, at some other time. Like that inn, Emmanuel provides warmth, nourishment, and safety. And much, much more: a lively, loving community, and extraordinary beauty. Like that inn, it’s here for you whether it’s a regular stop on your weekly journey, or you turn up just once in a while.
So please, join me. Make your commitment to support the hospitality of this resting place, this place of refuge and healing, which is also a place of learning and empowerment, of beauty and delight. Make a pledge for 2023 that will sustain this community, for the love of your neighbors, and yourself.
— Carolyn Roosevelt, 10/16/2002