My greatest learning on presence came from my childhood from my wonderful grandfather. He was a paraplegic. For most of my life he was confined to a wheelchair. However, on Saturday night we had an all-important routine. First, he would get his checkbook out and write out his offering check and then place it in the church envelope in preparation for Sunday. Then he would get out his shoeshine kit and his dress shoes and he would polish his shoes for Sunday. I remember late Saturday nights with his wingtips sitting on a piece of newspaper.

The reason that this mundane Saturday night scene holds a place of honor in my memory is because it showed me how important being at church was to my grandfather—and not just the idea of church, but being in church for Sunday morning worship. For him, being there meant a tedious morning dressing up in a suit. It meant rolling down the ramp of our house to the driveway and transferring from the wheelchair to the car with my grandmother’s help. It meant arriving at church as two or three church brothers awaited his arrival. They would help him transfer to the wheelchair, roll him over to the church steps and then CARRY his wheelchair up the stairs and into the sanctuary.

What an effort! What a challenge for my grandfather! Though he never complained and never voiced disappointment. Being present at church was the most significant (and sometime only) outing of his week. I learned from him something that I try to transmit to all of our members—that there is something about being present in the community of those worshipping God, praying together, and singing together that makes a positive difference.

This year’s stewardship campaign asks us to commit our presence. I hope that we will each reflect on this commitment, but not because the stewardship committee or Dr. Brown or the Ministerial Team asks. Do it because as the song says: “God’s got a (particular) blessing with your name on it,” that you won’t be able to receive unless you show up...