October 2022
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.”
– Leviticus 19:9-10
This commandment within Leviticus is one of the most profound ones I think we have - the commandment to leave some of the harvest around the edges of the field and the grapes on the ground for those who would otherwise go without. We are called to see what we have in abundance and make sure those whose resources are scarce can share in our abundance. It is a powerful illustration of generosity.
The fall is usually when we have our stewardship campaign, and this year I have been thinking about the impact that generosity makes. Just this past year, your generosity as churches has provided food for desperately hungry high schoolers who go to the counselors office seeking nourishment. Your generosity provided care and comfort to two young local boys who each lost a parent. You have provided warm clothes to children who would otherwise go cold this winter and outfitted an entire apartment for a refugee family. You also provided delicious food for local community members and a safe place for all of us to come worship on Sunday mornings.
That is the impact of your generosity.
As we move into the fall, I pray you continue to share in your abundance so that we can continue to have such a powerful, love-filled impact on our community. We have dreams of upgrading our Zoom worship so that those who are home-bound or have a need to worship online can continue to feel they are an important part of our community. We have dreams of starting a youth group so that our teens and young folks can experience more of God’s love and the care of our churches. We have dreams of continuing to provide meals for our community, supporting local schools, the food bank, and other organizations who serve those in need.
Let’s continue making an impact as we strive to be the hands, feet, and heart of Christ in our world.
With love and gratitude,
Pastor Kelsey
