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Nov./Dec. response: Responsively Yours
We Are Blessed to Be a Blessing
by Sally Vonner
Greetings in faith, hope, and love in this season of thanks and anticipation. My last several months have been filled with blessings and opportunities to experience God’s grace and mystery in ways I do not have words to describe.
One memorable event was representing United Women in Faith in Seoul, Korea, along with our national President Jana Jones and Connectional Officer Sung-ok Lee, for the Centennial Celebration of the American Methodist Korean Women’s Mission Foundation and two other mission foundations established in 1924. My admiration for the mission begun in Korea in 1885, through the missionary donation of Lucille B. Baldwin and the sending of Mary F. Scranton to Korea by the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society, sanctioned tears of joy. Witnessing the current impact of the seeds Scranton and other women missionaries planted and sowed in Korea overwhelmed me at times. As did our time with the Korean Women’s Society of Christian Service leaders and the amazing mission work they are doing. See more in this issue of response.
General Secretary and CEO
United Women in Faith
Photo: Janet Joyner
As I wrap up annual meeting speaking engagements, I’m reminded what a joy it was to have been with many of you to share in worship, fellowship, celebration, and dreaming new possibilities together. Your passion and creativity in supporting our mission with women, children, and youth inspires me. I am more confident than ever that our trust in God will lead us toward the growth we are planning for because women, children, and youth are still vulnerable. We must show up, take action, and partner with others to make a difference and work for justice.
This World Thank Offering season, let us remember that we are blessed to be a blessing to others. The dollars and coins you have saved throughout the year or the contribution you will give for this offering goes far beyond what you can imagine. We are building on the legacy of faithful sisters, like Baldwin, who gave with joy to bless others in Korea and is still blessing others. May God bless and multiply your offering which supports our total mission as we strive to improve the lives of women, children, and youth.
Starting November 30, we will begin our waiting and preparation with Advent for the celebration of Jesus’ birth on Christmas day. Waiting is not easy for many of us. Just think about how Christmas decorations and themes appear everywhere long before Advent begins.
Waiting for Jesus’ arrival is an invitation to engage the journey with prayer, songs, worship, studying scripture, being in community, and putting our faith and hope in action. Mary and Elizabeth and Zechariah waited longer than four weeks to have faith and hope in God’s miraculous movement in their lives. I pray that you and I will approach this Advent with a slower pace to strengthen our faith and hope with great expectation. Henri Nouwen said it better: “Waiting is never a movement from nothing to something. It is always a movement from something to something more.”
I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas! As we come together with family and friends during the holidays, may we remember and pray for those among us who are facing loss of family due to death, deportation, incarceration, conflict, etc.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
SALLY VONNER
General Secretary and CEO
United Women in Faith
