This Sunday, September 8, congregations throughout the ELCA will be taking part in “God’s Work. Our Hands” Sunday, where they are encouraged to engage in a service activity in their neighborhood or surrounding community.
Which got me thinking: in ELCA World Hunger we get to hear some wonderful stories from congregations, synod teams and other groups in the ELCA who are moved by their faith to respond to alleviate hunger and poverty in their communities. These stories, communicated through blogs, newsletters, or word-of-mouth, remind us that the work of ELCA World Hunger is geographically diverse and often happens without much fanfare.
But telling these stories is also witnessing to how God is at work among us. Jonathan Trapp of Southeastern Synod’s Hunger, Poverty and Justice Task Force stated this well following the ELCA World Hunger Leadership Gathering in Des Moines:
If we are in an environment where people are talking about the ways they see God at work, we will begin to look around and remember that God is faithful to God’s promises and ever-present and active in the world. But if we don’t tell our stories and proclaim the good news that is our stories, people may not see God’s work. Despair can set in and faith can be lost.
Sharing the story is witnessing to the work of God. So we want to hear from you. Whether you have plans for engaging in anti-hunger or anti-poverty efforts for this Sunday, or have blog or ongoing efforts that you would like others to know about, like Welcome to the Table in Southwest Idaho, we want to know what’s going on out there in the world of ELCA World Hunger. We know God is doing great work through you. Let us know by emailing your stories, blogs or pictures to us at hunger@elca.org.
Henry Martinez serves as an associate for hunger education in ELCA World Hunger.
