Giving Walls

Author: Mark Fenstermacher
July 09, 2021

God has an amazing way of using—or redeeming—even the rough chapters of life. Two people this afternoon told me how good had come out of the COVID-19 pandemic for them.

I believe many of us discovered our relationship with God taking on new meaning and power during the last two years. It also appeared to me that many of us began to look out for our neighbors in large and small ways. We didn’t wait on Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army, the Township Trustee or the church’s wonderful Missions Team to do something: we saw a need and jumped to meet it.

An article in the May 3rd Washington Post reported that back in February some restaurant owners in small towns in northeast Oklahoma created “giving walls.” Customers were encouraged to prepay for meals, hang their receipts on the walls, and then anyone who was hungry and lacking the cash to pay could take a receipt and eat. No questions were asked. 

One restaurant owner said her customers had given away more than 300 meals. Sometimes, a person who had received a free meal would come back and prepay another meal. They would hang their receipt on the wall so that someone else could be taken care of.

“I want people in my community to be fed whether they have money for a meal or not,” said restaurant owner Jennifer White.

++++

This struck a chord with me as we consider being a community that is about Discipleship (knowing Jesus and serving Jesus), Connection (an open place where people can take their next step with God), and Outreach (missions and daily deeds of mercy and kindness). 

Giving is one of the core characteristics of people who are living their best life (“abundant”) in God. Jesus knew that as God is an extravagant giver so we are made in the image of the Creator: we were made to give and share. In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6), Jesus goes into an extended lesson about how to give to those in need. Later, in Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the judgment and in that moment of divine decision it will matter to God whether we welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, housed the homeless, and fed the hungry.

As you’re reading this, I invite you to stop, remember times when you have shared what you had, and recall the joy. 

Second, I am praying that a growing giving life will be a part of our life at First United Methodist. If you are not a regular giver, or if you have not been a tither (10%), I invite you to be thoughtful in planning your giving to God through your church.

Finally, the story from Oklahoma is a reminder to all of us to keep our eyes open, look out for our neighbors, and make giving and acts of kindness/generosity a regular, ongoing part of our lives.

++++

Join us this Sunday as we conclude our series of three messages on Rebuilding the Foundations. We’ll finish our conversation from last weekend on being a place where people can connect with God and others, and we’ll talk about being a community that is all about serving those in need and healing the broken places.

I am so blessed to serve Christ with you!

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

BACK