January 1, 2010
Dear MCC Friends:
New Year’s Day brings with it the opportunity to pause and reflect on the year that has passed, and to claim the promise and opportunity of the year to come. The Advent and Christmas holidays, coming as they do to crown the old year with a season of celebration, pave the way for us to make resolution to move forward in faith in the New Year.
The Board and Staff of MCC Hartford encourage you to attend a Congregational Forum on Sunday, January 24th, at 12 Noon, to hear their reports on the year 2009 and to set our goal for 2010.
Those financial, programmatic, and logistical reports will be available at the forum, and online and in the church thereafter. This letter is meant to invite you to save the date, and to provoke your thinking and praying leading up to our gathering.
You will remember our goal for 2009 – To Grow the Church in Spirit, in Numbers, in Witness, and in Love. You may wish to ask yourself some of these questions:
§ Has 2009 been in fact a year of growth for the church?
§ Has it been a year of growth for you?
§ To what extent has the church been an instrument of your spiritual growth?
§ To what extent have you participated in helping the church grow?
Have you witnessed growth in others, and have you witnessed others doing growth work in and for the church?
As the Senior Pastor of MCC Hartford, I am trying to promote a culture of Appreciation among us. It is always possible, but in my experience rarely productive, to focus on what is lacking in ourselves or in others. It is always tempting to give in to a spirit of complaint. What I believe is helpful is a focus on the gifts and strengths we possess, and the possibilities we have for work and witness. Gratitude, admiration, and positive reception—these are some synonyms for appreciation.
An Advent custom I was reminded of recently is that of making a bed for the newborn Christ. A manger is prepared and clean straw is supplied. At the end of each day, members of the household are invited to place a piece of straw into the manger for every good deed they have witnessed, every good word spoken in their hearing. The goal during the four weeks of preparation for Christmas is to produce a thick, deep, soft, warm bed for the Baby Jesus. A focus on appreciating the good in those around us encourages the good in us. And I believe that when we do good and promote the good in each other and in our community, we are literally and truly making a place for the living Christ in our midst. A church so focused cannot help but be a place of growth.
2009 brought with it events and persons to appreciate and opportunities for growth. Not every one was recognized, not every one was seized, but many were. My expectation for 2010 is to do better. The Congregational Forum on January 24th is one way for us to make a beginning.
In Christ’s Peace,
George A. Chien, Senior Pastor, MCC Hartford