The full package

"...since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. ."     — Romans 3:24-25

           The football commentators are surprised this season that the Kansas City Chiefs are the only undefeated team left in the NFL.  Teams with a decent quarterback are having trouble with receivers, teams with decent receivers are having trouble with defense.  Nobody seems to have the full package.  The good thing is, this makes football a whole lot more unpredictable, which can make it more fun to watch.  Any sport can get monotonous when the same teams always win.  

       The wonderful thing about our faith is — despite all the struggle and conflict we witness in our world, we know God will win in the end.  Despite all the sin that’s left in the world, healing and restoration is available to all through the redemption Jesus has offered all humanity.  Sometimes we feel like we’re watching a cosmic contest between God and the devil, and we worry that the devil is scoring more points.  But Paul reminds us of the true nature of things: we have all been justified by grace as a gift.  This has already happened — Christ died for all.  His resurrection confirms that the final score will be a blowout — God triumphs over death, pain, and evil.  

         In the meantime, the battle rages on.  People suffer and die, children go hungry and nations wage wars.  As people of faith who know the outcome of history, Jesus has drafted us to be disciples, workers on the front lines of his war against the devil.  November is the traditional harvest time.  It is a season of family and Thanksgiving.  We count our blessings and realize how well God has equipped us in this life.  We also realize he has given us a lot to share.

             I give thanks for our Helping Hands Food Pantry, and all of you who have supported it by volunteering, bringing food, praying for their ministry, or telling someone in need about it.  It is truly a work of God and a major force on the frontlines against hunger and poverty in our area.  If you have not seen the food pantry in action, I encourage you to come down on a Wednesday and watch the operation at work.  You will see a well-organized and friendly group of people serving over 250 families. 

       This month the food pantry has had a record number of clients.  The USDA government supplied food has been very low at just the time when the need is growing.  As we go into the season of Thanksgiving, we anticipate the numbers will get even higher.  I urge you to find ways to support this vital ministry even more at this crucial time.  Donations of non-perishable goods are always welcome.  I hope you will also consider being part of the S.O.S. pancake breakfast coming up on November 9.  Once again, the Wolf’s Den restaurant is donating their delicious pancake batter to help us celebrate this ministry and to raise money to Stock Our Shelves.
 

       I had a call from a relative this week who asked if instead of exchanging gifts this year for Christmas, we could give donations to our local food pantries.  She has been noticing how low the shelves are at her church’s food bank up in Ohio,  and wanting to make a difference for her community.  I don’t know about you, but our family has plenty of stuff, plenty of food to eat, and we know how much our loved ones care for us.  I told her I thought that was a fantastic idea, and the Lindner household will be making a donation in her name to our own Helping Hands pantry as our Christmas gift to her.
       None of us has the full package.  We are all sinners who have been picked up by our gracious Lord, hungry souls fed by our merciful Savior.  We can’t do much about poverty by ourselves, but Jesus has gathered us as his people and equipped us to help our neighbors, each of us bringing a little which adds up to make a huge difference.   As I count my blessings, I remember this family of faith and the spirit of our Risen Lord which lives in each of you to bring hope to the world and food to the hungry.

Peace,

Pastor Scott