where your treasure is
Sometimes we wonder what we can do. The news stokes our fears. We can become paralyzed or despondent, making it difficult to see God at work.
What is the relationship between love and fear? How is our bank account linked to our heart? What is the connection between gratitude and giving? In my mind, I hear Judson and Sharon singing Where Your Treasure Is (there your heart shall be):
All that you possess will never set you free….
Do not fear, little flock….
Our Thanksgiving Offering is designed to help us respond with love and gratitude. We learn about organizations working to repair the world, then give of our abundance so that needs can be met. We are grateful for our blessings, and also for the opportunity to join in the work through our donations.
As concern for our neighbors grows in these difficult times, it is a privilege to provide assistance. The Wesley Food Pantry, Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana, and the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights are meeting real needs, right now, in our communities. Throughout November we collect a special offering (donations to NCF with memo: Thanksgiving) that will be evenly divided between the three organizations, while we highlight their work in our services so that our minds, hearts, and prayers can also support them.
We are also inspired by Evanston’s example (story link here), where people turned out in droves to donate and restock food pantries. To coordinate our resources and respond to our neighbors’ needs, a new committee is emerging in our fellowship with the working title Non-Violent Action: Light in the Darkness. (For more info, see Carolyn, Vern, or Sharon.) We look forward to partnering with other faith communities working for peace, justice, and safety in our neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, our Family Fund continues to assist with food, utility, and rent payments for those in our fellowship and extended family. The winter shelter in our fellowship hall provides a safe and warm place for families without housing. And so, let us encourage each other to hope and action:
Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God….There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear….This commandment we have from him: Those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister also. 1 John 4:7,18, 21 (CEB)
May we feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the shivering, provide shelter to the homeless, healthcare to the sick, and hope to those imprisoned (Mt. 25:34-40). May our love for each other and for our neighbors be a light shining in the darkness. –Renée