Have you ever been in a position in which you had to ask for help from someone? I would think that most of us have had a moment in our lives in which that has been true for us. In fact, it is likely that we have run into a moment of need throughout our lives regardless of our stage of life. When we are children, we need the constant help of our parents and other family members as we grow our abilities to take care of ourselves. In young adulthood, we find ourselves wanting to be fully independent but not yet able to do so until we grow a little deeper into a career and having a stable income. And as we age, we return to needing more attention from our loved ones as our bodies become more fragile. When we consider that every stage of life demands that we rely on the gifts of others, we might begin to realize that it is first that we receive. From our receiving, we learn the importance of giving and of helping our neighbor.

One of the chief ways that we continue to support the needs of our neighbors who find themselves on hard times is through the Rector’s Discretionary Fund. In the last six months, the demand on the discretionary fund has increased as we have had more and more people coming to the parish seeking help with food, gas, rent, a night’s stay in a hotel, or help with a medical expense. In addition to the people who are more or less strangers to our community, we also assist our parishioners with their needs through this fund. When people are faced with a shortage of their rent or an unanticipated medical expense, our parishioners also turn to the church for help.

The reality is that the pressure on the discretionary fund has increased to the extent that we are not able to continue meeting the needs of the people that come to our door seeking help. We are not able to extend the hand of our parish with a gift to help others through a tough time in their lives.

For many of us, we have a spiritual practice of giving to our parish church as one way that we give back to God. It is an important practice - to be a regular and cheerful giver to support the community of faith that is supporting us in our faith lives. Another practice of giving that is equally as important is the practice of almsgiving, which is different. Almsgiving is the practice of giving to the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, and those who live on the margins of society. It is through almsgiving that we support our neighbors in need, and it is how we give to support the lives of others around us but who may not be part of the church. Theologically, we are mimicking the way that God gives. We are striving to give in a way that supports the community of faith who is supporting us while also giving towards those who are hurting and are in need of a little assistance from time to time.

This coming Sunday is the first Sunday of the month in which we dedicate the loose plate offering to the rector’s discretionary fund. I am asking each of you to consider helping us replenish this important fund by making a gift towards it on Sunday or by making an online gift to the rector’s discretionary fund. Your willingness to give towards this fund each month on the first Sunday of the month is precisely how your almsgiving goes directly to the people we encounter who are in need of a little helping hand from time to time.

In Christ,

Hunter+