It’s your turn to share stories of unity you have experienced. Think of your story as giving a gift to your family.
A second story from Alabama:
“The First Light Women's Shelter here is not a religious institution, and much of its financial support comes not from the religious community. However, twice a year, a planning lunch is held at the Shelter. In about one hour, those who are there commit to dinners, breakfasts, and overnight volunteers for each day and night--seven days a week--for a six-month period. It's done with monthly sticky-note calendars on the wall, and when we leave that lunch, the next six months of meals and overnights are usually completely filled. If not, a quick email to others who were not able to attend usually fills the calendar.
“The unity thing with those lunches is that they are attended by about 22 people, including me. We represent the churches (and one law firm) that will provide those meals and overnights for six months at a time. Among those represented are Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Mormon, Church of God, Church of the Nazarene, Catholic, and Episcopal churches…Those churches are from affluent, urban, and rural congregations. We all enjoy a meal together, prayer together, and serving together, and some of us now know each other very well. No one worries about the appropriateness of the prayer or the theology of what we do, but there's no doubt of the joy in service we all share.”
Loving and trusting each other leads to great joy in serving those in greatest need, so that the world will see.”
What is your story?
A second story from Alabama:
“The First Light Women's Shelter here is not a religious institution, and much of its financial support comes not from the religious community. However, twice a year, a planning lunch is held at the Shelter. In about one hour, those who are there commit to dinners, breakfasts, and overnight volunteers for each day and night--seven days a week--for a six-month period. It's done with monthly sticky-note calendars on the wall, and when we leave that lunch, the next six months of meals and overnights are usually completely filled. If not, a quick email to others who were not able to attend usually fills the calendar.
“The unity thing with those lunches is that they are attended by about 22 people, including me. We represent the churches (and one law firm) that will provide those meals and overnights for six months at a time. Among those represented are Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Mormon, Church of God, Church of the Nazarene, Catholic, and Episcopal churches…Those churches are from affluent, urban, and rural congregations. We all enjoy a meal together, prayer together, and serving together, and some of us now know each other very well. No one worries about the appropriateness of the prayer or the theology of what we do, but there's no doubt of the joy in service we all share.”
Loving and trusting each other leads to great joy in serving those in greatest need, so that the world will see.”
What is your story?
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