World Communion Sunday
“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner.
I am the Lord your God.” -Leviticus 19:9-10
The first Sunday of October we celebrate World Communion Sunday. At Kennewick First Pres we also receive the Deacon Fund Offering. Our Deacon Fund is used to care for the hungry and hurting in our community. We supply funds for the Blessings Pantry, the Kennewick School District office for students experiencing homelessness, Grace Clinic, Opportunity Kitchen, needs within our congregation, and many more. Your generosity to the Deacon Fund provides support, food, shelter, and hope for people in crisis.
The reason we have a Deacon Fund is to fulfill God’s mandate to care for the poor among us. All through the scriptures we see God’s call to care for the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner among you. The people of God were reminded that they were once foreigners in Egypt and that they, in turn, must care for the needy among them. One of the ways they did this was by allowing the poor and foreigners to glean through the fields after the harvest. Leviticus 19:9-10 gives the specific direction to leave something for those less fortunate. We see this practice in action in the book of Ruth. When Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem, Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz in order to feed herself and her mother-in-law.
God cares about all of us and desires that we care for one another as well. If you are able, please consider giving a special offering to the Deacon Fund. Not many of us have farmland or fields in which the poor can glean a harvest for themselves, so you might consider your gift to the Deacon Fund as your “gleaning offering” to provide for the poor and the foreigner. Trusting that God will continue to bless and provide for our needs, we are empowered and encouraged to help meet the needs of others.
God of Hospitality and Wonder, you welcome us to a table that invites those who are different from us. This invitation has made us uncomfortable, unsettled, and defensive. Our discomfort comes from an unwillingness to see other peoples’ perspectives. Help us to surrender ourselves to the abundance of your invitation. Inspire us to embrace the fact that diversity is strength, not weakness. Gather us to welcome the stranger, care for the oppressed, and feed the hungry. Forgive us for our short-sightedness and open us to your Gospel that we might better embody the Beloved Community you call us to be. In the Wild and Wonderful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
120th Anniversary of Kennewick First Presbyterian Church
We are the church and we want to hear from you… your memories, photos, stories of the past 120 years of being the Body of Christ here in Kennewick. We will compile your memories and share them with the congregation at a special event on Reformation Sunday, October 29. Please take a moment to jot down a special memory and share it with Libertie Lord in the church office – OR – bring a photo by the office and Libby can make a digital copy for our slide show.
