GREETINGS HOLY PEOPLE OF GOD,
You probably already know this but sometimes it is good to hear someone else affirm some of the fruit that God produces in us. Houses of worship and other religious institutions play an essential role in promoting social connectedness, mutual aid and community building.
As Daniel A. Cox, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, reported in a 2021 paper: “Americans who are members of a place of worship are much more likely than those who are not to volunteer in the community at least a few times a year (47 percent vs. 23 percent), talk to someone in their community they do not know well (64 percent vs. 54 percent), and attend a community meeting or local event (60 percent vs. 41 percent).” They are also “more likely than others to feel connected to their neighborhood and the people who live there (58 percent vs. 46 percent).”
—E.J. Dionne, “We need a truce in our wars over religion. Here’s a glimmer of hope,” The Washington Post, September 10, 2023, www.washingtonpost.com
This summer there are many ways to be the vessel of God’s presence in our world, as we gently hold God’s love and goodness within our lives, trusting God to work through us.
At the Parade of Homes, our youth and other volunteers will not only raise funds for the July youth gathering in New Orleans, we will have the opportunity to share our story with those who are looking to build a new home.
Working with St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in their summer “Lunch Bunch” program which starts on June 10 and serves through Aug. 16 (except June 19 and July 1-5), we get the opportunity to serve our neighborhood children and work with another Christian community, our neighbors at St. Andrew.
Our Mission and Justice Committee is seeking your interest in hosting a blood drive on Tuesday, August 6. Please sign up if this is something you can do. If we have enough interest (30 people) then we will invite our neighbors through the Westwinds Housing Association and the Wonderful Westside Neighborhood Association. Having a blood drive in our neighborhood may plant the seed for future blood donors when they can actually see what is being asked. It is a beautiful extension of the National Night Out theme that promotes good relationships with our police and fire departments.
Our VBS theme this year is “Who is My Neighbor?” which will be paired with the July food drive helping us again to live in relationship with each other and our neighbors as we trust God’s presence in the midst of it all. “Who is My Neighbor?” invites us to re-imagine what it means to be neighbors in Christ based on the Good Samaritan story that calls us out into the world to love and serve our neighbors.
This week we hear Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 remind us that we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as slaves for Jesus’ sake and we have this treasure in clay jars to make it clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. In Jesus, we have the best slave master. So take a look at your summer calendar and talk with God and see where God might be nudging you to step into the many opportunities ahead of us.
Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,
Pastor Connie Spitzack
