Friends,
Some of you are not just alert readers, but also mathematicians who saw my glaring error last week. Thank you for your kindness and your correction.
Blessings to all of you who turned in pledge cards last week. If you forgot to bring yours, we will gladly welcome additional cards this weekend, or you may mail them to the church office as many others have done. If you want to discuss how pledge cards, stewardship, budgeting, etc. works here at St. Mark, I am happy to have that conversation with you, or to refer you to a member of our Finance Commission. We have been using the phrase, “Now, more than ever” to emphasize how the unique ministries of inclusion, justice, and environmental care that we emphasize here at St. Mark are under a lot of criticism today, even by many folks who allege to be representing the Christian church.
This past Tuesday, our Deacons offered a lovely dinner that we call “Erika’s Feast,” where we invited representatives from all of the service organizations that we have been supporting this year. Now, more than ever, those organizations need our support.* Too many of the families at Martin Elementary School are living in anxiety that their heritage leaves them open to being taken by ICE. Friendship Shelter, a homeless services organization that we support in South County, is facing layoffs of staff because of dramatic changes in HUD funding. The LGBTQ Center OC representatives spoke about how their community is increasingly targeted by school systems and other branches of government that are vilifying trans persons at the behest of religious leaders. The work of inclusion, justice, and environmental care truly are needed now, more than ever.
And this weekend, we have particular reasons to be concerned. However you or I might feel about the politics behind the current government shutdown, as of midnight tonight SNAP benefits are scheduled to cease for the neediest families among us. SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which enables 42 million to feed themselves and their families. While each political party accuses the other of being responsible for this situation, unless last minute bipartisan action is taken, those families will be facing the kind of anxiety and decisions that none of us would ever want to face.
In response, your Mission Commission decided last week to donate $25,000 to the Orange County Food Bank, contingent on whether a last-minute bill passes to continue SNAP. We will keep our eyes on the news out of Washington throughout the weekend to see if some action has happened. If not, we will issue the donation on Monday and discuss further action afterward.
Some of you have also inquired into how you can step up if SNAP benefits are discontinued. There are two things that come to my mind, but I welcome more ideas from you if you would be willing to share them. First, you can go to this page and donate to the Orange County Food Bank. Among other things, they serve as a clearinghouse for soup kitchens, homeless service providers, and other worthy agencies in the OC. Second, if you want to take a long-term, advocacy track, you can go to this page of Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy organization committed to ending hunger in the U.S. and around the world, which is advocating for restoring full funding to SNAP, which was dramatically reduced in a recent House budget bill. Both the immediate and the long-term action are important when it comes to food, a basic necessity of life.
Now, more than ever, we are called to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly, both individually and collectively. You can answer that call by pledging your support and taking action.
Mark of St. Mark
* The organizations our Deacons have been supporting this year: Glenn Martin Elementary School, Casa Teresa, OC Coast Keepers, Friendship Shelter, Inc., Patrick’s Purpose, Someone Cares soup kitchen, the Souper Bowl of Caring, Project Hope Alliance, SPIN (Serving People in Need), Human Options, and the LGBTQ Center OC,
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