Hook is terrified of Tock the Croc.

	Captain Hook’s bad dream.

Maybe more than anything. For him, Tock represents the passage of time. He is afraid Tock’s clock will run down and stop ticking. Then, Hook fears, Tock will sneak up and get him.

We understand this fear. Even with a solid faith in Christ and a real hope of eternity, we still fear the unknown territory of life beyond this one. On this side of time, the clock still ticks. On the other side, it doesn’t.

My thoughts go to our friend and my mentor, Ron Ritchie, who is home with hospice care, more aware than ever before of his ticking clock. He is doing quite well, however (some of you have asked). He is not in any pain and still can get up, take baths and even joined family and friends at the table for Christmas dinner. Yet still, for him, the clock ticks. He hears it, and everyone around him hears it. Though they might not talk about it much, their ears have become tuned to its frequency. And when it stops, sadness will prevail, though joy will come in the morning.

Meanwhile we hear the ticking of the end of the year because there are only 36 hours left to 2019, and 36 hours left for you to donate to the Catch Ministry and receive your tax deduction for 2019. Our annual budget relies heavily on what we raise in these next few hours, so please don’t wait. The croc will feast on the last morsel of 2019 tomorrow night so take a few minutes and make your year-end gift now!

We purposely don’t fundraise between Thanksgiving and Christmas because we want to remember the hungry and the homeless at that time. But in these last few hours of the year, we ask that you remember us and our vision to introduce the Gospel of Welcome – Grace turned Outward – to everyone, everywhere.