A Wide Welcome of Grace
Belonging to a church has been a part of our entire lives. When we moved to Texas, we were in the mode of raising children, earning a living, establishing ourselves in a new community, and simply looking to continue our faith journey. Our immediate focus was to find a Church home - a community within which our family could worship and where our children could make friends, have fun, continue to learn Christian morality and values, and establish a basis for our future journey of faith/belief. We joined Preston Meadow Lutheran in November 1991.
We do not remember an “Ah-Ha” moment when it dawned on us that PMLC truly became our church home -- rather it was a gradual process of the intentionality of joining in and being accepted by a new community through making connections with individuals, joining small groups, and serving our church and community in some meaningful way. Over time we acquired a sense that this is where we should be, and it has deepened over the decades as, and because, we stayed engaged in PMLC’s life, while not expecting perfection, not requiring that every possible need be met, and accepting that “on the whole” our hopes and expectations were greatly met.
We most appreciate the grace-based messaging from the pulpit that has been, and still is, consistent for the decades we have been here. We treasure the liturgical service, the amazing talent of our musicians and vocalists, and the blessings of wonderful friends and acquaintances that can only be had through the sharing of good and bad times.
We learned the habit of generosity from the example of our parents, grandparents, others, and the Reverend Harvey A. Anderson. When it comes to giving to PMLC, we often ask ourselves, “If we do not, then who will?”
Giving to the mission of the church is a matter of discipline and acceptance of personal responsibility to provide reasonable support to the church, because the church is far more than just an institution or a club. Here is the basic concept - the value provided by the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. All of the parts are important – worship, study and education, community and supporting relationships, internal service, outreach, etc. All are critical elements that, when taken together, add up to more than just the sum of each individual part.
When we think about PMLC, our greatest hope is that we all recognize the value of the Church and how it contributes to our mental outlook, well-being, and the future of society. All humanity has always wrestled with: where we come from; why are we here; and, where are we going. While secularism may have scientific/empirical value as input, it simply cannot provide a complete answer. The complete answer must be significantly based in belief and faith in something greater than themselves. PMLC continues to address these big questions with a wide welcome and a posture of grace.
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