“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” ~Matthew 25:35
These last few months have been so joyful for me. The life of our church has been springing up and springing to action in so many wonderful ways. We have had some wonderful fellowship and fundraising dinners, educational events, and opportunities to work on small service projects together. We still have lots of plans for this spring and summer. And some of them take us out of our walls, into our community. This Easter season, as we celebrate the gift of radical love God gives us in Jesus, let’s go out. Let’s share that radical love.
This month we’re signed up to serve with a ministry organization called “Radical Love”. Radical Love serves hot and healthy meals twice a week to those in need in our community. Scripture reminds us how important food and drink is. Whether it’s searching for manna in the wilderness. Or hoping for food from a passing teacher. And sometimes God’s radical love really does look like a meal.
Radical Love Ministry
Erika, one of the founding members of the Radical Love ministry here in our community came to the Kelso-Longview Ministerial Association to speak several months ago. She shared her story with us. A story of care for her neighbor in need around her. Erika’s passion and love for those in our community inspired me.
It was a reminder that for so many in our community, a meal is hard to come by, a healthy meal is sometimes even rarer. Radical Love’s mission is to serve those in need healthy and delicious meals. This dignity, this care, is so needed.
And I’m so excited that we get to share in it.
Serving Together Here and There
When I brought to our church council this opportunity, I was excited to hear the questions being asked. “What might the recipes look like?” “Can we cook from home?” “How can we help?” Hearing other people interested in service opportunities is so exciting.
Especially when there are so many ways we can serve in our church. There are volunteer opportunities helping with our office, the grounds, with worship, and with upcoming educational, fellowship, and service events available. And each one of them is so important to the life of our church. Each opportunity is an opportunity we have to share God’s love with each other and with new people.
And yet, we are also called outside our walls. Outside our doors and into our neighborhood. And that’s not always an easy task. Serving together in unfamiliar places with maybe unfamiliar people can be daunting. But it can be so rewarding.
So I’m excited for opportunities like this one. To serve together there. And to bring God’s love, this radical care, to those in need in our community.
