View From the Manse 2.0 - May 2024

 

“Ultimately, it is impossible to separate word and deed ministry because human beings are integrated wholes — body and soul. It is both natural and necessary that ministers of mercy also minister the Word while they are in the process of meeting human needs, and that communicators of the gospel also show compassion with regard to the material needs of the people they are trying to reach. An integrative ministry means weaving together word and deed ministry as much as possible.” - Tim Keller

          When we look at the life of Jesus in the gospels, we notice that he will spend his time both preaching and teaching (Matthew 5, Luke 15, etc) and healing and feeding (John 9, John 2, etc). One of Jesus miracles which is repeated in all 4 gospels is his feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6). Jesus performed both word and deed ministry. In attending to both our physical needs and our spiritual needs Jesus shows us that all of our being is valuable. People are created in the image of God. We are dust brought to life and our physical needs matter to God and therefore, they matter to the church (James 2:14ff). Human beings, unlike animals, are searching for meaning, truth, and hope; this can only be made available to us if God reveals it through his enfleshed, spoken, and written word (John 1, Romans 10:17).

          Psalm 81:10 says, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Sunday mornings we gather to be spiritually fed by the word of God. It is his word that nourishes our souls and gives life to our dead, enslaved spirits. But it is hard to hear the word over a growling stomach.

          One of the things I love about APC is that we have a healthy amount of our congregation involved in deed ministry. Many of you give of your time to show up and help out. Some of you write letters. Some of you pick up sticks and fix leaky faucets. Others of you cook meals and deliver them with flowers. Some of you volunteer at the Open Door in Glens Falls as frequently as you can or you give your time to Young Life, Young Lives, and WyldLife. So many here don’t just talk the talk, you walk the walk. This makes me proud to be your pastor. And as a man who loves to read books and talk theology, I learn from you.

          The most visible presence of our ‘deed’ ministry in Argyle is our food pantry. I am grateful for those who had a vision for this ministry long before I came here. There are many of our friends and neighbors who are food insecure and need this resource. Many of you volunteer on Saturday mornings, you pick up food on Fridays, and you help stock, clean, and organize throughout the week.

          The person who has been faithfully leading this food ministry for nearly a decade (along with the help of her family) is Linda Burch. Week after week, Linda has taken time to make sure that the food pantry has supplies and is ready to open come Saturday morning. Often, when volunteers have to cancel last minute, Linda has filled in. Linda has made serving at the food pantry an easy thing for those of us who volunteer.

Linda has decided that it is time to pass the leadership baton on to another. We are so thankful for her faithful service and we look forward to whom God would lead to pick up the baton and carry it forward. Is that person you?

Let me share one last thought with you about our food pantry. I was wondering the other day, ‘Can people pick up food on Saturday and come to church on Sunday? Do they feel welcome to receive physical food and spiritual food in the same place? If not, why not?’ What are your thoughts? Would someone have a hang up in our community about being seen at the food pantry and in the pew? If you want people to feel welcome in both places, how can you help that happen?

          Thank you for serving the Lord in word and deed.

Bryan Fitzgerald, Pastor (bryan@argylepresbyterian.org)