FEED THE HUNGRY, HEAL THE HEART

This is our July/August newsletter. That means I should write something that is twice as good as usual. My stepson Austin says that shouldn’t be hard given the content of most of my columns. Teenagers! They sure have a way of keeping you humble!

 Last month, I wrote an article for the Monarch Messenger, the Presbytery’s newsletter. As most of you probably haven’t read it – I thought I would paraphrase what I wrote as it is just as pertinent for our church as it is for our presbytery. Here is the abbreviated version:

We are facing uncertain times. The worst may be yet to come. Many have lost jobs, some have lost homes. Retirement portfolios have tanked requiring some who have retired to now reenter the workforce. Expenses are up and income is down. That’s all bad.

But it gets worse: The California State budget is in shambles and the rumblings are that many of the cuts will affect the poor who can least afford it.

So what does that mean to us? It means very simply that there will be more people in our communities who will need OUR help. It means that we need to take seriously Jesus’ call to us as outlined in Matthew 25: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, visit those in prison.

There is a great need here in our own backyard. They say that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. How much do we care? Do we gather on Sunday and enjoy our fellowship, get fed spiritually, and then go on our merry way? Or does what happens on Sunday really motivate us to improve our relationship with God … by being an active participant in His world.

There are no easy answers and I am not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone. But times are tough. And we can make a difference.

Are you?

That’s the question, isn’t it? Are we willing to make a difference? One way that we have been making a difference here at STHPC is with our FOOD PANTRY. With the economic downturn, more and more poor people are getting less and less help and the demand for our services has increased. Unfortunately, more often than not, our pantry has been bare.

Do you know what it feels like to go to bed hungry? Do you know what it feels like to not know where your next meal is coming from? Do you know what it feels like to not be able to feed your family?

Most of us can’t even imagine what that must be like, but there are thousands of people in our city who do. We make a small difference to some of them. We make it possible for them to make it from month to month. We often are the difference from their children going to bed hungry and having at least a little bit to eat.

We are also an oasis in a thirsty world. We let them know that we care – even in the dark days when no one else might. We let them know that God is with them and because of our faith we willingly give of our plenty so that they might have something.

We can make a difference. But to do that we need to be generous. When you go to the store – pick up extra canned goods, extra peanut butter, extra pasta. If you don’t go to the store we will go for you. Money is just as valuable as food. We also accept $5 gift cards from either Lucky or Safeway.

Lately the cupboards have been bare. We have actually had to turn people away. That is not who I hope we would be. I hope you will help. Anything is appreciated!

Be blessed, my friends … and I’ll see you on Sunday (with a bag of food in your arms!       

Pastor Tom