Dear Congregation,
August greetings! I hope and pray that all is well with you. This Sunday our focus scripture is Matthew 14:13-21, Feeding the Five Thousand, a well-known story that is found in all four gospels. We will be sharing Holy Communion together. I hope you’ll be present in person in the Sanctuary or on Facebook as we consider the implications of this miracle story for us today and share in the Sacrament as a church family.
In verse 14 we read, “When Jesus went ashore, he saw a great crowd;
and had compassion on them and cured their sick.” His compassion also
led him to feed this very large crowd by recognizing their hunger and
miraculously multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish.
Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. As followers of Jesus, who is the model for our behavior as individuals and as a church, it is clear that we are called to do what we can to help alleviate sickness in body, mind, and spirit, and hunger. That conviction undergirds the outreach and mission that we do. You can’t go wrong with feeding or helping people to have health care!
In CCC’s new financial reality following the sale of the church property,
we are exploring how best to use our resources to make a bigger impact in these areas. This is exciting and faithful work! Stay tuned for news as to how CCC will be sharing the compassion of Christ in our community and in the wider world in the future as we have done in the past, but with additional and increased opportunities.
See you Sunday! In Christ’s love,
Pastor Candy
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