With fall almost here, the activities of youth returning to school, the light lingering a little less longer with each day, and the packing away of summer gear and pulling out sweaters and fleeces mark the shift from one season to another.
At St. Francis, another marker is the gathering of a small group of individuals from the parish to review grant applications from various social service agencies in Stamford and agencies in the greater U.S. and abroad with whom we have a personal connection.
On behalf of the parish, this committee will distribute close to $30,000.00 in grants.
In tough economic times, this commitment on the part of the parish is vital and, I believe, central to and an outgrowth of our Christian faith.
On the one hand, recent reports show that poverty is on the rise in the United States. The most recent report that I heard had the poverty rate inching up one percentage point. (I always find using percentages important to categorize, and I also cringe with the knowledge of the millions of people who are a part of that one percent.) The need has always been great, and the need continues to increase. Stamford, while enjoying certain benefits and buffering because of location, is no different than other communities throughout the country. Our call as Christians is to look for Christ in those who are in need. Matthew 25 is our constant reminder of this reality:
Then the King will say to those on his right, "Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me."
On the other hand, as others have said before, budgets are moral documents. They articulate what we believe and hold to be important in life and our life together. A church's budget is no different. Along with the $30,000.00 that we budget for Outreach and the almost $50,000.00 that goes to the diocese as a part of our assessment to aid the ministry of the larger church, St. Francis underscores its commitment to the care and support of others.
This is no small task, and, particularly when others are cutting back on support, it is a crucial commitment that we make. As our readings from last week on forgiveness reflected, Christianity is not always easy. Demands are made upon us to see the hand of God at work in the world and to practice at participating with that hand to bring about a little more of the presence of God wherever we find ourselves.
I am moved by the commitment that St. Francis has made and continues to make regarding Outreach. Thank you for your part in supporting this vital ministry. Thank you also to those who serve on the Outreach committee and are extremely diligent in their review of the grants, follow up with the agencies, and involvement in understanding the issues that agencies and individuals face in our community and elsewhere. (The committee is ably led by Cathy Ostuw and includes:
Annie Hartigan,
Betsy Adams,
Bud Prenevost,
Dom Principe,
Freddy Paine,
Julia Wade,
Kim Henderson,
Kimberly Miller,
Patricia Lydon,
Ralph Nazareth,
Stacy Pryce
We always have room to grow, and there are more tangible options throughout the year to participate in "hands on" outreach where we come face to face with the Christ in "the other". I hope that you may avail yourself of these options throughout the year. Yet, whether you roll up your sleeves or take out your pen, let us never forget that we are connected to those in need, and Christ calls to us in and through them daily.
At St. Francis, another marker is the gathering of a small group of individuals from the parish to review grant applications from various social service agencies in Stamford and agencies in the greater U.S. and abroad with whom we have a personal connection.
On behalf of the parish, this committee will distribute close to $30,000.00 in grants.
In tough economic times, this commitment on the part of the parish is vital and, I believe, central to and an outgrowth of our Christian faith.
On the one hand, recent reports show that poverty is on the rise in the United States. The most recent report that I heard had the poverty rate inching up one percentage point. (I always find using percentages important to categorize, and I also cringe with the knowledge of the millions of people who are a part of that one percent.) The need has always been great, and the need continues to increase. Stamford, while enjoying certain benefits and buffering because of location, is no different than other communities throughout the country. Our call as Christians is to look for Christ in those who are in need. Matthew 25 is our constant reminder of this reality:
Then the King will say to those on his right, "Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me."
"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, "Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?" Then the King will say, "I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me-you did it to me."
(translation from
Eugene Peterson's "The Message" )
This is no small task, and, particularly when others are cutting back on support, it is a crucial commitment that we make. As our readings from last week on forgiveness reflected, Christianity is not always easy. Demands are made upon us to see the hand of God at work in the world and to practice at participating with that hand to bring about a little more of the presence of God wherever we find ourselves.
I am moved by the commitment that St. Francis has made and continues to make regarding Outreach. Thank you for your part in supporting this vital ministry. Thank you also to those who serve on the Outreach committee and are extremely diligent in their review of the grants, follow up with the agencies, and involvement in understanding the issues that agencies and individuals face in our community and elsewhere. (The committee is ably led by Cathy Ostuw and includes:
Annie Hartigan,
Betsy Adams,
Bud Prenevost,
Dom Principe,
Freddy Paine,
Julia Wade,
Kim Henderson,
Kimberly Miller,
Patricia Lydon,
Ralph Nazareth,
Stacy Pryce
We always have room to grow, and there are more tangible options throughout the year to participate in "hands on" outreach where we come face to face with the Christ in "the other". I hope that you may avail yourself of these options throughout the year. Yet, whether you roll up your sleeves or take out your pen, let us never forget that we are connected to those in need, and Christ calls to us in and through them daily.
Blessings,
Mark
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