Dear Fremont Family:
What does abundance look like to you? How do you know when you have it? In the world, the message we are constantly being bombarded with is, “never enough.” No matter what it is, there is definitely not enough of it: time, money, material things, help, rest, etc. As a result, we can begin to feel overly protective about what we do have and/or we are always longing for more. But what if we already have everything we need? What if “never enough” is a false mindset that can be changed?
In the month of August, we are going to be exploring the theme of abundance. Together, on Sundays, we will read scripture and reflect on the ways that Jesus directs our attention beyond our lack and toward giving what “little” we have and seeing what can happen! The result might just seem like a miracle.
To go along with our reading and reflection, I would like to invite us to an experiment. For each Sunday in August, what if we took turns bringing something to share? Maybe you have some extra vegetables from your garden or maybe you have some left over cut-up watermelon in your refrigerator. Maybe you have a favorite cookie recipe that you’d like to bake or maybe you used a coupon at the store and have an extra box of crackers. Would you be willing to bring those things to share? Maybe you don’t have any food to bring on Sunday morning, but you are willing to come a little early or stay a little late to help set up or take down tables for our collective food. Could you give some of your time?
My goal for this experiment in August is to explore what this kind of abundance can do for us. Will it allow us to linger longer with each other after worship? Will it deepen our conversations or increase our laughter and joy? Will it teach us an appreciation for the gifts we each bring and that table fellowship is holy communion? Will we be surprised by the ease of our ordinary gifts and the surplus of our shared life? I hope so.
I look forward to seeing what our scripture lessons and our experiment in Sunday morning “gift economy” can teach us.
Grace and peace,
Erin
