Is it a manageable goal? Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church picked up on a recent sermon and turned it into practical advice – feed the hungry in Maple Valley.
A New Testament biblical story tells of Jesus feeding 5,000 people in the wilderness. The story begins with one of the 12 apostles, Phiip, wondering how he could possibly save enough to give each of these hungry people a small amount to eat. A young child came forward with five barley loaves and two fish. After Jesus blessed the food, there was enough for the large gathering to eat, with many leftovers as well.
As a way to address the unexpected ways that God works in the world, Pastor Andy Arnold raised the suggestion that maybe the congregation should collect 5,000 cans of food to donate to the Maple Valley Food Bank. “Let’s capture our imaginations by seeing how quickly we can collect 5,000,” he said. As soon as the sermon ended, a parishioner unexpectedly came forward with three cans of fruit and vegetables and one jar of jam. A few days later, Amazon delivery dropped off a few boxes of canned food at the church door. “Can we get all 5,000 cans collected by the end of October, in three months?” Arnold questioned. “Let’s see what our loaves and fishes can do to fight hunger in our community.” The church office has been tabulating donations each week, while also welcoming community members to join the congregation in its effort to ‘feed the 5,000’.
