Hungry?

"The Edge" at the Grove has been discussing social justice issues over the last few weeks, subjects like immigration, human trafficking, poverty and hunger.

I know I can pretty regularly remark, "I'm hungry!" But it's not that I've missed many meals (except when I planned it or something got in the way). It's just that I'm used to having my belly full. I can remember losing my job back in 1990 and the church I was attending asked Cindy and I to come down in the basement for a moment. They had collected over 50 bags of groceries for our family to help us til I found a job. That was such extravagant love - especially back then.

A little over a year ago when Jeff Jemmison, Pastor of St. John The Baptist Church invited me to see their vision of a food pantry, I was excited but not sure what The Grove could do to help. Soon after, I got the brainstorm to invite the Grove family every first Sunday of the month to take a bag home and fill it with recommended food items for the pantry. Since that time we've averaged 10-15 bags a month.

As good as that sounded I knew we could do much more. So on our 2nd anniversary every family received an envelope containing $5.00, 5 recommended food lists, and we asked them to purchase five recyclable bags and distribute them to family and friends. Then we asked them to bring them back the next week. We invited Deacon Al Jones and Deacon Cliff Bolling to come to our celebration and we could symbolically give them the food. The excitement grew as bag after bag was carried in. 20 - 30 - 40 - 70 - 90 - 100! Final tally - 107 and two boxes!

Today some awesome people helped load it all into the church van and deliver it to the pantry. We carried them down the steep steps and filled their storage room to capacity and then began filling a second. We got a tour and explanation of how they run the pantry. What we heard melted my heart. When they began an average of 25 families would show up during the 3-5pm time they were open. Recent weeks that has grown to 70-75!

They explained that when a person comes in, they tell how many members in their family. If they say 2, they get food for 2, 3 meals a day for 3 days. If its 6, then 6 for 3 meals a day for 3 days. They never challenge how many they say - they just serve and trust God to sort it all out.

I'm inspired to see what more The Grove family can do - and to enroll the support of other churches as well. Will you pay with me on how we can bless those in our community?

Ahhsummm

I am smiling and chuckling to myself right now. After watching myself on video Sunday interviewing Grovers and listening to my response so often being, "Awesome, that's awesome", I want to choke myself. My speech teacher and other word police like me would slap me.

However, The Grove is an AWESOME place. The people are AWESOME. What they did with the food collection Sunday was AWESOME! What God is doing is AWESOME! I know I overuse the word lately so I'll try to vary my responses in the future.

But there is one person who can say it over and over and I'll never get tired of it. Angus Benjamin, my 2 year old grandson is venturing into the world of words more everyday. I watched his mother's video she posted with him saying AHHsumm and my wait for them to come and visit in 2 weeks seems an eternity! If you want to smile, take a look at the video at http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1179124273881

The team I serve with at The Grove is AWESOME too. What amazes me is that they still love me when I screw up. Sunday was no exception as I had asked Carolyn to put together a slide show of our history at The Grove and then forgot to ask her to run it. I was told she was waving at me to get my attention and I, as I sometimes do, stayed in my tunnel and didn't see it. What made it worse was that she had stayed up so late to finish it. She tried to make me feel better by saying she now had more time to make it better, but I saw it and it was great in its first form.

God's grace is AWESOME and when his people extend that grace as well it is AWESOME too. Especially when you are a pastor that needs it more and more.

So year 3 has started - we have AWESOME opportunities ahead like: Painesville Party in the Park this Sunday, an outdoor baptism service at Headlands beach August 2nd, our 40 Days of Love campaign starting September 13th, and the list could go on and on.

What is the most AWESOME is the life change happening in our people and the community.

Hope you are as excited as this old pastor!