Prayers and gifts to the poor. They go together. What we believe in our head, what we feel in our heart, and how we serve with our hands, are all related. God sees and receives it all.

This weekend leads up to Martin Luther King Day on Monday. Across the U.S., it has become customary to celebrate the inspiring life of Dr. King – he who called America to repent, repair, and reconcile – with a tangible expression of service. I am thankful to belong to a church that practices rhythms of serving and giving. In our time and place, we are confronted with the overwhelming needs of those who are broken, lonely, and displaced. Our economy does not work for everyone. Prevailing attitudes toward the poor are less than gracious. Poverty and prosperity live side by side; enormous gaps separate neighbors. They seem complex and insurmountable.

Facing these gaps in faith makes a difference. God says the people who are on the other side of that gap from us – socio-economically, circumstantially,  etc. – are created in his image; they are the neighbor Jesus says to love. He promises his Spirit to empower us to do so. Ministries like New Horizons and Aurora Commons spring from that faith and love. We join in the work of these ministries when we lend our own time, money, heart, and hands, to partner with them. I am thankful for places and spaces to address the challenges – even modestly – knowing that what I do, with you, matters.

This weekend, invest some of your time and money, to gather gifts for the poor. Join your congregation in prayers for the poor; pack the pieces together for others to distribute. Spend an hour or so with each other, taking advantage of the opportunity to connect, as we care for the space we use, and the space we share with a growing number of neighbors.

SUNDAY AGENDA, JANUARY 20th