Spring greetings to you!

Dear Congregation,

Spring greetings to you! On Sunday we’ll be receiving the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering. This year’s theme is Love Remains, based on 1 Corinthians 13. The Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson writes, “In the theme scripture the Apostle Paul helped the newly converted Christians at Corinth embrace the virtue of love. Love is an active decision to think of others before self; to work on behalf of others; and to care for others with acts of kindness and advocacy. Paul taught that community is less about “me” and more about “us”.

In the promotional material for OGHS an inspiring example was given of how such love made a life-changing difference to Howard Thurman. “He grew up during the early 1900s in Daytona, Florida, where educational opportunities for Blacks were limited. There were only three high schools for Blacks in the entire state. The closest private church-related high school was in Jacksonville, about 90 miles away. His community pooled their resources to send him to further his education.

At the train station, Thurman learned he would have to pay extra to ship his rope-tied trunk, and he did not have the money. Alone and dejected, he sat on the steps of the rail station. A stranger, a Black man, asked why he was crying. After Thurman explained his situation, the man paid the extra fare. Before Thurman could thank him, the man walked away, and Thurman never saw him again. The dedication to his autobiography With Head and Heart: The

Autobiography of Howard Thurman reads:

To the stranger in the railroad station in Daytona Beach who restored my broken dream sixty-five years ago.

Thurman went on to become a renowned scholar and theologian and influenced the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr. The stranger saw a young man in despair and his generosity made a difference—he expected nothing in return; he just saw a

need and responded. The man may or may not have thought of his gift as an act of love, but it changed the trajectory of Thurman’s life.

This is what One Great Hour of Sharing does for people across the planet — it restores broken dreams, resurrects hope, and carves a path into the future.”

If we ask ourselves the question “What does love look like for our congregation?”

I think we could name quite a few things we’ve done and continue to do, from mission and outreach to justice advocacy, and much more. Sharing the love of God is at the heart of all we do here at CCC. Giving to offerings like OGHS enables us to join with other churches to increase the amount of good that can be done. Your generosity ensures that love remains. May God bless you for that!

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Candy