In May our church council adopted a
proclamation called “Everybody eats.”
Our sermon series this month focuses
on equality and that’s an equality statement: everybody eats. We
believe that everyone needs good, nutritious food to grow and thrive, and as
followers of Jesus Christ, we are going to do everything we can to ensure that,
as far as we are able, people have food.
Everybody…
When it comes to equality, are there
other things we believe everybody should have? Should everybody
- Breathe fresh air?
- Have access to a good education?
- Be able to live lives free from violence?
Last spring I was in a museum in
Chicago, and I ran across a statement from the CEO of a major corporation who
said that access to clean water is not a basic human right.
I disagree. Water flows from mountain tops through aquifers that God
created. Everybody should have access to clean water.
As I think of all these things, I
think of my grandchildren. Do I want them to have nutritious food?
Fresh air? A good education? A life free from violence? Clean
water? Of course. And if I want this for my grandchildren, then I
have to want it for your grandchildren too, and for everyone’s
grandchildren.
How we get there, that’s another
story.
How do we, as the body of Christ,
ensure that everybody has the basic things they need? This month we are
struggling with that question. It is a big, overwhelming question.
But it is not bigger than God. I
believe that this was God’s intention from the beginning of time when the
divine hand of God gave earth little shove and the world began spinning. In the
enormous generosity of God, everyone was to have what they needed to live.
The entire “Everybody eats”
statement appears below.
May your basic needs be met this
day, and may we do all we can to meet the basic needs of others.
Blessings,
Pastor
Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Avenue
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
We worship on Sunday mornings at
8:30 in a traditional way and at 11 in a casual way. We would love to
worship with you. And now we are livestreaming our 8:30 service!
Watch us online!
Everybody Eats! Proclamation
As Jesus Christ carried out his
ministry, he cared for people, body, mind, and soul. Again and again, he
insisted that hungry people have the food they needed. Food played a
central role in his ministry.
Jesus Christ ate with tax
collectors.
Fed 5,000 and 4,000 on a
hillside.
Said that when we fed the least
among us, we fed him.
He raised a child from the dead and
told her family to give her something to eat.
Told parables of banquets.
Taught us to pray for daily bread.
On the last night of his life, he
shared a meal with his disciples and asked us to remember him always at a table
together sharing bread and wine.
His disciples recognized the Risen
Christ in the breaking of bread.
The Risen Christ prepared a
breakfast of grilled fish on the beach for his disciples.
And Jesus Christ expected his
disciples to feed others.
Because food was so important to
Jesus Christ, West Des Moines United Methodist Church as a community of his
followers, commit ourselves to ministries of feeding, addressing hunger in all
the ways that we might, locally, nationally and internationally.
To carry out our commitment to
alleviating hunger, we will:
·
Recognize access to quality food as a basic human right.
·
Continue to support our direct hunger efforts, through our Little Pantry, Our
Summer Feeding program and our partnership with Hillside Elementary.
·
Partner with and support other groups who address hunger, such as Bidwell
Riverside, West Des Moines Human Services, the Des Moines Hunger Hike, the Des
Moines Area Religious Council, Meals from the Heartland and area
businesses.
·
And we will raise awareness about hunger by learning more about hunger and
nutrition, and encouraging other groups and individuals to address hunger needs
in their neighborhoods and communities.
·
We will do all that we can so that West Des Moines United Methodist Church is
known as a church dedicated to the premise that everybody eats.
Adopted by the church council of
West Des Moines United Methodist Church on ____May 20, 2019___
This week at WDMUMC!
Children’s Choirs and Christ
Chimers! Our children will sing and play the
chimes at our 8:30 service! Come and enjoy it!
Bar+Church! This Sunday Bar+Church will meet at 1 pm at Twisted Vine
Brewery. Come and join in this new “twist” on church. Pastor Trevor
will meet you there.
Calling all Actors! Like to ham it up? On December 7th, we will be joining
with Aldersgate United Methodist Church in family advent fun and we need actors
of all ages! These are easy parts re-telling the Christmas story.
This is a wonderful way to teach our children the meaning of Christmas.
Will you help tell the story? Contact Morganne, our Christian Education
director.
