Emphasis Preaching Journal

When the church's worship committee decided to add blue altar paraments for the Advent season, Joanna was the first to call.
"Let me pay for them," she pleaded.
The pastor hesitated. Joanna was not considered well off. Widowed for over twenty years, she lived simply on her old age security income.
"That is a lovely offer," the pastor responded. "But a set of paraments can be very costly. Perhaps a donation toward them ..."