Weekly Greeting - September 22nd, 2023
Dear Bethlehem Family,
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” Matthew 25:35
The author of Colossians calls the followers of Jesus to clothe themselves with five incredible qualities. The first of them is compassion. Jesus saw a need, had compassion, then sought to remedy the need. As Christians we are to model our lives after Jesus. The pain of the world draws forth our compassion, and our effort to help make a difference
This Saturday we are invited to see a need at Centennial High School, have compassion, and do something about it. We have an opportunity join with others on that day to help distribute food for the food insecure with the One Generation Away organization. One Generation Away operates a mobile food pantry throughout Middle Tennessee, North Alabama and the Florida panhandle delivering food to those in need.
Volunteers are asked to arrive at Centennial at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. The distribution of the food will begin at 8:30 and continue until the food is given away, which is expected to be about 10:30 a.m.
It is possible some of the food we have collected at our communion rail offering for Feed America First will be distributed this Saturday at Centennial High School. Feed America First has supplied food and support for One Generation Away for over fifteen years, including hurricane relief trips. One Generation Away also distributes the Thanksgiving food boxes we collect for Feed America First at Bethlehem.
Mother Teresa once said to the nuns, who helped her in her ministry with the lepers of India, “It is Christ, you are tending in the poor. It is his wounds you bathe, his sores you clean, his limbs you bandage. See beyond appearances hear the words Jesus pronounced long ago they are still operative today: ‘what you do to the least of mine you do it to me.’ When you serve the poor, you serve our Lord Jesus Christ”
Blessings,
Craig
We conclude our worship series “The Journey Begins” this week. Our text is Exodus 20:1-17, one of two places in the Old Testament the Ten Commandments are recorded. Throughout the book of Exodus, Moses is presented as both a liberator and a lawgiver. The Ten Commandments contain the laws that set us free. Join us Sunday to celebrate the unfathomable love of God for us all!