From Pastor Trozzo
First we add, then we subtract.
First we add, then we subtract.
The adding up comes as February this year begins with our Annual Meeting on Feb. 1.
This is the numbers meeting. We have been busy adding up everything that happened in 2025 to give a quantitative picture for the meeting (as opposed to our June meeting, where we tell the stories of ministry and the impact it has had qualitatively). We will hear financial information such as total offerings to the congregation and total expenses by the congregation last year. We will hear total numbers of people who attended worship last year, and how many were added to and taken from the membership rolls. Without stealing the thunder of the meeting, I will say that the numbers from 2025 add up in a positive way overall. There is much to be positive and excited about within the congregation. It is worthwhile to take the time to see how the Holy Spirit has moved through the congregation this past year, moving people to respond to God’s work in the world in many ways. It is valuable to be reminded of what is added to God’s work in the world through St. Matthew Lutheran Church, empowered by the Spirit, as our faithful responses to God at work in us get added together through the congregation. It is good to take a moment and celebrate God’s good work through us. We add to recognize God’s movement in our midst. First we add, then we subtract.
By mid-Month, the time comes to shift the tone.
Ash Wednesday is Feb. 18, marking the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time to reflect on the ways that we have fallen short of fully opening ourselves to allowing the Spirit to move through us. We reflect on our sin as marked by the ways we have held ourselves back from giving our lives entirely to God. We reflect on the things that distract our attention from God and God’s reign in our lives and our world. And we subtract. We consider how we might let go of the things that block us from responding to God. We consider subtracting from our lives things like food or screen time that drain our attention and make it harder to be attentive to God speaking into our lives. We subtract our tendency to pat ourselves on the back for what we do rather than praising God for enlivening us. We subtract things that make us busy so that it feels like a sacrifice to spend time in worship, praise, and service. We subtract to recognize more clearly God’s movement in our midst.