{"id":1640,"date":"2020-12-16T20:54:17","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T20:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.presbyterianmission.org\/weekly-offerings\/?p=1640"},"modified":"2020-12-16T20:54:17","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T20:54:17","slug":"christmas-joy-a-life-changed-but-still-fully-lived","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/weekly-offerings\/2020\/12\/16\/christmas-joy-a-life-changed-but-still-fully-lived\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Joy: A Life Changed, But Still Fully Lived"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rev. Dr. Stewart M. Pattison has been living with multiple sclerosis for years. As his health has recently forced him to retire, gifts from the Christmas Joy Offering have come to have special meaning for him. A portion of gifts received go toward supporting church leaders in their times of critical financial need.<\/p>\n

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Rev. Stewart Pattison and his wife Bonnie<\/p><\/div>\n

This is something Rev. Pattison truly appreciates. Several years ago, he received a grant from the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions and the Presbytery of Chicago.<\/p>\n

Rev. Pattison used his grant for the purchase of a specialized scooter which he has affectionately nicknamed \u201cDi Blasi\u201d in honor of the manufacturer. A scooter seems like a simple thing, but in fact it was a game changer. Di Blasi made it possible for him to continue his ministry as the solo pastor of the Community Presbyterian Church of Lombard, Illinois, a calling that he answered with love for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n

Now that he is fully retired, the Board of Pensions is also providing support and assistance as Rev. Pattison navigates the Social Security Administration system, which he says can be a \u201cvery difficult process.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey tell me what they need, and they just kind of get the job done,\u201d he explains. \u201cTo just know you have someone there to help you navigate all the red tape is so helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rev. Pattison offers an important perspective for us to think about in dealing with the many challenges of things like the COVID-19 virus. \u201cFor lots of people, the virus was a temporary stay-at-home thing,\u201d he says. \u201cA disability can also be a stay-at-home thing \u2014 sometimes a permanent stay-at-home thing if you don\u2019t have anywhere to turn for help. What the Board of Pensions does is really important to me and others like me, so that we can carry on even with our disabilities. They\u2019ve helped in ways that have opened up my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rev. Pattison wants everyone to know how much it means to have the support of Board of Pensions in his life and in the lives of other retirees and church leaders who need a helping hand. \u201cI\u2019m grateful for those who give to this Offering,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Let us pray<\/h4>\n

O God of hope and healing, scoot us into places where our hands can help, and we can be places where your healing and your hope are shared. Amen.<\/p>\n

Join us<\/h4>\n

For more information and resources related to the Christmas Joy Offering, please visit the Special Offerings website.<\/a>
\n<\/u> This post is based on a regional Minute for Mission which can be found on our\u00a0website<\/a>\u00a0as a\u00a0script<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Please give generously to the Offering:<\/p>\n