Senior Pastor, Rev. Clayton Peak
One of the many things that impresses me about the McMurry congregation is their dedication and commitment to serving the Lord through what John Wesley called "works of mercy." For Wesley, works of mercy were a means of grace based on the two greatest commandments given to us by Jesus: love God with our whole self and love our neighbor as our self. Specifically, Jesus laid out examples of the works of mercy in his parable of the sheep and the goats:
"l was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me... Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me" (Matthew 25: 35-36, 40 NRSV)
I've seen these works of mercy in action around the McMurry community, especially giving food to the hungry and clothing to the naked. Every month, the McMurry congregation contributes an amazing amount of food to the Avondale Food Pantry. This food pantry distributes food every Wednesday morning, and then on the first Saturday morning of every month to hungry people in the Kansas City Northland. Kathy Irvine, a member of Avondale who oversees the operations of their food pantry, is always impressed by the sheer volume of food donated by the folks of McMurry.
September has been a monumental month in our contributions to the Avondale Food Pantry. We were challenged to collect 500 jars of peanut butter. Peanut butter is a great need for the food pantry because they have trouble keeping it on their shelves. Peanut butter is a great source of protein and healthy fats. Kids are especially fond of peanut butter. It requires no refrigeration and doesn't have to be cooked. Peanut butter can be used to make sandwiches—with or without jelly, spread on crackers, or even eaten right out of the jar. All you need is a spoon. Of course, some folks are allergic to peanuts, so as an alternative someone brought in some sunflower butter. (Maybe next time we do a nut butter collection, we'll also include others like almond and cashew butters.)
As they say in sports, "a win is a win." And that is definitely the case for our September peanut butter drive. As of Sunday, September 29, we have collected 502 jars of peanut & sunflower butters. It was hard work over the five Sundays of September. Some of us thought we would never make it, but thanks to some last-minute help from Shawn Grout, we made it over the top! Way to go McMurry! What a wonderful example of the works of mercy in action. What a great way to be the hands and feet of Christ to a world in need.
Next month we will be collecting soup: all kinds of soup. Will we collect 500 cans of soup? Who knows! But whatever amount we do collect, it will be a blessing to all who receive it. Soup is easy to cook, has a long shelf-life, and is especially appreciated during the cold winter months. Let's continue these great works of mercy to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ as we give to the Avondale Food Pantry. See you in church.
Grace & Peace
Pastor Clayton
"l was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me... Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me" (Matthew 25: 35-36, 40 NRSV)
I've seen these works of mercy in action around the McMurry community, especially giving food to the hungry and clothing to the naked. Every month, the McMurry congregation contributes an amazing amount of food to the Avondale Food Pantry. This food pantry distributes food every Wednesday morning, and then on the first Saturday morning of every month to hungry people in the Kansas City Northland. Kathy Irvine, a member of Avondale who oversees the operations of their food pantry, is always impressed by the sheer volume of food donated by the folks of McMurry.
September has been a monumental month in our contributions to the Avondale Food Pantry. We were challenged to collect 500 jars of peanut butter. Peanut butter is a great need for the food pantry because they have trouble keeping it on their shelves. Peanut butter is a great source of protein and healthy fats. Kids are especially fond of peanut butter. It requires no refrigeration and doesn't have to be cooked. Peanut butter can be used to make sandwiches—with or without jelly, spread on crackers, or even eaten right out of the jar. All you need is a spoon. Of course, some folks are allergic to peanuts, so as an alternative someone brought in some sunflower butter. (Maybe next time we do a nut butter collection, we'll also include others like almond and cashew butters.)
As they say in sports, "a win is a win." And that is definitely the case for our September peanut butter drive. As of Sunday, September 29, we have collected 502 jars of peanut & sunflower butters. It was hard work over the five Sundays of September. Some of us thought we would never make it, but thanks to some last-minute help from Shawn Grout, we made it over the top! Way to go McMurry! What a wonderful example of the works of mercy in action. What a great way to be the hands and feet of Christ to a world in need.
Next month we will be collecting soup: all kinds of soup. Will we collect 500 cans of soup? Who knows! But whatever amount we do collect, it will be a blessing to all who receive it. Soup is easy to cook, has a long shelf-life, and is especially appreciated during the cold winter months. Let's continue these great works of mercy to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ as we give to the Avondale Food Pantry. See you in church.
Grace & Peace
Pastor Clayton