In the past few days, the Girl Scouts converted several of their Little Free Libraries into neighborhood food pantries. A few books remain, but most of the space is for folks to leave food or take food as needed. What a great idea! We shouldn’t have any trouble sharing some of our abundance, and I started wondering: what can I do from home during these next four weeks that will make a difference to someone else?
I put a plastic tub in my yard this morning with a sign that said “Food Drop-off Here. Leave what you can. Take what you need.” My hope is that all these people walking by my house every day (some every hour) will occasionally share a can or two for others. Maybe even some church people will drive by and drop something in the box on their way home from the grocery. With anything that comes in, I plan to do two things: help the Girl Scouts keep their project stocked, and share with the DUMA Food Pantry.
“Through [Jesus], then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:15-16 NRSV) Maybe we are cut off from one another in some ways for now, but this directive is intended to enhance our community living. Everything about us is meant to be lived together for some specific purposes.
When things are moving in a way that is uncomfortable or even tense, praising God may be a bit of a stretch for us. This virus is just getting started in the United States, and we don’t know exactly how this will go. What if I need that can of food for later? That seems to be where the sacrifice comes in.
“Sacrifice of praise to God” isn’t just lip service. For us who claim Jesus’ name, there is fruit that follows the claim. “I love Jesus” is our beginning, and speaking those words creates a desire to keep going. We profess our faith, do our good, and share our stuff because that’s when God is praised and worshipped – through our sharing, our actions.
I’d love to write more today, but I need to go put another couple of cans in the plastic tub.
Sharing,
Pastor Beth
I put a plastic tub in my yard this morning with a sign that said “Food Drop-off Here. Leave what you can. Take what you need.” My hope is that all these people walking by my house every day (some every hour) will occasionally share a can or two for others. Maybe even some church people will drive by and drop something in the box on their way home from the grocery. With anything that comes in, I plan to do two things: help the Girl Scouts keep their project stocked, and share with the DUMA Food Pantry.
“Through [Jesus], then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:15-16 NRSV) Maybe we are cut off from one another in some ways for now, but this directive is intended to enhance our community living. Everything about us is meant to be lived together for some specific purposes.
When things are moving in a way that is uncomfortable or even tense, praising God may be a bit of a stretch for us. This virus is just getting started in the United States, and we don’t know exactly how this will go. What if I need that can of food for later? That seems to be where the sacrifice comes in.
“Sacrifice of praise to God” isn’t just lip service. For us who claim Jesus’ name, there is fruit that follows the claim. “I love Jesus” is our beginning, and speaking those words creates a desire to keep going. We profess our faith, do our good, and share our stuff because that’s when God is praised and worshipped – through our sharing, our actions.
I’d love to write more today, but I need to go put another couple of cans in the plastic tub.
Sharing,
Pastor Beth
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