|
THE PARISH EXTENDER Central Christian Church First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (Disciples of Christ) 807 Colegate Drive 1400 Washington Avenue Marietta, OH 45750 Parkersburg, WV 26101 740-373-4718 304-485-5253 Worship Service - 9:00 am Sunday School - 9:30 am Coffee Fellowship - 10:15 am Worship Service - 10:45 am Parish Website: www.movpdoc.org Rev. Sanford W. Downs III, Pastor – 740-525-8649 Dr. Bonnie Buchman, Parish Nurse - 304-424-3821 Volume 49 No. 2 July 30, 2008 FROM THE PASTOR Stuff happens! Bad things really do happen to good people. Some people walk around with a really simplistic theology – that anything good that happens to them and anything bad that happens to anybody else is from God but anything bad that happens to them or good that happens to anyone else is from the devil. It just isn’t so. Sometimes bad things happen because of someone’s deliberate attempt to derail God’s work. Sometimes, it is by somebody’s accidental mistake (and we’ve all made a few of those!). Sometimes, it is just a combination of unfortunate circumstances (just being in the wrong place at the wrong time). However, things we think of as bad, God can use for good. Joseph told his brothers that “what you intended for evil, the Lord intended for good” (see Genesis 50:20). In Romans we read that “God makes all things work together for good for those who love God, according to his purpose” (see Romans 8:28). In our popular culture the clichés are “If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade” and “When you are thrown a curve ball, hit it out of the park.” In other words, whenever bad things happen, do the best you can with the situation, and let God take care of the rest. God really can bless those unwanted opportunities in our lives. We saw an example of this on the weekend of July 25-27. This was the first big Angel Food Ministry distribution for First Christian Church. Of course, what could go wrong , did. There was a typo on the trucker’s manifest. Mistakes do happen (like who hasn’t ever made a typo). The church where the truck was supposed to go to refused it and cancelled everyone’s order, including ours. We had to call everyone and tell them there would be no food this month, but they would get a refund. Unfortunately, some of the people who use this program don’t need a credit added to their food stamp card sometime a week later – they need the food, now. Not so fast, it turned out. The church who cancelled our order couldn’t do that. Instead, that truck was sent to First Christian for unloading on Saturday. Two of the other churches involved, Wilson Memorial United Methodist Church in Ellenboro, and Fairview United Methodist Church in Washington, came for their food and helped unload the truck. The other churches were unable to get anyone to come and help. They just refunded people’s money instead. We had three churches trying to unload six churches worth of food. It took a little while. It was hot. It was incredible to watch people from three different congregations and communities working together so well to help people in their community. Tempers could have been on edge, given the circumstances, or people could have been looking out only for their own interest. Instead, everyone was focused on the same thing: how to get all this food to people who needed it. Outside, unloading on the street, and inside, distributing the food, the spirit was one of joy and cooperation. (continued) The food for the churches that elected not to help was distributed between the three that came, per the instructions from the Angel Food Ministry Network. We chose to honor the sales of other churches too, even in some cases from people who didn’t have their receipts. We still had food left over. Old Man Rivers mission loaded one of their trucks with food. They liked the chicken tenders for their sandwiches. It is nice to know that the homeless under the bridges got some really good food to eat for a little while thanks to this incident. The women’s shelter in Marietta filled both of their freezers with some of this food. The people of First Christian Church really pulled together to make this ministry work in spite of difficult circumstances. There was a wedding that weekend at Central Christian and the people there were very understanding of the minister having to leave the rehearsal dinner early to deal with this and then showing up at the wedding at the last possible second after being at the unloading and distribution. The people at Angel Food Ministries were impressed with what we did and how we did it. We heard that Pastor Joe Wingo, founder of Angel Food Ministries, used us as a good example when talking to some other locations. We have been informed that we are now the distribution site for this area (Wood, Pleasants, & Ritchie Counties). This means that this ministry here has suddenly grown a lot! We have more responsibility and more opportunity. I know the people of this parish will again “step up to the plate” and do what it takes in the name of the Lord. Thank God for all the people who put serving people in Christ’s name ahead of themselves on a Saturday afternoon. Praise God for the way their actions have helped further the Kingdom of God on Earth. Amen. See You in Church Sunday, Pastor Sandy |
|
Page 1 |