Pastoral Message

As I write this, preparing for July 22, I am struck that our scripture reading this week skips over a couple of major happenings.  We will completely skip over The gospel of Mark’s account of the feeding of the 5000 and Jesus walking on water. I’m not complaining, we know these stories and address them at other points in the lectionary.  I mention this because in my “skipping over” them as I prepare for Sunday - I can’t help but actually read them, because they are right there in the Bible - Mark 6:35-52. And as I read them, I was thinking about our Congregation, our community and how it is we are plugging along in some ways and thriving in other ways.

When I read the feeding of the 5000, I can’t help but think about the children’s story of stone soup:  how though times are tough and food is scarce, when each person contributes the little that they can - the meal becomes more than enough to meet everyone’s need.  The willingness to share starts with the one who brings the stone and affirms each person’s worth and ability to offer their contributions. Now, obviously, Jesus is more than a kind traveler offering us a stone for food.  We, as the Alplaus congregation, have met and been changed by the invitation to come and find our place at the Table where Jesus is the Host.

We are a small congregation that is aware of our needs.  Each person contributes to make a vital gift towards how it is we feast on and share together the abundant goodness and limitless grace of God.  We are well fed on the living scripture and filled each week by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Nourished, we accomplish good ministry. We have never run out of kindness to share.  Our baskets overflow with the outpouring of living faith!
The moral of my writing here is: Do not be fooled by modest appearance - we are rich in our love of God and our community spirit.  We share all this freely, knowing that Source is unlimited! Come on in, we share these gifts freely!
 
Blessings, Pastor Kristi