FROM THE PULPIT - The Rev. Gretchen Rehberg

by Rev. Gretchen Rehberg
Saturday July 19, 2010
Reprinted with permission from the
Lewiston Tribune

This past week, the Episcopal Church of the Nativity and River City Church have partnered to host the guests of Family Promise.

Family Promise is a nonprofit organization that partners with local agencies and area churches to offer shelter, meals and social services to families in crisis. The members of Nativity and River City have been partnering together the past couple of years to host Family Promise guests about every 10 weeks.

Part of the driving force for our becoming involved was realizing the number of homeless children in our school districts. In the 2008-09 school year, there were 97 homeless students in Lewiston and 243 in Clarkston. This was a shocking discovery for many of us in the church.

As we read in the Gospels, Jesus spent much of his ministry healing and teaching. We hear over and over that Jesus had compassion for others. He had compassion, and he acted. This is our call as well - to have compassion and to act. Jesus used the power he had to help those around him in need. He fed people, he brought sight to the blind, healed the lame, forgave sinners. Our call is to use the power we have to help those around us in need. We don't all have the same power, but we all can do something.

For those of us helping with Family Promise, the first act was to become aware of the need, then to decide how we might best serve. Some help by making meals, some by being a host during the evenings, some by staying overnight at the church, some by helping at the day center, by doing laundry, by helping with office work or by asking what needs are unmet and meeting them. Some of our people focus on offering prayer support. The important thing is everyone uses his or her own gifts and skills to offer help, out of compassion, to those in need.

There are many areas of need in the valley and in this world. Jesus never asked us to solve all the problems of the world, but he does ask us to follow him - following him includes acting in service towards others. What are you passionate about, where might you be called to serve, how can you use your skills and gifts to help?

In the Episcopal church, we vow at our baptism to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as our self. To serve another is to serve God. Just imagine how much could be accomplished if everyone in the valley volunteered in service. Imagine what that would look like, and let us work for it to become real.