Jesus and abundance

I love this story. I love the compassion Jesus shows. I love the abundance of food that is available, including the provision of leftovers. I see our human nature come out when the disciples respond to Jesus' words with anxiety and defeat, “Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?”  But amazing things happen when Jesus is present!  The crowd of 4,000 is fed with what appears to be only seven loaves and a few small fish.

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​Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.”   Matthew 15:32

Jesus spoke these words prior to the miraculous feeding of those who came to hear him. Each of the gospel writers record a version of the feeding of the crowds, which says to me that this amazing story is important for us to know. It’s an important story in Matthew’s Gospel because we are told that Jesus has compassion for the crowd. Secondly, but equally important, is that Jesus knows they need food in order to stay physically strong to avoid fainting.  Food is a basic need. Thirdly, Jesus provides abundance.

 I love this story. I love the compassion Jesus shows. I love the abundance of food that is available, including the provision of leftovers. I see our human nature come out when the disciples respond to Jesus' words with anxiety and defeat, “Where are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?”  But amazing things happen when Jesus is present!  The crowd of 4,000 is fed with what appears to be only seven loaves and a few small fish.

I love this story because it is so easy to forget that when Jesus is present, amazing things happen – abundance!  In November 2014, the Holy Trinity Food Pantry opened for the first time. During those first Tuesdays of opening of the pantry, eight to ten people stopped for food. This year, from July 2, 2019 to December 3, 2019, we served an average of 58 guests each Tuesday. When we consider the families being fed by the pantry, we have touched the lives of an average of 115 people each week. That is a lot of people!  Each week, Jesus feeds the hungry through the work of his people, the Church. 

Hunger is not going away any time soon. We continue to live in a socioeconomic system where there is enough food to go around, but it is not distributed into the hands of every person in this country equally. So, food pantries exist. Our vision at the Holy Trinity Food Pantry is to serve the hungry by being the loving hands and feet of Jesus. Jesus teaches us love for all people, even our enemies, and Jesus teaches us compassion.

We follow Jesus by treating each person who enters the pantry with dignity and care, remembering that they are Jesus in our midst.  We remember that we are all beloved children of God. Some are struggling with physical hunger. All of us may be struggling with some other challenge in life.  A person who enters a food pantry is Jesus to each one of us.  We are partners caring for each other.  

Holy Trinity's pantry is located on the south side of the building along the hallway south of the worship space. The space allows for a waiting room that provides an atmosphere where our guests can meet others and build community. We provide guests information about our worship services, Vacation Bible School and other ministries. We provide a prayer request box as well. The staff offers the prayers received each week.

The need for food continues and will continue for the foreseeable future. Thank you for your persistence in feeding the hungry; for keeping our food pantry guests on your radar; for providing protein products; for providing hygiene products for men and women so they can go to school and work with dignity.  Thank you for providing laundry detergent so they can wear clean clothes.  Thank you for your financial gifts above and beyond your general offering, because a gift of money can stretch our dollars further with the discount we receive from HyVee when we place our big weekly order. Thank you to those of you who volunteer your time to serve our guests in the pantry.  Thank you to those who till the land, water, harvest and bring the produce from the garden to the pantry.

Next week our food pantry guests will receive a gift from the congregation as part of our “God's work. Our hands.” outreach emphasis. Please know that your love and compassion for all God’s children is evidence that God’s love reigns. Miracles continue when God plants a seed in a congregation to begin a food pantry, and that seed keeps growing and growing and growing. There is no program for this, it is the abundance of God’s love for all of God’s creation.

In Christ,
Pastor Pam

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