Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

During Vacation Bible School in June, the children of our church tilled up and planted a community garden in the cemetery which surrounds the church. Each week, the vegetables from the garden were harvested and brought to the local food pantry. Amazingly, as our home gardens struggled this year, the community garden flourished.

In our area, Advent comes at a time of year when you live off the stores of food from the earlier harvest. The stores are in the time of dwindling. As you eat of those stores, they have the scent and taste of the bounty of the harvest God gave you a few months beforehand. The hope of Spring and another season of harvest seems distant.

However, this is a time when the community relies on one another to get through the dwindling days. Everyone shares of what they have, each bringing a different gift to the community. It becomes an abundant bounty only when each little bit is pulled together into a feast. This is what we are doing when we give to those who don’t have enough; we share God’s bounty and the blessing.

In times of thick and lean, we can rejoice as the body of Christ, as community, we can give thanks.

God of abundance, you bring forth the harvest and feed us with the bounty of the earth. Inspire us to share this bounty in order to see the fullness of the feast you have prepared in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rev. Matthew Ollikainen is pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Niantic. This year, the church’s endowment funds supported the hunger outreach programs of Lutheran Congregational Services.