Happy Birthday, Community Table!

February marks the 2-year anniversary of the food pantry, and we have some astounding numbers to share. In 2010, we averaged 70 families per month and served 3100 people total with the helping hands of 30 volunteers who gave 180 volunteer hours each month. An amazing 36,000 pounds of food were shared in 2010! Since our beginnings two years ago, 580 different families have received food through our pantry and we have served 6020 people all together. For Thanksgiving and Christmas, in addition to normal food boxes, 110 holiday baskets have been gifted.

But these numbers are not just numbers! They represent real human faces and families, hard-working hands and hours of life given in selfless and joyful service. They reflect smiles and offers of hospitality, hearts affected by kindness, and new friendships forming because of read human connection. They count just a few of the little lights of Christ that are walking around this world. When we all gather in Hilson Hall on a third Saturday, or when backs bend to lift cans or fill boxes as others zoom around, hard at work, those little lights come together and create a larger blaze that warms us all. Let us give thanks for each belly that is fed, for each set of feet that is welcomed in, for each smiling or crying child, for each hand that reaches out to wave, to give, to receive, to hug, to lift in prayer. And let us give thanks to the One who created all of us and invites us to keep coming together. This pantry has been a gift and many thanks are given for your participation in it. May we have the energy and determination to keep seeking God and one another, to continue to ask, "What's next? How are you calling us to respond now?"

Snow day

Outside, it was frigid and quiet and snowy...

But inside, it was lively and toasty and the action was non-stop. Oh, and I finally learned how to use the church coffee maker, so everyone was happy!

We even had a couple of older siblings join us because school was canceled. Fun!

Reflecting on forgiveness at the Supper

Incredibly, Jesus, as he was dying, asked God to forgive those who were killing him. Are we really called to this kind of counter-cultural forgiveness? Are any sins unforgivable? What happens if we don't forgive? We came together Sunday evening to reflect on these question consider how to live as forgiven and forgiving people in our everyday lives.

Here, participants write messages (to share or not to share) to people they would like to forgive, and write confessions to God.

Our confessions were placed is this pan and burned as we affirmed to one another that yes, indeed, we have each been forgiven.

We watched the powerful clip below from The Mission, a movie I would highly recommend. It is the story of 18th century Jesuits who establish a mission in South America, of the slave trader who experiences transformation, and of the fate of the local indigenous community when the land where the mission is changes hands from Spain to Portugal. It is a devastating, provocative and beautiful story and one that says much with few words.

In this scene, a former mercenary (who had captured many indigenous people and sold them as slaves) has just left prison, where he had been sent for killing his own brother. He has been unwilling or unable to forgive himself for his many sins and has chosen his own penance.

After this scene, he joins the mission community, where he works and lives among the people. A powerful story of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Triple the fun!

Nine kiddos and eight parents came to the second week of the CUMC Indoor Play Area, but you wouldn't have to know the increase in numbers to experience the high level of energy. Nearly all the pictures I took that morning have at least one blurred figure, where a little one was scooting, hopping, or running by. What a gift to see these parents lovingly follow the lead of their children and playing with them and, for me, to get to stack and laugh and snack along with them.

The Indoor Play Area is open!

On our first day, three mamas and three kiddos showed up to play at the CUMC Indoor Play Area! The little ones were all shy at first, but they quickly felt at home as they bounced and giggled and stacked and pushed and crawled and snacked. We had a great time and I'm excited for next week! Come join us Thursdays between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. at the Cornelius United Methodist Church!

Javier was determined to make 100 shots, and he did it! And was sweating by the end!

Sharing the load

In the past few months, the coordinating team of the Community Table Food Pantry has worked to improve the organization of our volunteers so that all who want to can offer their gifts in a meaningful way and so that none are taking on too much. Every Wednesday evening is now a work day so weekly loads of food from the food bank can be sorted and put away. This past week, 12 folks showed up to haul, sort, and organize food, and to knock down and recycle boxes that can't be reused. I love the energy that this collaborative work creates and the friendships that are growing as we share this joyful load.