Eyes Wide Shut

On Saturday Charter Oak Church did what it has been doing for years once a month - open our doors as a distribution center for the Westmoreland County Food Bank. We now serve over 110 people each month. On the same day we were opening our doors, our local newspaper ran an article about the hungry in Westmoreland County. Right now about 15,000 people are served through the Food Bank. However, they estimate that an additional 40,000 are eligible to receive services.

That number completely blew my mind. It haunted me through the weekend - 55,000 people in Westmoreland County potentially need help putting food on their table. That really bothers me. I don't know if it bothers me because I don't have a solution to fix it, because I don't want to become an enabler of unemployment. I don't know if it bothers me because I don't have a solution to fix it, because it would mean that the church (all churches) would have to come together in unity to meet the need. I don't know if it bothers me because I don't have a solution to fix it, because I want to get to the root of the cause and I don't think I'm going to like what I find if I can get there. So I think I am like most people and I shut myself away from the truth.

More and more God is pressing on me that "where much is given, much is required." I cannot begin to list all the ways that we have been given much at Charter Oak Church. But at the same time we are not expected to be the only church in the arena. What I am wrestling with is how we can be leaders in the arena that will cast a vision that other churches will join us in the arena and we will see God at work at His best through His bride - the church.

Join me in praying that God will reveal to us where He is already at work in this region alleviating poverty so that we may join Him in that work and help lead others to that place as well.