Feasting on Foodbank

Feasting on Foodbank - We launched the Foodbank Concept to our Church today - plans for opening are well underway in an effort to meet peoples needs. Jesus was quite clear in Matthew 25 that the Church out to care for the needy, and the oppressed. Foodbank is a way to do this

^34-36"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

Foodbank Orpington will soon open its doors. This isn't an opportunity for our Church to kingdom build or give ourselves a pat on the back it is a chance for Christians and others to work together and meet peoples needs where they are. There are many ways people will be able to help with the project, and we hope many other churches will take the opportunity to hear about foodbank and get involved and make real social change possible in our area.

Church is more than just having a holy huddle, and congratulating each other on another week survived. The book of James talks of the necessity of faith needing actions to match. In Isaiah 58 God tells the people he is not interest in half heartedness or self serving in his kingdom,

^6-9"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

^9-12"If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.

It is time to stop whining about how communities are needing change, and starting to become the agents of change. If you want to know more my email is at the top of the page. There is also a link to Foodbank's website to the right hand side.