Love

“Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”  — Mother Teresa

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” — 1 Corinthians 13:1

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What is love?

  It is sacrifice,
  it is compassion,
  it is selflessness,
  it is forgiveness,
  it is recognizing dignity in others,
  it is devotion,
  it is respect, 
  it is tenderness and fidelity,
  it is friendship,
  it is affection,
  it is grace and it is mercy.

  Love is the hope of the world.

For love is Christ. And Christ is Love. And in him we find love, complete.

~Pastor Mike Middaugh

Calvary is seeking a qualified, enthusiastic, well-organized candidate to fill the role of our office administrator. Applications may be submitted to pastor@calvarysilverspring.org A full position description is below.

Position Description for Office Administrator

Job Summary

Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church (Calvary) is a Christian church located in Silver Spring, Maryland, with a small / medium size active and diverse congregation.

Calvary is seeking a competent Office Administrator who will be responsible for managing day-to-day operations of the church. The Office Administrator is a visible representative of the church, answering phones, receiving guests, and interacting with church members and the community. The Office Administrator also takes a lead role in preparing and producing the weekly worship bulletin and other document needs for the church. Additional duties include maintaining the church calendar of events, organizing church records and personnel files, ordering and stocking office supplies, keeping computer files backed up and maintaining office equipment.

Position Qualifications

1. A minimum of five-years experience as an office administrator or program administrator, with experience in a church office preferred; highly proficient with technology including word processing fluency, web-based calendar management, church database software competence, social media and website management competence (or willingness to learn), and strong organizational skills when managing files and records for short-term and long-term access.
2. Two-year degree in business administration, with a bachelor’s degree preferred.
3. A Lutheran background a bonus, active membership at Calvary or another Christian church is expected.

Accountability

The Office Administrator is directly accountable to the pastor for work direction and indirectly accountable to the church Board of Directors.

Job Type

The Office Administrator position is a three – quarter to full time position (negotiable). Due to the nature of the work, this is an “on-site” position and does not allow for work-from-home or telecommuting.

Salary and Benefits

Compensation is made in accordance with pay scales approved by the congregation. The Board of Directors reviews the budget annually, adjusting salaries, and making recommendations to the Voters Assembly of the congregation. Health insurance, paid time off, and retirement benefits are included with this position.

Specific Responsibilities

• Office Management

The Office Administrator is the most visible representative of the church during the week, answering phones, receiving packages, and welcoming guests at the front door. Office responsibilities include managing the church calendar, working with various users of the building to ensure efficient and responsible use of the space, maintaining church records, ordering and stocking office supplies, and generally keeping an orderly and efficient office space.

• Communication Responsibilities

The Office Administrator will take a lead communication role for the church, interacting with church members, friends of the church, and the community through various means. The Office Administrator regularly coordinates with the Pastor, Business Manager, Music Minister, Organist / Pianist, Kitchen Manager, as well as church volunteers, committee members, wedding and funeral coordinators and other staff members, working to ensure good communication between and within all groups. Additional communication responsibilities include assisting with the publication of the church newsletter, posting news and information to electronic media including the church website and Facebook page, writing and sending letters on behalf of the congregation, and working to effectively communicate the activities and special events of the congregation through various means.

• Financial Responsibilities

The Office Administrator will work closely with the church Business Manager, Pastor, and other staff to ensure the church properly uses funds and meets financial obligations. The Administrator will work with volunteers to make sure the weekly offering is tallied and deposited, as well as providing offering envelopes to the congregation along with explaining the various means of making donations to the church. The Administrator will work with the Business Manager to ensure outgoing checks are signed and distributed as needed, and that bills are paid in a timely fashion.

• Manage Church Facilities

Property management duties include overseeing the maintenance and security operations of church facility and maintaining an inventory of supplies and equipment. Additional responsibilities include scheduling meetings and events, managing agreements for use of church space, and enforcing church policies for facility use. The Office Administrator will also maintain a listing of maintenance companies who can be called to make repairs as needed. Construction on site is expected in 2019 and the Office Administrator will assist in coordinating and scheduling events and meetings related to construction.

• Maintain Relationships

The Administrator is expected to maintain good communication channels with church members and staff, not taking sides, but working to promote a spirit of unity and mutual understanding. The Office Administrator regularly coordinates with the Pastor, Business Manager, Music Minister, Organist / Pianist, Kitchen Manager, as well as church volunteers, committee members, wedding and funeral coordinators and other staff members.

• Other Qualifications

1. A lifestyle that demonstrates a personal and dynamic relationship with Christ, with personal prayer, and regular attendance in worship and participation in congregational activities.
2. Shows a love for other people and desire to resolve conflicts quickly should they arise.
3. Communicates well with others, listens carefully, and expresses a desire to learn from those with differing viewpoints or life experiences.
4. Makes decisions which are indicative of good judgement.
5. Demonstrates a desire to care for others and is sensitive to the needs of other people.
6. Presents a professional appearance, is punctual, and enthusiastic for furthering and strengthening the ongoing work of the church.

Resumes may be submitted to pastor@calvarysilverspring.org

Keeping Close to Jesus

“When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.” Joshua 3:3-4

A remarkable thing happens at Jesus’ birth – the world comes to see. And not just see, but to have and to hold. In ancient times, all things holy were kept at a distance. Everyone except the priests and the Levites had to stay two thousand cubits (about three thousand feet) from the ark of the covenant of the Lord. It was the place where God’s Spirit dwelled, holy, sacred, set apart. In those times, God spoke directly to Moses, but no others.

But then Christ came to the people. All the old rules of keeping distance between God and humankind were broken.

A hymn we sing that always takes my breath away contains the refrain: taste and see, the Lord is good. On it surface it makes no sense. God accessible. Good with evil. The perfect in the midst of the flawed. But he has come to show us a new way, a way of forgiveness and life. We are invited to draw near to him. He promises to draw near to us.

~Pastor Mike Middaugh

Shrewd and Innocent

[Jesus said] “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

We live in a messy world. Sometimes it is difficult to know whether to respond to a situation with grace or with firmness, with the gospel or with law.

For example, how many times have you been asked for money on the street? In an instant you have to decide what to do, give, or hold back. If you give there is the risk your money will be misused, if you hold back, you risk losing an opportunity help meet a real need. If you are like me, you have responded various ways, at various times, depending on many factors.

Being asked for money on the street is a relatively simple example of living Jesus’ call in a complex world. Perhaps it helps to know that Jesus had to make these decisions as well.

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. John 12:3-6

Reading this passage again, it struck me, not only was Judas the one who would ultimately betray his Lord with a kiss, but for much of the time he was with Jesus, he also had a habit of stealing from the shared resources of the group. He was a thief. He helped himself to their money, money which at least some portion thereof, would be given out to help the poor.

Yet Jesus allowed Judas to stay. He chose grace when dealing with Judas, in spite of all he did, and would do. Why? We cannot know for sure. Maybe Jesus hoped, and prayed, that abundant grace might be the thing, the only thing that could win Judas over. Certainly it wasn’t because Jesus was scared of conflict. Jesus was often firm, instructing others to turn from sin and repent. Or, perhaps, Judas was allowed to go on stealing as one more cautionary tale – beware the danger of loving money, it can lead to a multitude of sins.

While we do not know the entire story of Jesus’ interactions with Judas, I am convinced that this is a good example of what He meant when he advised his followers to be shrewd and innocent. Living in a messy, broken world, God’s people have to make decision all the time when responding to difficult situations. As Jesus teaches, we hope to be shrewd and not naive, careful and sometimes cautious. But we are also called to be people of abundant grace, avoiding judgement, bias, and prejudice, sometimes loving through, and in spite of, the sin in the lives of those we care about.

Certainly many parents have had to wade through these waters when trying to love their children well.

Firmness – grace; law – gospel; shrewd – innocent. We pray Jesus would send his Spirit to grant us discernment as we follow him through this messy world.

~Pastor Mike Middaugh

Dear Calvary Friends, with significant accumulating snow overnight, and expected to continue this morning, we have made the decision to CANCEL all Sunday activities at Calvary today. We do not want any of our leaders, servers, or attendees to feel they need to travel with difficult road conditions. Please stay safe, enjoy a snowy day, and we will see you next Sunday.

If you would like to take some time this morning to reflect on the readings of the day, you can find them at this Revised Common Lectionary Site, provided by Vanderbilt Divinity. Prayers, and reflections on the daily theme, are also provided as links on the right-hand side of the page. Today is the celebration of the Baptism of our Lord. We give thanks to God for Jesus own baptism at the hand of John, and ask that God would daily make us new through baptism as well, that we might be assured of forgiveness, and be cleansed for new life in Christ.