An important component of my understanding and experience of membership in the body of Christ is my obligation to contribute to the spread of the kingdom of God. This can certainly be accomplished in many ways and it is invariably a challenge to me to decide where the commitments I make of my time and money each year can be best directed. To be a faithful steward of the gifts God has given me implies that I should take care to use them in a way that brings the greatest return on the investment.

I have been a communicant at the Chapel of the Cross for many years. My husband and I were married and our children baptized here. I have participated in many parish activities and offered my service in various capacities, and I have joined in receiving the benefits of membership in a loving Christian family: shared worship, spiritual nourishment, friendships, and the support of the community. Looking back, it seems that what I have received from this parish and other spiritual communities over the years has been in direct proportion to what I have given to them of myself, in financial contributions and in commitments of my time and talents.

In fact, it seems to me that in a thriving church the whole far exceeds the sum of its parts. When the members of the parish are giving the cream of all their hearts to serve God and build up the community, the glory and love of God are expressed and radiate outward from among us. It is an incredible blessing to be part of such a community. It can't be experienced by hiding under my light under a bushel and letting 'the church' do everything for me, but rather by boldly accepting the fact that I am, together with other parishioners, 'the church,' and by offering my finest gifts that will enable God's kingdom to grow and flourish.

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