Day 61: Compassion Ministry

Jesus said to then, 'They need not go away;
you give them something to eat." Matthew 14:16

Today's devotion comes to us from David Ramse, a missionary with the World Mission Prayer League, and a contributing commentator to "Christ In Our Home", a monthly devotional from the ELCA.

In our text, Jesus is inviting his disciples to partner with him in relief work. Thousands of people had followed Jesus from the surrounding towns to a deserted place, and many had received his healing touch. Now, it was evening, and the people were hungry. The disciples wanted to send the people away to the surrounding villages to buy food for themselves. Jesus gave a direct command: you give them something to eat."

This partnership continues today with God's people being called individually and corporately to compassion ministry. It may involve ministry to people of other cultures in other nations, or it might be a ministry of compassion to one's neighbor. It might mean a congregation raising resources for disaster response or sending a team for active involvement.

Jesus is concerned about the whole person, physically and spiritually. It is a privilege to be a coworker with Christ in meeting the needs to others.

Day 61. Dollar 61. Pound 61. Gracious God, may we allow Christ to use our hands and feet today to bring his love to others. In the process, we also will be filled. God of compassion, give me vision to see who needs your touch today. Amen.

Day 60: Glean on Me

GLEAN on me,

When you’re not strong
(enough to carry the gleaning equipment)
I’ll be your friend
(in the fields)
I’ll help you carry on
(when the beans become heavy)
For, it won’t be long
(many hands make light work)
‘Til I’m going to need
Somebody to GLEAN on!

The Annual Gleaning Trip is scheduled for Saturday, 9.10.11!

(9.10.11? That date sounds familiar...

What an exciting day this will be!)

Meet in the west parking lot of Bethany Lutheran Church (4500 E. Hampden Ave, Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113) by 7:15am on Saturday, September 10th, to sign forms and arrange transportation. Then, we will go to the fields for a morning of crop picking. Please wear sturdy shoes, bring gloves, hat and water. We should return to the church by noon.

When we're done, you are invited to remain at the church for the activities and fun going on there for Avenues of Hope: 9.10.11! Contact Susan Pattison at 303-973-2221 for questions or to sign up or email susan@platteriverbooks.net.

REMINDER: Summer Sundae: Share the SCOOP about hunger relief! Introduce a friend to Metro CareRing THIS Sunday, July 31 between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm while enjoying some delicious ice cream! Metro CareRing is located at 1100 E. 18th Avenue Denver, CO 80218. Please RSVP to Minerva at 303.350.3653 or mpadron@metrocarering.org. Together, we CONE put hunger on ICE!

Day 60. Dollar 60. Pound 60. Abundant God, we give you thanks for the fruitful earth, which produces what is needed for life. Bless those who work in the fields; grant favorable weather to all engaged in agriculture, and help us to ensure that all people share the fruits of the earth, rejoicing in your goodness; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Day 59: PB & J

First you take the peanuts
And you crunch 'em,
You crunch 'em!

For your peanut, peanut butter
And jelly!
Peanut, peanut butter
And jelly!

Then you take the grapes
And you squish 'em,
You squish 'em!

For your peanut, peanut butter
And jelly!
Peanut, peanut butter
And jelly!

Then you take the bread
And you spread it,
You spread it!

For your peanut, peanut butter
And jelly!
Peanut, peanut butter
And jelly!

Then you take your sandwich
And you eat it,
You eat it!

'Cause it’s good, peanut butter
And jelly!
Good, peanut butter
And jelly!

Day 59. Dollar 59. Pound 59. Every day, Metro CareRing distributes over 2 tons of food to families and individuals in need. Every family who visits receives a three to six day supply of nutritious, sustaining food. By donating food to Metro CareRing, you assist us in eradicating hunger in Denver! Click HERE to donate some PEANUT BUTTER today!

Day 58: Restoring Beauty

"When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic

about the future, my answer is always the same:

If you look at the science about
what is happening on earth
and aren't pessimistic,
you don't understand the data.

But if you meet the people who are working
to restore this earth and the lives of the poor,
and you aren't optimistic,
you haven't got a pulse.

What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world."

Paul Hawken, environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist, and author
Commencement Address to the Class of 2009
Click HERE to view the entire text of his speech.

Day 58. Dollar 58. Pound 58. Thank you, Hunger Relief Community, for being willing to confront the pessimism and the data in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice and beauty to this world.

Day 57: With these Hands

With these hands, Lord I pray.

Food from you to eat each day.

Day 57. Dollar 57. Pound 57.

Day 56: Commit and Expand

On July 20, First Lady Michelle Obama announced nationwide commitments from major food retailers to open or expand over 1,500 stores to help provide healthy, affordable food to millions of people in areas that do not currently have easy access to fresh, nutritious food.

The entire transcript of her announcement can be found HERE,
and you can watch her press conference below:

Day 56. Dollar 56. Pound 56. It is our hope that through stories like these, the seeds of expansion are planted, and that other communities and corporations catch the spirit of creating such options and choices for families, too!

Day 55: God of the Sparrow

~ God of the Sparrow ~

text: Jaroslav J. Vajda
tune: Carl F. Schalk
ELW #740
(To listen to just a snippet of this hymn, click here)

God of the sparrow, God of the whale, God of the swirling stars.
How does the creature say Awe?
How does the creature say Praise?

God of the earthquake, God of the storm, God of the trumpet blast.
How does the creature cry Woe?
How does the creature cry Save?

God of the rainbow, God of the cross, God of the empty grave.
How does the creature say Grace?
How does the creature say Thanks?

God of the hungry, God of the sick, God of the prodigal.
How does the creature say Care?
How does the creature say Life?

God of the neighbor, God of the foe, God of the pruning hook.
How does the creature say Love?
How does the creature say Peace?

God of the ages, God near at hand, God of the loving heart.
How do your children say Joy?
How do your children say Home?

Day 55. Dollar 55. Pound 55. As we marvel at the wonders of creation, we give thanks for the Hunger Relief Community of 9.10.11 and for the Care and Life you value through your support of Metro CareRing.

Day 54: Holy Imagination

³¹ Jesus told the crowd another story. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed and planted it in a field. ³² It is the smallest of all your seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree. Birds come and rest in its branches."

³³ Jesus told them still another story. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast," he said. "A woman mixed it into a large amount of flour. The yeast worked its way all through the dough." Matthew 13:31-33

How is the kingdom of heaven like this annoying plant that grows and grows and takes over a field?

How is the kingdom of heaven like moldy, rotting ruined dough?

Parables paint holy and imaginative pictures of what God’s kingdom looks like. This incarnational God is a Divine God who seeks to be in partnership with those who are ready to help liberate all of nature, all of humanity. The Gospel is rebellious. It’s revolutionary. God’s kingdom has come and changed things forever from what they were into something else completely. These playful parables aren’t just words on a page, they are the Word of God which bring the kingdom here, now, today.

God is like a mustard seed, God is like creepy yeast!

From Pastor Ruth Ann Loughry's sermon, "Holy Imagination" on 7/24/11
Click HERE to view/listen to the entire sermon

Day 54. Dollar 54. Pound 54. Beloved and sovereign God, through the death and resurrection of your Son you bring us into your kingdom of justice and mercy. By your Spirit, give us your wisdom, that we may treasure the life that comes from Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Day 53: Ketchup with a Friend

TODAY, July 23
Greenwood Village Sunflower Farmer's Market
(Arapahoe & Yosemite)

$1 burgers and $1 brats
from
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
(an extra hour longer than last time! Yum!)

50% of the proceeds will benefit Metro CareRing!
To help at this event or others, e-mail ellie@metrocarering.org
(A BIG thanks to all the volunteers who stand next to the grills and in the sunshine!

Day 53. Dollar 53. Pound 53.
KETCHUP with some new friends as you enjoy your food!

Day 52: CORN you imagine?

Lend an EAR today and learn a bit more
about this colorful and delicious plant!

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Day 52. Dollar 52. Pound 52.

CORN you imagine a world without hunger? Simply aMAIZEing!

Day 51: Whispers of Love

Lord, save us from trouble, but help us to be people who get in the way of injustice and trouble the waters of oppression.

Thank you for whispering to us that we are beloved.

Help us now to whisper your love to those who
long to hear that there is a loving God. Amen.

Day 51. Dollar 51. Pound 51.
Let our whispers today be those of love and hope.

Day 50: What Does the Lord Require of You?

A message from Brenda:

I've learned to listen to the voices in my head.

Well, let me explain: I've learned to listen to the quiet words that are whispered in my soul. To pay close attention to the text that repeatedly runs through my head and heart. Now, I know it's supposed to be Wordless Wednesday. And I know we've already had a Musical posting this week. (I guess that's what happens when you have a music teacher as your blog lady!)

But when the song that continually pops into my head aligns with the Bible passages I'm reading for the day, well, I know better than to ignore the message! I may not have immediate clarity about its deeper purpose, but I know to heed its ever-present voice. More specifically, GOD's ever-present voice.

What does the Lord require of you?
What does the Lord require of you?
There goes that voice again. I'm listening! I'm listening!

Micah, that prophet of old, guides us along our Avenues of Hope today. In the 8th verse of his 6th chapter, he tells us:

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice,
and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God. (NRSV)

SEEK. A verb of motion. Action. Movement! For some of us, this might mean putting an extra canned good item in our cart. For others, it's saying an extra prayer when we quietly notice someone hungry on a street corner. To seek justice - to be on the lookout for opportunities to help others. Making sure people are treated fairly and have the food they need. Thank you for seeing 9.10.11 as one of those opportunities!

Who doesn't love kindness!? The human spirit reacts favorably when treated with kindness - perhaps a deeper smile starts to broaden on your face. Perhaps your soul brightens ever so slightly.

The smiles you are deepening are that of the hungry. The souls you are brightening are individuals in need. Your kind of love is to love in kind. Over 500 people are joined in such kindness on these Avenues of Hope. Bless your willing spirits and generous hearts!

Ah, I don't know which part appeals to me more: the reminder of humility or the partnership with God. WITH God. The comfort of this divine companionship is almost too good to be true! But it IS true. We walk WITH God, and God walks with US. We become instruments of that promised hope.

Our Avenues are that much more cheerful when we know God walks with us. Our Avenues are that much more hopeful when we are humbled by God's great gifts. To date, $28,585 has been pledged for Avenues of Hope! An amazing 5,836 pounds have already been collected and delivered to Metro CareRing with an additional 11,980 pounds pledged for the cause! You are instruments of hope indeed!

Day 50. Dollar 50. Pound 50. On this 50th day of our trek, we mark not a half-completed journey, but rather a journey half begun. Avenues of Hope: 9.10.11 is a community MOVEMENT. We are here to educate, motivate and encourage one another as hunger relief advocates. Thank you for your ideas, your comments, and your commitment. May God bless our next 50 days together!

(And for those who would like to actually hear the voices that
were singing in my head, here's a 3 minute opportunity for prayer.)

Day 49: A Taste of Hunger

Just one week ago, Robert Jensen and Nolan Miller, writers at the New York Times, released a fascinating article about the correlation between a country's wealth and the number of hungry people.

An excerpt: "Suppose you want to figure out if someone has enough to eat. The standard approach is to compare the number of calories eaten to the number needed, with “need” defined by a statistical average across a population.

In effect, policy makers tell people whether they are hungry based on whether the amount of calories they take in conforms to some externally imposed standard.

Of course, very few people actually conform to a statistical average. So what if, instead, you looked not just at how many calories people consumed, but at the food they chose to eat."

Check out the entire article by clicking here.

Counting calories. Finding the cheapest food.

How DO we go about figuring out if someone has enough to eat?

What are your thoughts?

E-mail us at hope91011@gmail.com!

Day 49. Dollar 49. Pound 49. Gracious God, guide us today to hear the voices of those who do not have enough to eat. Bless our journey of hunger awareness as we jointly tackle these problems and share solutions, giving others not a taste of hunger, but a taste of hope. Amen.

Day 48: As Rain from the Clouds

As Rain from the Clouds
Text: Delores Dufner
Music: Jonathan E. Spilman (Afton Water)
ELW #508 (view here)

Day 48. Dollar 48. Pound 48. "Then shine in our hearts that the good seed may grow, and ripen rich fruit to return to your land."

Day 47: Back on My Feet

Psalm 86:11-17

(The Message)

Train me, God, to walk straight;

then I'll follow your true path.

Put me together, one heart and mind;

then, undivided, I'll worship in joyful fear.

From the bottom of my heart I thank you, dear Lord;

I've never kept secret what you're up to.
You've always been great toward me—what love!
You snatched me from the brink of disaster!

God, these bullies have reared their heads!
A gang of thugs is after me—
and they don't care a thing about you.

But you, O God, are both tender and kind,
not easily angered, immense in love,
and you never, never quit.

So look me in the eye and show kindness,

give your servant the strength to go on,

save your dear, dear child!

Make a show of how much you love me

so the bullies who hate me will stand there slack-jawed,

as you, God, gently and powerfully

put me back on my feet.

Day 47. Dollar 47. Pound 47. Gracious God, we thank you for helping us walk your true path. Lead us toward ways of showing kindness to others, and walking together, back on our feet, on these avenues of hope. Amen.

Day 46: Summer Sundae

Mark your calendars now!

Summer Sundae is almost here!

Share the SCOOP about hunger relief!

Introduce a friend to Metro CareRing on
Sunday, July 31 between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm
while enjoying some delicious ice cream!

Metro CareRing 1100 E. 18th Avenue
Denver, CO 80218
RSVP to Minerva at 303.350.3653
or mpadron@metrocarering.org

Day 46. Dollar 46. Pound 46.
Together, we CONE put hunger on ICE!

Day 45: Legume, Let God

Combine the creamy pink texture of pinto beans
with a whole grain such as brown rice
and you have a virtually fat-free high quality protein meal.

Pinto beans have a beige background strewn with reddish brown splashes of color. They are like little painted canvases, à la Jackson Pollack; hence their name "pinto," which in Spanish means "painted." When cooked, their colored splotches disappear, and they become a beautiful pink color. (Source: The World's Healthiest Foods)

Day 45. Dollar 45. Pound 45.
We give thanks to God for pink, petite, protein-filled pintos. Canned Cooked Pinto Beans are one of the top ten wanted pantry items at Metro CareRing.

Day 44: The Care of Others

Today’s moment of thankfulness was shared by Minerva Padron, Deputy Director at Metro CareRing. A portion of her story can be viewed here, while the main text is found below:

I am grateful that today our paths have crossed. You may not have known this, but you have had a tremendous impact on my life’s journey and I thank you. You see, as a child, I experienced hunger like many in our community are experiencing today and even at this very moment. At times, I would open the fridge and see scarcity. But I never lost hope because my mom worked hard to provide for us and when there was nothing more she could do, she humbled herself to ask for help and received food services from a local food pantry like Metro CareRing.

This experience I share with you I count as one of the most important in my life and I believe it is what has called me to service at Metro CareRing: I unpacked this box of food with my mom taking and inventory of items and questioning what are these? Black beans—“frijoles negros” replied my mom. I remember then planning a meal from the contents of our food box and my mom reassuring me the black beans were going to be delicious. I knew at that time that someone cared about us because we now had food to eat.

My life’s journey led me to Metro CareRing, where I would learn so much more about how the food I sorted through as a child with my mom made its way to our counter top—how it nourishes the body, the mind, and the soul.

I now know that you care enough...

• that you use your hard earned money to give for someone like me
• that you take the time to go shopping and wait in the grocery store line to buy food for someone like me
• that you drive your donation to Metro CareRing for someone like me
• that you take time out of your daily to volunteer at Metro CareRing to serve someone like me.

Today, I get to receive the blessings of service, the gift of knowing that another person, another family is being fed, and that they will share in the sacred and simple experience of a meal together. Maybe, they will even enjoy delicious black beans. Thank you for making a difference in my life and a difference in the lives of so many others.

Day 44. Dollar 44. Pound 44. By joining us in the $1 a day, pound a day campaign you are offering so much more than food, you are offering hope and, as in Minerva's case, impacting a life to journey much farther than you may ever know. Thank you for being an Avenue of Hope!

Day 43: Summertime Grilling

Wednesday, July 13

Greenwood Village Sunflower Farmer's Market
(Arapahoe & Yosemite)

$1 burgers and brats
from
11:00 am- 2:00 pm.

50% of the proceeds
will benefit Metro CareRing!

To help at this event or others, e-mail ellie@metrocarering.org

Day 43. Dollar 43. Pound 43.
Stop on by and MEAT a few new friends!

Day 42: Seeds of Hope

Check out Denver Post Columnist Bill Johnson's recent column,
"A pile of green to fertilize seeds of hope"
(click on the title above to read the entire article)

A $50,000 grant from coffee brand Maxwell House was awarded to Denver community farm, GrowHaus, as a part of a program created to honor and recognize community centers throughout the country for their work in improving the lives of residents in struggling areas!

The GrowHaus is an indoor farm, marketplace and educational center in Denver's Elyria-Swansea neighborhood. Their goal is to provide healthy, affordable food for the surrounding community and raise awareness about issues of food justice and sustainability.

Seed to Seed, the GrowHaus' annual summer leadership program, gets down and dirty with Denver's food system and the role it plays in our daily live with an engaging mix of workshops, group discussion, field trips, and hands-on projects.

Day 42. Dollar 42. Pound 42.
Seeds of grace. Seeds of love. Seeds of hope!

Day 41: Getting to Know You

We turn to the secular world for just a moment today, celebrating what would have been the 91st birthday of Yul Brynner, known for his famous film roles as Ramses in The Ten Commandments and the King of Siam in The King and I.

The reality (and blessing) of creating a blog that's intended to inform OTHERS is that the blog itself, the community of readers, and the real people behind the hunger relief efforts actually start informing US. We're the ones who walk away changed, blessed, and touched forever.

The lyrics really say it all: "That if you become a teacher, by your pupils you'll be taught!"

Getting to Know You

Words/Music: Rodgers and Hammerstein

Listen/view here

It's a very ancient saying,
But a true and honest thought,
That if you become a teacher,
By your pupils you'll be taught.

As a teacher I've been learning --
You'll forgive me if I boast --
And I've now become an expert,
On the subject I like most: Getting to know you!

Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.

Getting to know you,
Putting it my way, but nicely,
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.

Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say

Haven't you noticed
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you…day by day!

Day 41. Dollar 41. Pound 41. Thank you for getting to know the facts about hunger, how food helps people thrive, and how we can discover amazing avenues of hope by learning together!