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The New
Testament is full of stories, even parables that illustrate for us how
Jesus has commanded us to care for creation and one another. We are all
familiar with the stories, most of us have heard them from our earliest
days of Sunday School. They are read to us from the ambo during worship,
and even talked about in children’s sermons, but have we stopped to
consider what these illustrations mean to us in our everyday lives?
I have been
thinking a lot about “caring” lately. It began earlier this spring when we
celebrated Volunteer Recognition weekend by recognizing many members of
our Caring Ministry Team for their years of service to the ministry and to
our congregation. It has continued throughout the summer while I was
preparing materials to take to a meeting of churches from all
denominations, DOVE Network member congregations -- to discuss planning,
implementing and the on-going development of Caring Ministry within
congregations. Then last week our congregation received the very sad news
that one of members had died suddenly, leaving a family in turmoil.
The “care”
that has taken place throughout the last week, and that is continuing even
today has been … overwhelming … for a lack of a better word. The “care”
that has been shown is a true living example of what we are called by
Jesus to do for others in need.
I shared
with the DOVE Network that I thought that over the last several years that
“care” has become a “core value” of our congregation. I do not believe
that members of the Caring Ministry Team or I ever really set out for this
to happen. I believe that it is guidance of the Holy Spirit that has led
all of us to this point. To use the happenings of last week as further
example, neither Karen or I had to make a single phone call to ask for
food for the luncheon, nor have we had to call to request meals and in
fact many members have called to offer all kinds of support and assistance
to Lisa and the kids.
This warms
my heart, and I am proud to be part of a community of faith that so openly
and genuinely loves each other and is so willing to share that love
through caring.
I just
wanted to share these thoughts with each of you and let you know that the
work of caring has moved beyond that of formal teams and committees and
that you are all serving as examples to those outside the walls of LCR, in
places that we could never imagined as your ministry is shared with
others.
Thanks for
caring!!
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