In September, Saint Matthew participated in God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday. Beth Gephard of Lutheran Social Ministries spoke during worship about the impact of our sharing with the community around us. She told us that:
Lutheran Social Ministry is a program that provides affordable housing, senior care, health care, hospice and similar programs. Today you will be helping with an initiative we started this year – Cherishing Our Elders. Today we will be making projects that go back to the people mostly living in our senior affordable housing.
I want to tell you a little story related to that. Saint Matthew’s Youth Group participated earlier this year. Pastor and I did a painting project, perhaps not the wisest choice with 7th and 8th grade boys, making sun catchers. I took them to senior housing for an event with bingo and food bags. While bingo is a big deal in our communities, the clear winner was the sun catchers.
People just loved the idea that someone took the time to make something for them, and it was someone they didn’t even know. That is what God’s Work, Our Hands is all about – Love in our Community – taking the time to do something for people you don’t even know. One opportunity today is to paint more sun catchers.