Sacred work, God's work, our call.

"Connie" ended up in the church I serve, on a hot night in September. I found her kneeled over at the foot of the altar. When I asked her what I could do for her she looked up at me and said, "I just want to pray." I got her water and food. 

Later she asked me, "Will God come?"
 And, I said, "Yes, God always comes." 

One of the last things she said to me, before she left with the police (someone called them, but they were extremely kind) for a shelter was, 
"Do you own this place?" 
I replied, "No. God owns this place." 

I found this image on Etsy of a homeless woman and created this icon that now stands in the church. I believe that Connie's coming to us was no accident. God was in her, she was the embodiment of Jesus, and through her I see our purpose for being. 

Jesus said, "Whenever you feed the hungry, tend the sick, clothe the naked, you've done so to me." In this stewardship season we are reminded of our purpose for being here. 

The church is not mine, it's not yours, it's not ours. It is God's church, and we are God's people, called to do the sacred work of caring for our neighbors. 

As Americans we can be too focused on money, too anxious about money, too concerned with process and procedure, but our call is simple. Use the gifts God has given to us to care for the world.