This is to be the first of three blogs that have to do with ‘stewardship’ – but don’t stop reading yet! Hang in there with me! Though this will still be about stewardship, events out on the east coast are leading me to, instead, write to you about blood.
Due to the terrible series of storms that has struck the eastern part of our country, the need for donations to the blood banks has soared. One reason for the extra need is that fewer people in those stricken areas are able to spend time donating right now. Instead, they are cleaning up, trying to rebuild, and dealing with the many after-effects of the storms. Another reason is cancelled blood drives. I just read an online newspaper report from North Carolina saying that 300 Red Cross blood drives were cancelled across 14 states, due to the storm. That represents some 9000 blood and platelet donations. Thankfully, midwest and western chapters of the American Red Cross are trying valiantly to make up the difference.
So that brings it back to us. I know we already ask a lot of people in our church – but now we’ll go even further and ask for blood. But isn’t that great stewardship – which is our church word to talk about generous giving and careful managing of all the blessings God has first given us? We do that with our financial giving, of course, but there are many other ways we are called upon to share as well. We have a Wellness Day scheduled at our church on Saturday, Nov. 10, and the bloodmobile will actually be right here on site. Though we have twenty donors ready to go in the morning, we still have a lot of slots open in the afternoon. Wouldn’t it be great if we doubled our efforts and found twenty more donors to come in and give this valuable gift of life? A moment ago, I walked out and signed up for Saturday afternoon — only 19 donors to go! Look for the sign-up sheet in the narthex.
We are so fortunate to have escaped the reaches of this storm, and therefore we are the ones with an opportunity to give in some way. How about blood? Maybe this invite comes to you at just the right time, and you can sign up this coming weekend to give on the afternoon of Nov. 10. Or, click here to be directed to our website page on Wellness Day, with instructions about how to sign up online to donate blood.
My wife and I realize that we are blessed in countless ways. So we find it an absolute joy to send some of our income on to the church, first and foremost, but then also to other agencies that share the love of God in the way they care for others. So we’ve also donated this week to the Red Cross and to Lutheran Disaster Response. Thank the Lord for places like this that rush into tough situations to provide that cup of cold water, that blanket of warmth, and that gift of food.
Yes, at Family of Christ, we do talk a lot about ‘giving,’ even to the point of giving your actual blood! But that is because being a generous giver is a hallmark of Christian discipleship. Throughout worship in November, we will be thinking about ‘why we do the many things we do.’ Why do we minister to children? Why do we go on mission trips? Why do we have sermons? Why sing praises or say prayers? And, of course, why do we give? One good answer for that last question is: ‘because we’ve been given so much.’
May God bless our church and our ministry together as we keep encouraging each other on toward faithful generosity.
See you in church!
~ Pastor Josh
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