“Learn to do
good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend
the orphan,
plead for the widow....” (Isaiah 1:17)
One
of our tasks and callings as people of faith is to touch and make a difference
in the physical and material lives of people around us in our community and
world. We’re called to follow the
example of Christ by serving others,
not simply be served ourselves. Growing up, I remember singing the words to
one hymn that put it well:
“Look all
around you, find someone in need,
Help somebody today
Tho’ it be little – a neighborly deed,
Help somebody today!
Help somebody today, somebody along life’s
way;
Let sorrow be ended, the friendless
befriended,
Oh
help somebody today!
[--“Help Somebody Today” (Cokesbury
Hymnal #67), by Frank Breck, 1932]
The founder of Methodism John Wesley is said to
have encouraged something similar nearly 200 years before when he wrote the
following:
“Do all the good you can, by all the
means you can,
In all the ways you can, in all the places you
can,
At all the times you can, to all the people
you can,
As long as you ever can.”
That’s
why on Sunday, September 12th from 9:00am-12Noon, our church will be doing
something different by sharing in something called “Serve Sunday” – an opportunity
for our entire church family to participate in various projects that make a
difference in the lives of others by serving in various ways.
That
day will include a combination of several mission events and projects that we’ve
participated separately in in the past on separate days: Great Day of Service; Rise Against Hunger;
UMCOR projects; and others. This year, we
will worship on that day by SERVING others through the various in person or
online projects that we’ll have.
While
you can certainly just “show up” and do a project that day, your chances of
being able to work in the project you want improve if you SIGN UP! So here is where you can do that…
I
hope you’ll join me that day (again, either in person or online) to make a
difference in the lives of others on this special day! Remember, God loves you and I do, too!
