Mother Teresa has a way of reaching hearts and convicting us, likely because she didn’t simply preach love, she lived it. She was a true example of “love in action.” She was a living testament to Jesus’ command to take care of the poor, the lonely and the most in need. When people would ask her why she did it, she would hold up her hand and count down on her five fingers and say, “You-did-it-to-Me.” Five simple words to living out the gospel of Jesus Christ she called, “The gospel of five fingers.”
One of Our Core Values at Community of Faith is Service: We serve one another with compassion and kindness. By our actions, we demonstrate our faith.
This value is inspired by this passage in the Bible, Matthew 25:34-40
On Sunday, we packed 15,120 meals for our brothers and sisters in Uganda because we are committed to ending hunger – both locally through our Food Pantry, but also globally through our partnerships with organizations like Rise Against Hunger.
So many people today are frustrated with the church. They’ve forgotten what it means to be “the church.” So, we have to start with the end in mind – what are we trying to accomplish?
We are trying to be LOVE IN ACTION – because that is who Jesus was, is and will always be. LOVE IN ACTION. We are to care for the poor, the hungry, and all those who are left out. Some might think this is NOT worship today – but nothing could be further from the truth.
This is WORSHIP. This is the work of the people – our liturgy being offered up to God through service. Through loving one another and even folks halfway around the world, we’ll never meet.
If you want to be a part of church that takes love seriously, then you are invited to come and stay a while. To jump in and see if what we say and what we do line up. We hope you will get involved – not just today but as we seek to build the kingdom here in Herndon, VA.
Pray
- For the millions of people, especially children, who suffer from hunger and undernutrition and their communities, for their health, their spirits and their hearts.
- For Rise Against Hunger -- for God’s continued blessing and protection over the staff and partners all over the world as they serve God daily.
- For our Meal Packing Event today – for protection over everyone involved, that all volunteers and workers would feel God’s presence and blessing.
Lord, you are great, and worthy of glory. You are Good. May we praise your Holy Name. We offer our thanks and our deepest gratitude for inspiring us with your love. Amen
Read & Reflect
You are invited to look over our summer line up and our 2-page, 2-Year Strategic Plan as part of our Vespers tonight. This gives you a good idea of where we are heading as a church, and our priorities. Over the summer, we're diving into what the Bible has to say about feeding the hungry as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of our Food Pantry. We hope you can join us for some or all of what we're planning -- but certainly, join us on the weekend of July 19 - 21 as we say thank you to God and all who have been a part of this vital ministry that annually feeds 50,000 people in our community.
