I must admit that I am feeling a bit off as I write this. As you are reading this article, it is the week before Thanksgiving. A time when most of us will gather for the first time with family and friends around tables filled with an abundant feast, marking the start of the holiday season. While I am one who, over time, has come to love the holidays, creating new memories and keeping with family traditions, such as grating each potato by hand for Hanukkah Latkes and trying not to get too many oil burns, the reality is that this year, there are millions of families and individuals who recently had their SNAP benefits cut off. Having grown up in a family with a single mom who was on food stamps, this possibly hits a little closer to home. What this means is that this year, more families than ever will not have access to food or will have extremely limited access to food, not just this holiday season, but will continue until SNAP gets reinstated.
I remember when we were in Chicago on our youth trip, and Pastor Ben told us about while living and working in the Downtown Chicago area. He rode the train each day. During that time, he learned not only to see Jesus in the individual, but that each person was Jesus themselves. You might think to yourself, Eliana, what does that even mean?
It’s not just about seeing our neighbors through the eyes of Christ, but Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:40-45 that whenever we care for the poor, the sick, and the needy, we are doing these things for Jesus Himself. Luther, in his articles and writings, asserts that feeding the poor is not only a responsibility of the individual Christian, based on their own capacity to give, but also a community responsibility.
This congregation is known for its generosity, and it’s something that I have been on the receiving end of, and I continuously carry gratitude in my heart for. As we have the Mount Olive Thanksgiving Basket drive, the Now Forward Advent Soup drive, along with other projects that M&Ms does, I would encourage you, if you’re able, to be extra generous this year, whatever that might look like for you.
We are gearing up for all our Advent and Christmas Activities, which you will start to see in the bulletin. In addition to weekly Advent worship on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm, here are a few things coming up:
Eliana Katchkey
I remember when we were in Chicago on our youth trip, and Pastor Ben told us about while living and working in the Downtown Chicago area. He rode the train each day. During that time, he learned not only to see Jesus in the individual, but that each person was Jesus themselves. You might think to yourself, Eliana, what does that even mean?
It’s not just about seeing our neighbors through the eyes of Christ, but Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:40-45 that whenever we care for the poor, the sick, and the needy, we are doing these things for Jesus Himself. Luther, in his articles and writings, asserts that feeding the poor is not only a responsibility of the individual Christian, based on their own capacity to give, but also a community responsibility.
This congregation is known for its generosity, and it’s something that I have been on the receiving end of, and I continuously carry gratitude in my heart for. As we have the Mount Olive Thanksgiving Basket drive, the Now Forward Advent Soup drive, along with other projects that M&Ms does, I would encourage you, if you’re able, to be extra generous this year, whatever that might look like for you.
We are gearing up for all our Advent and Christmas Activities, which you will start to see in the bulletin. In addition to weekly Advent worship on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm, here are a few things coming up:
- Nov 25 CLP Advent Family Chapel. All are invited.
- Nov 30 after worship intergenerational Sunday School
- Dec 5 Blue Christmas 7 PM in the sanctuary
- Dec 13 German Advent Service 4 PM in the sanctuary
- Dec 14 Youth Christmas program and Christmas dinner following worship
- Dec 24 Christmas Eve Worship at 4 PM and 8 PM
- Dec 25 Christmas Day Worship 11 AM
Eliana Katchkey
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