AN OCTOBER MIX
Paul T. Stallsworth
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Let's agree that this will be a rather unusual mix of notes from the pastor. Three notes follow: one on Charge Conference, one on Paige, and one from Bonhoeffer.
          First, Charge Conference will take place on October 9th, a Thursday, at Broad Creek United Methodist Church. Beginning at 7:00 p.m., this meeting will be led by our New Bern District Superintendent, Rev. Caswell Shaw. Rev. Shaw presides over Charge Conference in a lively and inspiring way, so this will be a good evening together. All members of the Administrative Council should plan to attend; and all other members and friends of the congregation are also invited to participate.
          Charge Conference will structure our congregation for mission and ministry in the year of our Lord 2004. While reports from various church leaders on 2003 will be given and heard, much attention will be pointed toward the future. Officers for 2004 will be elected, a 2004 church budget adopted, and hope for the future kindled.
           Second, the Stallsworth's would like to thank you for your prayers and thoughts for our daughter, Paige. It appears that, due to the providence of God, the faithfulness of your prayers, and dedicated doctors and nurses, Paige is nearing the end of her treatment. During the last full week of September, she received the last of her routine chemotherapy. Therefore, she is now ready for the last phase of treatment: a bone-marrow transplant. That should take place in a month or two. Since a donor among her brothers was not found, Paige will donate bone marrow to herself. After a sample of her marrow is removed and treated, and after she receives a last dose of chemo, she will receive the treated marrow. Then, after an extended hospital stay, she should be up and running. ..or at least walking. Again, thank you for all of your support during these recent months.
            And third, here is a stirring quotation on cheap grace and costly grace from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:  "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate...
          "Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.
          "Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us.  Costly grace is the Incarnation of God ." (Cost of Discipleship, pp. 47-48. emphases in the original)
          As promised, this is a rather unusual mix of unrelated notes.

From October 2003 St. Peter’s Post